East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-01-10

Canadian Government Supports the
Movement.
ottawa, Ont, Jan. l6.-One of the
most important meetings in the inter-
ests of systematic forestry in Canada,
ever held in this country, met here to-
day in response to an invitation issue
by Sir Wilfred Daurier last month.
The meeting is held under the aus
pices of the Canadian Forestry asso-
citation and was called for the purpose
Of considering the status of the for
ests of the dominion and the means
necessary for their preservation.
Sir Wilfred Laurier, who acts as
the presiding officer of the conven-
ton, personally opened the session and
delivered an address, in which he
called attention to the great import
ance of the forestry problem in Cana
da and the United States. He pointed
out that the virgin forests of Canada
are one of her best and most valuable
assets and anything that can be done
to preserve them and increase their
value would add to the wealth of the
country. The value of forest products
for 1901, according to the last census,
was $51, 100000 and provincial gov
ernments which control their own
lands derived large revenues from
their forests.
Several other interesting addresses
were delivered, giving a history of
the forestry movement in Canada
The question of preservation and re-
forestration was agitated for many
years by Sir Jolly de Lotbiniere, Will
liam Little, of Westmount, and others,
and in 1882 a forest congress was
convened in Montreal. representing
the United States and Canada to con-
slider the subject and devise means
of dealing with the problem. There
was large attendance of leading men
from the United States and Canada
and during the two or three days ses-
sion of the convention many valuable
papers were read. The result was by
no means satisfactory however. AL
though the proceedings of the con-
vention were well reported in the
newspapers and many good editorials
on the subject were written. the in
no sustained effort was made to keep
the matter before the people.
| At last, however, the American
Forest congress was organized, which
body met in Quebec in 1892. The
most far reaching result of that con-
vention was the adoption of the fire
ranging system, which has done so
much to preserve the forests of Can
ada from destruction by fire From
time to time the different provincial
governments adopted certain meas
ures for the preservation of the for
ests but there was no concerted ac-
tion and no systematic effort for the
accomplishment of the important
task
Not until the Canadian Forestry as
sociation was founded in 1899, was
any concerted effort made to induce
the various provincial governments tC
join their efforts in the common cause
So persistent was the Canadian For,
estry Association In It's efforts that tn!
federal government at last saw fit to
place the stamp of its official recog-
milton upon the work of the associa-
ton and to call together the present
convention.
Among the delegates to the conven-
tion are many prominent officials OF
the various provincial governments
members of the Canadian Forestry
association, members of the various
legislative councils and legislative as
semblies of the provinces, representa-
tives of the Lumbermen's associa-
tions, of boards of trade, universities
and agricultural colleges, farmers in
stitutes, railway companies, mining in
stitutes, fish and game associations
and many other similar organizations
in some way interested in the preserv-
alton of the forests.
The main divisions in which the
subject will be considered will include
the national interest in the forest, the
relation to agriculture, the influence
of the forests on water power and ir-
rigation and forestry education. The
bureau of forestry of the United
States, the American Forestry associa-
tion and the Forestry bureaus and
associations of various states are also
vention will last three days.