The Washington herald., 1921-03-07
CANADIAN MERCHANT TELLS

OF QUEBECS PROGRESS.
Quebec Is fast becoming the most
Progressive Of Canadian provinces.
according to Wellington Charlton.
Canadian merchant. seen yesterday
at the Washington.
Two bills are now pending in the
legislature which IL is hoped will do
much for the utilization Of the
crown lands OF the province. which
still include many undeveloped
acres with unlimited possibilities
for agriculture and the exploitation
Of timber wealth.
Under the provisions of these
bills, Charlton says, the crown
lands would be divided into two
sections. one for dealing with tim
Der leases and the other for settle
ment by individuals who would
colonize the lands with homes and
farms.
Quebec has welcomed settlers in
the past and now numbers in its
population many former American
citizens who have crossed the in
ternational boundary line to Join
with their Northern cousins in the
redemption of the thousands of un-
settled acres in this and other prov
inces of, the dominion.
BIG GAINS MADE
IN PAPER INDUSTRY.
Both the government and private
enterprise has assisted in the devel-
opment of these lands, Charlton
says. Railways have been con-
structed. in the Temiscaming and
Lake st. John districts with the re-
suit that there has been a tre-
mendous increase in the pulp and
paper Industry due to the improved
transportation facilities.
In 1881 there were only five mills.
employing eighty-eight persons
with total capacity of only sa,Obe
tons. Great gains are shown by
the figures for succeeding years.
however thanks to the policy In
augurated by Sir Lomer Gouin. In
1901 the number had grown to
twenty-five mills, employing more
than 5000 persons. with a capital
OF sll.55S.560, while in 1918 the
province had ninety-ive mills with
a capital of S241,344,O00.
The pulp industry has grown SO
rapidly that government officials
have advocated the removal of the
forestry department from that
charged with colonization. The
separation of the two departments
has been urged for years, CharI-
ton says. Jean Provost and other
apostles of colonization, whose
names are well known to all Can
adams. demanded this long ago.
The government now desires to
make land settlement as easy as
possible. according to Charlton, who
says that the need for a back to
the land movement in Canada is
almost as urgent as 1t is in the
United States.
SAYS FARMER NEEDED
MORE THAN EVER
Eve have millions of acres in
Canada suitable for agricultural
purposes and we mean to encour-
age the young men who are al
ready in the country to stay there.
We should also like to see an exo-
dus from the cities to the farm,
for the world needs the farmer. the
man who produces something, more
today than ever before" he said.
Under the new scheme 1t would
be easier to construct communi-
eating roads and railways to newly
settled districts. The land would
be classified so that the agents
would be in a position to give COM
plete and accurate information to
the prospective settler.
THE new law would afford pro-
lection to the settler from un-
scrupulous lumber dealers; 1t would
also safeguard the settler from
losses from damage by fire. caused
By tho c<earelessness of settlers with
isolated lots. who in clearing their
lots had set fire to unsettled areas
around them.
sPECULATING SETTLER
PROBLEM SOLVED.
There has always been the un-
satisfactory feature of the settler
who took up land merely for spec
ulation and who would sell his
claim to lumber dealers upon the
first opportunity, or failing that,
would go into the lumber business
to the detrimenI of the bona fide
settler"
Under the new law, Charlton says.
q settler must cultivate 80 per
cent of hislRot in a minimum of
three acres and 4 maximum of five
acres a year. He must then put Is
per cent of the remainder as a
timber reserve for twenty years.
to be used only by the settler for
his own construction work. This
prevents the further exploitation
of lots by lumi,cr men. tends to
encourage the setter, and will lead
to the ultimate development of the
w C