Mr. Cashin This concerns the whole territory of
Labrador, and I should inform the committee that I have here a map which has
been supplied to us by the Department of Natural Resources, showing where the different
timber areas are located. I will pass
it around. You will notice that in the Hamilton Inlet area there are 300
square miles under lease. About 100 square miles of that has been
taken over by the airport at North West
River.
[4] The other 200 square miles left was at
one time supposed to have over 2 million cords of wood. The lease on
that expires within five years, also the Muskrat Falls waterpower. From the
Hamilton River you come to Kenimau River — 2,100 square miles. That's
a 99-year lease, with about 70 years to go. All the others are 99-year
leases, and the people who have held them have paid $2 per square mile
annually ever since they
November 1946
NATIONAL CONVENTION
175 got them. The Labrador Development Company
[1]
have acquired everything marked in blue. They control about 6,000
square miles of timber land, but a lot of it now has no timber on it at all.
We mentioned here that they have had advances from the government in
1934 of $200,000. The government has a first mortgage on that property
and it has been reduced to about $140,000. This year they are shipping
around 7,000 cords of wood. At the same time there is a foreign export
on the property from the other side, and it is impossible to secure the
necessary capital to do much manufacturing. There are possibilities of
other parties trying to obtain leases, in fact in the hands of the
government today are requests for leases, but they would not give us the
necessary information. There is one for a pulp mill on the southwest
coast, to be fed by timber from Labrador. Some people may ask why they can't
put the mill in Labrador. That place, particularly Hamilton Inlet, is
closed to navigation about seven months of the year, and it would mean a
great deal of capital expenditure to provide storage facilities for
that length of time. I would be glad to give any information I can about it.
Mr. Smallwood It is only now I am beginning to realise
how important this report is, or, if Major Cashin won't mind my saying so,
how important it is not, but ought to be. Long before we come to
discuss forms of government we have to make some appraisal, some estimate of
What we have got in the country, including timber. This report is
supposed to tell us clearly what are the resources of Newfoundland
and Labrador so far as timber is concerned; how much of mose resources are under
development, who is developing them, what is
the value of the production, how much are in the hands of private owners,
how much still in the hands of the Crown. We are supposed also to
know, and so far as timber in Labrador is concerned this is more important
than what is now being done, what is likely to be done in the future.
Labrador — 110,000 square miles; and we have roughly two pages of the report
dealing with it. Two-thirds of that is taken up with an account of the
Labrador Development Company, a small operation apparently,
although they have acquired through purchase and leases 6,000 square
miles there, and are exporting this year, so
the spokesman of the Forestry Committee tells us, 7,000 cords of wood.
At present there are two small operations, one the Labrador Development
Company, the other, which began its activines this season, is known as
the Three Rivers Estates Ltd,
[2] Who are the
Labrador Development CO., and who are the Three Rivers Estates Ltd.? Are
they local, Canadian, English or what? How much capital have they
invested? What development have they made? How many people are
they employing?
We find that in the meantime several other
speculators acquired interests for the period of 99
years, and at the present time we find what something over 10,000 square miles are
under lease to
various individuals or companies. Who are these
companies, are they English, Newfoundland,
Canadian? I submit, that when we come,
sometime next year, to consider forms of government which we might feel justified
in recommending to the United Kingdom to be submitted
to the Newfoundland people, we should certainly
have in our minds a fairly clear picture of the
possibilities of this country, including Labrador.
I submit there is almost nothing in this section of
the Forestry Report to help us form that picture....
Someone said here last night something about
optimism about Labrador, and my reply was that
it was not a case of being optimistic or pessimistic, but of trying to get the facts.
So far as
Labrador is concerned this report is practically
useless. I don't want to be unjust about the matter,
and i know very well the terrible difficulty in this
country of getting information and statistics, but
at least we should have the truth. Take this map.
