The deliberations were conducted in secret, but the Prime Conclusions of Minister of the United Kingdom summarised the main conclusions arrived at in a statement to the British House of Commons on August 26 as follows: 1

subsidiary conference.

Bill.

That without impairing the complete control of the Government of each Dominion over the military forces raised within it, the forces should be standardised, the formation of units, the arrangements for transport, the patterns of weapons, etc., being as far as possible assimilated to those which have recently been worked out for the British army; so that should the Dominions desire to assist in the defence of the Empire in a real emergency their forces could be rapidly combined into one homogeneous Imperial army.

That the naval squadrons maintained in far eastern waters should be remodelled on the basis of establishing a Pacific Fleet to consist of three units in the East Indies, Australia and China seas, each comprising with some variations a large armoured cruiser of the Indomitable type, three second class cruisers of the Bristol type, six destroyers of the River class and three submarines of C class.

As regards Australia and New Zealand, their offers of warships were accepted with the substitution of cruisers of the Indomitable type for battleships, the two ships to be maintained one on the China and one on the Australian station. General statements were agreed to for further consideration by their respective governments, the suggested arrangement being that with some temporary assistance from Imperial funds the Commonwealth of Australia should provide and maintain the Australian unit of the Pacific Fleet and that the contribution of New Zealand should be applied towards the maintenance of the China unit, the New Zealand armoured cruiser to be stationed in China waters.

As regards Canada, it was recognised that while on naval strategical considerations a fleet. unit on the Pacific might in the future form an acceptable system of naval defence Canada's double seaboard rendered the provision of such a fleet unit unsuitable for the present. Two alternative plans, based upon annual expenditures respectively of $3,000,000 and $2,000,000, were considered, the former contemplating the provision of four cruisers of the Bristol class, one cruiser of the Boadicea class and six destroyers of the improved River class, the Boadicea and destroyers to be placed on the Atlantic side and the Bristol cruisers to be divided between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Agreement was arrived at with regard to various details, including the loan by the Admiralty of cruisers for the training of officers and men and the reception at Osborne and Dartmouth of Canadian cadets.

The conclusions of the Conference were duly considered by Naval Service the Dominion Government, and on January 12 1910, during the session of 1909-10, Sir Wilfrid Laurier introduced into the House of Commons a Bill to provide for the creation of a naval service for Canada. This Bill is now under consideration by the Dominion Parliament.

Strathcona

Trust for the encourage

ment of physical and mili

tary training in public schools.

On March 13 Lord Strathcona addressed a letter to the Minister of Militia and Defence in which he offered to give a sum of money sufficient to provide an annual fund of $10,000 for the encouragement of physical and military training in the public schools of the Dominion of Canada. This patriotic offer was cordially accepted, and upon its being communicated to the House of Commons on March 24 a vote of thanks to Lord Strathcona was unanimously adopted on the motion of the Prime Minister, seconded by the leader of the Opposition.

The fund will be administered by a trust to be known as the "Strathcona Trust for the encouragement of physical and military training in public schools," with His Excellency the Governor General as patron and the Prime Minister as vicepatron.

The Militia Council report that on March 31 1909 there were under the control and supervision of the Department of Cadet corps. Militia and Defence 176 cadet corps, aggregating 288 companies, with an enrolled membership of over 11,000. Increasing interest in the efficiency of cadet corps affiliated to schools is shown by educational authorities, and a larger number of school teachers are qualifying as instructors. The granting of the rank of lieutenant in the Militia to qualified teachers is stated to be leading to good results.

resources.

By invitation of President Roosevelt an international conference on the conservation of the natural resources of the Conservation North American continent was held at Washington from of natural February 17-23, when the United States, Canada, Newfoundland and Mexico were represented by delegates. The Canadian delegates were the Hon. Sidney Fisher, the Hon. Clifford Sifton and Dr. Henri S. Béland. The conference adopted a declaration of principles respecting the use, development and conservation of land, water, forests, minerals and game, and advised the establishment in each country of a permanent commission for the conservation of natural resources.

Conservation.

On the return of the Canadian delegates this question was brought before Parliament with the result that a Commission of Canadian Conservation for Canada consisting of 32 members was created Commission of by act assented to on May 19. This act (Chapter 27) provides that the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of the Interior, the Minister of Mines and the member of each of the nine provincial governments of Canada who is charged with the administration of the natural resources of the province shall be ex-officio a member of the commission, and that 20 other members shall be appointed by the Governor in Council. Of these 20 appointed members at least one from each province must be a member of the faculty of a university (if any) within the province.

