10 REPORT OF THE No. 7 



the sympathy of a certain element of the section who press for a relaxation of 

 the Regulations and effect a real knowledge of the situation when but an 

 apparent one exists. In all districts where substantial pioneer efforts are 

 being made the officials of the Department extend the most courteous treatment 

 and through the regular visitations of the Supervisor of Settlement misunder- 

 standings have been removed and, according to this officer's report, fewer 

 complaints have been heard during the past year. 



The settlers of the north who for three years suffered, owing to the 

 extremely wet weather which adversely affected the harvesting of their crops, 

 were mostly blessed during the past year with good crops and favourable 

 weather for harvesting them. The Homestead Inspectors who are in direct 

 touch with the settlers are visited periodically by the Supervisor, who assists 

 in the adjustment of disputes on the ground and sympathetically co-operates 

 with the settler in offering him advice and giving him encouragement in his work. 



The experiment of moving a certain number of settlers from Old Ontario 

 to the Southern Clay Belt in Timiskaming District, has been to date successful. 

 Those that treked north are doing well and report says they are pleased with 

 their new conditions and express the hope that others shall in due time, when 

 thoroughly satisfied with the success attendant upon the undertaking, follow 

 the lead now given. 



Indian Rights Ceded 



The negotiations between the Province and the Dominion covered in last 

 year's report with regard to concluding a Treaty with the l^ndians inhabiting 

 that far flung portion of Ontario lying north and west of the Albany River, 

 resulted in the appointment of Commissioners Walter C. Cain, Deputy Minister 

 of the Department of Lands and Forests, nominated by Ontario, and H. N. 

 Awrey, representing the Department of Indian Affairs. 



To meet the Indians and consummate a Treaty an itinerary covering the 

 summers of 1929 and 1930 was adopted, and in pursuance of same the Com- 

 missioners proceeded by plane to Trout Lake some 800 miles north of Toronto 

 and enrolled over six hundred Indians at this point and an additional fifty at 

 Lansdowne House, a rendezvous about sixty miles due north of Fort Hope. 



Next summer the work will be completed, the programme providing for 

 the taking of surrenders at three other points, including one in the neighbour- 

 hood of Wendigo Lake and the other two on the Hudson Bay at the mouths of 

 the Severn and Winisk Rivers. Approximately one thousand additional Indians 

 are expected to sign treaty. 



The termination of these surrenders will mean the acquirement by cession 

 from the Indian bands of that region, the only remaining territory in Canada 

 up to then unceded. A detailed report of the work of the Commissioners 

 during the summer of 1929 will be found in the annual publication of the Depart- 

 ment of Indian Affairs for this year. 



Old Sales 



Numbers of farm lots sold long ago, many prior to Confederation, remain 

 unpatented, though occupied, due to neglect of the original purchasers or their 

 successors in title to pay arrears due the Crown. Though periodic demands 

 have been made and reasonable efforts taken to collect the amounts owing up 

 until lately little response to appeals resulted. A determined move on the 

 part of the Department during the past year, involving a follow-up system, 



