1922-23 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS n 



one-half million dollars, must be in operation before June 1st, 1925, and a paper 

 mill of at least 35 tons capacity when the Crown directs. (For Agreement see 

 Appendix No. 46, page 228.) 



To enable the Spanish River Pulp and Paper Mills, Ltd., now operating 

 three large mills at Sault Ste. Marie, Espanola and Sturgeon Falls, to have addi- 

 tional raw material to supply their existing concerns or extensions thereof or 

 additions thereto, a special agreement was made with the Company under the 

 Crown Timber Act whereby an area approximating 3,000 square miles in the 

 Districts of Algoma and Sudbury was granted. The agreement was made 

 15th May, 1923, and certain prices fixed by Order-in-Council, 13th September, 

 1923, such prices, however, to obtain for two years only. (See Appendix 44, 

 page 219.) 



Under date of the 12th July, 1923, an agreement was made between the 

 Crown and the Abitibi Power and Paper Company for an area of 2,500 square 

 miles more or less in the District of Cochrane. This Company owns and operates 

 at Iroquois Falls, on the Abitibi River, a large pulp and paper mill of a daily 

 output of 400 tons newsprint, and consistent with a desire to ensure continuous 

 operation and the employment of a large number of workmen, the Crown granted 

 this additional area, the agreement to be approved and prices fixed by Lieuten- 

 ant-Governor in Council. (For copy of said agreement see Appendix 45, page 224.) 



For a complete list of timber sales throughout the year and the prices received 

 see Appendix No, 43, page 208. 



There are several Crown Timber Agencies throughout the Province and as 

 no regular audit or inspection of their office records or methods was in force 

 it was found necessary to appoint an official to discharge this duty. As the 

 varied operations throughout the forest regions of the Province have become 

 most extensive and each District Agent is restricted to his own territory it was 

 deemed advisable for the purposes of establishing reasonable uniformity and 

 properly correlating the different operating services to have a general supervisor 

 of bush operations. It was considered in the interests of economy and efficiency 

 that the dual responsibilities of inspecting agencies and supervising operations 

 could be exercised by the same individual; consequently an official was duly 

 appointed in the person of Major J. I. Hartt, a practical bushman of long and 

 wide experience, who is now functioning with good results. 



General. 



Timber surveys and cruises were continued with a view to estimating the 

 timber wealth, air craft being utilized in collaboration with land parties. 

 Important cruises were made in the Nepigon Forest Reserve to acquire first-hand 

 knowledge of the timber and watershed situated there to enable the Depart- 

 ment to more readily deal with the important and varied questions arising at 

 the head of the lakes with respect to continued service to and assured perman- 

 ency of existing pulpwood industries, all of which are of necessity linked up to 

 the Hydro-Electric development of this region. 



Valuable detailed information was secured by the Forestry Branch through 

 the air service in conjunction with land parties, on the Mississauga Forest 

 Reserve. The residents of the north shore of Lake Huron and likely investors 

 are keenly interested in the future development of the great natural resources 

 of this reserve, and the inventory now being made will be utilized in reaching a 

 conclusion on the best methods of handling the resources. 



The fire-ranging staff was faced with a herculean task the past year by 

 reason of the abnormal drought that continued uninterruptedly in certain 