We should all have a copy of that. It should be
published in the papers and the public of Newfoundland should be able to take a look
at two
maps of Labrador, one showing the timber areas
alienated from private individuals, and if there is
a map showing water power alienated we ought
to have one of that. We know the sad truth about
Newfoundland, but we should know the truth
about Labrador.... It's bad enough to have only 3
million cords of woods left on this island, including the three mile limit. if in
Labrador, where we
have all been fondly imagining there is a great
resource that we have up our sleeve, if it turns out
that a large portion has been gobbled up by out
176 NATIONAL CONVENTION November 1946side speculators, and other speculators are buzzing around to try and get the rest
of it, slick
promoters, then it throws some light on the situation; but we have not even that much
light. I think
that this Convention will admit without any
hesitation that we definitely must know what we
have or have not got in Labrador. If the Committee comes back and says that they can't
get it, and
says that they have tried every avenue and it is
not to be had, we will perhaps have to accept their
word.
Mr. Cashin We will have to form a survey party, that's
the only way.
Mr. Smallwood I don't ask them to do that, but I am
full of suspicion about this Labrador business. I feel very
indignant about it. I think if this country today had the same suspicion
that I have got, and from scraps of information that I have picked up
about Labrador and what is going on, there would be a little revolution in
this country. We have been very shortsighted in Newfoundland, and it looks to me
that we are in danger of making the same
fatal mistake in Labrador. It is a very crucial time, and some queer
things are going on behind the scenes. If necessary I would like to see a
royal commission appointed to get to the bottom of this. There is some
skulduggery going on about Labrador, and we ought to know the truth of it.
If we have to decide what Labrador may or may not be worth to this
country in the next 30 to 40 years we have to base it on some definite
information. This report does not give that informadon.
Mr. Hollett I support Mr. Smallwood. There is
skulduggery going on, very definitely, and I think when Mr. Smallwood has
definitely thrown overboard the idea which he had of certain things,
then I am perfectly able to support Mr. Smallwood, because he has
definitely some political intelligence, which the best of us perhaps have
not got, but I do insist that there is skulduggery going on.
Mr. Cashin I have to rise to a point of order. If there
is skulduggery going on, and if this Committee is mixed up in it I
would like to know it.
Mr. Smallwood My reference to the Forestry Committee is
only to the lack of information they have given us. My reference to
"skulduggery" is to things going on about Labrador, outside speculators,
etc....
Mr. Burry This is interesting of course to me,
representing that great area, and I feel incompetent in
representing it sometimes. The importance it has to play in the
future of our economy, and all the love and interest that I have in
Labrador is back of me, and I am interested in its welfare, and what Mr.
Smallwood had to say was very new to me. I had a little suspicion, but
"skulduggery", whatever that means, I am not informed of it. But I do have a
feeling, Mr. Chairman, that I should give this Convention and the
Forestry Committee my idea about this timber land in Labrador.
We have large areas of timber land in
Labrador. Some of it is not very important in our
estimation, and some of it is very good timber.
Now there is a reference here in this report to the
further concessions being made in Labrador. A
great many concessions have been made as we
see on this map, and I am wondering what is left
to be conceded ... in the accessible areas, that is
along the coastline. The vast areas in the interior
are wooded, but it is wood with small growth,
stunted. I understand from trappers, and my own
observations by air over the country, it is not very
thickly wooded, and being so far in from the
water as 2-300 miles the state of the timber would
make it almost not worth bringing out. That is
considering the fact that we would have to build
a railroad in there. It would have to be very rich
timber to make it of any value to the country. At
the present time, the interior can be left out as far
as bringing anything into the treasury of this
country of ours. At the present time close to the
coastline there are areas taken as well. The area
between Battle Harbour and Sandwich Bay is all
taken by two companies. That is the 6,074 miles
referred to.
