§ 28. Mr. RONALD McNEILLasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that a fire occurred recently at Penrith Beacon by which hundreds of tons of waste wood, the product of felling operations by the Canadian Forestry Corps, were consumed; if he is aware that the amount of firewood thus destroyed is estimated to have been sufficient to supply the whole population of Penrith with fuel for twelve months; whether this destruction of material was the result of the terms on which the Canadian Forestry Corps were employed, and which rendered it impossible for the waste wood to be sold in then eighbourhood from time to time; and whether he has yet taken steps to prevent the possibility of a similar disaster occurring in other places where timber is being felled for Government order?
§ Mr. WARDLEA fire occurred at the mill of the Canadian Forestry Corps at Penrith on 7th June last. The wood consumed, amounting to 150 tons, was not waste wood, but saleable slab wood, which it is the practice of the Timber Supplies Department to dispose of either to the military authorities or by tender, at reasonable prices, to persons able to remove it. Every precaution is taken to prevent fires of the character of that referred to, and the number occurring has been very small compared with the number of mills operating.