THE WEST COAST RAILWAY.

Colonist, Volume XVI, Issue 1663, 26 August 1873, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE WEST COAST RAILWAY.

MR. CALCUTT'S REPORT.

Wellington, 6th July, 1873. Sir, —In accordance with the instructions contained in Mr. Kuowles's letter to me of 7th June last, No. 810, directing me to proceed to Nelson to inspect certain lands proposed to be set aside for railway purposes between Fox Hill (Nelson) and Greymouth (Westland), to ascertain principally whether any, and, if so, what proportion would be fit for settlement and cultivation, and also (roughly) what proportion was really good timbsr land, I have- the honor -to report • that accompanied by and under the guidance and direction of Messrs. Mackay und Say:e, eent'etucn appointed respectively byhis Honor the Superintendent of Nelson and by the members of the Inland Communication Committee, to point out the country, I travelled through and over (so far ai it is possible so to do for the dense bush) nearly all the valley and torrace lands lying between the watersheds of the Duller and Grey rivers, from Fox Hill to Poiut Elizabeth. The route chosen by the gentlemen guid'ng me was over Spooner's range, down Morris's Valley to a ford a little above the junction of the Motupiko and Motueka rivers; thence along the Mctupiko and Hopa valleys to Newport's, on to the junction of the Owen and Buller rivers, at Dillow's-; thence along tho north bank of the Buller, to its junction wiih the Mangles; and thence to a ford on the .Buller, at the Government clearing, across to Eowe's, at Hampden. From Eovre's we returned along tho south bank of the Buller up to the Mangles river, crossing the Blackwater, and on to Mr. M'Gregor's station on the 'lirauraea plains (the fust open land I had seen since leaving the Motueka Valley). From M'Gregor's we continued on. our way to Hunter's station, on the Upper Matakitaki. From Hunter's we proceeded down tbe plain lor about four miles, crossing the Matakitiilii, Glenroy; ami Harbcck rivers, to the homestead of Mr. Moonlight, situate at the junction of the Warwick and Msruia river, and on to Mr. Walker's station. Hero is the Manila plain, coi.t-iining about 23,000 auras of open land, and no n leased to Mr. Walker, ~ v From the plain we pursued a roturn course for about ten miles, when we crossed the Matakitaki river, continuing our journey down, the baaks of that river, past Hunter or May's stove, back io Rowe's, at Hampden. Leaving Rowo'e, wo again crossed tho Matakitaki, pioeeoding down the south side of the ■Buller'to Ribbet's, passing the homesteads of Mr. Hnudysiue a-id other freehold and leasehold settlers. Crossed the Buller and Ribbot's, along to Oxnain's, tlionce, still along the river bsnk, fording tho Newton river, eventually reaching the Lyell township. Crossed the Buller here for the last time, and on to Christy's ferry, near the junctiou of tho Inangahua a.id Builer rivers. From thence our course lay for above four miles alongside tho Tn;ngahua to the " Lauding," where we crossed the river, continuing our journey to Beefl on. Starting from Recfton, wo passed Square Town ; on through tho valley of the Little Grey ; through M Hardy's run, to the junction of tho Little and main Grey rivers; over some open land, known as Totara Flat, through the main Grey Valley, the Ahaura plain, to the Town of Ahaura. From thence the route lay across and down the Ahaura river, Nelson creek, and on to the Arnold (the river dividing the Province of Nelson from Westlaud). From this point, for convenience of travelling, the road waß followed to Greymouth. « -It must be understood that in describing the route taken, 1 hove dono so in the shortest manner possible to be intelligible, und that the description does not include the various deviations made by me (wherever practicable) to thoroughly examine the nature of the soil