MR. CALCUTT'S REPORT.

Colonist, Volume XVI, Issue 1660, 15 August 1873, Page 4

MR. CALCUTT'S REPORT.

The following memorandum from our members in Parliament to the General Government respecting Mr. Calcutt's report, was read at a meeting of the Inland Communication Committee held on Tuesday forenoon:— Memobandum for consideration of Government relating to Mr. Calotjtt's Repobt upon the 1,400,000 acres of land proposed as secueity for the construction of a Kailwax from Fox Hill to Bbtonebton. Mr. Calcutt estimated the quantity of level land at about 200,000 acres, of which 50,000 are open land and 150,000 are covered with timber. He estimates the value of these 200,000 acres at £137,000 in their present comparatively inaccessible position, or a^ £288,000 when the proposed railway has been made. Mr. Calcutt, however, makes no estimate of the yalue of the remaining 1,200,000 acres. We cannot agree with Mr. Calcutt in the opinion that only that portion of the level bush land covered with fine timber, which lies within one mile on each side of the railway, would be enhanced in value by the construction of a line connecting it with a firstclass port. On the contrary, we think a distance of ten miles on each side of the line would, be a much more reasonable calculation. Nor can we accept the view that level land covered T»ith "excellent" birch timber is of value for the timber only. We need not follow Mr. Calcutt into his calculations of the cost of clearing bush land, and of the cost of survey, which Mr. Calcutt asserts "would represent a large percentage on the amount realized." On the latter point we will however mention that a contract for surveying 10,000 acreß of the heavily timbered land to which. Mr. Calcutt refers into fifty-acre sections, was reoently completedjfor four- ' teenpence halfpenny per aore. Adding to Mr. Calcutt's valuation of £288,000 for the 200,000 acres of level land, the value of the 1,200,000 acres which he does not take into account, and which, although for the most part hilly and even mountainous, are nevertheless almost entirely covered with timber, and have been proved tb contain large deposits of coal of various qualities ranging from good steam coal to ordinary brown coal —over which extensive alluvial mining has been carried on for many years past, and in which, numerous auriferous quartz reefs, especially at the Inangahua and the Lyell, are now in successful and profitable working {see annua.l report on Groldfields) —we submit that ample security has been offered for the cost of construction ot the proposed railway, without taking into account the additional security of the revenue of the Province, which in the case of most of the other-railways authorized in other Provinces, has been deemed to be sufficient in itself. (Signed) ; Oswald Cubtis, D. M. Luckib, • Joseph Shephaed, A. J. Richmond, : ~ Chables Pabkbb, ;;■■•■■ ■ A. S. Collins, EXTSEKE O'CONOBi, W. H. Habbjsqn.