Saw Mills Act (Chapter 344)

CHAPTER 344 An Act to Amend and Consolidate the Law Respecting the Operation of Saw Mills 1. Thi s Act may be cited as Th e Saw Mills Act. 2. In this Act (a) "Crown lands" means land th e timber on w hic h belolIgs to the Crown; (b ) "licence" means a licence to operat e a mill issued or renewed under this Act; (c) "licensee" means the person to who m a liCl:Il" (' L,IS been issued ; ( d) "mill" means a saw-mill; ( e ) "Mini ster" means the M inister of ~J i i .1.'.' . Agriculture and Resources, (f) "regulations" means regulations made und er th is Act; (g) "timber" means round logs. 3. A person shall not operate a mill in Newfoundland unless he is the hold er of a licence. 4.-( 1) A person who wishes to have a licence issued or ren ewed shall apply to the Minister for the licence and pay the fee prescribed by the regulat ions. (2) An application und er subs ection (1 ) for the issue or re newal of a licence shall be in such fonn as the Minister pr e IS- 3 4697 Sh ott t itle , Mill no t to he operated with out lice nce. Appl icat ion for licen ce. Forni of a pplica t ion and fee . 4698 Chapter .3H SAW Mur.s Act' ;\1;\;;.11'" may iSSllt~ l:':Tnce. Con u-n rs of I iu.'lIce and rjgh 13 un.!cr it. V;,(ld;ly 01 ji("clln'. LiU'llCt' gives lilflit('d righls Millisln may i cl u.«, l i. cur c. Canccllatiou 01 licence. Prrm it to neet mill huild ings. Removal of III ill. de. \\ IH:lt' l ircucc l"xpiu.'s or is c·all«·llcd, scribes and shnll be accompanied by such fees, if any, as may 1)(' prescribed by the regulations. (:3) \\'Lt n thc !\1i,ci:·.l;'r receives an application for the issue or J'('lll:\I'ai of a 1:.. ,,\1(·c :;dti':g forth the infoJTnati(J~ required of the applicant ll:mi.'d tj,'n.in togdhcr with the fee, if any, pre scribed by the regulations lie may, subject to this Act, issue a licellce to the applicant or renew the applicant's licence. (-1) A licence shall specify (a) the mill in respect of which it is issued, and (h) the name of the persall to whom it is issued, and entitles the licensee to operate the mill specified therein. (,)) A lirx-nce is valid until and expires 011 the thirty-hrst day of U(:cemher of the year in which it is issued or u'ncw\'t! s. A licence does not convey to the Lce,.,',c" any right ot her than the right to operate a mill, 6. The Minister may refuse to issue or renew a licence in respect of a mill in any locality if in his opinion it is not in the public interest to have a mill in operation in that locality. 7. The Minister may cune-I a licence if he is of the opinion that the operation of the mill ill respect of which the licence was issued is contrary to the public interest or if the licensee violates Or fails to comply with any of the provisions of this Act or the regulations. 8. Whcro a licensee wishes to operate a mill on Crown land he shall before operating thereon get a permit from the Crown Lands Division of the Department of Mines, Agriculture and Hesourccs to erect Oil the land such mill buildinvs as rna v be ,.) . neccssary for the operation of the mill. 9.· .. (1) When a licence expires or is cancelled under this Act and the mill in respect of which the licence was issued is on Crown land the licensee shall within six months aftci' the (l::t(' of the expiration or cancellation of the licence remove the mill and all buildings or machinery forming part thereof from the land SAW MILLS Acr Chapt(T 344 4699 and if he docs not do so within that time the mill and those build ings and machinery becomes the property of the Crown. (2) The Minister may in such manner and for such con sideration, if any, as he deems fit dispose of any mill, building or machinery which becomes thl' property of the Crown uuder subsection (1). (3) No compensation shall be paid to a licensee or to any person claiming under him or on his behalf in respect of a mill, buildings or machinery which becomes the property of till: Crown under SlI bsection (1), and 110 action lies all behalf of that person against any other person into whose hands the mill, building or machinery comes under subsection O~) in respect of compensation or payment therefor. 10. Every licensee shall (a) on or before the thirty-first day of M~HCh in e.icl. year furnish to the Minister in such form as the tv!inistcr prescribes an annual return sworn to by the licensee or his agent or an employee who has knowledge of the facts contained in the return showing the quantity of timber and all products of timber sawed (luring the preceding calendar year in the mill in respect of which the licensee held a licence; (b) keep such books and records, if any, as the Minister requires in which the licensee shall enter a record of t!j(' quantity of timber cut or sawed or purchased for the mill in respect of which the licensee held a licence and the disposition of the tim her and the licensee, his ngent or employee having the custody of those hooks and records shall produce them for inspection whenever required to do so by an officer appointed by the Min ister for the purpose; and ((') exercise strict and constant supervision over his npcLl tions and take all possible steps to detect awl preve-nt the ori~in and spread of fire in the area in '.vhid, his operations are eonducted. 