10_ REPORT OF THE No. 3 



Statutory Changes 



The growth of the Hydro-Electric industry in the Province brings into 

 greater prominence the extensive water powers administered by and under the 

 control of the Department of Lands and Forests. The need of acquiring further 

 technical data upon the subject is obvious. The expanding mining industry, 

 reaching the unsurveyed portions of the Province, has materially increased the 

 work in connection w ith surveys. 



To secure closer supervision over these matters and general engineering, 

 the Public Lands Act was amended during the 1928 Session, whereby provision 

 was made for the appointment by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, of a 

 Deputy Minister to be known as the Surveyor-General. This ofificial is required 

 to perform such duties in connection with the surveying of lands, investigation 

 of water powers, engineering, inspection, research and such other matters as 

 may be assigned to him by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council. 



Mr. L. V. Rorke, O.L.S., who has been a valued officer of the Department 

 for twenty years, and Director of Surveys for an extended period, was under 

 date of April 19th, 1928, in pursuance of the Act, duly appointed Surveyor- 

 General, and is now acting in that capacity. 



Last year's report indicated that legislation would be sought to strengthen 

 the hand of the Minister in dealing with the cutting of timber upon limits, 

 particularly of the so-called perpetual kind, where no limitations as to time or 

 size of trees were made. Consequently an Act was passed during the Session of 

 1928 and assented to under date of the 3rd April, 1928, which grants certain 

 powers to the Minister to control the cutting. Authority is granted to him to 

 fix the size and kind of trees and timber which may be cut on the unpatented 

 lands where the trees and timber thereon remain the property of the Crown, and 

 such authority may be exercised in any part of the Province or at any time that 

 the Minister may direct. Penalties are provided for those who violate the Act. 

 Already the Crown has through mutual co-operation with licensees undertaken 

 to apply such restrictions as seem desirable to meet the purpose of the Act. 



Land Transactions 



Last year reference was made to the settlers that had, under the authority 

 of the Forestry Act, been transferred from Haliburton District to the southern 

 clay belt, and it was hoped that such settlers would be the vanguard of others. 

 While it is rather early to make any definite predictions as to the general success 

 of the experiment it can be confidently stated that the limited number already 

 placed have made reasonably substantial progress and are content in their new 

 lot; it is felt the experiment should be given a fair trial and if successful should 

 be made applicable to others. It must not be overlooked that pioneer settlement 

 in any circumstances is a slow process but the varied advantages offered by the 

 clay plains of Northern Ontario make certain that real homemaking can be made 

 more effective there than elsewhere. 



The Supervisor of Settlement, Col. W. R. Smyth, reports that satisfactory 

 progress is being made by group settlements in Thunder Bay and Cochrane 

 Districts, these settlements having been started a few years ago. Where thrift 

 and ambition are found, substantial improvements are noticeable. He indicates 

 that while the problem in Old Ontario of retaining the young men on the w holly 

 improved productive farms is still unsolved, too much should not be expected 

 of the hardy young pioneer who has to plod his way midst trying times to break 

 land and establish and maintain a home in the newer sections. And yet he 



