C.—4

34

NELSON. There are seventy-one sawmills in the Nelson Land District, twenty-five of that number being erected and cutting on Crown lands, thirty-seven on freehold (European) lands, and nine on Westport Harbour endowment lands. The cutting-capacity per annum of these sawmills is 61,127,000 superficial feet. Fifty-nine sawmills are worked by steam with power, and twelve of the mills are worked by water with 99-horse power —the total horse-power of the mills being 851£. Thirty-five of the mills supply timber for local purposes —namely, house-building, railway-works, and roads; twenty-four supply timber for local purposes, and for building, &c, in other districts ; six supply timber for building purposes in other districts only; and for six there was no output for the year. The output for the last twelve months of different classes of timber cut at the sawmills is as follows : rimu, 12,388,542 superficial feet ; yellow and silver pine, 923,857 superficial feet ; birches, 599,000 superficial feet ; kahikatea, 1,680,000 superficial feet ; totara, 143,000 superficial feet ; matai, 860,000 superficial feet; total, 16,594,399 superficial feet. The number of persons employed in connection with the sawmilling industry is 403. Number of horses and bullocks, 227 of the former and 166 of the latter. Number of miles of tramway constructed, 76 miles 6 chains. Thirteen new sawmills were established during the year. Of the seventy-one sawmills in this district, fifteen are situated between Motueka and Cape Farewell, and twenty-two within the area extending from the City of Nelson southward to the Tadmor Saddle. In every instance but one these mills are cutting on European leasehold and freehold lands, the royalties paid varying from 9d. to Is. per 100 superficial feet. Generally speaking, the milling operations in the areas referred to are carried on with an oldfashioned plant, and on a small scale, four only of the mills being equipped with modern appliances. The timber is as a rule sent to market " off the saw "in its rough state. The milling-timber is becoming very scarce, as settlement on the one hand and devastating bush-fires on the other have reduced the area available for milling to a few patches here and there. At the present rate of output milling-timber will have been cut out of the districts referred to in about eight years. This outlook is not seriously appreciated by the settlers. It is in the western and southern portions of the Nelson District that sawmilling has assumed any important proportions. There are in the Buller County twenty-three mills, and in the Inangahua County eleven mills, operating generally on Crown forests. There has been considerable activity in the timber industry in the counties named during the past year, and the probability is that it will be increased during the current year. With the exception of Bowater and Bryan, who cut for export, all the timber milled in the Buller and Inangahua Counties is used for local purposes —house-building, bridges, railway and public works requirements, and mining. The output of the mills for the year just ended increased by 1,895,800 ft. over the output of the previous year. At the present rate of output of the Buller and Inangahua mills, the forest which is in the vicinity of roads and railways will have been cut out, and the mill-owners will be compelled to cut from the back of inaccessible country to obtain supplies, which will necessitate an improved method of haulage and an improvement on the existing milling plants. There is a desire on the part of certain millers to extend their milling plants, but they hesitate to do so unless the Mining Regulations are amended so as .0 enable them to secure a larger area than 800 acres. This question is one which admits of a difference of opinion. It would appear that the existing area is quite sufficient, and to increase the reservations beyond 600 acres would tend to monopoly, and consequently the extinction of the small sawmiller. In any case, there is not a sufficient amount of milling-timber in the Nelson District to warrant such a change being made. A very desirable alteration, however, would be the abolition of the ss. sleeper-cutting license. It may be said that this provides a means of livelihood for a number of men, but even so, their gain is at the expense of the State, for it is known that hundreds of acres of valuable forests have been destroyed by the exercise of this privilege. Supplementary Data. 1. Prouse's mill is situated in Colli ngwood County, at West Wanganui Inlet. Proprietor has obtained the rights to cut timber off the Taitapu Company's freehold. The principal timbers are rimu, matai, and kahikatea. Mill has just been erected, and it is intended to cut timber for export to Wellington and Christchurch. Timber will be taken from the mill by scows, which can be worked at half-tide. There is a large area of timber land in this locality, therefore a long life may be expected for this mill. 2. White's mill is situated on the Collingwood-Puponga Road, about three miles from the former place. Rimu, matai, and kahikatea are cut off freehold lands. The logs are hauled from the bush by horses, and the timber carted to the Collingwood Wharf, whence the greater part is shipped to Christchurch by scows. This mill has been erected about eight months, and mill has probably about three years' life. 3. C. L. Grant's mill is situated about six miles up the Aorere River, and is cutting timber on Crown lands. The principal timber is rimu, which is taken from the bush by means of a 12-horse-power steam log-hauler, and thence by tramway to the mill-site, a distance of 50 chains. It is then carted by wagons to the Collingwood Wharf and shipped to Christchurch. There is a fairly large area of timbered lands for this mill to operate upon : life is about five years. 4. H. Baigent's mill is erected at Bonny Doon, ten miles from Collingwood, and is cutting on freehold lands. The timber is carted by wagons to the Collingwood Wharf and there shipped to Nelson to supply the city mill. There are about another four years' cutting before timber is exhausted. 5. Walker Bros.' mill is situated at Bainham, twelve miles from Collingwood up the Aorere River. and is cutting timber off freehold lands (rimu, matai, and kahikatea). The timber from this mill is used