THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1886.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 5394, 14 January 1886, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1886.

Professor Kirk's report on the general character and condition of native forests and the state of the timber trade has reached us. It is a most instructive document, and deals with all the forests of the colony with the exceptibn of those of the Eas* Cape and the southern districts of the North Island, which he intends to deal with in a final report. Professor Kirk has collected a mass of data in relation to the timber resources of the colony and the way they are being used, and in some instances abused, that cannot fail to prove of very great value in the future when dealing with the question of forest conservation, which, owing to the rate at which Ihe valuable kauri forests in the North Island, are being cut down rttid

destroyed cannot much longer be put off. Professor Kifk estimates that in fifteen years' time the kauri forests of Auckland will be practically worked out if some steps be not taken to prevent what would be in the nature of a calamity to that district.

Commencing with Southland, the extent of her forests is estimated at 345.197 acres covered with timber reserved by the Crown. Of this the sawmill er has denuded 32.730 acres, leaving 312,467 acres of so-called virgin forest ; but allowing for timber too thinly scattered to pay mills for cutting the area of convertible timber is reduced to 200,000 acres, much of which will hot be available far many years to come. There are 36 mills employed in Southland, which furnish employment to 700 men and boys, whose weekly waga will not amount to less than 41200. The total output is estimated at 24,000,000 superficial feet of inch thickness per annum, of which 21,000,000 feet is estimated to pass over some portion 1 of the Southland railways. The trade is at present in a depressed condition owing to over production, but this is regarded as only temporary. The rapid development of the Southland trade has closed the mills in Catlins River, annihihilated the coastal timber export of Westland, and greatly restricted that of Marlborough and Nelson. The timber converted in the Otago District does not amount to more than one-fourth the annual output of Southland ; so that Southland practically supplies the markets of the southern portion of the South Island from InvercargiU to Ashburtdn ; and the extension of railways will afford new openings for Southland sawmillers. Otago is estimated to possess 3,000,000 acreß of forest, but a large proportion of this is of a very inferior kind, so that the really good forest will not exceed 1,250,000 acres, and .probably fall below 1,000,000 acres. There are only 11 sawmills working in the district, employing 160 hands, and putting out annually 7,600,000 feet. The field of production is concentrated mainly about Catlins River. Production generally is more expensive than in "Southland. • Otago has no export trade worth mention.

In Canterbury the proportion of forest land is lefts than in any other part of the col ohyi Out of an area of 8, 6D3, 000 acres there is only 374,350 acres of forest. But as most of this is in mountainous country, only a' very small quantity is available for the purnose of the sawmiller. The vast district from Lake Ohau to Lake Ell esmere, a distance of 150 miles, is destitute of natural forest. 21 sawmills are in -'operation, putting out an average per annum <of 9,803,000

