422 Proceedings oi^ the 



which is called the "upset price." Then we put them 

 up for sale by the mile at a price which we call the 

 ''bonus value," that is, the amount of money paid for 

 the privilege of obtaining a license to cut the timber, 

 subject to a royalty when it is cut. The present roy- 

 alty, exclusive of the bonus paid at the sale, runs from 

 $i.oo to $2.00 a thousand. The bonus derived from 

 a sale is sometimes enormous. At the last sale we held 

 in 1903, we received $30,500 a mile for the right to 

 cut timber on a certain berth, with a royalty of $2.00 

 per tliousand feet, board measure, to be paid as the 

 timber was cut and removed. We have a very valu- 

 able asset in our pine timber and we are taking care 

 of it, we are not giving it away. Now, you have had 

 in this country, as we have, the problem of preventing 

 the destruction of the forests by fire. When I entered 

 the service of the Ontario Government, one of the first 

 questions addressed to me by my chief was, "Can you 

 not recommend something by which we can prevent 

 the forests being destroyed by fire ?" I said I thought 

 I could, and I evolved the plan which has been copied 

 in all the provinces and by the Federal Government, 

 and is, I think, if I may say so without egotism, now 

 followed to some extent, at any rate, in the United 

 States. I said we should try to guard the forests 

 during what may be called the dangerous period ; that 

 is, from the month of May to the beginning of October. 

 We have some 20,000 miles in the Province of Ontario 

 under timber license, and my suggestion was that the 

 owners of these licenses should be asked to recommend 

 or select men who were cool-headed and knew their 

 limits, as such men could best protect them, that these 

 men should be put on duty as fire rangers or fire police 

 during the dangerous period, the Government bearing 

 one-half of the expense and the timber licensees the 



