WORK AND AIMS OF THE COMMISSION 9 



results of our activities and I am quite sure there will be much more 

 substantial results in the future, as the result of the discussions which 

 are taking place from time to time under the direction and by the 

 experts of this Committee. 



„ .. . One of the departments of public work which it 



Cooperation , '^ _ . . , , . 



Necessary struck me some years ago was suiienng from lack of 



cooperation was that of the fisheries. The Dominion 



Department of Fisheries, with which our friend Prof. Prince has 



been identified for many years, was doing its best but, in many cases, 



conflicts of jurisdiction and legal difficulties of one kind and another 



arose. Of course, when anything of that kind arises, the officials find 



their hands tied and, without assistance from the outside, it is 



impossible for them to make progress. The discussions which have 



taken place here have to some extent assisted in removing some of 



these misconceptions, misunderstandings and legal difficulties and I 



understand that we shall see still further progress in that direction. 



The main principle in our action, in all the branches of our work, 

 has been to get the people together who know most about the subject 

 and to remove as far as possible, by personal contact and discussion, 

 the misunderstandings and difficulties which prevented progress and, 

 as a result, to bring about coordinated action along certain lines which 

 is likely to produce practical results. We have been pretty successful 

 in that respect in some particular departments, notably in connection 

 with the question of fire protection in our forests. In this respect we 

 have achieved a work which it is almost impossible to believe has been 

 accomplished in four or five years. In other branches of our work, 

 such as that of the Committee on Lands and the Committee on Minerals 

 and others, there has been very substantial, practical and useful work 

 and this work in nearly every case, in fact I might say in every case, 

 is due to the intelligent direction of the work by the Chairman in 

 charge of the Committee. 



And now, Mr. Chairman, it has been one of the characteristics of 

 our meetings that we have not wasted much time in discussion of 

 general principles and I am not going to violate the rule by continuing 

 the discussion on these lines now. I congratulate you and the mem- 

 bers of the Committee very heartily upon the holding of the meeting 

 and the work you have done in connection with it. 



