1907 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS AND MINES. 159 



following, show not merely a large increase in the Canadian trade at the 

 expense of the Baltic exporters, but a very steady and considerable augmenta- 

 tion in the total volume of timber consumption. In the five years, from 

 1819 to 1823 inclusive, the average annual importation from all sources 

 was 452,158 loads, of which 166,600 came from Europe, and 335,556 from 

 the colonies. 



Heavy Exports. 



The five years following, 1824 to 1828, average as follows : — Total im- 

 portations of timber, 602,793 loads; European product, 191,890; colonies, 

 410,903. Notwithstanding that the duty on foreign timber had been reduced, 

 and a small duty on the colonial product imposed in 1821, the expansion of 

 the traffic continued unchecked, showing that very substantial differentia- 

 tion of 45 shillings per load in favour of British America was sufficient 

 vantage ground as against foreign competition, with cheaper freight rates. 



Prejudice Overcome . 



» 



The British American trade had to make headway against the general 

 but wholly unfounded prejudice, which for a long time prevailed in Bri- 

 tain with respect to the quality of the colonial growth. The evidence taken 

 in the course of an enquiry into the timber trade by a Select Committee of 

 the House of Lords in 1820, which resulted in the changes of duty effected 

 the year following, brought out some strong expressions of opinion by tim- 

 ber experts as to the inferior grade and undesirable qualities of Canadian 

 timber as regards strength and durability, which to-day would only excite 

 ridicule on the part of any one conversant with the subject. Some of these 

 utterances are worth while giving, as showing the inveteracy of prejudices 

 born of ignorance and dislike of innovation, and the difficulties with which 

 t])0se who seek to divert trade into unaccustomed channels have to contend. 



• Exploded Theories. 



Alexander Copland, a timber merchant and builder, when asked his 

 opinion of the comparative qualities of timber employed, testified as follows : 

 ''The timber of the Baltic in general, speaking of Norway, Swedish. Rus- 

 sian and Prussian timber, is of very superior quality to that imported from 

 America; the bulk of that is very inferior in quality, much softer in its 

 nature, not so durable and very liable to dry rot; indeed, it is not allowed 

 by any professional man under Government to be used, nor is it ever used 

 in the best buildings in London. It is only speculators that are induced to 

 use it, from the price of it being much lower than the Baltic timber; and if 

 you were to lay two planks of American timber upon each other, in the 

 course of a twelve month they would have the dry rot almost invariably to 

 a certain extent; if you were to lav two Christiana deals in the spme mnnTier 

 for ten years, there would not be the same appearance of it, so that th^re is 

 something in its quality 'favorable to the dry rot. which prevents it being 

 used in buildings except where there is a thorouerh air all around it." He 

 went on to say in reply to other questions, that if the duties were reduced 

 so that the Baltic timber could be sold for the same price as the American 

 product, the latter would never be used except for some temporary purpose. 



•Tohn White, another experienced timber merchant, gave evid'^Tioe as 

 regards the supposed liability of American timber to dry rot. "Of the 

 American timber," he said, "we have generally estimated the red pine to 