and timber. By the courtesy of his Honor the Superintendent of Nelson, I am enabled to forward v,iili this report a very excellent map, prepared by Mr. Wrigg, which will be of great service in showing Iho line of country traversed, the amount of forest laud, the rivers, aud the open land. I now propose to give the opinion I have formed as to the area of the level, forest, and open land iv the many valleys and terraces I passed through and over between the two watersheds ; in so doing, however, I hopo it may be understood that .in traversing a heavily timbered country it is most difficult to get a thoroughly correct estimate of the areas in the numerous small valleys. I. have given the question full consideration, and kindly assisted as I was by Mr. Woolley and other gentlemen connected with the Nelson Government survey staff, I believe my figures may, in tbe aggregate, be confidently relied on. I understand that the land (through the route taken) from Fox Hill to Newport's, a distance of eighteen miles, for a considerable distance on both sides of the proposed line, has been sold. I thus start from that point, namely, eighteen milc§ from Fox Hill, and take the forest land first: — ' Acres. From Newport's to Dillon's ... ... 5,000 „ Dillon's to Government clearing... 5,000 „ Rowe's to M'Gregor's ... ... 500 „ M'Gregor's to Moonlight's ... 4,000 „ Junction of tbe Maruia and Warwick to the Buller 4,000 „ May's store, Matakitaki, to Rowe's, 2,500 „ Rowe's to Ribbet's ... ... 1,500 „ Ribbet's to Newton river, and up Matiri 5,000 „ Newton to Christy's ... ... 2,500 „ Christy'B to watershed of Little Grey ... 60,000 „ Reefton Saddle to junction of main and Little Grey 18,000 „ Junction of Grey to Alexander river .„ 15,000 „ Junction of Grey to the Arnold... 14,000 „ Junction of Arnold to Lake Brunner 5,000 „ Junotion of Arnold to Point Elizabeth 5,000 On the Ahaura ~, „ 9,000 156,000 The open land I estimate as follows :— Acres. M'Gregor's, Tiraumea plain 3,000 O'Laughlin's Flat ... ... ... 600 Hunter's... .„ 3,000 Horee Terrace 50 Frog Flat 200 Maruia Plain ... ... 23,000 Upper Matiri 6,000 Little Grey 10,000 Grey to Alexander ... 6,000 Ahaura plain, including Kopara ... 6,000 57,750 a gross total of 213,750 acres of comparatively level forest, and open land is thus arrived at, out of which, ds I learn from information supplied at my request from the office of the Superintendent of Nelson, 6000 (six thousand) acres of the very best of this land has been sold in small quantities, and 5409 (five thousand four hundred and nine) acres are held under agricultural lease, subject to the power by the lessee to pur* chase the fee simple thereof, at twenty shillings per acre, any time within the < first three years of his term. Making these deductions' from my totals, we have a net total of 202,341 aores of river, flat, low terraces, forest, and open lands within the watersheds. Mr. Wrigg, in his report of 31st March, 1868, addressed to the Provincial Secretary of Nelson, states that the total flat land which would probably come within the land proposed to be given to the Company constructing tbe line would be 152,000 acres. • Mr. A. D. Dobaon, Provincial Engineer to the Nelson Government, in a report to the Inland Communication Committee, under date 23rd Deoember, 1872, states " the quantity of Und available for settlement" at 222,000 acres. Mr. T. Mackay, one of the gentlemen who accompanied me over the land, states in a report of his to the same Committee, on the 13th December lait, the number of aores that "can be utilised" at 261,000, but confines the quantity " adapted for agriculture" at 51,000 acres only. - My estimate of flat, low, terrace, foreßt, and open ' land, is, as above stated, 213,750 acres, or,.deducting the area sold and leased with purchasing clause 202,341 acres. It will thai be wen .that out of the four different

