New-York tribune., 1909-01-16

Of 1901 showed $50 s5s Sss 10 be fnvestsd IN indua
tries connected with timber and wood. Tho amount
patd out in wages S23,472,45s and the value OF
| the production was ss034I 2O4
SO much for preliminary conditions Changes Of
importance are taking place. Fires are working
h@Voc everywhere and rapidly becoming national
Ci'iser ana injury The clearing OF forest areas in
| the vicinity OF the watersheds of great rivers Is
raising the question OF future 1ster s,,nnIv in cer
tain sections OF the country. The head Of the
University or Toronto forestry department has
OF late expressed doubt TO the future greatness
! OF Canadas resources unless the present contfn-
uous depletion is checked The influx OF American
capitalists into the numbering industry on the two
ocean coasts or Canada and in Ontario is q
Inarkable recent development. The increasing
United States demand for Canadian pulp wood Is q
| matter OF leaps and bounds OF course much is
being done Tor forest protection and tree planting
Inc CANADIAN Forestry Association grows yearly
! In work and influence and counts the Governor
General and the Prime Minister among its warm
est helpers The Dominion government has spe-
clai Forestry Department and in recent wears has
eSlaohsneo forest reserves in Manitoba, British
columbia and elsewhere totalllng 1855, 600 acres
The Ontario provincial government has taken sim
liar action and has reserves Of nearly seventeen
thousand square miles Dominion experimental
1arIns In all the provinces busly teaching the
value and nature OF tree planting. and legislation
is in force to lessen the dangers Of forest fires
| from railways, hunters. etc
In the matter of pulp wood public opinion is a
growing but still unsettled quantity Many of the
provinces-notably Ontario but not Quebec-restrict
the export OF lumber until it has passed through
! the sawTnil stage. Pulp mills have grown from
81 in number QS8) and 154 tons capacity in twenty
four hours to IS in number with 1851 capacity
| in 1907 Paper mills have in the period In
creased from 20 to &c IN number and from I73 tons
capacity in twenty-four hours to 966 tons In the
year ended So 1907 the United States imported
pulp wood from Canada totalling $50 Se6 cords or
enough according 20 one calculation. manufact-
ure $4,000 tons OF paper; while imports OF
worth S.230272 Owing TO the loosely kept records,
however. expert estimates put the total Of imported
pulp wood from Canada at 600 cords year.
The subject of export duty is being much dis
cussed from time to time in the Dominion and the
arguments used or interest in this general
nection It is contended that Canada is supplying
the United States, and will continue under existing
conditions TO do so. with raw material for man.
ufacture into products which come into competition
with the manufactures OF this country IN the
kets of the world that IN return Canada is merely
keeping the land and the stumps OF the trees and
celving small amount for labor and tTansporta-
ton; that action by the Dominion government is
demanded by an increasing public opinion and
seems the only possible course which include
fairness TO opposing interests with effectiveness OF
treatment II would that there Is no prospect
Of Quebec or New Brunswick following the example
OF Ontario in prohibiting the export Of unsawn iun-
ber from Crown lands or IN compelling the man
ufacture OF pulp and paper in Canada from pulp
wood taken flom such lands. Those who argue
about inexhaustible supplies available here In the
Dominion face 70 face with the experience OF
Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. which
turning Canad for their pulp wood. The stop
ping OF pulp exports from Canada would force
United States mills this side OF the line with.
also. many American paper plants. Instead of a
decrease in price the inevitable increase IN demand
for Canada pulp would result IN the working of
every Canadian pulp mill to its fullest capacity and
the enlargement of all those having the necessary
water power. All pulp wood is or will be
wanted at as good prices now prevail. or better
II is especially unwise for Canada 20 exhaust its
forests in supplying free OF duty the materials
for United States mills when the finished product OF
Canadian mills is excluded from the United States
by high duties
Meanwhile those interested in the great subject
Of preserving the forests OF the continent as
whole, and apart from local. fiscal or industFlaI
conditions are getting together, and 1t is generally
hoped in Canada that much good viii result from
the conference called by President Roosevelt.
J. c. H