190 Canadian Forestry Journal. 



be said to be the turning point in the history of our lumber in- 

 dustry. Previously our lumber companies, handicapped by the 

 competition of Washington millmen manufacturing our logs and 

 sending back the finished product to Canada free of duty, were 

 barely able to make ends meet, and in some instances the local 

 mills were actually losing money. This has now all been changed. 

 Capital, which had held back — hesitating to embark in a business 

 in which the chance for success was problematical — hesitates no 

 longer. New mills equipped with the most modern machinery 

 have been and are being established. A number of American 

 millmen, realizing that they can no longer depend on British 

 Columbia for a supply of raw material, have come to the Pro- 

 vince and started manufacturing here on an extensive scale, and 

 many others are following them. The great influx of settlement 

 on the prairies on the other side of the mountains has given a 

 great impetus to the industry which has rapidly recovered lost 

 ground, and which to-day, viewed from every standpoint, stands 

 upon a most satisfactory basis. 



A perusal of the output during the past few years will shew 

 this. You will find a statement of this output on page 15 of 

 Bulletin No. 21, copies of which are before you, and it will not be 

 necessary for me to weary you with many figures. You will 

 note that in 1888 only 25 mills were in operation. To-day there 

 are 1 50 mills all working overtime and unable to fill the orders 

 that are pouring in. In 1888 the output was 31,868,884 feet. 

 In 1903 it was 317,551,151 feet. In 1904 it increased to 32 5,271, - 

 568 feet, and in 1905 to 450,385,554 feet. The output for the 

 first six months of the present year was 235,387,000 feet — con- 

 siderably over 50% of the total cut for the preceding year — 

 indicating that 1906 will eclipse all former years in the voliime 

 of business in lumber. 



But whilst the Itmiber industry is a most important one in 

 British Columbia in relation to the development and progress 

 of the Province, it is no less important in relation to the pro- 

 vincial revenue. In the fiscal year 1879-80, which was the first 

 year any revenue was received from timber, the amount received 

 was $1,263.41. In 1889-90 it amounted to $24,670.57. In 

 1899-00 to $136,330.00, and in 1904-05, the last fiscal year for 

 which reports have been issued, the revenue received amounted 

 to $486,516.46, being one-sixth, or nearly 17%, of the total 

 revenue of the Province. It will thus be readily seen how im- 

 portant it is from a Government standpoint, that everything 

 possible be done to encourage and foster an industry from which 

 so large a proportion of the provincial revenue is derived. 



With regard to the prospects of the pulp and paper industry 

 there is much to be said. The supply of pulp wood, recognized 

 as such, is enormous, and if the opinion expressed by Professor 



