C—6

7

The foregoing account is a very inadequate description of the many interesting and beautiful things and places that are to be seen on Stewart Island. I feel sure that it has a great future as a pleasure resort both for New-Zealanders and for people from the/southern States of the Australian Commonwealth ; and I have strongly to advise that all reasonable measures be taken to preserve the present natural beauty of the island. The soil is generally poor, the climate is very wet, and the forest is dense; and it is unlikely that interest would ever be earned on the outlay that would be necessary to bring the land under grass. In places away from the coast where milling-timbers are plentiful they might later on be milled, but tliis should be done with circumspection and with a view to the regeneration of the forest. There are still some places where the scenery is beautiful which do not belong to the State, and which should be acquired ; prominent among these is Lord's River, which people told me (I could not visit it myself) is a narrow bush-clad inlet of exceptional beauty.

APPENDIX C. Report of the Scenery Preservation Board. During the year ended 31st March, 1918, the following meetings of the Board were held : On 12th and 26th September, 1917, to deal with lands in the Auckland District; on 14th September, 1917. to deal with lands in the Taranaki District; on 26th September, 1917, and Bth January, 1918, to deal with lands in the Wellington District; on 3rd May, 1917, and Ist March, 1918, to deal with lands in the Marlborough District; on sth September, 1917, to deal with lands in the Nelson District; on J Ith September, 1917, to deal with lands in the Westland District ; on 3rd May, 1917, to deal with lands in the Canterbury District; on 13th September, 1917, to deal with lands in the Otago District; on 19th March, 1918, to deal with lands in the Southland District. These meetings were all held in the office of the Surveyor-General, Wellington. Thirty-two recommendations were made by the Board regarding the acquisition of land for scenic reservation, and submitted to His Excellency the, Governor-General. The Board also considered and dealt with other cases, in which they did not recommend the acquisition of land. The work of the Board has necessarily been circumscribed through war conditions, and the fact that such large areas of land have now been acquired and reserved under the Scenery Preservation Act has also limited to a considerable extent the scenic areas of the Dominion which have yet to be dealt with. Owing to the financial stringency at the present time no recommendations have been made to purchase land, save in one or two instances where the scenic beauty was in danger of early destruction. Every care is taken to conserve the funds of the Scenery-preservation Account, compatible with the proper carryingout of the duties entrusted to the Board. E. H. Wilmot, Chairman, Scenery-preservation Board. Extracts from Report of Summit Road Scenic Board. The Board met seven times during the year. The area under the control of the Board is 1,143 acres, part of which is leased for grazing. No fires have occurred on any of the reserves. The reserve to the south of main road at Dyer's Pass (Coronation Hill) is unfenced, but no damage has been done to the: vegetation, which is coming on satisfactorily. Also, Kennedy's Bush Reserve, the principal reservation along the Summit Road, and which now includes Hoon Hay Park Reserve, Mount Ada, and Cass Peak, is well fenced. The reserves to the north of Dyer's Pass and along the Summit Road towards Sumner namely, Witch Hill, The Tors, Mount Cavendish (or Morten), Mount Pleasant, and Jollies Bush still remain unfenced. Other reserves under the control of the Board are Ahuriri Bush, Parkinson's Bush, Herbert Park, Mount I'itzgerald, Mount Sinclair, and Reserve No. 3002. All these are in fair to good order. The stone rest-house at Dyer's Pass Road and on Coronation Hill Reserve has been completed, and has proved a great boon and attraction to walking-parties. The design is in excellent taste, and both the interior and exterior present a most attractive appearance. Although built on one of the reserve's administered by the Board, the building has been erected on the understanding that the Board is under no responsibility or liability for the repayment of expenses connected with its erection or furnishing. Extracts from Report of New Plymouth Scenic Reserves Board. Ralapihipihi Reserve (50 acres). —Path-cutting, in order to make the reserve, which is close to the New Plymouth Borough, more accessible to visitors, has been carried out under the supervision of Mr. R. W. Davies, a member of the Board, at a total cost of £8 7s. 4d. The Board's best thanks are due to him, and also to Mr. S. Percy Smith, another member, for laying off the paths in question. Other expenditure was incurred on this reserve in the planting of certain vacant spaces with young wattle-trees in order to crush blackberry, &c, the shifting of certain fencing, also grass-cutting, the whole involving an outlay of £12 9s. 4d. Twenty reinforced-concreto fencing-posts were also secured for further fencing on the eastern boundary of the reserve, and are now on the ground awaiting erection.