at $8 per ton, represents $148,000,000. In the year 

 1940 these annual figures will, with the foregoina; as- 

 sumption, have become 42,000,000 tons and $336,000,000. 

 These figures are striking evidence of the outstanding 

 importance and necessity of an intelligent administrative 

 policy governing th^ development of our water power 

 resources. 



AVAILABLE AND DEVELOPED WATER POWER 



The above figures may be said to represent the 

 minimum water power possibilities of the Dominion. 



As illustrative of this the detailed analyses which 

 have been made of the water power resources of the 

 provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have dis- 

 closed most advantageous reservoir facilities for regulating 

 stream flow, and it is estimated that the two provinces 

 possess within their respective borders 200,000 and 

 300,000 commercial horse power. These figures provide 

 for a diversity factor between installed power and con- 

 sumers' demands. 



Canada's Surplus Buffalo 



In 1907 the Canadian Government viewing 

 with alarm the gradual diminishing of the 

 buffalo from the prairies and desiring in some 

 tangible way to preserve these animals from 

 extinction, purchased from Michel Pablo, a 

 rancher in Montana, the largest known herd 

 existing on the continent at that time. In 

 order to accommodate these animals an area 

 of raw prairie, approximately 159 square 

 miles, was set aside at Wainwright, Alberta, 

 as a game park. Since then the buffalo have, 

 under the careful management of the Dominion 

 parks authorities, increased to such an extent 

 that the government now has under considera- 

 tion the selling or slaughtering of one thousand 

 of them. 



Contrary to general belief, the buffalo has 

 thrived under domestication, and at the last 

 census taken March 31st, 1920, the main herd 

 ia the Buffalo Park totalled 4,868 by actual 

 count, which is a decrease of forty-one from the 

 previous enumeration. Twenty -one of this 

 number were slaughtered to save valuable hides 

 and heads and twenty died, mostly through 

 injuries caused by fighting. It is estimated 



thai fully fifty per cent, of the main herd are 

 bulls, and as the proper proportion between 

 the two sexes in a buffalo herd is one bull to 

 every two cows, there are at least one thousand 

 surplus males. This tends to weaken the herd, 

 and with a view to remedying this the govern- 

 ment officials decided that the surplus animals 

 should be got rid of. 



Creating a Market 



To this end investigations were immediately 

 begun to determine the feasibility of marketing 

 these animals. A test lot of mounted heads 

 was sold by auction at the Canadian fur sales 

 at Montreal in March and brought the following 

 prices: small buffalo bull head, $300; medium 

 buffalo bull head, $610; and large buffalo bull 

 head, $1,025. Since the inauguration of the 

 limousine, buffalo robes have not been in very 

 great demand, but nevertheless good hides 

 dressed for robe purposes sold last March in 

 Montreal for $120 each. Another market 

 not to be overlooked is that of zoological 

 gardens. Many surh institutions on this conti- 

 nent and Europe would welcome the opportu- 

 nity of purchasing a live buffalo, and without 

 doubt the price obtained would be sufficiently 

 attractive to defray all expenses of shipping 

 the animals and leave a considerable margin 

 of profit. 



If a ready market cannot be found for the 

 hides it has been successfully demonstrated by 

 practical tests that, when properly treated, 

 excellent sole leather for boots can be made 

 from the hides. The leather is both strong 

 and flexible and it is said to be as valuable as 

 good cowhide. Another product of the buffalo 

 which could be utilized is wool. Although 

 coarser than ordinary sheep wool, it is under- 

 stood that existing machinery can be adapted 

 to handle this problem. One of the outstanding 

 features of this yarn is its extraordinary strength. 



The Meat is Appetizing 



The meat of the buffalo can also be disposed 

 of to ready purchasers. Samples of buffalo 

 meat distributed amongst several persons 

 brought forth favorable comments in praise 

 of it, many asserting that it was in every 

 way superior to beef in taste. Without doubt, 

 when the time comes to sell the surplus stock, 

 a ready purchaser will be found. 



The salvation of these animals is an example 

 of the profits that accrue from the conservation 

 of the natural resources of a country. For 

 years during the pioneer period of the west 

 the buffalo was recklessly slaughtered, but the 

 government's foresight in purchasing the re- 

 maining animals now promises to bear fruit, 

 and where the prospect was that the buffalo 

 would disappear from the plains it is now 

 more than likely that a surplus will have to 

 be disposed of every year, in order to keep the 

 herd up to the highest possible physical standard. 



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