CANADIAN LUMBER COMPETITION 



133 



of Inquiry in its report made in 1910. upon all No. 1 or No. 2 Douglas fir, 



The area is less than was formerly spruce, cedar, pine or cottonwood cut 



supposed but the stand is heavier. The west of the Cascades after January 1, 



total timber supply of the Province 1915, and 50 cents upon all other timber 



approximates that of Washington. suitable for lumber and shingles. East 



But British Columbia's forest is of the mountains the royalty shall be 



inferior as to quality and species as the 50 or 65 cents, according to locality, 



value of species is differentiated at this After January 1, 1920, the royalty 



time. The following table of compari- shall be increased at the end of five-year 



sons, based upon Lacey & Company's periods by amounts equivalent to differ- 



cruisings in both territories, outside of ent percentages " of the increase (if any) 



national forests, parks and reservations, in the average wholesale selling price 



shows the difference existing in the of lumber f.o.b. mill, over $18" per M. 



respective regions west of the Cascade The license fee is fixed during the period 



Mountains: to December 31, 1954, at $140 per 



license of not more than 640 acres 



COMPARISON BY SPECIES wegt q the Cascade Range and $10Q 



Oregon. 2 British east of the Cascades. This rental is 



, . _ Columbia approximated equivalent to the average 



Douglas Fir 82.3 per cent. 21.3 per cent. ^r j ~i . i j ,i 



Cedar 2.4 per cent. 34.4 per cent. tax P er M feet on fee lands m the 



Western Hemlock 9.1 percent. 28.5 per cent. States. It is fixed and not subject to 



Spruce 2.1 per cent. 4.3 per cent, the caprices of tax levying bodies. 



Silver Fir (A. 



Amabilis) 1.5 per cent. 11.0 per cent. STUMPAGE AND LOG VALUES 



Miscellaneous... 2.6 per cent. 0.5 per cent. 



Average stand per In normal times log values are the 



acre ' i1 - 6 M feet- 22-2 M feeti same in the province as across the line; 



The best timber is most available, and as a general statement it may be 

 Present-day cutting is going on in the said that the difference between log 

 most accessible and superior forest, cost and log value, which is stumpage, 

 The topography of the coastal region is including royalties, is about the same 

 extremely mountainous and the moun- for logs of equal quality. In each 

 tains are generally steep, with bald, territory original purchasers acquired 

 rocky crests and narrow valleys between, timber at prices which are almost 

 The commercial forest is on the lower negligible in the cost of logs but latter- 

 levels. In the interior, glacial forma- day buyers in British Columbia have 

 tion characterizes the country. The been required to pay as much for 

 valleys are wider and the slopes are timber of equal log value as is paid in 

 usually less abrupt where merchantable the States. There is but little, if any, 

 timber grows. The mountain chains foundation of fact in the statement 

 are mostly bare and snow-covered dur- often made by operators in the States 

 ing the greater part of the year. that our neighboring manufacturers 



can sell for less because their timber is 

 tenure cheap. Timber that the market of 

 Nearly one-half of British Columbia's these years will absorb is not corn- 

 forest is held under Special Timber paratively cheap in the log. 

 Licenses; the remainder under various 

 kinds of grants and leases, and reserva- manufacturing costs and labor 



tions. With the exception of certain The initial cost of logging equipment 



Crown grants it is all subject to the and maintenance is higher in British 



payment of royalties when cut. The Columbia than in Washington or Oregon 



Forest Act of March 4, 1914, embodies owing to heavy import duties. Supplies 



wise forest legislation, virtually making and woods labor are higher and the 



the holders of licenses and other tenures labor, as a rule, is less efficient. The 



partners with the government. It pro- provincial laws prohibit employment of 



vides for a royalty of 85 cents per M Oriental labor in provincial forests 



2 Similar figures for Washington have not been compiled but the percentage of cedar is greater. 



