PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA ANNUAL REPORT OF THE LANDS AND SURVEY BRANCHES OF THE DEPAKTMENT OF LANDS FOR THE YEAE ENDED DEOEMBEE 31ST, 1925 HON T. D. PATTULLO, MINISTEK OF LANDS PRINTED BY AUTHORITY OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY. VICTORIA, B.C.: Printed by CHABLES F. BANFIELD, Printer to tbe King's Most Excellent Majesty. 1926. VICTORIA, B.C., September 22nd, 1926. To His Honour ROBERT RANDOLPH BRUCE, Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia. MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONOUR: Herewith I beg respectfully to submit the Annual Report of the Lands and Survey Branches of the Department of Lands for the year ended December 31st, 1925. T. D. PATTULLO, Minister of Lands. VICTORIA, B.C., September 22nd, 1926. The Honourable T. D. Pattullo, Minister of Lands, Victoria, B.C. SIR.—I have the honour to submit the Annual Report of the Lands and Survey Branches of the Department of Lands for the twelve months ended December 31st, 1925. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, G. R. NADEN, Deputy Minister of Lands. PART I. DEPARTMENT OE LANDS. TABLE OF CONTENTS. REPORT OF LANDS BRANCH. PAGE. Report of Superintendent of Lands 7 Pre-emption Records, etc 9 Pre-emption Inspections 10 Land-sales 11 Coal Licences, Leases, etc 11 Crown Grants issued 11 Revenue 12 Letters Inward and Outward 13 Summary, 1925 14 REPORT OF SURVEY BRANCH. PAGE. General Review of Survey-work 17 Details of Field-work 18 Office-work— Survey Division 21 Geographic Division 22 Table A.—Showing Acreages of each Class of Surveys gazetted since 1920 25 Table B.—Summary of Office-work 25 Table C.—Departmental Reference Maps : 27 Table D— List of Lithographed Maps 28 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS. G. R. Naden, Esq., VICTORIA, B.C., October 26th, 1926. Deputy Minister of Lands, Victoria, B.C. SIR,—I have the honour to submit the report of the Lands Branch of the Department of Lands for the year ended December 31st, 1925. The accompanying statistics indicate that no marked variation has taken place in the past few years in the land transactions under the administration of this Branch, although a steady progress is apparent. A slight falling-off appears in the number of pre-emption records and certificates of purchase issued, but in nearly all other respects increases are shown—namely, in certificates of improve­ ment, Crown grants, coal-prospecting licences and leases, and sundry leases, also in the revenue and correspondence. Sundry leases include those issued for various industrial purposes, such as cannery, fishing- stations, fish products, booming, mill-site, fur-farming, grazing, hay-cutting, home-sites, etc. Although the number of Crown grants issued is greater as compared with the preceding year, the area conveyed is much less, chiefly accounted for by the grant in 1924 of 100,000 acres to the Dominion Department of Militia and Defence. According to the pre-emption records issued, the most settlement is taking place in the country tributary to the Pacific Great Eastern Railway throughout the Lillooet and Cariboo Districts, and also contiguous to the Canadian National Railway lines, including the valley of the South Fork of the Fraser River, the North Thompson River Valley, vicinity of Prince George, Neehako Valley, Francois Lake, and the Bulkley Valley, also along the Coast and adjacent islands, including the Queen Charlotte Islands. Auction sales were held of lots in the townsites of Kimberley, Marysville, Blue River, and Trail; also of subdivisions in the vicinity of Powell River, 312 lots being sold, realizing $21,240.75. Disposal was made of 520 parcels of property offered at previous auction sales, but which were not purchased, and thus became available for private sale. The sum of $115,850 was realized from these sales. Following is a summary of the private and auction sales referred to:— SUMMARY or SALES IN 1925. Parcels., Value. Atlin 67 $ 4,040 00 Blue River 3 575 00 Kimberley 4 100 00 Kitchener 0 440 00 Marysville 171 1,870 00 Port Clements 2 50 OO Point Grey 125 94,505 00 Powell River 55 4,855 00 Quesnel 7 990 00 Sandon 6 60 00 Stewart 41 2,140 00 Trail 4 325 00 Tulameen 16 900 00 Vancouver 13 5,000 00 Totals 520 $115,850 00 AUCTION SALES. pal.ce,s Value_ Kimberley 15 $ 4,395 00 Marysville 162 2,320 00 Powell River 102 12,350 75 Trail 17 1,525 00 Blue River 6 