Nelson with $5,000,000 capital and in which Sir George Doughty was largely interested, acquired control of the Cascade and Nelson the Yale and Columbia, the Drummond and the Munday Companies with a combined capacity of 150,000,000 feet. The area of timber limits upon which they were to operate was 240 square miles, and the estimated standing timber was 3,500,000 feet. On Dec. 14 M. J. Scanlan of Minneapolis told the Victoria Colonist that during the past year his Timber Holdings Co. had bought 2,000,000,000 feet of British Columbia timber and that its total property in the Province was about 5,000,000,000 feet, or an investment of about $2,500,000; on Vancouver Island an American concern acquired 50,000 acres of timber lands at Cowichan Lake and were to erect a $750,000 plant.

The product of the illimitable Fisheries of British Columbia for the Federal year ending Mch. 31, was $10,314,755 or an increase over 1908-9 of $3,849,717. According to the Provincial Canners' Association the total Salmon pack of the 1910 season was 762,201 cases. In this connection J. P. Babcock, the Deputy Fisheries Commissioner, of the Province, had reported to his Department in March that the American fishermen did not observe their own laws in their own waters contiguous to the British Columbia fisheries and that "it is evident to all concerned that under existing conditions the sockeye salmon fisheries of the Fraser River cannot be maintained by protecting them in Canadian waters only, and that the industry will be destroyed unless the fish are given the same protection as in ours." This official resigned a little later to accept a State appointment in California. In July it was announced that in an effort to win from the Americans an industry which they practically monopolized in the waters of British Columbia the Pacific Whaling Company had decided to embark in halibut fishing. The operations were to be carried out on a large scale and in a thoroughly up-to-date manner. Later in the year this concern was acquired by Mackenzie and Mann interests and re-organized.

Meanwhile, Sir George Doughty of Grimsby-a representative of British fishing interests-made a close inquiry into Coast conditions. To the press on Sept. 4 he said: "The same classes of fish which have made the fishery industry in England so potential are to be found in much greater abundance on this Coast. fishery question is one which the Legislature of the Province The should turn its attention to. Colonies of white-fishermen should be established who would not only carry on the industry but obtain control of it." As a result of this visit a Company was organized in Montreal-the Canadian Fisheries and Cold Storage Co. with $1,000,000 capital-which acquired lands, water-frontage, &c., near Prince Rupert and founded a fishing settlement which was named Port Grimsby.

This Province is not supposed to be an agricultural region but continuous efforts in recent years have been made to indicate and exploit its scattered, but undoubted riches in this respect. No Railway inspection of the country will, however, prove the claim. In the Shuswap and Okanagan Valleys, for instance, for every acre of arable land within sight of the railway or lake, there are thousands hidden away behind the beautiful grass-covered hills which border the highway of travel, and the same may be said of Kootenay, Columbia, Boundary, Arrow Lake, Similkameen and other Districts. The agricultural capabilities of many sections in British Columbia are, as a matter of fact, only beginning to be realized. The Peace River Valley, within British Columbia, has been authoritatively credited with 10,000,000 acres of agricultural land. Fertile lands in various valleys are stated at 6 or 7 million acres. Wheat is grown principally in the Fraser Valley, Okanagan, Spallumcheen, and in the country around Kamloops in the Thompson River Valley, and is manufactured by local mills at Enderby, Armstrong and Vernon. The Provincial Minister of Agriculture estimated that the total value of Provincial Live-stock in 1910 was $2,571,865; that of Dairy production $3,645,405; that of Fruit and Vegetables $1,939,100; that of Hay and Grain $5,347,630; with sundry items which made a total of $14,399,090.

