CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 49 



Mr. JONES. I think we would be inclined to agree with the principle raised by the 

 last speaker, but what he says is not the custom in our country. 



In the railway belt, of which we heard so much this morning, the rental is five 

 dollars a square mile. As soon as you get out of that the land east of the Cascades 

 costs you $115 a square mile. That is for a special license. To lease-holders I think 

 it is fifteen cents an acre, which would be $96 a square mile. The dues are 50 cents 

 per thousand when cut. This is the same all through. 



Well, the result of that is we are holding on to our Dominion timber and cutting 

 our provincial as fast as we can and letting it go. I do not think that anybody has 

 come to the conclusion that he is going to go over the limits a second time. It is a 

 comparatively new business and we have figured anyway that once we have cut it clean, 

 and take off all the stuff that will make ties, we are about through with it. 



It may be. that our experience will be the same as that of the people down here, 

 and that if we want to go over the limits again we will find them nearly as good as the 

 first time. I do not know whether this will be the case, but the way we feel about it 

 now is that once we have taken off all that is worth taking off we are just about through 

 with the place. 



A MEMBER. They would not be worth a great deal if you had to pay the increased 

 ground rent. 



Mr. JONES. Well, if we go over them again it will be our Dominion lands that 

 we will go over and not the provincial, because we cut all of our provincial as soon as 

 we possibly can and as close. 



Dr. CLARK. Under some circumstances it may be as higa as $160 a mile, that is 

 25 cents an acre. 



Mr. JONES. The special licenses are $115 east of the Cascades, and $140 west. 

 Of course the land west of the Cascades carries a much heavier stand of timber, and 

 consequently it is worth more. Then the leaseholder's rental is twenty-five cents 

 an acre unless you are cutting a certain capacity, in that case it is reduced to fifteen 

 cents. 



Mr. CHOWN. When the land is cleared will it be classified as timber land, or as 

 settlers' land? 



Mr. JONES. As far as most of the timbered land is concerned, I would not give 

 fifteen cents an acre for it. It is worth absolutely nothing when you cut the timber off 

 it, except as scenery. It is very handsome. 



The CHAIRMAN. I do not know whether there has been any change in the regula- 

 tions with respect to the land in British Columbia or not. A year or so ago lands 

 were sold by public tender, and went to the highest bidder. The only Crown dues 

 were so much a mile, which was reduced if a mill of a certain capacity were erected. 

 1 think it was reduced to $96 a mile. 



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