650 00 Totals 302 $ 21,240 75 Total town lots sold in 1925, S22, for a total value of $137,090.75. A number of properties, both town lots and acreage, which 'have reverted to the Crown under the " Taxation Act" were also sold. The demand for this class of property is1 still active. In respect to the Southern Okanagan Irrigation Project, thirty-six lots containing 370 acres valued at $56,372.75 within this area were sold, and twenty-six lots containing 483.33 acres, consisting mostly of bottom lands, were leased at a nominal rental conditional on development, with an option of purchase at the end of three years, the price of same being $34,234. In the University endowment lands area at Point Grey eighteen parcels were sold and sixteen leases issued. I have, etc., H. CATHCART, Superintendent of Lands. 16 GEO. 5 LANDS BRANCH. T 9 PRE-EMPTION RECORDS, ETC., 1925. Pre-emption Certificates Certificates Agency. Records of of Improve­ allowed. Purchase. ments. 5 10 Atlin . 39 90 95 27 12 46 3 5 0 76 36 51 88 71 22 1 5 2 34 53 13 6 8 3 4 3 107 3 1 4 1 11 31 10 15 1 8 35 97 8 57 53 35 4 33 23 28 1 60 280 21 24. 30 3 7 378 4 Totals 559 1,379 245 REPORT OF THE MINISTER OP LANDS. 192c 00 r-i' GO 01 CO LO © Cl IO GO LO © O © CO rH IO t- Tfl tt CJ d L- H r-i CN CO CO GO Tfl tN O- CO iH rH CO rH io io ; io : co 0 T-t : io rfl ; f-( CN : co EH O o is h-i a tf O •^ ; co co ; -^ oi ,-( t~ o. ir-i ; CO liooo iw linos O H tf Q rr m rt? o O Or m rH ri t- I CO Ol o t- M H H tf is. H tf tf M .s a V __ tfl B 5© « -5 oj •S " o *J 0) a - -= S • ?rt4-SSa--SSl>5S«g'35»S2 16 GEO. 5 LANDS BRANCH. T 11 Li_.ND-SALES, 1925. Acres. Surveyed (first class) 497.0 Surveyed (second class) 4,899.8 5,396.5 Uusurveyed 1,315.5 6,712.3 COAL LICENCES, LEASES, ETC., 1925. COAL-PROSPECTING LICENCES. Number of licences issued, 102; area, 65,280 acres. Number of leases issued, 5; area, 2,558 acres. SUNDRY LEASES. Number of leases issued, 121; area, 15,409 acres. CROWN GRANTS ISSUED, 1925. Pre-emptions 267 " Pre-emptors' Free Grants Act, 1916 " 4 Purchase 93 Mineral 271 " Soldiers' Homestead Act " Town lots 233 Reverted lands (other than town lots) 70 Reverted mineral 74 " Townsite Proportionate Allotment Act " "Dyking Assessments Act" " Public Schools Act " 3 Soldier Settlement Board 3 Land Settlement Board 12 Reverted town lots 143 Miscellaneous _ 19 Total 1,192 Applications for Crown grants 1,193 Certified copies 25 TOTAL ACREAGE DEEDED. Pre-emptions 39,623.16 Mineral claims (other than reverted) 10,773.96 Reverted mineral claims 3,380.74 Purchase of surveyed Crown land (other than town lots) 6,165.99 Purchase of reverted land 4,397.863 Purchase of unsurveyed Crown land 580.00 Lands conveyed to Soldier Settlement Board 267.60 Lands Crown-granted to Land Settlement Board 3,501.20 Miscellaneous 12,409.64 Total 81,100.153 T 12 REPORT OF THE MINISTER OP LANDS. 192£ STATEMENT OF REVENUE, YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31ST, 1925. LAND-SALES. Victoria. Agencies. Total. $ 36,647 33 $ 36,647 33 10,322 25 $ 97,091 39 107,413 64 4,476 82 45,869 73 50,346 55 1 58 11,315 16 11,316 74 3,220 51 3,220 51 3,288 01 3,288 01 Totals.. $ 51,447 98 $160,784 80 $212,232 78 REVENUE UNDEK " LAJSD ACT." Victoria. Agencies. Total. Sundry lease rentals 54,193 90 $ 54,193 90 Grazing rentals 5,680 79 5,680 79 Survey fees 1,332 55 $ 3,187 80 4,520 35 Sundry fees 16,154 25 2,147 0O 18,301 25 Royalty 243 56 243 56 Rent of property 1,362 00 1,362 00 Totals $ 77,605 05 $ 6,696 80 $ 84,301 85 REVENUE UNDER " COAL AND PETKOLEUM ACT." Victoria. Agencies. Total. $ 9,700 00 $ 9,700 00 20,157 88 20,157 88 6,088 75 6,088 75 200 00 200 00 Totals $ 36,146 63 $ 36,146 63 SUNDRY RECEIPTS. Victoria. Agencies. Total. $ 5,073 46 $ 5,073 46 25 17 25 17 1,273 90 1,273 90 Totals $ 6,372 53 $ 6,372 53 SUMMARY OF REVENUE. Victoria. Agencies. Total. Land-sales $ 51,447 98 $160,784 80 $212,232 78 Land revenue 77,605 05 6,696 80 84,301 85 " Coal and Petroleum Act " 36,146 63 36,146 63 Sundry receipts 6,372 53 6,372 53 Totals $171,572 19 $167,481 60 $339,053 79 16 GEO. 5 LANDS BRANCH. T 13 SUMMARY OF CASH RECEIVED. Revenue ?339,053~ 79 " Soldiers' Land Act "— South Okanagan Project 12,022 01 Houses, South Vancouver 1,695 88 " Better Housing Act"— Principal 58,100 00 Interest - 64,903 32 Refunds to votes and advances 105,740 53 University Hill lands 10,644 69 Exchange 6 10 Total $592,166 32 STATEMENT OP LETTERS INWARD AND OUTWARD, 1925.