222 REPORT OF THE No. 3 



appointmeiit of the Registrar and Receiver the lands are declared by pro- 

 clamation of the President as open for sale, and a public auction is adver- 

 tised to take place at the Registrar's office in the land district at the uniform, 

 fixed upset price for all the public lands in the United States of one dollar 



No Limit to Quantity. 



and twenty-five cents per acre. Such lands as are not sold at auction are 

 therefore open for sale to any applicant at the upset price. Neither at the 

 first auction sale nor afterwards is there any limitation as to quantity that 

 may be bought. The lands are all sold for cash. By Act of Congress of 

 last year a graduated scale of prices has been fixed, whereby lands remain- 

 ing unsold for a certain number of years may be disposed of at lower rates 

 than one dollar and twenty-five cents. A party desirous of purchasing 

 makes application in writing to the Registrar, who, in the absence of other 

 claimants, issues a certificate in his favor, with which he proceeds to the 

 Receiver and pays the purchase money." 



The following answers made by Mr. "White to questions submitted by 

 the Committee explain the working of the system as it affected the lumber 

 industry. 



"Will you state the mode in which timber is disposed of?" "The Gov- 

 ernment do not permit the sale of timber on public lands, and agents are 

 expressly appointed to prevent depredation. The purchase of the land is 

 the only mode in which timber can be obtained." 



"Do you consider this a good plan?" "I do. It aids the sale of the 

 lands, making them subject to taxation and encouraging the settlement 

 of the country, also promotes the saving of the timber, which, under the 

 stumpage system, will always be more or less wasted. The lands are gen- 

 erally fit for settlement after the timber is removed." 



"Supposing the land to be of little value for agricultural purposes, 

 would you still consider it expedient to sell the land and not the timber by 

 stumpage?" "I would not. If the land be of little value except for the 

 timber, it is the greater reason for selling it, especially as if sold the tim- 

 ber will be more economically applied." 



Objection to American Plan. 



The Canadian lumbermen and Crown Lands officials who gave evidence 

 clearly pointed out the defects of the American svstem as set forth by Mr. 

 White. 



"I have read Mr. White's evidence," said David Roblin, an experienced 

 lumberman," and am decidedly of the opinion that the plan he proposes 

 would at once place in the hands of the rich and opulent capitalist all the 

 good lands of the Crown, or would lead to the formation of private companies 

 for the purpose of purchasing the whole of them; once in the hands of 

 wealthy individuals or companies they would immediately ask a large advance 

 upon the cost and sell them on time to those that actually cultivate and 

 improve the lands, and who have no other resource but to submit and to pay 

 such fines as were demanded or seek elsewhere for more favorable terms to 

 obtain a living for themselves and families, * * * With reference to Mr. 

 White's remarks respecting the disposal of timber on the public lands," it is 

 quite evident that he knows very little of the subject upon which 

 he speaks or of the amount of duties paid on timber here. He says 

 it is even better to sell lands that are not fit for agricultural purposes than 

 to sell the timber. Now take the plan which he proposes, viz., selling the 



