136 Forestry Quarterly. 



relieved; the northern interior, where conditions are still quite 

 undeveloped and little activity exists carries a royalty of 65 

 cents. The government pledges itself for 15 years not to raise 

 royalties for small dimension material, but there is to be every 

 five years until 1955 a revision of the royalties on logs, namely by 

 establishing the average lumber price and adding a certain per- 

 centage of the increase, if any, above $18, the present price, to 

 the royalty, namely 25 per cent, at the first revision and increas- 

 ing percentages at each revision until finally 40 per cent, of the 

 increase is added to the royalty in 1945. 



Grading applied in the Coast region is specially taken care of 

 in the bill and a revision for such grading in ten-year periods 

 provided for. 



While in this re-adjustment the government does not perhaps 

 secure as much as would have appeared fair had it not in the first 

 place made a disadvantageous bargain, we must consider that as 

 fair a compromise as possible, doing justice to all parties con- 

 cerned. 



It gives stability to the lumber business for forty years without 

 fear of disturbances, and, while we miss provisions for improved 

 forestry practice, at least the financial side of the government 

 interest is better taken care of and changes to introduce for- 

 estry methods are at least forshadowed. 



With this legislation, if enacted, British Columbia takes the 

 lead in Canada in modern and efficient timberland administration, 

 which by passing into the hands of a forest service promises a 

 final forest management for their future. 



In the exuberance of his enthusiasm at having solved the tick- 

 lish problem the Minister in a public address is misled into as- 

 serting that the principle of such re-adjustment has never been 

 enacted before by any other nation. In this the Minister is mis- 

 informed. In Prussia the government rate, under which no 

 timber is to be sold, is adjusted every three years. 