estimates, maeU afe different times, aad, so hv at I am concerned, without the least interchange of opinion with the other gentlemen, there is no difference of opinion calculated to influence the matter to any material degree. The forest land has growing thereon some very fine black and red birch ; black, red, and white pines; and totara. The black birch, however, predominates to a very large degree ; the next in number being, so far as I could observe, the white pines and black pines; next to the pines I should place the totara, some of which are tho finest I ever saw. The best 1 think are in and around the valley of the Inangahna. Some of the bhvh trees will measure twelve and thirteen feet round at two fest from the ground, and run from seventy to eighty and ninety feet high-.

Tbe soil of the forest laud generally is very light nnd poor, especially w'uera the birch growß; indeed, it tray be truthfully asserted that in many places where the finest birch treos are found, there is literally no soil, nothing but a carpet of moss leaves, immediately underneath which aro small boulder stones, shingle, and clay, utterly useless, ia a very large proportion, for any agricultural purpose whatever. ■:■■

The timber, as I before observed, is excellent, and therein, and therein alone, as I thoroughly believe, is the only value of eight-tenths of the birch forest lands; and even that value, whatever it may be, without good and rapid means of communication, is very problematical. As a matter of opinion, I think that with suitable and rapid means of communication with Borne good seaport, all the tolerably level Bnd terrace and forest land, one mile on oither side of the railway (so long as any large river has not to be croasl'd), would realise 40s. per acre on an average ; but beyond that distance many years must, I fear, elapse before it would be hardly of any value. The land upon which pines and totara grow is bettor soil, although even that is light and sandy at the best, and not at all likely to stand a successioa of crops. With Borne few exceptions, t c beat forest land within the watersheds v in and about the valley of the Matakitaki and Buller, near Rovre's, at Hampden, and Oxnum's, and again about six miles or so from tho Lyell, down the Inangahua and Grey Valleys. The cost of cleariug this forest laud fit for the plough would average from £10 to £15 per acre. Some of it could be sufficiently cleared for the sowing of grass seeds, louving all the trees, stumps, and large roots in the ground, for from £4 to £6 per acre, but not less. In the faoe of such figures, tho general correctness of which I maintain cannot be truthfully disputed, I need do no more than submit them to show how utterly fallacious it is to suppose, for one moment, that the forest land, even if the soiLwas all that could be desired, would, for generations to corns, ba utilised, in any large degnee, for agriculture in its proper intent and meaning. Even from a pastoral poiut of view the clearing would Co3t, as I before stated, £4 to £6, to which must be added £2 10s. at least for necessary grass seeds and labor, making a total cost of from £G 10s. to £8 10s. per acre j to which again must be added the cost of fencing. Such an undertaking would not commend itself to the capitalist or farmer, and to the man of small means it becomes practicably impossible.

The open land is on the whole very poor also. Some small patches here and there have good soil, but the proportion of good land to the whole is very small, and when found is, in some instances, on river beds, liable to be flooded aud even swept away, as I saw had been the caso already. The principal open land is a tract of 23,000 acres known as the Maruia plains, and, as I was informed in Nelson, very rich agricultural land. Such, however, is not tho case. Thia plaiD, is, as was all the other open land 1 saw, very patchy. It has been said the half of it is good agricultural land. In one case this is probably correct, but the true position is not made clear by this asaortion. In one spot may be found a piece of fair, land (none of it first-class), comprising, possibly, 100 to 300 acres. Then we have, perhaps, a similar area of bare .shingly land, through which no plough could be got. Next, another piece of ploughable land, and again its opposite, and so on. I think it extremely doubtful if any one farm of 600 acres of good land, in one block, could be found on the whole plain. Moreover, its value as agricultural land is materially regulated by its position. As it now is, there is no way whatever of getting to it from any proper road, except by means of a wretched pack track, just wide enough for one horse, and distant twenty or thirty miles from any.centre of communication ; thus practically shutting out all possibility of carrying on agricultural pursuits to any extent. The centre of this plain would be distant thirty-five miles from the Buller, at its junction with the Matalritaki, the nearest probable point at which an available railway station will be. Thus it is apparent that to convey produoe from the plains to a railway station without roads and bridges is impossible, and to make Buoh a a road, and bridge over the smaller rivers and creeks, would, in my opinion, cost more than the value of the whole plain. For pastoral purposes, the present lessee, as I am informed, pays an annual rent of threepence per acre, but as Mr. Walker was from home I cannot pledge myself to its striot accuracy, although I believe such is the case.

The same argument applies pro rata to Mr. M'Gregor's 3000 aores (of whioh he is the owner of 700 acres of the best of it). This piece of land is distant fourteen miles or so from the nearest point a railway station (if brought via the Hope Valley) would be, arid the value of the 2300 acres (balance of the 3000) is not worth one-half the amount required to make the necessary drayroad to connect with the railway. Mr. Hunter's >open land would also be under the same disadvantage, namely, distance from railway communication. The pieces of open land referred to in my schedule a 9 O'Laugblan s Flat, Horse Terrace, and Frog Flat are too insignificant to call for any comment. The open land on the Matiri I was unable, on account of the dense bush, through which man and horse could not make way, to reach. It is situate up the Matiri river, about fifteen miles from it junction with the Buller, and the same distance fr( m the contemplated line of railway. Not being able to personally inspect the land, I shall take the most liberal view, and assume, in fairness to the Province, that it is good land and worth £1 per acre. Admitting thii, the fact of there being no road whatever, not even a bush track, renders it, either in tbe present Or future, of little value. At present it cannot be reached, and to make a *road would cost five times its value. A large proportion of the 10,000 aores on the Little Giey, generally known as M/Hardy's run, is very light and poor, a considerable area, near Square Town, being utterly useless for either grass or corn growing. The open land between the Grey and Ahaura town up to Mackley's is of much the same character, namely, very light shingly hnd. Wherever t as in the Totara Flat and some other few spots, anything like decent land existed, I found, upon enquiry, that it was private property.