superficial feet. Oxford is the chief centre of the industry, there being no fewer than nine mills there. The number of men and boys employed in the district is stated to be 263. In one or two localities the trade has died out altogether. Timber land is therefore of very great value, and an instance is cited of 300 ! acres of land changing hands at £6 per acre on account of the timber. Another block leased to a sawmUler, with right to remove timber, was returning £6 10s per acre for royalty. . The area of Westland is estimated at I 3,045,000 acres, of which 1,897,558 acres are covered with splendid forest still in the hands of the Crown, in addition to lowland scrub or inferior forest, of which there are 632,519 acres, all of which will no doubt become very valuable as the more accessible forests in other parts of the colony are worked out. The lowland portion of the district from the Grey River southwards to Big Bay is practically ore vast forest, save where it is broken by swamps, river beds, and an occasional patch of open land. The quantity, quality, and variety of the timber are borne eloquent testimony to by Professor Kirk, who appears to have been charmed with all he has seen of our West Coast forests. He regrets the decadence of the timber trade. Most of the mills are at present not working more than one-third time, some even less. Only 13 mills are in operation in the Westland distri"t. They are capable of converting 11,500,000 superficial feet per annum, and when in full work would employ over 300 men and boys. But the actual output at the present time scarcely exceeds 3,000,000 superficial feet (one of the largest sawmillers puts the amount at 2,500,000) while the number of men employed is reduced %s9l, conversion being restricted to sufficient to meet local demands, the coastal trade having completely passed away. The machinery and the quality of the work are highly praised, and the fact is deemed worthy of mention that the use of the saw for the purpose of falling was first adopted in Westland. But Professor Kirk does not despair of Westland's prospects in the timber trade : he is even v«ry hopeful, and says : — " But for all this I believe there is a 1-rge opening for the Westland sawmillers. The improvement of the por's of Greymouth and Westport will attract vessels of a larger class, and bring abeut a reduction of freights to Australian ports, so as to facilitate the development of a large expnrt trade ; while the '•ompletion of the Greymouth and Hokitika railway will allow of white pine being forwarded to Greymouth for shipment at almost nominal rates — lOd per 100 superficial feet for freight. In view of the completion of this railway at no distant date, it is desirable that steps should be taken to ascertain the conditions of the chief Australian markets, and to what extent the ordinary timbers of New Zealand would find ready sale." The Nelson forests are estimated at 3,290,000 acres ; but as this includes all kinds of bush, it is considered that the ; probable area of convertible timber is not over a million acres. Twenty- two sawmills are in operation in th« district, and the output is put down at 5,260,000 superficial feet, though it is thought that is an under estimate. A large quantity of timber is used at Reefton and other parts of Nelson for mining purposes, the Keep-it-Dark alone paying £800 per annum for timber. The Marlborough district comprises 2,560,000 acres, of which one-fifth is covered with forest of varying quality* nine-tenths of it being confined ttiv the northern part of the district. % " There are 14 sawmills in the district, affording employment to -175 men and boys, who turn out annually 8.606,340 superficial feet of timber. But as the work of cutting has been going on in Miriborouojh since the earliest days, most of the forest near the sea has been worked out. The tra-le has diminished very much btely. A large area of land in th« Upper Pelnrns has been alienated from the Crown, and is now the private property of sawmillers. The shipments of timber from .the Sounds coastwise for last year : were 3,000,000 superficial feet. j The most valuable forests in the colony are in the district of Auckland. Of the 17,000,000 acres which comprise the district, the area covered by forest is 7,2^0,000, of which 1,606,350 acres are still held by the Crown. Forest areas are more evenly distributed in the Auckland district than in any other part of the colony except Westland. The Kauri is the most valuable timber, and its geographical distribution is practically the same as that of the mangrove and rock oyster. The T>uriri, t another valuable timer, and unrivalled for railway sleepers, is said. to be a variety of teak. The following is an approximate of the quantity of kauri timber in Auckland prepared for Professor Kirk by-^Chief Surveyor Smith : — Acres. Owned by Government 36,470 „ „ Europeans 58,200 „ „ Natives 43,800 Total 138,470

The output for the district is estimated at 112,000,000 superficial feet ; but the return as to the number of men employed is very incomplete and inacurate and need not be quoted. The number of sawmills is 43, eight being worked by water -power. . The total value of timber exported from Auckland is returned at £135,952, or five times as much as all the rest of the colony put together The Auckland sawmills are classed amongst the best in the world ; the largest are considered to be unequalled in the Southern Hemisphere. In one or two cases employment is given to nearly five hundred men and boys, and the annual output of each is stated to exceed 8,500,000 ft. per annum. At the present time there are numerous mills with an output of 5,000,000 ft. and upwards. They are fitted with the most approved machinery, not only for general conversion, but for the manufacture of doors, windowsaahes, &c. It is melancholy to think,: as Professor Kirk says, that if the consumption increases as it has been doing during the last ten years, another fifteen years will see the last of this great source of prosperous industry.