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Timber Regulations at present in force in the Colony. Auckland. —All forest lands are under the control of the Waste Lands Board, with power to make permanent forest reserves that shall not be dealt with otherwise than as the General Assembly shall direct. Local reserves for timber and firewood may be handed over by the Waste Lands Board to the local Eoad Board, to prevent injury by fire, and to be administered by it as the Waste Lands Board shall direct. Areas of forest land, to an extent in the discretion of the Waste Lands Board, may be leased for not more than ten years, at a peppercorn rent; sales thereof to be at public auction. All forest lands may be placed by the Waste Lands Board under the immediate supervision of the local Highway Board. No provision that regulations for conservation, &c, shall be made. Tabanaki.- —Nothing in force. Hawke's Bat. —Nothing in force. Wellington.—To every block open for settlement a sufficient reserve of timber to be made for the exclusive use of settlers on the block; but not for sale outside. No other provision for control or management of forest lands. Ordinary timber licenses are issued, with right of renewal in case roads have been made or other improvements. Licenses for twelve months without limit, except that timber that has been reserved for the public use may not be cut.

1STBACT O: iPOEMATION :rom 'OMMISSIONEES o: 'eown jAnds— com 'tnuei Questions. Nelson. Canterbury. Westland. Otago. Southland. 1, The public revenue and expenditure from each during the past five years ? Nil. £204 10s. received for bush licenses. No expenditure. The above sum was paid between Feb., 1872, and June, 1873. Since that date no licenses have been issued. Timber licenses, £497 10s. ; sawmill sites, £25 : total, £522 10s. Expenditure, Ranger, £50 per annum. Revenue received, £5,430 17s. j expenditure £2,062 10s. Eevenue, £6,000; expenditure, £1,500. !. Situation and extent of tracts of land in the hands of Government, or readily obtainable for planting operations ? No information. Reserves for planting purposes in hands of Government, as follows: —Along railway lines, 19,855 acres; along coast, 1,600 acres: total, 21,455 acres, of which 300 acres have been planted by Government. Open land in hands of Government, 164,955 acres. The whole of the interior of the district, comprising an area of 2,000,000 acres. Any portion of unsold lands can be obtained for planting operations. '. General description of the forests; estimated annual consumption of timberand firewood by the general public, and whence supplied, i.e., from private forests, other countries, or Government forests ? No information. No information as to general description offorests. No estimate of cons umption given, or whence supplied. See query No. 2. Export coastwise, 4.660,000 feet; other colonies, 189,000 feet; firewood, cords, 30,000; round timber for building, mining, and fencing purposes, 200,000 ft, Supplied from Government and private forests. Local consumption, 1,000,000 feet. Principal timber country lies south of Dunedin, a description of which is not given. Estimated consumption of firewood, 150,000 cords, obtained from Government and private lands. General requirements for building purposes not given. For general description of timber, see query No. 2. Annual consumption, 12,000,000 superficial feet. Estimated consumption of firewood not obtainable. Supply from Government forests. I. Estimated annual requirements of timber for general or provincial works; description of timber used, rates paid, and whence the supply has been hitherto supplied, i.e., from private forests, from other countries, or from Government forests ? Foreign timber, 18,035 ft.,at 30s.; Go v ernment forests, 326,000 feet; private forests, 681,000 feet: total, 1,007,000 feet. Totara, 18s. to 20s.; birch, 14s. 6d. to 15s.; red pine, 12s. 6d. to 13s. 6d.; rimu, 10s. 6d. to lis. 6d. Amount of timber used in Public Works Departmentfrom March 1875, to March, 1876, as follows: 796,184 ft. New Zealand timber; 437,593 feet foreign timber: total, 1,233,777. Prices of New Zealand: Kauri, 25s.; totara, 21s.; pine, 18s. to 21s. per 100 feet. Supplied from private forests, principally. Eequirements estimated, 150,000 feet. Bates paid are various, according to description of timber, which are not stated. Supply principally received from Government forests, small quantity from private forests, and little from foreign ports. Upwards of 2,265,300 feet of New Zealand timber is used upon public works; 935,418 feet of imported also used by department. Native timber worth from 18s. to 22s. per 100 feet for use of above department. Eequirements for Go ver nm ent works notobtainable. Prices not given. Supply hitherto from Government forests. Little or none from private property.