Taking, therefore, the piece of country as a whole, and viewing it from a pastoral and agricultural point of view, it is not, in my opinion, adapted for the permanent settlement and support of a large number of people That in some future time, when rapid and cheap communication is opened up, its timber will produce, onoe for all, a considerable revenue. I have no doubt but that the land generally will be tilled within the present or next generation is not probable. There are so many millions of acres in the Colony of so much better land yet for sale, as to effectually prohibit any practical person from attempting what is next to an impossibility. That the country is also very rich in minerals, I think admit! of no doubt, and, judging from the many observations made to me by the people living in the districts, it is in its minerals that the true wealth of the country lies. This question, however, formed no part of my duty (nor do I assume any practical knowledge thereon), and I merely venture to give the gist of my opinion and observation for what is worth. '•■■■»

Below I append a short statement of my approximate value of the bush and open land in its present Btate, and under present circumstances as. to roads, &c, &c:— ' '

Say 150,000 acres forest (ufter deducting the 6000 sold or leased), with the timber now growing thereon, at 155.... £100,000 gay 22,341 acres open (after deducting 5409 acres sold or leased), at 20a. ... 22,341 gay 30,000 aores light toil and shingle,

at 10s. .„ ,„ ... .„ ... 15,000 £137,341 Supposing a railway to be in existence and running through the country, I should say that about twothirds of the forest land would be increased in value threefold. The value of the open land Ido not, for the reasons before mentioned, consider would be materially altered, except, perhaps, in the vicinity of the Ahaura. Another item of considerable amount would be the cost of surrey, in the event of this immense tract of forest land being cut up into sections for sale. At present, persons applying for agricultural- leases pay the cost of survey, but that practice could hardly bo carried out iv a general .survey of land for sale, and even it were the purchasers would indirertly take" if into consideration. Iv Otago the Goveinment give Is. 6i. per chain, (in .addition to the regular survey fee) for all bush land. That item alone would repreaent.a large per centage onthe amount realised. In conclusion, I beg to return my hearty thanks to Messrs. Mackay and Sayle for the uniform kindness and courtesy shown to me during a long and tedioua journey of some 300 miles, in midwinter, through a rough country with execrable roads —a journey atteaded with considerable discomfort and danger. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, Thomas'Calctjtt, Railway Land Assessor. The Hon. E. Richardson, Minister of Public Works, Wel'ington. 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 Com= munication Committee held on Tuesday foreuoon: — Memorandum for consideration of Government relating to Mr. Caloutt's Report upon the 1,400,000 acres of land proposed as Secubity for the construction of a Railwax from Fox Hill to BfiUNNEKTON. Mr. Calc ntt estimated the quantity of level land at about 200,000 acres, of which 50,000 are open land aud 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 afc £238,000 when the proposed railway has beon made. Mr. Calcutt, however, makes no estimate of the value of the remaining 1,200,000 acres. We cannot agree with Mr. Oalcutt 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 lino would ba a much more reasonable calculation. Nor can we accept the view that level land covered with " excellent" birch timber is of value for the timber only. We need not fallow Mr. Calcutt into his calculations of tho co9t of clearing bush land, and of the cosfof survey, which Mr. Calcutt asserts "would represent a large percentage on the amount realized." I On the latter point we will however mention that a contract for surveying 10,000 acres of the heavily timbered land to which Mr. Calcutt refers into fifty-acre sections, was recently completed for fourteenpence halfpenny per acre. Adding to Mr. Calcutt's valuation of £288,000 for the 200,000 aores of level land, the value of the 1,200,000 acres which he ooes 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 to 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 annual report on Goldfields) —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 Ctjetis, D. M. Ltjckie, Joseph Shbphabd, A. J. Richmond, Chables Pabkeb, . A. S. Collins, Eugene O'Conob, W. H. Habbison.