12 REPORT OF THE No. 3 



bound to do in its far-reaching effects, become seriously evident in the figures 

 for the fiscal year ending October 31st, 1932. Net revenue from timber for the 

 period was approximately two million dollars as compared with an average of 

 three and a half millions over the past twelve years and a high mark of four 

 million six hundred thousand in 1925. Bush operations were limited to 241 

 camps employing 7,000 men and details of the cut appear in appendix No. 8. 

 As was to be expected sales of timber were limited to but fifteen transactions. 

 Most of the. sawmill yards being filled to or near capacity, many sawmills did 

 not operate, and with an uncertain or indefinite outlook lumbermen were 

 compelled to delay or limit all bush operations and new timber areas were conse- 

 quently not in demand notwithstanding the fact that the Department took 

 action to reduce the dues in order to stimulate operations and aid unemployment 

 so far as possible. 



Of those sales which were consummated under public competition one 

 only attracted more than one tender. Nine of these transactions covered an 

 area of less than one square mile each. In all cases at least the upset price 

 set by the Department was secured, while in certain cases bonuses in addition 

 were paid. It may well be said that the condition of the industry is clearly 

 represented by comparing the fifteen sales made with thirty in 1931 and fifty 

 in 1930. Appendix No. 11 gives the details of these transactions. Moreover, 

 separate and distinct from the lumber industry the number of idle pulp and 

 paper mills must be remembered. Those which continued to operate did so on 

 reduced production basis. A number of operations undertaken were largely to 

 provide employment, and newsprint prices and the markets for newsprint do 

 not indicate any probability of a rapid recovery from the adverse conditions 

 which affect all forest products industries at the present time. 



Bush Operations 



The right to cut timber upon the Crown domain is covered by either an 

 instrument known as a License or an agreement generally designated in respect 

 of a large pulp holding by the term "concession." Timber Licenses issued during 

 the seasonal year ending 30th April, 1932, numbered 688 for an area of 13,947^ 

 square miles. Pulp concessions cover 54,4083^ square miles. 



A very noticeable, though not unexpected, reduction in the woods' operations 

 took place particularly in the two outstanding types of timber, Red and White 

 Pine and Pulpwood. 



A quantity of only 28,761,884 feet B.M. of Red and White Pine was cut 

 which is but 25% of 1931 output which in turn was slightly over half of that 

 for the year 1930. 



Tie operations covering Jackpine cutting and certain boom requirements 

 accounted for 32,005,534 feet B.M. or an increase of some four million feet. 

 Hewn ties to the extent of 609,528 were produced or almost 60,000 less than 

 the previous year. The slight excess in the Jackpine cut is of no particular 

 moment when brought into juxtaposition with the cut of 1929-30, when ap- 

 proximately 1,400,000 ties were cut in addition to over 55,000,000 feet B.M. 

 Jackpine. 



Other species of log timber such as Spruce, Birch, Maple, etc., decreased 

 bv over 9,000,000 feet B.M., the bush cut being but 21,024,566 feet B.M. 