Section 10 of the act states that "it shall be the duty of the commission to take into consideration all questions which may Duties of the be brought to its notice relating to the conservation and better Commission. utilisation of the natural resources of Canada, to make such inventories, collect and disseminate such information, conduct such investigations inside and outside of Canada and frame such recommendations as seem conducive to the accomplishment of that end." The commissioners are required to make an annual

mission.

The constitution of the commission was completed by Order Constitution in Council of September 3 1909 as follows: Chairman, the Hon. of the Com- Clifford Sifton; ex-officio members, the Hon. Sydney Fisher, Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Frank Oliver, Minister of the Interior, the Hon. William Templeman, Minister of Inland Revenue and of Mines, the Hon. F. L. Hazzard, K.C., Premier and Attorney General, Prince Edward Island, the Hon. A. K. Maclean, Attorney General, Nova Scotia, the Hon. W. C. H. Grimmer, Surveyor General; New Brunswick, the Hon. Jules Allard, Minister of Lands and Forests, Quebec, the Hon. Frank Cochrane, Minister of Lands, Forests and Mines, Ontario, the Hon. Hugh Armstrong, Provincial Treasurer, Manitoba, the Hon. J. A. Calder, Commissioner of Education, Provincial Treasurer and Railway Commissioner, Saskatchewan, the Hon. A. C. Rutherford, Minister of Education and Provincial Treasurer, Alberta, the Hon. Price Ellison, Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, British Columbia; appointed members, the Hon. B. Rogers, Alberton, Prince Edward Island, Dr. H. Murray, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Mr. F. Davison, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Dr. Cecil C. Jones, Chancellor, University of New Brunswick, Mr. W. B. Snowball, Chatham, New Brunswick, Dr. Henri S. Béland, M.P., St. Joseph de Beauce, Quebec, Mr. F. D. Monk, K.C., M.P., Montreal, Dr. J. W. Robertson, C.M.G., Ottawa, Mgr. J. C. K. Laflamme, Superior and Rector, University of Laval, Quebec, Sir Sandford Fleming, K.C.M.G., Chancellor, Queen's University, Ottawa, the Hon. W. C. Edwards, Ottawa, Mr. E. B. Osler, M.P., Governor, University of Toronto, Mr. C. A. McCool, Ottawa, Mr. J. F. Mackay, Toronto, Dr. B. E. Fernow, Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, the Rev. George Bryce, D. D., University of Manitoba, Dr. W. J. Rutherford, Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture and Member of Faculty of the University, Saskatchewan, Dr. H. M. Tory, President of the University of Alberta, Mr. John Hendry, Vancouver. Mr. James White was appointed secretary to the commission as from October 1.

First annual meeting.

Harvest re

The first annual meeting of the commission was held in Ottawa, January 18-21 1910, when the chairman in an inaugural address outlined the work of the commission, and specialists read papers dealing with their various subjects. Seven committees of the commission were formed for (1) lands, (2) water and water-powers, (3) minerals, (4) forests, (5) public health, (6) fisheries, game and fur-bearing animals, and (7) press and cooperating organisations. Each of these committees reported as to the scope of the work to be undertaken during the year. report of the proceedings, together with the chairman's inaugural address end the papers read, has been published by the commis

sion.

A

The system of monthly reports on the crops and live stock of Canada, commenced in 1908 and explained in the previous

provements resulting from the first year's experience were effected in several directions. The spring of 1909 throughout Canada was late, wet and cold, and seeding operations were consequently delayed. The total area under wheat was however estimated in June as 7,750,400 acres, an increase of 1,140,100 acres over 1908; and on the whole the season proved very favourable. A bountiful harvest was reaped, and the yields per acre for most crops were superior to those of last year and were generally above the average.

The following statement shows monthly the condition of the principal field crops during the season of growth for 1909, com- Condition of pared with 1908, as measured in percentages of a normal field crops during growth. standard:

The final estimates of the production and value of the field crops of 1909 were issued on December 15, and the following Final estima table gives the details of area, yield and value for each crop tion and value tes of produc for the year 1909, together with the corresponding figures for of field crops, 1908:

1909.

The table shows that an area of 30,065,556 acres of field crops yielded in 1909 a harvest which computed at local market prices had a value of $532,992,100 as compared with $432,534,000 from 27,505,663 acres in 1908. In 1909 the value of all field crops in Prince Edward Island was $9,213,900, in Nova Scotia $22,319,300, in New Brunswick $18,150,900, in Quebec $90,071,000, in Ontario $200,398,000, in Manitoba $74,420,500, in Saskatchewan $97,677,500 and in Alberta $20,741,000.

At the end of December statistics were collected from correspondents as to the value of occupied farm lands per acre, the values of farm animals and wool, and the wages of farm and domestic help. The average value of occupied farm land in Canada is placed at $38.60 per acre as against $35.70 last year.