The New York herald., 1922-07-30

idea that salmon north of latitude
SO degrees will hardly take fly is
entirely exploded. Two American
friends fishing in the Eagle River
this year 1921y only stopped fishing
because they had caught all they
needed and could preserve.
The forests of Labrador, though
not known to be of great value and
immense extent, are hardly touched
by mans enterprise. Black and
| white pines attain commercial size
in most of the river valleys as far
north as 55 degrees. Spruce two feet
across and several feet long are
numerous in the Hamilton River
Valley. An adventurous aeronautical
survey of the timber lands of the
southeastern section made in 1919
showed a very general and dense
distribution of good looking timbers,
birch and balsam poplars being
everywhere in evidence among the
cOnifers. Judging by the excellent
spars up to seventy feet long which
l have seen floated out of rivers as
far north even as the big river of
Adlavik north of Cape Harrison, the
day is not far off when in this land
of Cain the "welkin will ring to the
tune of axes and saws" that will hew
out prosperity for a. people, even as
at Chicoutami and Abatibi, further
west and south in the same penin-
sula.
The much frequented ocean way
known as the Straits of Belle Isle
which bounds Labrador on the
southeast has been again of late the
subject of serious discussion. 1t has
been suggested that a dam nine
miles long be built from Point Amour
to Flowers Cove on the north New
foundland shore. which would close
by shutting out the Arctic ice and
the cold water of the Polar current,
might considerably ameliorate the
climate of all the land to the west
ward. The water is not deep, and
the enterprise is in no way impos-
sible. Judging from personal expert
ence, however. l should very much
doubt this result on the climate, for
the outside ice seems seldom to pene-
trate far enough into the Gulf to
alter the temperature much. although
the formation of ice locally may be
responsible for this.
The fact that the ability to free
nitrogen from its compounds was
really measure of power to win the
war also suggests great future for
the perfectly untold undeveloped
energy of the waterfalls from the
great Labrador tableland. When it
is remembered that Germany sue
ceeded during the last few years in
converting a need for nitrogen ex-
pressed by 100000 tons annually of
imported nitrates into an ability to
export 100000 tons of her own man.
ufacture from the air, the untold
possibilities of a country, one-fourth |
Of which is estimated to be lakes and |
rivers, and whose immense table |
lands rise many hundreds of feet |
above the sea and measure hundreds !
of thousands of square miles, can |
well ba realizo1
So far it has always been the
fishery and furring industry of !
Labrador in which have consisted it's
chief sources of wealth. = Consider |
able changes have overtaken both |
her land and sea industries. Twine |
for nets, rope, canvas and all ship
necessities, pork, flour and foodstuffs, |
oilskins, boots, woolens and all
clothing, have SO risen in cost that |
ish cannot be caught now for less
than double the old time prices |
Freights have mounted also; poverty |
and adverse exchange have so Grip |
pied our customers in the Mediter- |
ranean that ii has become so big a |
venture to fit out a schooner for the |
fisheries that many of the very best |
of our age-killers" have ceased |
to prosecute their calling, while some |
of the supply merchants have been |
driven out of business. New mar
ketS must be opened up. Temporarily /