F.—No. 5.

7

Besolved, That in the opinion of this Committee the cost of the annual expense connected with the working of the proposed line between Invercargill and Winton would not be less than £5,700. Besolved, That in the opinion of this Committee the lowest sum for wliich the proposed line from Invercargill to Mataura could be constructed (on a 4 feet 8* inch gauge) would be about £1(15,000 —assuming the distance to be thirty miles, and the character of the railway to be the same as that proposed for the completion of the Winton Railway for £55,000. Besolned, That in the opinion of this Committee it would require about £1,000 per mile to form a metalled road from Invercargill to Mataura. Besolved, That in the opinion of this Committee the cost of the annual expenses connected with the working of the proposed line between Invercargill and Mataura would not be less than £9,000. Besolved, That in the opinion of this Committee the cost of maintaining the proposed line between Invercargill and Mataura would not be less than £4,500 annually. Besolved, That from the evidence taken it appears that the working expenses and wear and tear of a horse tramway from Invercargill to Mataura would not be less than thosa of a light railway. Besolved, That the Secretary of Crown Lands be requested to furnish the Committee with a return showing the iunbunt of land contained within the Province of Southland, exclusive of Stewart's Island. The return to show also as nearly as possible the acreage of land sold, held under pastoral license, barren, bush, acreage of remainder, and how it is held. Adjourned to Thursday, 12th September, 1867. THURSDAY, 12xn SEPTEMBER, 1867. Present : Mr. McNeill, Mr. Murison,' Mr. Cox, Mr. Hankinson. Mr. Wood, Mr. Stevens in the Chair. Besolved, That the Committee find that the present unsold Waste Lands in Southland are as follows : — Acres. Agricultural land ... ... ... ... •-" ... ... 069,779 Pastoral land 957,120 Reserves for villages, &c. ... ... ... ... ... ... 49,307 Stewart's Island ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 500,935 Barren lands, bush, &c 277,393 2,454,534 That the value of these may be estimated as follows, exclusive of Stewart's Island :— Agricultural land £669,779 Pastoral land 358,920 Reserves for villages, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 73,960 Barren lands, bush, &c. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34,674 £1,137,333 Besolved, That the proposed works might be calculated to improve, to some extent, the prospect of realizing the unsold lands. Besolved, That the Committee find that the population consists of 8,085, of all ages. Besolved, That there is no reliable evidence before the Committee to enable them to arrive at a conclusion as to the probable traffic receipts, to set against the estimated cost of maintenance and working expenses of the proposed hues. Besolved, That in the event of the traffic receipts being unequal to the cost of maintenance and working expenses, the deficiency must be defrayed out of Land Fund or by local taxation, which it is inexpedient should be risked for such object us the proposed Railway Extension, in the present condition of the Province of Southland. Adjourned to Friday, the 13th September, 1867. FRIDAY, 13tu SEPTEMBER, 1867. Present : Mr. Murison, Mr. McNeill, Mr. Hankinson, Mr. Cox, Mr. Wood, Major Heaphy, V.C. Mr. Stevens in the Chair. Besolved, That in the opinion of this Committee the lowest cost of constructing a light locomotive railway with a 4 feet 8J inch gauge from Invercargill to Mataura would require about £5,500 per mile. Besolved, That this Committee are of opinion that the cost of constructing a light horse tramway either between Mataura and Invercargill, or between the latter place and Winton, would be about £2,200 per mile. Besolved, That this Committee cannot from the evidence ascertain the probable cost of maintaining a metalled road between Invercargill and Winton, or Invercargill and Mataura, should such roads be constructed. Besolved, That the Committee are unable to form an opinion with reference to the amount required to maintain annually properly constructed gravelled roads over the proposed lines. Besolved, That it is in the opinion of the Committee inexpedient that any payments for completing the Oreti Railway, as suggested in the proposals, should be made in land. Besolved, That the Committee find that the probable diminution in the revenue of Southland from pasturage rents, in the event of tho construction of the proposed railways, will be not les6 than £1,375, from the circumstance that three-fourths of the land granted in payment will probably be selected from the pastoral runs at present leased at twopence per acre. Besolved,, That the Committee is of opinion that grain and other crops would be grown to a much greater extent if a cheap mode of transit wore provided, provided that a market can always be found for the same. Besolved, That in the opinion of this Committee the completion of the Oreti Railway is desirable so soon as the finances of the Province will admit of it. Besolved, That the Chairman (Mr. Stevens) do draw up a report. i Adjourned to Monday, the 16th September, 1867.