ONAMALUTU TIMBER RESERVE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIX, Issue 63, 15 March 1906, Page 4

ONAMALUTU TIMBER RESERVE.

THE* DANG Ell OF FIRES

An application by Mr W. Jacques to have the boundary of the timber reserve on the Riloy Run, Onamalutu, — sub-divided in 189-j—altered, and a petition from himself, T. Williams, and others to have the whole reserve thrown open for selection, were the cause of extended deliberation by the Marlborough Land Board at its monthly meeting on Monday. Mr Jacques waited on the Board in support of his request, while Mr J. A. Lambert,who had written strongly objecting, personally stated his reasons. If the bush in question Avero cut down and fired, said Air Lambert, nothing could save his place. He described a light they recently had with a fire. The country was so steep that the embers fell down into his bush like fiery cricket balls, .setting it on fire. The water supply would also be endangered by the destruction of the bush. The clearing of only five acres on his own place had dried up all the water in a particular gully. He was even prepared to buy certain high green bush simply in order to secure the Avater supply. Also, once the bush on the very steep sides Avas destroyed, the roots Avould soon rot, and the whole trouble of serious slips blocking the roads and filling the creek would be reA'ived tenfold.

Mr Header referred to the serious trouble which had occurred to the roads over the same question years ago. Mr Jacques put forth his side of the question. Some years*ago he had taken up a block of the country, and in order to alloAV smaller settlors to get holdings Avith access, had agreed to a proposal that he should come over the range into the gully. In the meantime the area had been created a forest reserve, and he had thus been shut off AA'ith only a fraction of his proper portion. Mr Lambert here insisted that the forest Avas reserved prior to this, Mr Jacques disputing. Continuing, Mr Jacques admitted that there might be slips as a result of clearing such land, but Avhat hill country did not slip? The position at present AA'as that the reserved forest Avas in many places packed Avith 10ft. of impenetrable under-debris, and if once a fire got into it there Avould be no hope of saving either Mr Lambert's or anyone else's place. Besides, settlers wore complaining that it was useless trying to improve their holdings when the bush adjoining Avas doing nothing but harboring rabbits: Mr Lambert contended that fully 75 per cent of the bush Avas as green as it had been a hundred years ago, and not dry as stated by Mr Jacques. The Secretary to the Board obsenred that the risk of burning Avas one felt in common by all bush settlers. Mr Lambert gave Mr Jacques to understand that if his bush AA-ere burned as a result of his fire, he would proceed for damages. . It was finally resolved that Mr Buckhurst, Crown Lands .Ranger, inspect the locality, in company with Messrs Lambert and Jacques.