Constituency. Conservative Liberal Member Elected. Maj. Northumber land East... S. G. M. Nesbitt..T. J. Atkinson....S. G. M. Nesbitt... 1,023 Northumber land West... H. McCullough...Samuel Clarke.. Samuel Clarke.. East .......James Thompson. E. Hawthorne.. James Thompson.. Peterborough 233 497 247 1,275 2,102 560 203 1,075 716 372 73 503 618 942 284 587 286 Edward A. Peck.. Robert R. Hall... Edward A. Peck.. Toronto N-A. W. K. McNaught. Wm. Stephenson.. W. K. McNaught. 3,852 .H. G. Lackner... 193 Waterloo S... George Pattinson. John Taylor, Jr..George Pattinson.. 997 Jas. P. Maguire... Welland 805 337 450 125 29 105 782 493 East.... William D. Annis. Alex. McCowan. North...T. H. Lennox..... Jesse M. Walton. T. H. Lennox. York West.... Forbes Godfrey.. Geo. W. Verral... Forbes Godfrey... 1,325 Both parties expressed satisfaction with a result which gave 83 Conservatives to 22 Liberals and one Independent, or a nearly four-to-one majority for the Government. The News comment dealt with the Rowell policy as not definite enough along certain lines to arouse the moral enthusiasm of his party; described a considerable reduction in the Government's majority as having been possible after giving a dozen good men to the Parliament at Ottawa; and declared that "the North country went almost solid for the Government and the Liberal gains were largely attained by the aid of the French-Canadian vote which may be taken as indicating that the advocates of Bi-lingualism expected more from Rowell than from Whitney." Sir James Whitney simply said: "The endorsement is phenomenal, indeed. It will certainly encourage the Government to continue its best efforts for the advancement and prosperity of the people of the Province who have again given us such signal evidence of their confidence." As the Liberal vote showed a gain of four seats this fact gave much pleasure to the Opposition. Mr. Rowell, himself, received a largely increased Liberal majority (560) in North Oxford and to the press he made this statement: "The results show that the Liberals made what may be considered a substantial number of gains. But, unfortunately, we suffered a number of serious losses. It is satisfactory that the Liberal Party should have made gains as a net result because it entered the contest disorganized by the serious defeat on Sept. 21st. It had neither organization, literature, nor the funds to provide for even the most necessary arrangements." Under these conditions he refused to feel discouraged. Mr. A. G. MacKay was elected by the large majority of 741 in North Grey as compared with 71 in 1908. The Conservative individual majorities were very large and, apart from the 17 acclamations, there were 33 seats giving over 500 and up to as high as 3,800 Conservative majority. The Bi-lingual issue probably defeated Government candidates in two French-Canadian constituencies; it did not affect Ottawa where Mr. Champagne (Cons.) advocated Bi-lingual schools without regard to his Leader's policy; it nearly defeated Hon. J. O. Reaume in North Essex. As to the popular vote there was a natural decrease in numbers owing to lack of interest in the contest and even the registration was less than in 1908-39,414 new voters in 1911 compared with 44,947. VI.-PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS-QUEBEC. Resources and Development of the Province There was considerable discussion during the year as to Quebec's pulpwood. It was caused, naturally, by the increased United States demand and by the terms, in this respect, of the Reciprocity Agreement. The importance of the industry was indicated in the fact that as far back as 1905 the value of paper used in the United States from $57,000,000 worth of pulp was $188,000,000-while the original pulpwood was only worth $23,000,000-and the estimated total return from industries in which the paper was used was $406,000,000. These figures, if available for 1911, would have been much greater. Mr. H. Bourassa drew the attention of the Quebec Legislature to this subject on Mch. 9th and stated that in 1906 there were in Canada 31 pulp and paper mills, of which Quebec owned twelve with twothirds of the total capitalization or about $15,000,000. These institutions employed 3,500 workmen who manufactured $6,000,000 worth of paper annually. Since then two more pulp factories had opened up in the Province with $4,000,000 capital and employing 800 workmen. He drew attention to the supreme position of Quebec among the Provinces as a wood and paper producer. In the United States 15,000 tons were used a day while Canada, as yet, could only produce 1,000 tons a day. Quebec, he pointed out, exported 1,000,000 cords of pulpwood valued at $6,000,000. "If this was manufactured in the Province into pulp and sold it would bring a return of $18,000,000. If this wood-pulp was further converted into paper and marketed it would make about 800,000 tons of paper which, at $50 a ton, would net the Province $40,000,000. Thus, manufacturing the paper in the Province would give six or seven times the economic value to the national product.' At the close of 1911 there were 25 pulp mills in operation in the Province, and 20 paper mills. As a result of the Government policy of forbidding export from Crown Lands both these kinds of mills were steadily increasing in number. According to a special correspondent of the Toronto Globe:* "The enactment of Sir Lomer Gouin will tend more and more to bring about the manufacture of paper in this Province. In addition the Conservation movement is having its influence in educating the people to manufacture their own raw products instead of exporting them to be *NOTE.