Mr. Burry In a general way thatis all the timber
available to that particular area, and it is all taken up by those other
companies. Now to come to the Hamilton Inlet area ... most of the possible
wooded territory is taken up by J.C. Hepburn and the Grand River Paper
Co. There is one area left that should be of value, around the Grand Lake
area, and the north side of Lake Melville itself. Therefore, in this
area (not including the interior) we have l0,000 square miles taken up, and
we have 2,000 square miles taken up in the north by the Three Rivers
Estates and the Stag Bay Estate. I don't know much about that, but if there
is
November 1946
NATIONAL CONVENTION
177 another 200 square miles in that area that anyone
would want to go into that's the outside of it. There's only that Melville
Lake area left. I am basing my remarks on the Committee's report. Two
thousand possible square miles not taken up, which altogether means 12,200
square miles of inaccessible timber area, of which l0,000 sq. miles
has been taken up.... In Newfoundland we find we have 20,000 square miles
taken up by the two pulp and paper companies. On this 20,000 square
miles in Newfoundland we estimate that we have between 45 and 50
million cords of wood. In Labrador we have 12,200 square miles on the
coast area and we estimate that there is 50 to 100 cords of wood on that
possible 12,200 square miles.
You all know how glad I would be to be able
to put up a very good story about the timber areas
in Labrador, but it has often been said here that
we have got to be realists.... I appreciate that the
Committee was at a serious disadvantage and
probably cannot possibly get the information, but
I would not like to give the impression that we
have a vast timber area in Labrador, and find out
in the next few years we were mistaken. This is
not a scientific survey, but I feel that with my own
knowledge of Labrador this 50 million cords of
timber in the country is too high, and I wonder if
we should look into the future thinking that we
have that much timber capable of being turned
into money which will flow into the treasury in
the foreseeable future.
I would like to have the optimism that has been
expressed by so many when speaking about the
timber area in Labrador. They tell me of the great
wealth in Labrador, but I don't think we have the
wealth in the timber areas of Labrador that we
think we have, and I think as a Convention we
ought to find out the exact facts. This is based
upon what we know, and upon information that I
have after being in Labrador all these years....
Mr. Jackman With all due respect to the Committee I can't concur with this report as it stands.
It is really too
incomplete as I see it. We have to assess the true value of our assets if we
are going to agree on the form of government we want. A report like this
is not sufficient to form an opinion of the genuine value of one of our
greatest assets — Labrador.... I have heard it said that there are
certain matters about Labrador on which the Committee was refused
information. That is a
matter for us to find out, why this information is withheld, because
we have got to get this information. There is one question here
that I refer to in particular: "This particular company, after having
done some work received financial assistance from the government
in 1935 etc." Who is this company?
Mr. Jackman As Mr. Smallwood said, the thing is not
complete. You have not got sufficient information to pass any judgement on
it.
Mr. Cashin It is impossible to get it, there is no
survey. The government has not got a survey of any timber area in the
country. We can only get it from private individuals.
Mr. Hollett What private individuals did you discuss it
with?
Mr. Cashin I did not discuss it with any private
individuals.
Mr. Jackman Has the Committee been denied any
information?
Mr. Cashin The only information that we asked for was,
who were the individuals applying for concessions on the Labrador, and we
had a meeting with the Information Committee, and Mr. Flynn
told us that there were applications, but he was unable to give us any
further information. We only gathered that there were applications, but we were not
able to get particulars.
Mr. Jackman I am not going to sit in this Convention and try to get facts if the people are going
to refuse to give
them. If we can't get them we will have to go back to our people to tell them
that we can't get the facts, and that the whole Convention is
a joke.
Mr. Hollett In other words you don't want a private
opinion.
Mr. Higgins This seems to be generating a lot of
unnecessary heat. The fact is that the question originally came to the
Commissioner for Natural Resources from Major Cashin, requesting this
information. As a result of that request the Commissioner for
Natural Resources attended a meeting of the Information Committee
some three or four weeks ago. Major Cashin and Mr. Fudge were present
at that meeting, and the Commissioner could not deny that
negotiations were going on, but said that the parties had requested
178
NATIONAL CONVENTION
November 1946 that no disclosure be made to the public.
