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Scenic Board. In Marlborough a bush-covered area of land in the Puhipuhi Valley, on the slopes of the Seaward Kaikoura Mountains, has been set apart, together with seven sections in the Sounds which were previously gazetted as scenic reserves under the Land Act. Action is now being taken to place these last-mentioned areas, together with other scenic reserves in the locality, under the supervision of honorary inspectors so as to ensure local protection. The areas set apart in the Canterbury Land District (in the Pigeon Bay Survey District) are adjacent to the Summit Road, between Lyttelton and Akaroa. These lands were originally reserved for preservation of forest, scenery, and climatic purposes, under the Land Act, but it was deemed advisable to create them scenic reserves under the Scenery Preservation Act, 1908, and to place the areas under the control of the Summit Road Scenic Reserves Board. In Southland a section in the TTokonui district, on the Otapiri Ranges, not far from the Dipton Station on the Invercargill-Lumsden Railway, is permanently secured. The remaining reserve is known as Codfish Island, off the west coast of Stewart Island, though called Whenuahou by the Natives. Its reservation is very desirable in the interests of natural history. At the close of the year there was a total area of 281,827 acres, comprised in 447 different reserves, that had been brought under the provisions of the Scenery Preservation Act, and there is no doubt they form a beautiful and increasingly valuable asset to the Dominion. It can readily be recognized that the safeguarding and proper maintenance of these reserves is a difficult and expensive matter. In order to preserve the bush, and flora as far as possible honorary inspectors have been appointed in many cases where a resident of the district has sufficient public spirit and is otherwise well qualified to undertake the supervision of the local reserves. In other cases the control of the reserves is handed over either to the local body (which has power to devote part of its ordinary revenue to the upkeep of the land) or to specially nominated Boards composed of residents who take an interest in scenery-preservation and act as honorary caretakers. One of the first and most responsible of such Boards is that controlling the Summit Road and Kennedy's Bush scenic areas, near Governor's Bay, at Christchurch. It has done admirable work since its inception, and deserves the thanks of the community for its whole-hearted efforts to preserve and protect the remaining native bush in the locality. It is gratifying to note that during the year a further advance was made in the direction of acquiring and reserving certain portions of the beautiful bush on the banks of the Mokau River, and it is hoped, that during the present year it may he possible to gazette and set apart the areas on the south bank of the river. The several owners of the land desired for acquisition have in all cases sympathetically considered the proposals of the Government, and negotiations are now being concluded for a large portion of the area affected. Expenditure. Out of the total amount of £100,000 authorized to be expended under the Scenery Preservation Act, 1908, there remains a balance of over £16,000 still available when voted by Parliament. Every care has been taken since the outbreak of war to curtail unnecessary expenditure.

Comparison of Expenditure.

Appendices. Attached to this report are the following appendices : — A. Schedule of reserves made during the year, accompanied by a statement of accounts. B. Report of the Inspector of Scenic Reserves. Report on gannet's breeding-place. 0. Report of the Scenery Preservation Board. Report of the Summit Road Scenic Board.

-.,- Compensation Y< ' ilr - for Land. Fencing and Surveys, Maintenance. Valuations, <fcc. Fencing and Maintenance. Board's Expenses. Salaries. Total. l_ ! £ 1904-5 .. .. 216 1905-6 .. .. 3,336 1906-7 ... .. 7,856 1907-8 .. .. 4,286 1908 9 .. .. 3,813 1909-10 .. .. 1,688 1910-11 .. I,066 1911-12 .. .. 2,619 1912-13 .. .. 12,997 1913-14 .. .. 10,467 1914-15 .. .. 6,253 1915-16 .. .. 1.530 £ £ Nil 52 527 304 801 382 555 1,063 540 1,159 2,603 685 1,643 715 2,237 798 2,697 627 I ,547 758 476 698 104 £ 1,822 1,221 185 86 24 Nil 11 22 6 3 12 6 £ * * * 175 325 325 325 345 345 365 388 390 £ 2,090 5,084 9,146 5,484 5,765 5,775 3,730 5,938 .16,843 13,009 7,887 2,728 Grand ti ital . . £83,479 * Included in Board's oxpenses.