-March 2nd, 1912. manufactured abroad. Everything combines to make the Province of Quebec the greatest pulp and paper manufacturing centre on the North American continent. This Province possesses half of the pulp and paper mills in operation in Canada and consumes 57 per cent. of the pulpwood produced in Canada." The local consumption of pulpwood had, in fact, increased from 255,000 cords in 1908 to about 400,000 cords in 1911. It was stated on May 23rd by John Norris, President of the American Newspapers Association that United States paper-makers owned 12,000 square miles of timber rights in Quebec from which, however, they could not ship raw pulpwood because of the Provincial prohibition of May 1, 1910. These conditions were obviously appreciated by capitalists and during this year, or late in 1910, the British-Canadian Corporation of Montreal, with $20,000,000 nominal capital, was incorporated, while Price Bros., Ltd., of Quebec incorporated their Company, increased their capitalization, acquired a number of new limits and mills, made arrangements to build additional paper mills, secured control of the Jonquiére Pulp Company, and planned to erect a large paper mill at Lac au Sable on the Saugenay River with a daily output of 150 tons and giving employment to 1,000 men. To finance their project they floated bonds to the amount of $6,000,000 and the flotation was largely over-subscribed. The Wayagamach Pulp and Paper Co. of Three Rivers was incorporated with $5,000,000 authorized capital and $3,000,000 underwritten. Operations were started but this and two other concerns were absorbed by the Canadian Pulp and Paper Co., incorporated as a holding Company, with $10,000,000 capital. It was composed of a number of Montreal capitalists including Rodolphe Forget, M.P., J. N. Greenshields, K.C., and C. J. McCuaig, and they were said to have acquired 1,100 square miles. of timber limits on the St. Maurice River. The Brompton Pulp & Paper Co. also purchased various limits and another plant and enlarged their own mills. As to general Forest conditions in the Province Hon. Jules Allard, Minister of Lands and Forests, stated on Jan. 18 at Quebec that: The total area of the Province is 346,875 square miles, representing in round figures, 222,000,000 acres. This is divided as follows: (1) lands granted in fiefs and seigneuries, 10,676,931; (2) land grants from the Crown by letters-patent, sales, free grants, etc., 11,334,723; (3) lands under timber licenses 45,034,880. Of classes 1 and 2 ten million acres are under cultivation, about six million acres are timber lands and the remainder is cleared, uncultivated, or is composed of pasture lands. The total disposed of as above enumerated is 67,048,534 acres which, subtracted from the total area of the Province, leaves in the possession of the Crown and absolutely available, 154,951,466 acres. Out of the 45,000,000 acres leased or under license 12,400,000 were leased previous to Confederation and 32,600,000 subsequent to the date thereof (1867). This leasing system (which is erroneously called a sale) was effected by mutual agreement or by auction; but since 1872 it has always been effected by public auction. The amount paid at the time of the adjudication represented the premium or bonus offered in addition to the ground rent and the stumpage dues. This lease is for one year only but the lessee has the right, within four months after the expiration thereof, to renew it for another year. The Crown remains proprietor of the ground, and even of the trees remaining uncut by the lessee. The only timber lands in the Province of Quebec belonging definitely and absolutely to individuals are those situated on seigneuries. The Government has nothing to do with the disposal of them and those granted by letters-patent for agricultural purposes after complying with certain restrictions as to clearing. Besides the area thus disposed of the Province still owns 45,000,000 acres under timber cutting licenses and from which we derive the greater part of our revenue. The balance of land is still available and contains 155,000,000 acres entirely owned by the Province. From this deduct 50 per cent. to make up for cleared patches, land occupied by lakes and rivers and burnt districts, and our forest area still contains 77,000,000 acres, on which we may rely for the future. The Forest Reserves cover an area of 111,400,900 acres. In Agriculture the area under field crops in 1909 was 4,905,000 acres, according to Federal figures, in 1910 5,137,000 acres and in 1911 5,194,000 acres; the values were, respectively, $90,071,000, $97,107,000 and $103,187,000. Of butter the value in 1910 was $9,895,343 as compared with $4,916,756 in 1900; of cheese the respective figures were $6,152,689 and $7,957,621. According to classes (Federal statistics) the field crops in 1911 were worth $100,000,000 as follows: In Minerals the total production between 1899 and 1910 was valued at $58,000,000 or nearly an average of 5 millions a year; in 1910 the exact production had been $8,270,136 and in 1911 $9,087,698. These were Federal figures and the Provincial ones showed a slight reduction over the entire period with statistics for 1910 and 1911 standing respectively at $7,323,281 and $8,567,143. Of these products, according to the Provincial statement, asbestos was the chief with $2,939,006 as the product in 1911. Copper and sulphur ores followed worth $240,097, cement $1,931,183, marble $143,457, granite $308,545, lime $284,334, limestone $1,081,059, bricks $1,135,501, tiles, etc., $100,000, and sand $114,500. There were some unfavourable conditions. |