New-York tribune., 1909-03-12
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Conserre Them by Development,
SAYS William Mackenzie.
rRv Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

-ssoyrces is 10 develop them" Thus VIII
y Mackenzie summarized his ideas Of the Ca
iN L. asnect OF the Conference on the Conserva-
su - natural Resources, lately held in Washing
-, In which delegates representing Canada,
I - T-nite5 states and Mexico took part
&c persons might say that Development Of
ICES has been the bane OF American COM
ia r7rogress The dictura of the builder and
.,sent Of the Canadian Northern Railway lines
I,rb+ lead some persons 10 believe he is not in
I.-4z with the idea OF outstanding natural
.as that inlpelled Mr.. Roosevelt to invite rep
ossntatires Of Canada and Mexico to join with the
--i-ed States in taking steps to stop the reckless
sta Of natural resources that has given TO OBJ
s-rers of the ultimate currents OF business dis
.-sjng fears foI the future.
W Mackenzie deals neither in paradoxes nor
., o,rcumlocutions. He approaches big questions
= nig direct way He further and grips
Gre oapaciousIy than many men He puts aside
~ details things which many would regard as
= rac+ors in situation. With his partner. D.
n Mann. M. Mackenzie has built, bought or
,ses g mile Of railway every day for the last
80, ,-ears He knows something about develop
-,ent OF natural resources And he knows some
..t,r about conservation. too
.,rsctenzie never lets co. said Of his
,s-ienced associates. and when he gets hold, he
as II for the longest time for which the
cross the table IS willing to make a bargain.
Tss-e then is a Of speedy action and the long
rssu He q genius for constructive eXploita-
.,o,- en almost uncanny instinct for the right
,srrrtse Those who know him at close range-not
, VERY numerous hand-know that be cares as
,,Bch for the expansion OF Canada, for Canada, as
-+,srs whose pubhc Offices give them professional
right 10 instruct those whose votes they oes ana
,z.bose pay they receive
I'VE have got TO develop this country, he said
rbcn asked whether he welcomed Mr.. Roose-
.,,,s invitation to Canada. That's the first thing
.rs we can't do il fast enough. We are short Of
r,en and short Of money. compared with what We
erd 71se f0-- That's the thing.
.-an; Nr Mackenzie" he asked, don't you
,rink that even in Canada there wasteful de-
l,,n,e7t in the nineteenth century. which makes
n harder to exploit the wealth Of the country than
q should De in the twentieth century?'
..of course" was the reply: that goes without
ssrinx The nineteenth century was a long time
ago and have almost forgotten what 1t was ike
6on't see the need TO say much about the methoos
~ men who are dead and gone Most Of them had
s nret;y hard time 20 get along at all. you know
Tre belpe6 nv father burn more fine timber within
eighty miles Of this Office than would make a
fortune for him in these days But what else was
he 10 de- We had grow something TO eat we
couldn't logs; il cost too much 10 sen 'hel' 80
We had TO burn them
isn't there a great deal of waste. even now!
he asked
.eyes TOO much waste; and If you people from
over the lire can help us with advice that Is as
good as the capital and the executive aDllty you
send Us from time TO time, we Will be graiefui 10
you" , -...,.o,
You are not sorry, then, 70 see American capi'a4
and brains crossing the borderT
Nj Mackenzie laughed You might as wen ask
whether We are afraid Of Americans he said DO
,-,,, know this country IS even bigger than the
Americans who come into it? If 1t weren't, they
wouldn't come. They get more than they prlhs-
Have vou seen any Of the farmers in the west VINO
bave come from the Middle Western and North
western States? If you haven't. go up there and
,ool Al them There's four hundred thousand Of
them all over the country You'll IND them every
where along our lines developing the country sa1ls-
fed with its laNs. and lots Of them becoming good
Canadian citizens and celebrating the Fourth OF
JULY They needn't think less of the Stars and
stripes because they get 10 Ike our flag We are
Big enough this continent TO appreciate each
others good points. II you want something about
conservation write up the American in Canada as
q oonserver Of good feeling which is natural re-
source sometimes abused. If like TO put It that
way-'
Is rba American farmer in Western Canada
wasting the riches Of Providence was asked
No He's making the most Of his opportunity
with rich soil. When the time comes 10 adjust
his methods 10 changed conditions, he viii DO It.
There viii have be more careful cultivation ana
among other things planting trees would ike 10
see every prairie farmer planting trees They are
dining II as they have opportunity. There's wealth
in that II you have read much OF the history OF
the fur traders up there, you will know that many
Of them used to make sugar from maple trees IN
the Red River Valley and around Lake Manitoba
Manitoba has any quantity Of fine prairie IN 1t
where settlement has been most rapid But there
are lumber mills in Brandon, supplied from the
lluck and Riding Mountains Northwestern Mani
;oba is heavily tfnlbered We got most OF the ties
for cur line from Dauphin TO Prince Albert from
r.ght near the track. The North Saskatchewan
has any quantity Of timber of it's northern bank
DID you ever hear OF Prince Albert2
AT Prince Albert there are FIVE lumber mllls. one
Of them. run By Minnesota men, has capacity OF
two and z quarter million cubic feet week There
isn't better mil. in the world. Prince Albert is
three hundred miles north Of the international
boundary and we have three railway routes to II
from Winnipeg"
Then ths Saskatchewan country has many un-
developed resourcesT'
Yes. more than know OF. nc doubt. From the
Pas. the most easterly point where touch the
Saskatchewan. 10 Edmonton, our present westerly
limit the river is eight hundred miles long Settle
ment has only recently spread 10 the north But
there is abundance OF fine country beyond the river
Sir William Butler went through there thirty-hVe
years ago. and predicted that eventually there
would be more farmers north of the Saskatchewan
than south Of il, to Parallel q. Our reports are
not quite sc pleasing that but we know II is
great country Geologists who have examined 1t
expect mineral discoveries where there no agri-
cultural pruspects-just has happened in North
en- Ontario which we used speak Of as a hope
less wilderness not so many years ago Why, We