THE NEW CANADIAN REGULATIONS 



LUMBERMEN and paper and pulp 

 manufacturers, as well as all users 

 of print paper, are watching with 

 much interest the action of Canada and 

 of the Canadian provinces in the way 

 of protection of the timber resources 

 of the north country by means of reg- 

 ulations and prohibitions. The action 

 of the provincial government of Quebec 

 in prohibiting the exportation of pulp- 

 wood from the crown lands of the prov- 

 ince was not unexpected, but the defi- 

 nite announcement of this action, coup- 

 led with the statement that it has been 

 carefully considered and is not tem- 

 porary or retaliatory, but is to be a 

 permanent policy for the protection of 

 the timber resources of Quebec has, as 

 might be expected, been the subject of 

 much discussion on this side of the line, 

 especially in the trade journals. 



The St. Louis Lumberman, after in- 

 dicating quite fairly the strong reasons 

 leading to the action of the Quebec au- 

 thorities, nevertheless regards this ac- 

 tion as a ''petty and unfortunate ex- 

 hibition of unneighborliness, following 

 so closely on the heels of tariff nego- 

 tiations by Canada," and thinks that un- 

 der the circumstances it looks "like a 

 bit of calculating, tricky politics." This 

 journal believes that our paper mills 

 will "discover that there are plenty of 

 home woods that can be used in the 

 manufacture of paper to the entire neg- 

 lect of the Canadian spruce," and that 

 "the Quebec prohibitions of pulpwood 

 exports may, in the long run, prove to 

 be a blessing in disguise for American 

 paper mills and American forest owners 

 alike." 



The Paper Mill and Wood Pulp News 

 is reserved in its expressions of opinion. 

 Its Washington correspondent says 

 "that the decision of the Quebec au- 

 thorities is designed to benefit Canadian 

 labor is the general belief of the Wash- 

 ington officials. Ultimately, they think. 



it will result in the establishment of 

 pulp factories in the province, thus re- 

 ducing by so much the manufacture of 

 pulp at American factories." 



On the Canadian side of the line, 

 opinion in regard to the Quebec pro- 

 hibition is not unanimous, but as re- 

 flected by the leading Canadian trade 

 papers it seems to be largely favorable. 

 The Canada Lumberman and Wood- 

 zvorker finds the course of Quebec justi- 

 fied by the similar action of Ontario in 

 1897 in regard to sawlogs. It says : 



It is to be hoped that the result will be 

 the adoption of a definite policy of protection 

 of the forest resources of the province from 

 reckless exploitation in the interests of the 

 consumers of a foreign country. If properly 

 cared for, the forest resources of Quebec 

 will provide a perpetual supply of pulpwood 

 sufficient to furnish paper not only for the 

 province itself, but for many outside mar- 

 kets. Undoubtedly history will repeat itself 

 in Quebec and we shall see in the near future 

 the establishment of large paper mills in 

 various parts of the province, to turn into 

 finished product the raw material which until 

 now has been shipped to the paper mills of 

 the United States. 



Noting the dissatisfaction felt by the 

 lumbermen of Quebec, in common with 

 those of Ontario, at the coincident in- 

 crease in stumpage dues and ground 

 rent, by which the governments of these 

 provinces seek to share in the unearned 

 increment, this journal thinks the lum- 

 bermen may find their industry so 

 greatly benefited by prohibition of ex- 

 port that "they will overlook the in- 

 crease in the stumpage dues and ground 

 rents." It continues : 



Legislation prohibiting the export of pulp- 

 wood was not only necessary but impera- 

 tive, if the industry was to be saved from 

 extinction. United States paper mills have 

 been for years the only industry to secure 

 the benefit of Quebec's pulpwood. Naturally, 

 the people who are interested in United 

 States mills are now confusing the issue 

 with their own political affairs. Paper manu- 



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