DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. DRAINAGE OPERATIONS IN HAURAKI PLAINS. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1937, TOGETHER WITH STATEMENTS OF ACCOUNTS.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1937 Session I, C-08

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1937. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. DRAINAGE OPERATIONS IN HAURAKI PLAINS. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1937, TOGETHER WITH STATEMENTS OF ACCOUNTS.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 20 of the Hauraki Plains Act, 1926.

Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, Ist August, 1937. Sir, — I have the honour to present herewith the report of the Chief Drainage Engineer on operations carried out during the past year on the Hauraki Plains in accordance with the provisions of the Hauraki Plains Act, 1926. I have, &c., W. Robertson, Under-Secretary for Lands. The Hon. Frank Langstone, Minister of Lands.

REPORT OF CHIEF DRAINAGE ENGINEER. Sir, — I have the honour to submit the twenty-ninth annual report on the Hauraki Plains reclamation and development works. The report covers the work done during the fiscal year ending 31st March, 1937. The settlers throughout the district have generally experienced an excellent production season, and have been encouraged by the return of more normal prices for farm-produce. Many of the difficulties experienced in the past are disappearing with the progressive development of the reclaimed swamp lands. The idea, once generally accepted, that the Hauraki Plains land is only suitable for fattening or dairying is fast disappearing as more settlers find improved security and returns in more diversified types of farming. One result of this tendency is apparent in the remarkable increase in the number of pigs disposed of during the year. The recorded pig-sale returns exceeded £50,000, and the total value of the recorded production from the Hauraki Plains, given in detail below, was approximately £771,571. These produce returns are compiled from figures kindly supplied by the large trading concerns handling most of the produce of the district, and, though the figures are by no means complete, they give an indication of the value of the asset that has been created from waste land. The production figures for 1936-37 are given below, with the 1935-36 figures shown in parentheses: — Tons. Tons. Butter 3,629 (3,350) Cheese 2,702 (2,305) Flax 825 (566|) Lime .. .. •• •• •• 19,750 Casein .. .. .. • • • • 107 Number. Number. Pigs .. .. •• .. •• •• 24,031 (9,846) Calves .. 24,219 (24,874) Miscellaneous stock .. .. .. ■ .. 27,384 (8,205) Cargo received and despatched from the Piako River wharves, excluding road-metal, amounted to 7,609 tons. Reviewing the returns from the district over a period of years, the decrease in flax-production is very noticeable. This is due to several causes, including the destruction of flax on land now used for farming and the low market-value of fibre during recent years. Now that steps are being taken under the Industrial Efficiency Act to rehabilitate the flax industry, attention should be directed to the scope for development in this direction in the Hauraki Plains district. For some miles above Kaihere Landing the river-bank lands on both sides of the Piako River are more suitable I—C. 8.

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for flax-growing than any other purpose. Here the flax grows naturally where it is not destroyed by fires or stock. There are to-day areas of several hundred acres of millable flax, and these areas could be economically extended by drainage and fire-prevention. The rainfall at Kerepeehi in 1936 was below the average for the district. Rain fell on 150 days, well distributed throughout the year, and there were no flood-producing storms'. The rainfall records for Kerepeehi since 1916 are as follows : —

Records of Daily Precipitation, Kerepeehi, Hauraki Plains.