1\1 iniste r may t 1isuose of III iii. ere. ;'\0 compensa· t ion for loss of 1Il ill, etc. J.iccp<,;('C' to lil;,ke annual rct u rns, kecp 1ccords. supervise ,,!"'T;tt;ons and IHc\'cnl Iir-:s. 4700 Chapter 3-14 SAW MILl." Acr 1.;('11 or charge 0" Ill; 11 and t iu rlu -r. fk ·:tnl JII l"~ I S " [ e . J.ir t-nsce 10 lake pre C JII.i tl l tS :ll{a iu' l fire . ){ t" ' ~ t l lar ionv, I I. Without prejudice to any lawful menus of recovering th e same, all monies owing to the Minist er in respect of a mill arc a lien or ch arge upon th e mill and th e lu mber or any products th erein in favour of the Crown in prority to any other mortgag e or charge, 12. The quant it y of th e product of a mill in respect of which a liccn ('c is issued sbu11 h e d ct c-nu iuc-d hy hoard m easu re ami hO:lrd measure is th e measure of lumber in superficial square fee! on th e basis of hoard one in ch thi ck a nd in ('stilllating board measure each of th e fo llowing eq ua ls one thousand feet hoard measure: J0,000 shingles 7,000 laths 6,000 half drum staves 1,500 drum staves 4,500 fish tub sta ves 2,000 herring barrel staves 1,600 ticrce staves 1,400 {is11 cask staves 13. Every licen see sh all (a) provide himself with a copy of The Forest Fires Act and sha ll keep a cop y of th e Act in SO Ill C prominent place in his mill an d ill each camp opera tell in con nection with th e mill ; (b) explain th e provisions of th at Act to every person em ployed by him before permitting him to h cgin work ; and (c) ensure that ev ery person employed by him in or in connection with his mill is [ull y infonucd about th e provisions of that Act and sha ll re ad or cause th at Ar-t to he read 10 him h efore a ny operation pClTllilkd h v th e licence is be~un. 14.-( 1) Suhject to the approval of the Lieutenant-Governor ill Cou nci l, the Minist e r ma y mak e re gulations (a) prohibiting all UJllll'f'l's:;ary wast e of timber ill sawing SAW MILLS ACT or manufacturing timber; Chapter 344 470] (b) regulating the disposal of waste from mills; (c) providing for the grading of any or all products of a mill and establishing standards by which different grades of those products shall be known; (d) appointing inspectors of any and all phases of mill operations; (e) providing forms which may be required under this Act; (f) presrribing the fees to be paid on the issue or renewal of licences; (g) generally for the better carrying out of the provisions of this Act. (2) Regulations may be made to apply to the whole fir to any part of Newfoundland specified in the regulations. (3) Regulations have effect from the date of publication in The Neiojoundland Gazette or such other (late as may he stated in the regulations, and the regulations shall he laid before the Legislature within fifteen days after they are made if the Legis lature is then in session or, if it is not, within fifteen days after the commenucement of the next ensuing session. IS. A person who operates a mill without a licence is, in addition to any fine or penalty provided by this Act, liahl« to pay to the Minister the amount of the fees which he would have been required to pay if a licence had been issued to him in respect of the period of such operation, and the amount may be recovered by civil suit taken in the name of the Minister. 16. A person who saws or causes to be sawed (a) any timber in a mill in respect of which a licence has not been issued; or (b) in any mill any timber obtained from Crown land by any person otherwise than in accordance with The Crown Lands Act and regulations made thereunder, /)1 ,\pl'lication of r('gllbl inns, Puhlicat ion .unl elfective ,btl'. Rrrovr-rv of f('('s. I Offence. /1702 Chapter 344 SAW MILLS Acr is guilt y of an oftencc and linhle on summary conviction to a penally not exceeding twenty dollars for every log sawed, and the penalty lIlay he recovered before a court of summary juris diel ion lIpon the complaint of any person designated for tLe puqlo,;e by the Minister, and any such complaint may be made at any time within six yea'·s from the time that the matter of such complaint arose. 17. Every person who contravenes or fails to comply with this Act or the regulations is guilty of an offence and is in ad dition to any other penalty provided by this Act liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or in default of payment of the fine to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months.