Federal statistics described the average value of occupied farm lands in British Columbia in 1910 as double that of any other Province but Ontario-$73.44 per acre. The average wages of farm help were $428.33 per annum and of female help $265.00. The Convention of the Provincial Farmers' Institute was opened at Victoria on Feb. 1 with W. E. Scott, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, in the chair. He stated that in 1909 $10,000,000 worth of sheep, poultry, horses, etc., had been imported-all of which should have been raised in British Columbia. The organization had 4,000 members, or an increase of 750 in the year. Resolutions were passed (1) approving the National Apple Show project; (2) asking the Provincial Government to establish demonstration farms in each agricultural district; (3) declaring that the holding of Crown Lands for speculative purposes should not be permitted. Every effort was made during 1910 to develop fruit farming and the rich valleys of the Mainland in that respect. The Government had $10,000 voted for demonstration orchards; the Vancouver Island Development League made strong efforts to promote immigration which might aid in this line of production; splendid Government and League publications were issued and widely distributed describing conditions and possibilities; the Kootenay Boards of Trade Association at Nelson and that of the Okanagan at Vernon shipped car-loads of apples to London as a beginning; Mr. Price Ellison, Minister of Agriculture, visited the chief

Fruit and Agricultural Shows of Britain in the autumn; previous year Exhibits resulted in the Province winning gold medals for fruit at London, Southampton, Gravesend, Manchester, Hawick, Chester, etc., with many silver medals won elsewhere.

The B. C. Fruit Growers Association met at Kamloops on Apl. 15 and was re-organized and strengthened with R. M. Palmer of Kamloops as President and with a close connection with the Provincial Department of Agriculture-illustrated by the election of the Minister and chief officials to its Executive. A Resolution was passed asking the Dominion Government for higher duties on United States fruit. Strong efforts were made to encourage the supply of fruit to the Prairie Provinces and J. C. Metcalfe, the Government official in charge, reported in June that Alberta and Saskatchewan would take the whole season's crop. This was the first year that British Columbia exported any large amount of fruit and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture estimated a shipment of at least 1,200 car-loads, or over a million pounds. As to this, W. B. Lanigan of the C. P. R. said to the press on Aug. 8: The Prairie has an unlimited appetite for British Columbia fruit. To assist the fruit industry in developing is one of the steady aims of the C. P. R. and the Kootenay should make every endeavour to make the most of this industry, the future possibilities of which seem almost infinite." On Oct. 31 the first Canadian National Apple Show was opened at Vancouver with an excellent display of Provincial products, with Sir Thomas Shaughnessy as President, J. N. Ellis of Vancouver as Vice-President and Chairman of Executive, and Maxwell Smith, Manager. It was stated at this time in the press that 100,000 acres of irrigated or planted fruit-lands were being developed in the Okanagan Valley.

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Railway development was one of the great features of the year and at its close the Canadian Northern Pacific line was building from the Rocky Mountains to Vancouver, and from Victoria to Barkley Sound; the Canadian Pacific was making various extensions to their lines in the Province; and Mr. Hill's project, the Great Northern, was crossing the Hope Mountains by way of the Coquhala. The Kettle Valley Railway had secured a franchise which authorized them to build from Ruby Creek into the Nicola country and they proposed to connect with the Canadian Pacific into the Kootenay. On Vancouver Island there was great rivalry between the C. P. R. with its E. & N. branch Railway in active operation and a branch line to Alberni under way and the C. N. R. with its projected Line to Barkley Sound and its acquisition of the Dunsmuir Coal properties. As to construction there were many rumours during the year but nothing was definitely announced until Mr. Mackenzie's visit to the Coast in September and October when he stated that surveys were then in satisfactory shape and that progress would soon be made.

On Oct. 23rd an official statement of the Island route of the C. N. R. was issued with a promise to rush construction, and the statement that 153 miles would be built instead of the 100 miles provided for under the Government guarantee. Several minor Railway projects were chartered at the 1910 Session and one of them, the Island Valley Railway Co., started operations in March on Graham Island. At this time it was stated that the C. P. R. Crow's Nest Line would be completed to Vancouver-a move said in the press to have been hastened by the activity of J. J. Hill who had been building spurs into Southern British Columbia at such a rate that failing action by the C. P. R. he would soon enjoy a monopoly of Vancouver and the Kootenays via the rich Similkameen and Okanagan districts.

On Sept. 7 the Government received a deputation from Victoria and Saanich which protested in bitter terms against the service given by the Victoria and Sydney Railway-a Hill concern; at Chilliwack on Oct. 3rd the Premier drove the last spike of the B. C. Electric Railway connecting Vancouver and New Westminster with Chilliwack and tapping the Southern portions of the rich Fraser Valley; on Dec. 19 Mr. J. J. Hill of the Great Northern was in Vancouver and promised that work would be started immediately on the filling in at the head of False Creek, to be followed by the erection of a million dollar Union Station, and that construction on the V. V. & E. branch of the Great Northern would be rushed with all possible dispatch from both ends.

