vi EEPOET OF THE No. 3 



Free Grants. 



During the year settlers evidenced an increased desire to take up free farms, 

 there being nearly 200 more locations carried out than in the previous year. No 

 less than 1,568 applicants were located for 224,042 acres. The Department is 

 insisting upon a vigorous compliance with settlement regulations, and is con- 

 tinuing the practice of inspecting located lands to ascertain where there is a default ' 

 in the conditions. The Department is also endeavouring to prevent lands that 

 are unsuitable for farming being located merely for the purpose of getting the 

 timber. 



Part of the Township of Morgan in the Sudbury District and the Township 

 of Melgund in the Kenora District have been opened for location. Locations and 

 patents in these townships carry the mines and minerals, and in the case of Melgund 

 the settler also gets the pine timber. 



Military Grants. 



The total number of Military Certificates issued to date, under I. Edward 

 VII., cap. 6, is 13,995. 



Forty-three Location Certificates were issued this year and 237 new locations 

 were made, making the total number of locations 7,732. 



Twenty-one Certificates were surrendered to the Crown for $50.00, making 

 a total disposed of in this manner of 3,322. 



The number of Certificates that have been applied in payment for Crown 

 Lands is 688. 



The number of locations cancelled for non-compliance with the regulations 

 of settlement duties on lots located under assigned Military Certificates was nine- 



The total number therefore that are shown to have been redeemed is 11,742, 

 leaving as still outstanding 2,257. 



Patents were issued during the year for 674, making a total of 4,563 issued 

 to the end of the year. 



The Mineral Industry. 



The aggregate value of the mineral products of Ontario increases year by year. 

 In 1911 the output of the mines and metalliferous works of the Province amounted 

 in value to about 42 millions of dollars. Of this, metallic products contributed 

 about 29 millions and non-metallic products 13 millions. 



In their yield of silver the mines of Cobalt provide one-seventh of the world's 

 output, the production for 1911 being thirty-one and a half million ounces. A 

 feature of the camp is the development of concentration and refining processes 

 on the spot. Most of the high-grade ore is now treated within the bounds of the 

 Province, and the mines are finding it increasingly profitable to concentrate their 

 lower-grade material, thus escaping the pa3anent of freight charges on much waste 

 rock. A number of the companies are now shipping merchantable bars direct 

 to London. South Lorrain and Gowganda are also producing silver. 



The development of the gold mines at Porcupine was not a little impeded 

 by the disastrous fires which swept that neighborhood in the summer of 1911, and 

 which caused so lamentable a loss of human life. The two largest and most 

 advanced plants, those at the Dome and Hollinger mines, were completely de- 

 stroyed, but are both being re-built. Several other mining properties suffered 

 severely. As a result, the actual golld production at Porcupine was small. Early 