Average annua] rainfall over twenty-one years is 44-03 in. The Departmental construction forces have completed a great deal of valuable work during the year, and more is in progress. Maintenance activities have been more or less normal, calling for no special mention, with the exception of the acquisition of a weed-cutting launch which will apparently be a means of reducing the cost of cleaning growth from the canals and larger drains. Construction activities have been resumed on several undertakings abandoned during the years when all available funds were conserved for the relief of unemployment or continuation of essential services. A brief description of the principal works carried out during the year is given hereunder — Dredges. No. 15 Bucyrus drag-line excavator has been enlarging the Reservoir Canal, which is the main drainage channel for the Kerepeehi Block. Working first on one side of the canal and then on the other, this machine during the year traversed 138 chains of canal-bank, and, using a half-yard Page bucket and 50 ft. boom, excavated 54,716 cubic yards, at a unit cost of 8-Bd. No. 16 Bucyrus drag-line excavator was at the end of March, 1936, shipped by barge from Patetonga to Kerepeehi. The opportunity was taken to overhaul the machine while it was at Kerepeehi depot, and it was used to dredge metal and silt from the wharf berthage and slipway. On 28th April the machine was transported by barge to Waitakaruru and commenced work enlarging the Waitakaruru-Maukoro Canal. Working from the left bank of the canal, the machine has traversed 247 chains of canal-bank. At a point 3 miles 74 chains up-stream from the junction of the Maukoro Canal and Waitakaruru Stream, the machine will cross the canal at a temporary dam and work down-stream on the right bank, building a new roadway and widening the canal. The year's output from this machine was 54,638 cubic yards, and the unit cost 9-37 d. No. 19 Dredge completed widening the Piako River between the 13 miles 5 chains peg and 14 miles 45 chains (Kaihere Landing) and was laid up in November, 1936, after the 100 ft. boom had been dismantled. This machine has now completed the work for which it was specially designed and reconstructed on the works —that is, enlarging the river-channel to a width of 170 feet. Working from the river-bank, the machine in one operation excavated and transported the material 200 feet. The total volume of material handled by the plant was 294,012 cubic yards, and the cost was 11-2 d. per cubic yard. This figure includes, in addition to the usual operating and overhead charges, the cost of a costly reconstruction of the superstructure after the machine had been idle for over two years, and also the cost of moving the dredge by barge from Ngatea to Kaihere. Between March and November, 1936, the machine handled 14,137 cubic yards, at a unit cost of 8-63 d. No. 23 Steam Dipper Dredge, after being laid up in the Elst.ow Canal since May, 1934, was recommissioned after an extensive overhaul in January, 1937, when the crew from No. 19 Dredge were transferred to this plant. After the dredge had been working seven weeks removing silt from

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Number of Days, with given Daily Precipitation in Inches. Ol oi oi ■ .a | ® C> .0» oi Ol © rn„±.. 1 Year. | g g 2 2 S 2 S ! S S S ! Pays! Fall! Wettest Month. Driest Month, o ooooooooooo|o +3 +3+3+3+3+3+3+3 +3+3 +3+3+3 © OlOOiOOiOpOOOOO O O l> O (M .» p O © p Oj p 6 6 © rH ,H rH tH <& CM .W Ô & 1916 .. 109 12 9 7 2 3 .. 1 .. .. 1 .. .. 144 52-19 Nov. 6-65 Feb. 1-05 1917 131 11 4 4 3 1 1 1 156 45-61 Feb. 6-26 Jan. 0-65 1918 .. 145 14 6 4 1 .. .. 1 171 44-06 Oct. 7-47 May 2-24 1919 .. 122 9 1 3 2 137 27-36 July 4-52 Dec. 0-89 1920 .. 85 7 10 3 1 1 3 2 112 43-16 Feb. 6-10 July 1-73 1921 .. 93 12 5 3 2 .. .. 1 116 34-41 Oct. 5-89 Feb. 0-72 1922 .. 101 17 9 3 .. 1 1 ... 1 133 42-81 Feb. 6-62 April 1-73 1923 ..151 6 5 4 1 1 1 169 47-04 April 9-76 Mar. 1-72 1924 ..132 8 10 5 2 5 1 1 .. 2 166 60-37 April 8-55 July 1-87 1925 .. 142 15 4 2 1 164 37-64 June 6-67 April 0-84 1926 .. 149 15 6 4 5 2 2 183 55-53 May 8-86 Feb. 1-79 1927 .. 159 10 6 5 .. 4 184 45-33 July 6-29 April 2-01 1928 ..125 7 9 2 3 2 2 1 151 47-30 May 7-52 Jan. 0-01 1929 .. 124 19 8 3 1 155 41-05 April 5-09 Feb. 0-74 1930 .. 131 4 2 2 3 2 2 146 37-72 Jan. 6-87 Dec. 0-80 1931 .. 144 10 7 4 2 167 43-23 July 7-80 Mar. 0-98 1932 .. 126 7 5 4 .. 1 143 32-05 Feb. 4-95 Nov. 0-93 1933 .. 152 13 1 4 3 .. .. 1 174 38-93 Feb. 6-54 Mar. 1-20 1934 .. 138 11 6 5 2 2 .. 1 .. 1 166 43-23 June 6-15 Oct. 2-05 1935 .. 163 15 6 4 2 2 .. 1 .. 1 194 53-42 July 9-56 Jan. 0-93 1936 .. 127 11 6 3 .. 1 2 150 40-62 Feb. 5-83 May 1-63 1937* .. 16 3 2 3 .. .. 1 25 11-71 Jan. 5-84 Feb. 0-51 * First three months of year only.

