MARLBOROUGH LAND BOARD.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 143, 3 August 1880, Page 3

MARLBOROUGH LAND BOARD.

Tire Board met yesterday morning. Present—the Chief Commissioner, and Messrs Hodson, Robinson, and Paul. , ; , The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. , Leave of abseiice from the present meeting was granted to Mr Dive. A letter was read from Mr Ingles, stating that he took the oath as a Commissioner of this Board before his Honor the Chief Justice on July 2nd last. KAIKOURA. A letter was read from the Chairman of the Kaikoura County Council, requesting that three small portions of land included in In's application fora reserve at Kaikoura for harbor purposes, may be withdrawn from his application. ■ , . , , CHIEF .SURVEYOR'S REPORT. The Chief Surveyor reported that the land included in application No. 4 (Maori Bay), No. 9 (Clova Bay), and No. 10 (Kenepu,ru Sound), have been commenced, and will be completed shortly, and plan showing section 1, block xii, Cloudy Bay, and its position on the Marshland Run, together with the surveyor’s report, thereon, will be laid before the’Board at its next meeting. RANGER’S REPORT. . The following report, on timber land on the East Coast" by Mr j. Rutland, ranger, was laid before the Board’ :- 1; “ The scarcity of timber throughout the whole extent of, the eastern portion of the Marlborough District, giving it certain value to what would otherwise be considered worthless in the sub districts North of the Wairau River. I have deemed it desirable in this report to mention all places where I have ascertained that trees of any description are to be found, distinguishing those localities where the various species of pine form a portion of the bush, as containing marketable timber. To facilitate reference to maps. I have taken the survey districts'separately, >. commencing with the Whernside, North of which the country, traversed by the southern road, is absolutely destitute of timber of even the smallest growth. .;. j b!_ > Whernside Survey District.—The river Ure forms a boundary between the treeless districts of "Cape' 'Campbell, ; Clifford Bay, and what may be called the East Marlborough timber country. Immediately on reaching the stream from the North timbered land comes'in sight/ At the Rings the the scrub comes down to the'rtarrow, flats, that lie between the sea and thecoast range. Throughout tlie ;: whole/district the valleys and gullies are more or less wooded. Inland, round the foot and up the sides of the Sawtooth Ranges, arid on'the banks of the Ure, marketable, timber aud birch is scattered through the 'scrub, all at present inaccessible.

Bui.Bui District. —The Wood bank poitnn of this district is of the same character as the Whernside, the coast yielding only scrub. Heavier timber is found inland in inaccessible situations. South of the Clarence the country is much better timbered. A great portion of the notice reserve along the coast is covered with light bush, the small valleys which run back into Crown land containing marketable timber. The valley Bui Bui is wooded throughout, the marketable, however, being much scattered, and forming hut a small portion of the bush. Ido not think there is anything in this district which will ever pay for the erection of machinery, even if means were found to convey the timber to the market. Mount Fyfl'e District.—Both from its situation and the quality of its timbered land, this is the most important district of the East country. The supply of timber for Kaikoura has to the present, been mainly derived from land round the foot of Mount FyfFe. Most of the marketable timber is now extracted, and hence the Habuka Valley, and its tributary the Bui Bui are beginning to attract attention. These valleys form a fairly timbered district, which can be opened up without great cost. In the portion of the bush through which I passed, white pine predominated, but I am informed that in the valley of the Bui Bui, and on the inner slopes of the coast range, totara is tolerably plentiful, Bound Mount FyfFe all timber land in any way accessible at the present lias passed into private hands, and such timber land as is still held by the Crown is, therefore, secure from tres passers. lam unable to form any estimate of the quantity of timber which the Ciown lands of the district may yield, but I do not think it will be large. Groenbarn District —On the map of this district I have marked the localities which I was informed contained timber and scrub, such as birch of small sizes manuka and the like, but from all I could learn South of the Koliai, there is really nothing worth calling timber, the few small patches that once existed, having been long since cut out for station use.

I have roughly colored on the maps (attached) those places which I think deserve the name of timber land, though even of this the hulk is merely scrub. (Sd.) Jos. Rutland, Ranger.” CORRESPONDENCE, &C. The Governor’s approval of the assessed price of block 1, sec. 1, Gore District, Kene puru, was notified by letter dated 17th July. In reference to the application of Mr E. C. Cox, for his personal residence to be dispensed with in the case of his deferred payment holding; the Board decided not to grant his request. A license under clause 149 of the Land Act in favor of James Davidson, over the Kaikoura Wharf Reserve, was approved for signature. Pastoral leases were approved of for signature, they being renewal—To A. W. and H. A. Ingles, over part of Kincaid Run, estimated area 23,000 acres; to Arthur S. Collins, over part of Kincaid Run, estimated area 2,500 acres ; to J. N. Flood, over Starmount Run, estimated area 7,100 acres (Port Underwood). Section 233, containing 2 roods, town of Kaikoura, was assessed at £ls, for sale by auction; and section 34(5, containing 1 rood 2(5 perches at Ll 3; section 1, Marshland Run, containing 302 acres, was classed as pastoral land, and assessed at 10s per acre, and cost of survey to be added. A letter was read from Mr H. D. 'Williams, dated sth July, stating that a stream called Boulder Creek, near Manuka Island Accommodation House, has changed its course, and is washing away the flat land oil which the house stands, and that lie fears unless the stream is diverted, the buildings will in a short time he carried away. The Chief Commissioner stated that a survey plan of the land proposed to be transferred by Messrs Ingles to Mr Teuney, at Kaikoura, had been received by him. The Board then adjourned.