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Canadian Forestry Journal, December, 1915. 



Laboratories Formally Opened 



Government and University United in Great Project of Reducing 



Waste in Forest Products. 



The formal opening of the Forest 

 Products Laboratories of Canada 

 took place at Montreal on December 

 3rd. The event drew together a 

 large representation of men prom- 

 inent in governmental, commercial 

 and engineering life and provided an 

 opportunity for bringing to the at- 

 tention of many interested people 

 the highly important work which 

 the laboratories are carrying on. 



The history of the inauguration of 

 the Laboratories, and a careful des- 

 cription of the equipment were con- 

 tained in the July, 1915, issue of the 

 Canadian Forestry Journal and can 

 readily be referred to by readers of 

 this issue. Of the incidents sur- 

 rounding the formal opening on De- 

 cember 3rd, something may well be 

 said. 



The Forest Products Laboratories 

 of Canada were established in 1913 

 under the Forestry Branch of the 

 Department of the Interior. Mon- 

 treal was selected for their location 

 by reason of the valuable facilities 

 which McGill University offered to 

 place at their disposal. This co- 

 operation of University and Govern- 

 ment which was so strinkingly 

 evident to those present at the 

 formal opening has resulted in a 

 success otherwise improbable. The 

 University has provided quarters 

 for the laboratory work and the De- 

 partment of the Interior bears the 

 expense of salaries and equipment. 

 This eager relationship between the 

 University and the practical prob- 

 lems of one of the greatest of our 

 industries testifies to the truth of 

 Sir William Peterson's remarks that 

 McGill's contribution to Canadian 

 life is in line with the outstanding 



needs of the times and that "we pro- 

 fessors are the livest lot of men in 

 the country." 



The Aim of Conservation. 



The function of the laboratories is, 

 by itself, quite distinct, although 

 sharing with all forestry organiza- 

 tions in the aim of conservation. 

 The laboratories are concerned alone 

 with the utilization of raw materials 

 and employ the agencies of chemis- 

 try, physics, and engineering. Until 

 one comes into touch with the lack 

 of information relating to Canadian 

 woods, methods of using raw ma- 

 terials and forest waste there can be 

 no full appreciation of the great ser- 

 vice capable of being rendered by an 

 institution of this kind. The wood 

 using industries of Canada are run- 

 ning far from the path of maximum 

 economy. Thousands of questions 

 asked in the course of a year, ques- 

 tions demanding scientifically exact 

 answers have gone begging. Com- 

 mercial companies, realizing the 

 need of a central bureau of research 

 and experimentation for the whole 

 Dominion, were in no position them- 

 selves to solve the problem. Under 

 the administration of Hon. Dr. 

 Roche, and with the advice of Mr. R. 

 11. Campbell, Director of Forestry, 

 the Forest Products Laboratories 

 came into existence. They have the 

 hearty support, of the industries 

 identified with forest products and 

 have already rendered substantial 

 service. 



Following a brief address by Hon. 

 Dr. Roche, the guests started upon 

 their interesting travels. The build- 

 ing containing a complete experi- 

 mental paper mill proved of keen 



