C—3

8

Reconnaissance surveys wore made over an aggregate area of 47,944 acres of State forests in Catlins, Port Craig, Stewart Island, Waikaia, and Longwood districts, Southland region, and the forests classified under the headings of merchantable, non-merchantable, and grazing. This disclosed that, in round figures, 28,000 acres comprised merchantable timber, and about 17,000 acres were nonmerchantable or protection forests. Too much stress cannot be placed upon the value of the data thus secured. 2. Finance. Receipts. The forest receipts for the past financial year from all sources were £115,398, details of which, together with comparisons over a period of three years, are enumerated hereunder :—-

Payments. The net expenditure from the State Forests Account for the past financial year was £363,331, a detailed analysis of which is set out hereunder; also comparisons with the year 1925-26 and 1924-25.

Item. Forest receipts— Timber-sales Timber royalties Timber trespass Leases- — Grazing Sawmill-sites, industrial, &o. License and transfer fees Miscellaneous licenses Permits—Grazing and miscellaneous Kauri-gum Fees for inspections and reports Interest on overdue promissory notes Rental of houses Opossum revenue Miscellaneous National Endowment Account allocation 1927-8. 1926-27. 1925-26. £ £ £ £ £ £ 75,756 85,542 107,122 5,274 3,816 6,464 354 71 83 1924-25. £ £ 124,918 5,427 239 3,088 2,806 2,527 1,845 1,225 1,646 121 117 113 102 280 167 333 456 564 132 238 627 703 620 318 135 213 149 80 92 77 4,098 4,680 4,074 2,209 544 9,898 14,114 17,044 104,128 114,814 ' 140,975 749 1,969 104,128 - 114,065 ' - 139,006 2,252 1,252 170 107 825 764 324 120 43 2,785 11,247 Less adjustments 150,473 296 Nurseries and plantations — Trees Seeds firewood and poles. . Grazing Rental of houses Miscellaneous 150,177 7,711 10.229 10,281 1,667 1,934 1,510 276 178 1.15 438 854 565 879 763 672 299 543 401 8,704 970 150 51.1 65(i 301 11,270 j 14,501 13,544 11,292 Totals 11.5,398 128,560 152,550 161,469

Item. 1927-28. 1926-27. 1925-26. 1924-25. Fixed charges and staff salaries — £ £ Interest and loan expenses .. .. .. 35,040 Allocation of revonue. — National Endowment Account .. .. 13,885 Local- body payments.. .. .. 6,983 20,808 Staff salaries — Capital .. .. .. .. 16,476 Operational .. .. .. ..27,194 £ £ 29,077 15,659 9,06.1 £ £ 28,132 9,741 6,141 £ £ 24,136 12,612 257 - 24,720 — 15,882 12,869 17,075 22,783 11,103 25,912 9,035 22,394 43,670 Management, establishment, and development— Capital charges— Indigenous State forests — Buildings, equipment, &o. .. .. .. 3,474 Fire-fighting equipment, &o. . . .. 182 Educational —Reference library, &c. .. 180 Research and experimental equipment .. 2,059 Afforestation —Nurseries and plantations 108,876 Sand-dune reclamation .. .. 1,966 116,737 Dperational expenses — Indigenous State forests and general .. 15,840 Fire-prevention .. .. .. 3,166 Educational —Publications, &e. .. .. 472 Utilization and ailvicultural research .. j 5,181 Preparation of planting plans, &o. . . j 2,918 Miscellaneous • • • • • • • • 257 — 39,858 37,015 31,429 4,204 73 107 2,402 78,418 2,312 3,082 38 213 3,615 61,315 2,595 2,792 125 100 1,750 47,864 2,318 87,516 70,858 54,949 17,839 1,524 1,094 2,472 1,611 744 15,500 1,553 1,164 2,158 1,358 74 14,670 1,405 819 2,847 1,196 533 27,834 25,284 ■ 21,807 21,470 Land-purchases— Indigenous forest areas .. .. ..I 830 Plantation-extension .. .. .. 18,352 IK.639 11,181 lii, Kil 17,764 105,993 476 19,182 29,820 - 33.925 - 106,469 Totals .. .. .. 263.331 236,275 207.619 251,322