He was in duty bound not to disclose it. He left us to understand that
no alienation of the timber lands would be made without a very careful
checking of the people with whom the deal was made. I would like Mr.
Jackman to know that I am not defending the government, but it seems
reasonable for the Commissioner to reply that he could not give the
information, and we felt that we should not insist further. I think we all
understood the situation.
Mr. Jackman If we can't get the information that we
want, I claim that the whole thing is a farce.
Mr. Higgins The names of the people, that was the only
information refused. The other information is known only to
private companies who went in there exploring the timber possibilities.
Those facts I don't believe are accessible to the Committee. Major
Cashin probably knows of them, but officially I don't suppose he would be '
allowed to disclose them.
Mr. Ashbourne I would like to know the potential value of Labrador to Newfoundland. I know that
her fisheries are most
valuable. We know that the stand of timber on the Labrador is a stand
which, in my opinion, is virgin growth and we also have heard quite a bit of
the value of the minerals there, Now since last night I have been
doing a little figuring, and I think it can be safely assumed that we have
in Labrador 110,000 square miles, and seeing that half of that might
contain a stand of timber, which would be 2,000 square miles (and by the way
about 10% of Labrador is under 99-year lease), this gives us about
35,200,000 acres, and I believe Major Cashin said last night that it has
been said that the ield of wood on the acreage is up to 15 cords an
acre. I think that's quite high myself. I am taking half of that, 7.5 cords
the acre, which would bring the cordage, according to my figures, to 264
million cords of timber. Now I see an estimate here of from 50 to 100
million cords in the report, as compared with 60 million cords in Newfoundland....
I am greatly interested in the statement given to the Convention by Mr. Burry this
afternoon, and I am sure
that when he speaks about the timber he knows what he is talking
about, but in view of the fact that we have no competent surveys of the
timber areas in Labrador, and I believe that we should get those
surveys which might be given now. You can get photography now, a
valuable asset to the economy of Newfoundland as regards the fisheries
and the mineral wealth of Newfoundland. I believe Mr. Chairman
that we should try as a Convention to ascertain some real idea of the
potential wealth of Newfoundland.
Now, I hope the time will not come when
Newfoundland will be a bald rock. It will influence the climate, and if we do not,
in my
opinion, look after the matter of reafforestation,
a matter which I advocated in the Assembly over
20 years ago, I fear very much that the time will
come when Newfoundland will be cutout. I can
quite understand that, according to the two large
pulp and paper companies, by discriminate cutting they may be able to afford a program
of
reafforestation which will look after their needs,
but i believe it was Mr. Fudge who talked of not
a stick of wood remaining in 40 years in the
country generally, and I think that the time has
come when the recommendation as given by this
Committee should be apprehended. If there is
indiscriminate cutting in Newfoundland we can
reasonably expect to know what is in store for us.
The fisheries of Newfoundland, in my
opinion, are influenced to a great extent by the
fall of snow which happens during the winter on
the northeast coast of Newfoundland particularly. We know that the last two years
particularly
we have had poor voyages and some of it may be
because there is not enough snow on the ground.
Years ago the fisherman used to say if we had lots
of snow you would have a good cod fishery. As
the snow settles on the ground, and as the rains
descend in the spring and wash out from the
ground the salt and other minerals of the land, we
know that the fish pick up these minerals, and as
regards the herring fishery ...
Mr. Chairman Mr. Ashbourne, what has all this got to do
with the present report?
Mr. Ashbourne Well, I am talking about the reafforestation
of Newfoundland, I don't want the time to come when Newfoundland will be
bald rock, and not be able to have any snow settle on the lands so that
our fisheries would be depleted, because the earning power of our people
comes from the natural resources of our country.
Now, we need cooperage, which is a thing that
comes from the forests, by which we can ship our
November 1946 NATIONAL CONVENTION 179
fishery products to markets. We cannot ship our
codfish out of Newfoundland all by bulk....
