1907 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS AND MINES. vii 



A remarkable feature of tlie year was the large amount received for sales 

 of mining land, |1, 184,719.06. A very large part of this sum was received 

 on account of the sale 'of parts of the beds of Cobalt and Kerr lakes. The 

 total revenue from mining sources was |1, 731, 720. 72. 



Collections . 



The total collection of the Department from all sources was |3,068,- 

 494.09. Of this amount |1, 184, 719. 06 was derived from mining lands; 

 1207,945.06 from royalties; |1,219,051.32 from woods and forests; |43,453.35 

 from supplementary revenue; $137,768.40 from mining licenses and |134,- 

 628.73 recording fees. (See Appendix No. 4, page 7.) 



Disbursements. 



The gross expenditure of the Department for all services during the 

 year was |660,556.33. The principal services were : agents' salaries and 

 disbursements, |49,316.98; forest ranging, |64,887.Q7; fire ranging, $97,- 

 234.51; mining development, $60,685.95; forest reserves, $41,884.72; sur- 

 veys, $162,479.91; veterans' commutation, $46,850; Gillies limit, $30,686.60; 

 refunds, $23,621.06; Parks, $14,675.42; contingencies, $29,671.71. .(See 

 Appendix No. 6, page 9 to 39.) 



Woods and Forests. 



The total revenue from Woods and Forests was $1,219,051.32, consist- 

 ing of bonus, $152,222.24; timber dues, $998,863.15; ground rent, $65,- 

 084.38; transfer fees, $2,879.85. (See Appendix No. 4, page 7.) 



The financial stringency that prevailed last year was severely felt by 

 the lumber trade. It was difficult to make collections. The banks adopted' 

 a restrictive policy and would not make advances, except such as were abso- 

 lutely necessary to keep organizations together, and tide operators along 

 until conditions improved. Under these circumstances, it became impossible 

 for the licensees to pay their indebtedness to the Department for timber 

 dues, etc., before the end of the year. As there was plenty of security for 

 the indebtedness in the shape of limits, logs and lumber, on which the 

 Department has the first lien, and to insist upon payment would have 

 ruined many and demoralized the trade, it was considered prudent to carry 

 them for the payment of balances due. Accordingly, those who were unable 

 to pay their indebtedness were given extensions of time in whole or in 

 part, and thus a crisis was avoided. In consequence of this action there 

 is about $500,000 revenue of 1907 uncollected, which will come in, how- 

 ever, during 1908. The stringency which prevailed became more severe 

 towards the end of the year, causing curtailment of operations in the woods, 

 and consequently the output of logs will be smaller in volume than that of 

 last year. 



Fire Ranging. 



There were 623 fire rangers on duty during the past summer, includ- 

 ing those in the forest reserves. Of this number 360 were employed on 

 licensed lands, half of their wages being paid by the licensees and the 

 other half by the Crown. Along the line of construction of the Canadian 

 Northern, the T. & N. 0. Ry., the Grand Trunk Pacific and the Canadian 

 Pacific, 103 fire rangers were on duty. The cost of this service was $38,- 



