106 Canadian Forestry Journal, June, 1915 



THE FAKE SETTLER AT WORK 



The fake settler is of many species but in every instance meets the defini- 

 tion of a nuisance and a trespasser. Both Ontario and Quebec possess laws on 

 their statute books, and have put them to good account, debarring new settlers 

 from non-agricultural lands. That is, all new areas opened up for settlement 

 are supposed to pass first under the scrutiny of an expert in soil values. Those 

 parts of a township which promise to grow trees alone are, by law, fenced off 

 as forest. The purpose of these laws is in every sense praiseworthy. They seek 

 to protect not only the settler but the soil and to preclude all future oppor- 

 tunity of repeating the tragedy of the sand plains in Norfolk and elsewhere. 



It would appear, however, from representations made recently to the 

 Canadian Forestry Journal, that the riddance of the old and costly custom in 

 Quebec is not quite complete. Information received refers particularly to the 

 disposal of 'homesteads' along the edge of one or more timber limits. It is 

 asserted that the soil was reported upon adversely by experts and that any 

 observer of commonly good judgment would discard the lots from any agricul- 

 tural classification. Additional proof that the 'settlers' were seeking cheap 

 timber and not land is the fact that nearby lots, partially bare of wood growth, 

 were not asked for b}" the applicant 'farmers', who seemed to prefer the pros- 

 pect of 'hewing out a home' from a bunch of twenty-inch pine. 



No one can justify this practice of handing over chunks of somebody's 

 timber limit to those who have little notion of planting field crops or develop- 

 ing live stock after the valuable timber is cleared off. This sort of settler is in 

 reality a speculator, getting his timber for practically nothing and moving 

 along to the next picnic ground when the wood crop is removed. 



His tenure is nearlj^ always mischievous. He is, in the truest sense a tres- 

 passer upon the lumberman's common rights, and uses a government patent 

 very often as a device to take off timber already covered by the lease of the 

 large oj)erator. What a menace the fake settler is to forest protection need not 

 be enlarged upon. Having no considerable stake in the district, he plays with 

 fire for his own ends and is not usually amenable to punishment when his care- 

 lessness burns down hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of a neighbor's 

 timber. 



There seems no doubt that whatever the influence at work to foist these 

 petty speculators upon the timber growing districts of any Canadian province 

 the consequences are vicious, and should be recognized as immeasurably out- 

 weighing every other consideration. — R. B. 



A FBIENDLT FOSESTEY BIVALFY. MATCH COMPANY AIDS CAMPAIGN. 



It is easy for all of ns to shut the stable At the recjuest of the Dominion Parks 

 door after the hor?e has been stolen. We Branch, the E: B. Eddy Company has re- 

 sympathise deeply with our friends in the cently put into effect a very excellent pre- 

 States over their national calamity. Perhaps cautionary measure against forest fires, 

 the best method of showing our sympathy This company is now printing in striking 

 would be by taking up such an active fores- colors in attractive design on their match 

 try policy in this country as to give the boxes an effective fire notice, warning the 

 world a lead along a new and better path. public not to throw away burning matches, 



If Canada and the States would ioin in a „, •„n„ • +i,„ „,„„i„ t4. -c „ ^«ii i,««^« 



n . -,, . 1 n .^ ■ ^ ^ 1 , , especiallv in the woods, it is a well known 



triendlv rivalrv ot this character qoth conn- '■ 



tries would gain enoTmously.— Medicine Hat ^^^'t that many forest fires are due to care- 



Call. ■ lessness in handling matches. 