Mr. Vardy I wish it to be clearly understood that
anything I say in reference to the Forestry Report is meant purely as
constructive criticism with the idea of further extending or building it up
and not with the idea of understanding the real value of what has been
done either by the Committee or department concerned. Frankly, with the
limited staff and lack of knowledge or interest displayed by the
various Commissioners I consider the forestry branch has done a good job.
Very few in this country have had a more personal contact with the
forestry division than I have and I have always found them ready to hear any
reasonable complaints or suggestions for the promotion of the industry
or the conservation of our forests. It is not humanly possible for any group
of ten men collectively to bring in a report for 45 to agree on every
detail, it is the fundamental principles that count, and I am happy that
most of the criticism is of a genuine constructive nature.
It is alarming to find how little we have left of
our natural resources which have not been
sacrificed to someone outside or in the country. I
am not satisfied that there are not remedies for
this unfortunate situation. We have come to the
place when we are compelled to study it in every
detail, and what we want now is a group of men
big enough to face the unpleasant fact and undo
the wrong that has been done and enact new laws
governing these properties more in harmony with
the new age, demands and requirements of both
people and state.
It is not correct to say that 200 saw mills are
not paying any royalty because they saw less than
10,000 feet annually. The facts are not one of the
over 800 saw mills pay any royalty on the first
10,000 feet; but they all pay a license fee of $5
per year for which they are allowed to saw up to
10,000 feet. So in reality, the mill which only
saws 5,000 feet pays a higher percentage of royalty if you call it such, than the
mill which saws up
to 100,000 feet. That is the true picture and in this
respect the Committee is wrong.
I am of the opinion that Mr. Dawe, with his
very wide experience within the field of production and manufacturing, might have
contributed
considerably more information in the intrinsic
value of forest wealth to this country. In many
instances he has been a pioneer in the woodworking industry, and the experience gained at
great cost to the various firms of Dawes will in
future, and has in the past benefited the whole
country.
I notice that some mention has been made of
the grading of lumber, but no real suggestion
made to improve the method of grading or counting; and while I would not attempt to
suggest any
motion or resolution I do maintain that any
worthwhile observations made as the result of a
very wide experience in the industry should be
placed on the record for the benefit of the department concerned....
Attempts have been made at grading with
some success; but the greater practical value has
been experienced with lumber used in the building trade. With our forests so depleted
and
denuded in supplies of the larger logs, it is impossible to keep up the old standard.
This is agreed
by all. Lumber is being sawn now down to 2 or
2.5 inches wide, while the greatest average width
of cooperage is 3.5 to 4 inches. It is generally
agreed that cooperage should be sawn from 3 to
4 inches, tending to make uniform stock and a
uniform package.
Touching briefly on the value of round timber
as a source of earning power to the people of this
country, I will mention a few of the principal
items which could properly be listed under this
heading: birch junks and billets, birch hoops for
the making of fish drums, casks and barrels, fence
rails, flake shores, beams and longers, wharfpiles
and cribbing, firewood and kindling, boat timbers
and spars, as well as planking, ceiling and decking, very little if any of which is
listed under sawn
lumber as there isn't any royalty paid on boat
material. Even cutting Christmas trees was for a
number of years no mean industry in this country
and even this year I had an enquiry from the
States for this item but shipping arrangements
could not be made in time to close the deal. To
put the whole of these items I have mentioned at
a very conservative estimate, apart from the
amount cut by our men for their own use, the
figures given you last night of $3 million would
be a very conservative one. Yet if we are going
to value home-grown vegetables for one's own
use as an industry, we must also value the two,
three or four thousand feet of wood put to the
average outport man's door for his 12 months'
fuel. This in every respect enhances his earning
180 NATIONAL CONVENTION November 1946
power and helps in a big way to balance his yearly
budget.
I shall not touch the pulp and paper industry,
it has been well covered; except I would like at
this time to inject a word of praise to those who
have been so indefatigable in their efforts to
better the working conditions of our men. In this
respect they have done an excellent job.
