WASTE LAND BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 3573, 5 August 1874, Page 2

WASTE LAND BOARD.

The usual weekly meeting of the Waste Land Board was held to-day ; present— Messrs J. T. Thomson (in the chair), Bastings, Butterworth, Clark, and Strode. Messrs Gillies and htreet, for W, Osborne, applied for a re-heaiing of his application to purchase 600 acres, block 5, Tuapeka West. i.ne Board decided that they had no power to grant the re-hearing. The Government should be asked when the hundred will be proclaimed, as there is a demand for land in the district.

Mr Michael Heeuan’s application for a pastoral lease of section 40, block 1, Maungatua district, for twenty, one years, and offering LIO per annum, was refused. Messrs Cargill, Gibbs, and Co., for Mr C. Orbell, applied to purchas; ninety-two acres on ran 76. The land to be sold under clause 150 Waste Lauds Act, 1872. Mr Thos, Calcutta application to purchase section 43, block 11, Moeraki (a reserve), was referred to the Government for the report of the Road Cngiueer. A letter from raceholders in the Waitahuna district, requesting that such land on th Goldfields as could be worked from their races should be withdrawn from sale, was read and referred, with the applications, to the District Land Officer.

The application of J, E. Pope to purchase flection 45, block 19, Tuapeka East, held under residence area certificate, together with a petition in big favor, was referred to the District Land Officer for Lis advice on the bona Jides of the petition. i he application of Messrs Mouat and Audereon, for Duncau Al/Rae, to purchase section 10, block 5, Tuapeka East, under clause 73, was approved of. The report oi Ranger Hughan on the application of Richard Lancaster for a license of 200 acres for the Green Bush, M‘Gann’s Beach, Clutha River, and for an acre of land as a dep6t was submitted, with a recommen-

dation that the application bo granted. Tho matter was referred back to Banger 3 ugh an, the bsuh being said to be twenty acres only, and the applicant now wanting 200. A personal visit would ba necessary as woods, railways, &c., are involved in the rights asked for. Mr Neil (of the Chamber of Commerce, and lessee of the laud), who was present, said that he required the whole bush for station purposes. Mr Hayes objected on behalf of Beaumont bridge. The report of 11 auger ilugban on the application of Walter Miller for a license to occupy section 15, block 10, Hiliend, under clause 169, and recommending the grant, was received, and the whole matter referred to tho Chief Commission r to adjust. The report of Hanger lluglun on the propriety of selling sections 19 and 2d, block 3, Waihola, recommending the Kile in five and ten acre sections was approved of, and the land referred to tho Government for survey. Several applications to purchase land on goldfields, with the re ort of the District Land Officer on each wore received, and in deferring their decisions, the Board wished to state to the District Land Officer, that they desire to sell properties, not exceeding 400 acres, to applicants, thus he may take in application to th it extent; and if not auriferous, or any special objections made, the Board will grant the applications. This does not refer to blocks reserved l-.y the Provincial Council.

The following applications to exchange leases, were approved of : -D. M‘Alpine 145, 146, 147, 148. block 2, Tuapeka Last ; W. sheath, 56, 57, 63. 52, 53, 56, 58. 59. 60, 61, 65. 6d, 67, 62, 68, and 64, block 1., ditto.

The following applications to purchase agricultural leases were made W. Turton, se tion 17, block 21, Shofover—approved. M'Laren, Grey, and Co., section 3, block 4, Leaning Rock-approved, with reservations for miners.

The application of Thomas Wilson to purchase sections 152, •?, 31, of block 4, ' earning Rock, with runholder’a consent] were approved of, with reservations for tail’ races.

