155 



3. The colonial supply maintains a healthy competition in the trade, 

 decidedly favorable to the interests of the British consumers. 



This trade affords employment for a large amount of British and colonial 

 tonnage. 



The kinds of wood exported are, among the hard woods, oak, elm, ash, 

 birch, etc., and of soft woods, the white and red pine, and spruce. 



" The dimensions now exported are less than formerly. It was quite usual 

 for the square-timber shipped from the St. Lawrence about thirty years ago to 

 average from 70 to 75 cubic feet per log, whereas, at the present day, the aver- 

 age of the season's log crop does not range beyond 55 cubic feet. Then, in 

 regard to the quality, it was no unusual thing at the period just referred to, for 

 the pine rafts to yield from 70 to 80 per cent., of first quality of wood. I 

 think it would be within the mark to state that the pine at present sent to the 

 Quebec market does not furnish 20 per cent , of first quality. About two years 

 ago I took the trouble to ascertain the qualities of the stock wintering at 

 Quebec, and the estimate I then found was lower than the one just quoted ; 

 indeed, the deals, in my opinion, did not show 15 per cent. Perhaps however, 

 some allowance should be made for the fact that this stock was that which was 

 left after the season's shipments. 



" The quantity of lumber that passes through the lakes and down the St. 

 Lawrence is comparatively small, and I am not of opinion that it is all of the 

 first quality. The British Board of Trade returns estimate the value of the 

 Canadian wood imported during the year 1877 as something like $26,000,000. 

 The total imports of hewn timber, during the year, amounted to 103,980,650 

 cubic feet, of which quantity British North America furnishes 24,286,000 or a 

 little less than one-fourth. This included every description of wood not sawn 

 or split. Of sawn wood there was imported during the same period 228,637,4-00 

 feet, of which the Dominion supplied 62,810,600 cubic feet. So that in rough 

 numbers it may be said that Canada supplied the United Kingdom with one- 

 fourth of its timber imports. The total estimated value of these imports, 

 exclusive of furniture wood, is set down at 19,705,447, and the value of the 

 Canadian goods at 5,500,000 sterling. It may be gathered from these figures 

 that a higher value is given to the Canadian produce than to that received from 

 other countries. 



' In respect to the present timber trade of Canada, as compared with that 

 of thirty or forty years ago, there is a very great difference in the proportion. 

 For instance, in the year 1831 the total importation of hewn wood into Great 

 Britain amounted to 28,109,950 cubic feet, and of this quantity 20,943,950 cubic feet 

 were sent from British North America, 



" In 18^2, 1833, 1834 and indeed up to 1840, Canadian shipments held their 

 position ; the total quantity imported by Great Britain is gradually increasing, 

 but the exports from this country do not bear the same ratio to the general 

 trade. Thus in the latter year, the total importation of hewn wood reached 

 40,858,150 cubic feet of which Canada contributed 32,497,650. 



' The square timber trade of Canada held its position in the English market 

 up to the change in the tariff, during Sir Robert Peel's administration. The imme- 

 diate result of the reduction of the duty on foreign wood was to increase the importa- 

 tion of the latter very considerably, during the years 1845, 1846.. 1847 and 1848. 

 During these years the exports from Canada increased also, but not in the same 

 ratio as the foreign. In 1850, the figures representing the then volume of trade 

 are as follows : Total imports of hewn wood, 43,408,950 cubic feet ; from Canada, 

 30,901,950 cubic feet; sawn wood, total, 39,708,900 cubic feet; from Canada, 

 21,740,900 cubic feet. 