More care should be exercised in the matter of
forest fires, this menace is growing at an alarming
rate and in this respect every man, woman and
child should be a self-appointed warden. It is
criminal to nurse and grow a forest in 50 and 60
years and destroy it overnight.
It is gratifying to note that at last we have a
chance of getting some value from our enormous
tracts of birch and other hardwoods, which so far
have largely been left to rot. I have gone through
the report from the Forestry Committee several
times and I must admit, in spite of the additions
I have mentioned that on the whole they have
done a good job and if they haven't, I still say it
is up to us to assist them to do it better.
Mr. Smallwood Have you made any effort to get the
statistics of the census?
Mr. Cashin No. We did not take it into this report at
all.
Mr. MacDonald I rise as a member of this Forestry
Committee. I have been listening to criticism in regard to this report. A
good many of the questions asked came before the Committee and we
could not see any possible way of getting the information. For instance, the
question of the value of timber on the Labrador. How can we get it?
The Natural Resources department which gave us a lot of help, could not give
us that answer. If we have to get that before this Convention can conclude its decision,
I am afraid it is not going to be this
year or next year. We will have to make a survey of the Labrador to do it.
There has been no survey made on Newfoundland except what we
can get from companies; what is left is only a guess. I would suggest that
these gentlemen asking questions give us a list of them.
Mr. Cashin We have a list of a lot of Mr. Smallwood's
questions. We promised to bring in a supplementary report. As far as the
estimate of timber on the Labrador is concerned, we cannot give it.
Mr. Smallwood Could Major Cashin tell us this: I take
it you have a list of companies who
have timber grants?
Mr. Smallwood They are leased, and on the leasehold
they pay $2 a square mile. What about development of them? Is the
development a private matter, or does it involve coming before the
government to get concessions or contracts, in which case the government
would have a chance of making a deal with them in regard to taxes?
Then again, what about royalty and stumpage, are they exempt? If we could
have some definite knowledge on this: is a company now holding a
thousand miles in a position to go to right ahead, without further
legislation, with development, and be subject only to 25 cents a cord
and income tax, corporation tax and profits tax? That is all they are liable
for. The most we can get out of these timber areas now leased in
Labrador is $2 a square mile; 25 cents a cord on any wood they export raw
and unmanufactured; tax on the profits, if they make any. The only
chance we have of making more is if they come before the government for
Special concessions - admission of equipment duty free — then the
government might have a chance of working something out of them in return.
Mr. Cashin Take the Labrador areas: the Grand River -
the Labrador Pulp and Lumber Co. has leased 200 square miles, they pay
$4,200 a year rent and they have had it 45 years. The Sandwich Bay
area has been held 30 years by the Labrador Pulp and Lumber Co. That is
yielding $3,100 a year rental. They have paid $6,000 to $8,000
rentals, and have not done a thing with them.... The Hamilton Inlet was
supposed to be the best timber area on the Labrador. That is not under
lease at the present time, and that is the property for which we understand
some people are dick. ering for a concession....
Mr. Burry Major Cashin said that this area that has not
been leased is the richest timber area on Labrador. That is hardly correct.
The richest area is the Grand River area which has been leased to the
Labrador Pulp and Timber Co.....
Mr. Burry My personal opinion is that the best is
already leased. The Grand River area and the Hamilton River area are taken
up. The Kinemau and the Kenimish, they are taken up and they are very
richly wooded, I don't want to give this
November 1946
NATIONAL CONVENTION
181 Convention a gloomy report, and you all know how
glad I would be if I could agree with Mr. Ashboume that there are 60 million
cords of wood in Labrador. That seems to be fantastic. There may be
50,000 square miles with some wood on it, but valuable wood I doubt very
much....
