1907 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS AND MINES. 171 



rt quired to mark the dimensions of ail square timber, and, if requested by 

 tlie seller or buyer, to stamp every piece of lumber according to quality, the 

 letter "M" indicating what was merchantable, "U" what was sound and of 

 good quality, but under merchantable size, and "R" rejected and unmer- 

 chantable. 



This measure was repealed in 1845 when the enactment which replaced 

 it established for the first time the system of grading timber in accordance 

 with its quality. Second and third quality standards were adopted both for 

 timber and deals. ^ 



The standards for merchantable timber were set out with greater pre- 

 cision and fullness of detail than before. 



It was provided that square timber should be measured in accordance 

 with some one of the following modes : — 



1. In the raft or otherwise, giving the full cubic contents without any 

 allowance or deduction. 



2. In shipping order, which should mean sound, fairly made timbei, 



or, . • , 



3. Culled or measured in a merchantable state in accord with the 

 standards prescribed. 



The position of the export trade with respect to culling and measuring 

 was thus, defined: — "Nothing in this Act contained shall be held or con- 

 strued to make it compulsory for any article of timber to be measured, culled 

 or assorted, under the provisions of this Act, provided that such lumber be 

 shipped for exportation by sea for account (in good faith) of the actual alicl 

 bona fide producer or manufacturer thereof; but all other lumber shipped 

 for exportation by sea shall be either culled, measured or counted (at the 

 option of parties) by a licensed culler, under the control and superintendence 

 of the Supervisor, under a penalty equal to the market value of any article 

 of lumber so illegally shipped." It was provided that the Act should not 

 extend to any place below the eastern end of the Island of Orleans. 



U'pper Canada Customs Duties. 



There was no similar legislation in Upper Canada, or any measure on 

 the Statute Books of that Province directly bearing upon the lumber indus- 

 try until 1819, when duties were imposed upon a number of specified articles 

 imported from the United States. Forest products were not included in the 

 list, but it was provided by a general clause that upon all unenumerated 

 goods, the growth, produce or manufacture of the United < States, an ad 

 rnlorem duty of 5 per cent, should be levied, with certain specific excep- 

 tions, which included staves and headings. A further clause provided "that 

 nothing in this Act contained shall extend or be construed to extend to pro- 

 hibit the admission of flour, oak, pine, and fir timber into this Province free 

 of duty, for exportation only." At this time a good deal of lumber was 

 imported into the Provinces from the United States, and reshipped from 

 Quebec to the British market, so as to obtain the advantage of the preferen- 

 tial tariff in favor of the Colonies. The extent of this trade attracted the 

 attention of the British Authorities who evidently had no intention that 

 the privileges granted to the Canadian exporter should cover the timber 

 supplies brought into Canada from the United States. In 1820 an official 

 enquiry was instituted. An official statement, made as a return to an address 

 of the House of Commons, showed that the timber imported into Lower Can- 

 ada from Lake Champlain via the Port of St. John's, from the year 1800 

 to 1820, included 10,997,580 feet of red and white pine timber, 3,935,443 

 feet of oak timber, 34,573,853 feet of pine plank, and 9,213,827 feet of pine 



