Timber Conditions of British Columbia. 189 



has completely removed all complaints about the lack of stability 

 of title under the license system. Millmen can now enter into 

 large contracts and carry on their business with greater security 

 knowing that they can have their licenses renewed from year to 

 year. Capital can now be secured and the result of this legis- 

 lation has altogether proved most beneficial both to the lumber- 

 man and the lumber industry, and therefore to the people as|^a 

 whole. 



One of the most important features of recent legislation in 

 British Columbia respecting the timber industry is that which 

 was passed with a view of having British Columbia timber manu- 

 factured by British Columbia people in British Columbia. The 

 shipping of British Columbia logs to the other side of the bound- 

 ary line had reached formidable proportions, and our limibermen 

 were forced to look idly on, whilst their rivals from Puget Sound 

 took their raw material from British Columbia, converted it into 

 all kinds of lumber and supplied the settlers of Alberta, Saskat- 

 chewan and Manitoba with British Columbia lumber at prices 

 with which our millmen could not compete. This state of affairs 

 worked a double wrong to the Province, for it not only deprived 

 our lumbermen of all chance of profit on their investments, and 

 our workingmen from earning a livelihood, but threatened the 

 depletion of the most valuable timber lands along the coast for 

 the benefit of American millmen. The first step taken to put an 

 end to this state of affairs was in 1901, when the Legislature 

 enacted that all timber cut from leaseholds must be manufactured 

 in the Province, otherwise the lease would be cancelled. This 

 enactment has been kept on the Statute fiook, and in addition 

 in 1903, a tax was imposed on all timber cut and not subject 

 to the payment of royalty, that is on all timber cut from lands 

 for which Crown Grants were issued prior to April, 1887, varying, 

 according to the size and grade of the timber from $1.00 to $4.00 

 per thousand feet, board measurement, on spars and saw logs; 

 from .01 to 2^ cents per lineal foot on piles and poles under 11 

 inches in diameter; and from $2.00 to $4.00 per thousand feet, 

 board measurement, on piles and poles over 12 inches in diameter. 



Then again at the last Session of the Legislature an Act, 

 known as the "Timber Manufacture Act," was passed wherebv 

 all timber cut from ungranted lands of the Crown, or from land's 

 thereafter granted lying west of the Cascades, must be manu- 

 factured or used in the Province and authorizing anv such timber, 

 or any steamboat towing the same, to be seized and detained 

 when it shall be made to appear that it is not the intention that 

 such timber is to be used or manufactured here. The action 

 taken by the Legislature to compel timber cut from our Crown 

 lands to be manufactured at home has been hailed with satis- 

 faction, and the effect has been most beneficial. It mav in a wav 