Mr. Northcott Referring to Mr. Vardy's speech, it is a
fact that we have 800 sawmills operating, and they saw up to 10,000 feet of
lumber. They pay the $5 license. Therefore we have 800 mills and
10,000 ft. of lumber sawn in this country and no licence being paid on it. I
do believe that we should have royalty paid on every thousand feet
sawn, under the present high price of lumber. If it was down to $20 a
thousand I would not mind, but with that high price we should have 50
cents on every thousand sawn. That in itself would give us a lot of extra
money. While on this royalty question, I think that we should receive
this royalty and it should be earmarked to use at a later date for
reafforestation. I think it is a crime to use this money ordinarily,
and after FIve or six years, getting 50 cents on every thousand feet sawn,
we could use that up for some betterment in connection with the industry. I really
feel hurt to know that all this lumber is
being sawn and no royalty paid. We should get after the Department of
Natural Resources and see that we have stricter and more rigid
examination of these facts.
Mr. Chairman If there is no further comment on the
Labrador, gentlemen, we will proceed to the summary.
Mr. Burry Does that mean that we are finished with the
Labrador question?
Mr. Burry Mr. Smallwood seemed to speak of a lot of things,
that are going to get out in the papers and over the air, and many people,
including the Labrador people themselves, will hear that
and they are going to wonder what we are going to do here. I wonder if we
will have an opportunity to take up these matters again?
Mr. Watton This Forestry Committee report seems to have
come under considerable bombardment since yesterday. It has been
severely criticised in more ways than one, and various questions asked
which have not been answered, and, if I am in order, I would like to make a
motion that the whole report be referred back to
the Committee.
Mr. Fudge Mr. Chairman, the convenor of this Committee
is outside, but as you know when I introduced this report I referred to the
sub-committee of the Forestry Committee, whose business was to try and get as much
of the facts as possible
together for the report. I would like to say now that you have heard Major
Cashin refer to the awkward position in which this Committee has been
placed. We have examined several officials of the department
concerned and sought all the information we could, and some we got and
some we did not get. As far as the report is concerned if there is something
that some of the members think we should seek out, why not make those
suggestions on paper so that if we should meet again, we should know what to
tackle. To my knowledge, as far as Labrador is concerned, any further
information that we could get is probably only guesswork, and I don't think
that is much good.
Mr. Watton My motion is that the report be sent
back.
Mr. Cashin We promised last night that we would
supplement the report with the information that we could get. With
regard to Labrador we can tell you straight that we can't get any
further information. We can't get the names of the individuals who are
looking for leases at the present time. With regard to the amount of wood,
we don't know — there has been no real survey made, and it is only
guesswork. If you are prepared to pass this report, we will bring back
any further information possible when the House meets again.
Mr. Watton In that event the various questions that
have been put forward, if the Forestry Committee will take upon
itself to bring in these answers in supplementary form ...
Mr. Cashin If the Convention will receive this report
as it is now, I will assure you, and I think my colleagues will agree with
me, that we will get the information if possible and get it here when
the House next meets.
Mr. Watton In that event, if that suits everyone, I
withdraw that motion.
Mr. Cashin Well I move that the report as it is be
received, and that the committee rise, and when we meet again we will bring
in that information as a supplementary report.
182 NATIONAL CONVENTION November 1946
Mr. Ballam Does that mean that we will go over the
summary when we come back?
Mr. Chairman If there is no dissenting voice against
the withdrawing of Mr. Watton's motion.
Mr. Bailey There seems to be a bit of dissatisfaction with the matter before the Chair, and
I think I voice the
sentiments of my colleagues on the Committee, that if anything is not clear,
we will do our best to get information. I honestly believe that we have
tried to get the information, and there is a lot of credit due to Major
Cashin in that he has tried, but he seems to get up against a
blank wall. It seems right from the very first, and I think we are
going to find it right straight through, that the government of this country
has no bookkeeping at all, and sometime of course you have to start
bookkeeping, and until that day we have to do the best we can. I think it is
a pity that we did not have a National Convention years ago.
Mr. Chairman The motion is that the committee rise and
that I return to the Chair.
[The motion carried, and the Convention adjourned]