As to miscellaneous lines of development the Bank clearings of the Provincial cities in the first 6 months of 1910 were $100, 000,000 greater than in the same period of 1909; in the latter year 5,000 sea-going vessels sailed from British Columbia ports, with 20,000 vessels in the coasting trade and a total tonnage of 9,000,000; the E. & N. Company of Vancouver Island did much clearing of land during the year for purposes of settlement; it was stated in June that people in the Province owned 1,000 antomobiles as against 24 in 1904; in welcoming to Graham Island the first steamship of the Grand Trunk Pacific fleet an address was presented to the Captain descriptive of riches in the Queen Charlotte Islands: "In our waters are 27 varieties of fish which will be caught and sent out from cold storage plants. Fruits and flowers grow in abundance. Our coal lands are just being exploited. Iron and gold deposits are found in our beach sands and platinum in paying quantities has been discovered. Quartz and placer gold mines are being opened up. Cattle roam at will the whole year round. Farm lands await the plough. Timber for export and local use we have in abundance."

In August it was announced that Norton Griffiths, M.P., Lord Dunmore and others, visiting the Province, had acquired large interests-12,000 acres of fruit lands in the Okanagan being

mentioned. These capitalists toward the close of the year were announced to be behind the Griffiths Steel Construction Co. at Vancouver with a Dominion charter for the erection of steel buildings. T. F. Henshaw, a United States hydrographer, told the press on Oct. 29 that electrical energy worth $250,000,000 a year was locked up in the Province and that over 8,000,000 horse-power could be generated if required. Ottawa estimates in this connection were 2,065,000 horse-power with 73,000 horsepower actually developed. On Dec. 31 Mr. Premier McBride told the press that "Railway construction alone in the ensuing four years should provide for a distribution of over $50,000,000 in the Province, while in the matter of reproductive public works the Government contemplates an investment, at the very least, of five millions each year or $20,000,000 in the whole of the period in question. Then it is a safe and conservative estimate that in the systematic exploitation of our timber areas, coal fields and fisheries at least $30,000,000 will be invested."

Government,
Politics,
and the
Legislature

Several changes took place in the McBride Gov ernment during the year. Mr. F. L. Carter-Cotton, who had recently sold his newspaper-the Vancouver Advertizer-and was devoting himself to important financial interests, resigned on Oct. 10 his position as President of the Executive Council, though retaining his seat in the Legislature and his place as a supporter of the Government. Mr. Price Ellison resigned the office of Chief Commissioner of Lands and Hon. W. J. Bowser, K.C., that of Minister of Finance and Agriculture which positions they had been holding temporarily. The Ministry, after the succeeding re-organization, was as follows:

Premier and Minister of Mines.
Attorney-General

Minister of Finance and Agriculture.

Provincial Secretary and Minister of Education.

Chief Commissioner of Works.

Chief Commissioner of Lands.

President of the Executive Council.

Hon. Richard McBride.

Hon. William John Bowser, K.C.
Hon. Price Ellison.

Hon. Henry Esson Young, LL.D.
Hon. Thomas Taylor.

Hon. William Roderick Ross, K.C.
Hon. Albert Edward McPhillips, K.C.

Mr. Ross had been member for Fernie since 1903 and was personally very popular, though the Socialist strength in his constituency had kept his majority a small one; Mr. McPhillips was a popular barrister and politician of Victoria; Mr. Ellison was a pioneer of the Okanagan, his name a household word in the Valley, and his promotion generally approved. Mr. Ross was opposed in his re-election by a Socialist, J. W. Bennett, but was successful on Oct. 22nd by a majority of over 200. Mr. McBride who, on Nov. 8, resigned the seat for Yale which he had held since the Elections of 1909-as well as his Victoria seat-was succeeded by Alex. Lucas of Agassiz without opposition. Meanwhile, and before the Legislature met, various Deputations had waited upon. the Government.

On Jan. 10 a Delegation from the Boards of