Report of the Minister of Lands and Forests 

 of the Province of Ontario 



For the Year ending 31st October, 1929 



GENERAL ADMINISTRATION 



In last year's report reference was made to the one hundredth anniversary 

 of the appointment in the season of 1827-28 of the first Commissioner of Crown 

 Lands for the purpose of administering the affairs of all the Crown lands of 

 Upper Canada, and their co-related interests. 



To mark this historic event and afford the officers and all the employees 

 of the inside service of the Department an opportunity of learning something 

 of the progress and development of this Department of Natural Resources, a 

 special non-political centenary dinner was held in the large committee room 

 of the Parliament Buildings on the evening of May 2nd, 1929. 



Elsewhere in this report is reproduced the programme of the evening. 

 The occasion was honoured by the presence of His Honour, the Lieutenant- 

 Governor, and all the former Commissioners or Ministers of the Department 

 still living, except Sir John Gibson, since deceased, who, though unavoidably 

 absent, owing to illness, sent his keen regrets, recalled fond memories of his 

 associations with the Department and expressed his kindliest and sincerest 

 hopes for the continued success of his old love. 



Hon. E. J. Davis, Sir W. H. Hearst, Hon. Geo. H. Ferguson, the present 

 Prime Minister; Hon. Beniah Bowman, Hon. James Lyons, and the present 

 Minister, Hon. Wm. Finlayson, having in the order named each presided over 

 the destinies of the Department at important periods of its development, 

 formed the "old Chiefs" circle at the head table, where the Hon. Speaker of 

 the House, W. Black, sat with Mr. C. E. Burton, representing the Pioneers 

 of Upper Canada, and Mr. J. J. Murphy, representing the oldest living super- 

 annuated official of the Department, in which he served for over fifty years. 



A brief history of the origin and development of the Department in which, 

 more than any other Department of the Public Service, criticism, romance 

 and adventure each in itself has played its part, was given by the chairman. 

 The former executive heads in order were introduced and each felicitously 

 indulged in retrospect and prophecy, dwelling upon the tremendous growth 

 and recognized importance of the Lands and Forests, and the need of a con- 

 tunuity and stability in administrative service. 



Practically all the inside employees, to the number of one hundred and 

 forty, attended the gathering and acquired new ideas and a more extended 

 knowledge of the diversified nature of their work. 



Legislative Enactments 



During the Session the Crown Timber Act was amended to provide for the 

 suspension of the manufacturing condition as to poplar. This class of material 

 is so prolific in growth and so widespread as respects our forest areas that unless 



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