A report made by the Forest Ranger, Queenstown (Ranger on the petition presented to the Provincial Coun .il against the Timber Regulations as being unsuitable for the Wakatip district, was read, and it was minuted that Mr Inues be thanked for his very intelligent report, and a wish was expressed that it be published. The following is the document referred to :

** reference to the enclosed petition, re lative to the Wakatipu forests and the timber regulations at present in force, t Lave the honor to report that the situations of the native forests, and the quality of the timber of which they cons'st are so variable, that general regulations will give some a higher privilege than others. The red birch, of which the forests of this district principally consist, is subject to rot in the centre of the tree, which renders the proportion of s -and timber in a birch forest less than that in a pine. But, at the same time, if timber is of any value, and if the forests are worth preserving, I cannot see that the regulations can be a ha; dship as complained of, or that tho present license fets can raise the price of timber in this district, ‘to the hardship and privation ’ of the inhabitants, as stated in the petition. “ I have measured the cubical contents of the growing timber on an acre in Lang Forest, Wakatipu ; have noted the quantity of sound timber, and find that the r. suits obtained are widely different from the percentage mentioned in the petition, I have chosen an acre containing a moderate quantity of timber to show the extent of the hardships complained of, and the rise, if any, that should take plnce in the price of timber. The timber on the acre referred to measured 14.905 cubic f et, and of this number 2 057 are sound. The petition stages * that thc average of sawwortby logs does not exceed four to tho acre.’ I found fourteen trees sound and suitable for sawing and four of the average s zj of these trees measured 584 cubic feet, or 7,008 superficial feet. Thus, then, at their own statement of four logs to the acre, and at the present license fee, sawn timber only costs per 100 su perficial feet, besides being allowed to use the remainder of the timber in the acre, or 14,321 cubic feet, free of charge. The whole of the sound timber, however, measured 2,057 cubic feet, or 24,684 superficial feet, which, at the present license fee, cost |d per 100 superficial feet. Again, 86 cubic feet (or 67 cubic feet by the rule generally used in timber measuring) when split and stacked, will measure 128 cubic feet ; then 14,905 cubic feet, when split and stacked, will measure 22.184 cubic feet, equal to 173 cords of firewood, which, at the present license fee, cost 3£d per cord! Supposing then that timber had been obtained free of any license fee, previous to the coming into operation of the present regulations, all the rise that should take place in the price of that material would be 3Jd for firewood, and fd per 100 superficial feet for sawn timber ; or, at the calculation stated in tbe petition of four logs the acre, would ciuse a rise of 3Jd per 100 superficial feet. Although LlO pra rc were charged for an average heavy bush, it would only bo a trifle on the whole price of timber to the public. It is evident, then, that the regulations cannot be a hardship j and instead of increasing the areas, as’ requested, they ought to be diminished, especially in pine forests or heavily timbered laud, and all young timber under 12 inches m diameter should be preserved. To allow the use of all the timber growing on* the large areas granted to saw-millers will create a great waste, both of young and matured timber. The preservation of young timber is of vital importance; but its destruction cannot be effectually cont oiled, nor the felling of timber properly regulated,’ until all licenses are cancelled, the public excluded from the forests, and the matured timber marked before being exposed for sale.

“ The regulations are more unfavorable to the bushmen at the Hawea than they are to the residents of this district. About 500 acres extending along tbe frontage of that forest, and including the most valuable tinber, have been destroyed by fire ; consequently the bushmen have to remove their timber from a long distance back, and at considerable expense and difficulty. This timber, unfortunately, cannot be used lor any other purpose than firewood ; and unless it be cut and removed, it will become entirely useless. If provision were made for wood-cutters to work in bush of this description, or in that which has been very much destroyed, a large quantity of timber that will otherwise rot could be utilised for firewood, both in this district and at the H awea.

“Although the native forests may be locked upon as scarcely worth preserving, yet the beneficial effect which they have on the climate of the country, as well as the value of the timber of which they consist cannot be overlooked. The only basis th<*i on which the value of the for. sta can be estimated is the amount it would cost to replace them if destroyed; and the present license fee does not exceed one-tenth of this amount. Licensees had such liberty under the old license system, and were allowed to use timber in such a reckless and extravagant manner, that they look at the preseut fees as a tax, and the regulations ai a hardship, simply because they are not allowed to have access to a whole forest, and fell timber indiscriminately. Timber has been used ux this country as if trees sprung up like mushrooms. It is extraordinary to [see the destruction of forests iu

various parts of the Province, especially along the coast in the early settled districts, when the small population and the quantity of timber imp rted from other countries are taken into consideration. If this destruction is to be arrested, it cannot bo done without imposing some rules, and although the present regulations are considered to be a hard- , P» yet the licensees are only charged LI for t mber that would cost LlO to replace with young forest trees, and half a century to mature. *