IIEPORT OF THE No. 3 



Equally important with the growing of grain is the raising of cattle and 

 sheep, and already it has been demonstrated in parts of the hitherto so-called use- 

 less areas of Old Ontario that the application of a little scientific knowledge and 

 practical energy has resulted in successful cattle and sheep enterp-'ses. Wherever 

 and whenever Crown Lands are desired for such purposes and bona fide dealers 

 make application an officer of the Department, at its expense, makes a cruii^e, 

 preferably in company with the applicant, reports fully as to the wisdom of the 

 selection, and makes any suggestion or recommendation that may be to the mutual 

 advantage of all interested. The annual rental for ranching leases is only five 

 cents an acre and the stocking requirements are reasonable, every effort being 

 made to keep them from appearing prohibitive. 



Approximately the same number of Licenses of Occupation issued for the year 

 ending October 31st, 1918, some fifty, as the previous year. These included mining, 

 lumbering, custom house sites, game and fisheries, sugar making, pipe lines, rights 

 of ways, settlers' rights, water powers, tile manufacture, and a variety of other 

 subjects. Eights to remove sand and gravel under certain conditions were granted 

 to eighteen different individuals or concerns by special leases. 



Sixty-eight mining leases were issued and also two leases for islands in Lake 

 Timagami. 



Under Appendix No. 8 may be found a detailed statement of all instruments 

 prepared and issued during the fiscal year. 



Financial Assistance to Settlers. 



Since August 12th, 1916, 1,839 applications for loans have been dealt with 

 by the Settlers' Loan Commissioner — 1,306 loans totalling $419,286.00 have been 

 made. 



Among the benefits derived in this connection might be mentioned, increased 

 acreage placed under cultivation, larger holdings of live stock, and improved 

 buildings. 



Payments of accrued interest and maturing principal have been remark- 

 ably prompt. 



A loan of $12,000.00 was made to the Sudbury Co-operative Creamery Co. 

 during the fiscal year just closed. Other loans to creameries, grist mills and 

 cheese factories will doubtless be required. 



The Mining Industry. 



The mining industry of Ontario was greatly affected by the war. Nickel 

 and copper are prime requisites for modern warfare, and the production of these 

 metals in 1918 was on a larger scale than ever before. Silver was needed in 

 huge quantities for the payment of troops, as well as to purchase the exportable 

 products of silver-using countries, which owing to war conditions could not be 

 paid for by exchange of goods. These metals have ruled at high prices, and the 

 mining districts of Sudbury and Cobalt had a prosperous year. 



Gold being the basis of international finance, was also in great demand, but 

 as the increased cost of production, because of the fixed price of gold, could not 

 be shifted to the consumer as in the case of the other metals, this branch of the 

 industry was less active than it would otherwise have been. Notwithstanding 

 this, however, the production for 1918 was slightly greater than that of the 

 previous year. The gold camps of Porcupine and Kirkland Lake will undoubtedly, 

 when normal prices for labour and supplies are restored, resume their former 

 activity and undergo rapid development, and the newer areas, such as Boston 

 Creek, Matachewan, etc., will be vigorously exploited. The growth of the mining 



