1907 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS AND MINES. US 



First Provincial Timber Sale. 



"The timber dues, ground rent and bonus accrued during the year 

 amount to |190,237. Tbe total timber revenue collected on account of sucb 

 accruals, and of the arrears of previous years, is |234,209. Of this amount 

 the sum of |14,446 was received as bonus on the south half of the Town- 

 ship of Sherbourne, sold in two timber berths by public auction at Peter- 

 boro on the 23rd of December, 1868, Berth No. 1, covering an area of 20| 

 square miles (and which had previously suffered from fire and trespass) was 

 sold at a bonus of |249 per square mile. For Berth No. 2, covering an 

 area" of 18 square miles, a bonus was obtained of |519 per square mile, 

 being by far the largest bonus ever received by the Crown on a sale of 

 timber limits in this Province." 



The question of saw logs exportation, which has since assumed such 

 prominence, cropped up during the first session of the Provincial Legisla- 

 ture, when on February 26th, 1868, on motion of Mr. Christie, a Select 

 Committee was appointed to enquire into the nature of and extent of the 

 exportation of saw logs, shingle bolts and stave bolts cut in this Province 

 and exported from the Dominion as follows: — Hon, Mr. Richards, Messrs. 

 McDougall, Paxton, Hooper, Cockburn and Christie. No report appears" 

 to have been made by the committee. 



Increasing Revenues. 



On January 9th of the same year, Mr. Rykert moved for returns show- 

 ing details as to the number of timber licenses granted since 1860, and 

 among the particulars asked for was, "so far as practicable what portions 

 of said lands are fit for agricultural purposes?" The returns were brought 

 down in due course, but no attempt was made to furnish any information 

 as to how much of the area under license was of a cultivable character. 

 Meanwhile the timber revenue of the Province was increasing by leaps 

 and bounds. The report of the Commissioner of Crown Lands for 1869 

 stated that a more careful supervision over lumbering operations was 

 inaugurated than was believed to have previously existed. Heference was 

 made to the issue of new Crown Timber Regulations in April, 1869, by 

 which the dues were raised fifty per cent, in excess of the former rates, and 

 a uniform rate of ground rent fixed. The regulations also provided for the 

 more satisfactory accounting for the timber and saw logs cut upon public 

 lands. The accruals from timber dues, ground rents and bonuses during 

 the year amounted to $508,561, and the collections were $435,397. This 

 very substantial increase in the revenue was emphasized by a comparison 

 between the results of Crown Lands management under the ante-Confeder- 

 ation Canadian administration, and under the new Ontario regime respec- 

 tively, as shown by the following table : — 



1 . Timber revenue derived from the whole Province of Canada : — 



The largest revenue for any one of the 10 years end- 

 ing 31st December, 1866, was .' |386,656 



The average yearly revenue during the 10 years was 295,409 



2. Timber revenue derived from Upper Canada alone : — 



The largest revenue for anv one of the 10 years end- 

 ing December 31st, 1866, was .' 197.093 



The average yearly revenue during the 10 years was. 150,935 



