S18,-I have the honor to submit, for your information, the following report of the business transacted by this office for the Departmental year which ended on this date.

The revenue for the year, from all sources, amounted to $3,220.33, being $267.02 over that of the preceding year.

The following statements are annexed hereto :

(4.) Statement showing revenue derived from timber dues.

(B.) Number of sawmills operating under Government license in the District of Saskatchewan.

office.

(C) General office returns and other information respecting the work of this

I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

R. S. COOK,

Acting Crown Timber Agent.

SCHEDULE A.

STATEMENT of Receipts on account of Crown Timber, for the Twelve Months ending the 31st October, 1888.

Add $213.72 amount collected prior to 1st November, 1887, and received at Head
Office subsequent to that date

Deduct $15.03 amount collected prior to 31st October, 1888, but not received at Head
Office until after that date...... ........................................ ...........................................................................................................................
Grand Total

213 72

3,431 05

15 03

3,419 02

NOTE-Dues collected at Battleford shown thus *

R. S. COOK,

·Acting Crown Timber Agent,

CROWN TIMBER OFFICE,

PRINCE ALBERT, 31st October, 1888.

SCHEDULE B

SCHEDULE C.

GENERAL Office Return for the Twelve Months ending 31st October, 1888.

SIR, I have the honor to submit my annual statement of timber matters in the Province of British Columbia, for the year ending this date, to which the following statements are attached, viz :

A.-Statement showing the amount of revenue from all sources.

B.-Statement of sawmills operating under Government license, together with the quantities of material manufactured and sold by each lessee respectively.

During the past year there have been many enquiries by Eastern Canadian and American lumbermen, with the view of establishing extensive mills in the Province at an early day. The Douglas pine and cedar of the Province are recognized by competent judges to be, in many respects, superior to any wood found in the east, while the trees contain from 5 M. to 25 M. feet B.M., something almost incredible to eastern men, and defective trees are the exception.

Another advantage lumbermen have here is that they have the whole civilized world as a market, these superior woods finding ready access by water to the markets of China, Japan, Australia and the South American Provinces; while the demand, in consequence of the completion of our great National and Imperial highway, is steadily increasing for our finer grades in the Canadian North-West Territories and Western and Eastern Canada, as well as the Western States.

Considering therefore that the lumber supply is almost exhausted in the east, and we on the Pacific coast possess the pine and cedar forests of America, the trade must, in the near future, assume enormous proportions.

I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

T. S. HIGGINSON,

Crown Timber Agent for Dominion Lands in British Columbia.