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the upper Awaiti and lower Rls tow Canals, it was found necessary to reinstall a temporary dam in the Awaiti Canal to prevent excessive bank-caving, and this work caused some delay. 14,137 cubic yards of material was excavated from 190 chains of canal at a cost of 10-94 d. per cubic yard. No. 29 Bay City Light Drag-line Excavator is a valuable addition to the excavating plant made during the year. The machine weighs about 10 tons and operates a f yard drag-line bucket on a3O ft. boom. In addition to caterpillar traction, it is provided with a pneumatic-tired trailer for road transport. After being assembled at Kerepeehi, the machine commenced work on the 11th January, building a small stop-bank on the Waihou River at Orongo. On 16th February it was transported by barge to Waitakaruru and thence by road to complete the stop-banking of the Waitakaruru Stream above the Mahtita Road Bridge. During the period of forty-six days that the machine was actually excavating, the material built into the stop-banks was 13,729 cubic yards, and the cost, including plant-moving costs and all charges, was 3'39d. per cubic yard. The following table shows the total quantities excavated each year during the past sixteen years ¥ê&r. Cubic Yards. Cost per Cubic Yard. 1921-22 .. ... .. .. ..246,022 7-29 d. 1922-23 .. .. .. .. 440,092 8-20 d. 1923-24 .. .. 508,654 7-274 1924-25 .. .. .. .. .. 822,286 5-86 d. 1925-26 .. .. .. .. 856,653 6-32 d. 1926-27 .. .. .. .. 647,182 7-4-2 d. 1927-28 .. . .. .. .. 652,413 7-32 d. 1928-29 .. .. ~ .. .. 619,911 6-54 d. 1929-30 .. .. .. ... 595,565 6-25 d. 1930-31 .. .. .. .. .. 536,692 8-32 d. 1931-32 .. .. .. .. 390,611 7-99 d. 1932-33 .. .. .. .. .. 200,954 8-00 d. 1933-34 .. .. .. .. .. 116,224 5-96 d. 1934-35 .. .. . .. .. 52,517 10-02 d. 1935-36 .. .. .. .. .. 164,046 8-26 d. 1936-37 .. .. .. .. .. 171,717 8-69 d. Kerepeehi District. A working party of ten to eighteen men has been camped on the Awaiti Canal and engaged throughout the year on presettlement land-development work on the Kerepeehi Extension Blocks. The work comprised the cleaning of 1,157 chains of field and boundary drains, excavating 10,054 cubic yards of material in the construction of 321 chains of new drains, and improving 94 chains of existing drains, clearing scrub and rushes, burning and sowing with grass 104 acres, also road-work and" noxious-weed control. Other works carried out in the Kerepeehi district include cleaning 1,334 chains of main drains by manual labour, 592 chains with weed-cutting launch, and 542 chains at Orongo. Road formation and metalling was completed for a distance of 85 chains on Wani Road ; a top course of metal was laid for a distance of 21 chains of the same road and 17 chains of Pukahu Road. The Awaiti Canal Road was formed for a distance of 80 chains and base-course metal was laid for a distance of 69 chains. A 20ft. span hardwood bridge was built on pile abutments at the junction of the Awaiti Canal and Otakawe Roads, and a similar bridge commenced on one of the inlets of the Reservoir Canal. Operating from the depot and workshops at Kerepeehi, the staff has been busily engaged, receiving and distributing stores, material, and fuel for the widely dispersed works, providing camj) accommodation for workmen, and repairing machinery, buildings, and plant. Waitakaruru-Torehape District. Construction activities in this district have been extensive, and concerned principally with the reclamation of the western portion of the Pouarua area and tract of 11,000 acres of peat land lying to the south of Waitakaruru, and between the settled land bordering on the Piako River to the east and the foothill of the Pataroa Range to the west. The number of men in a camp established some years ago was increased from ten to twenty-five men in May, 1936, and later the camp strength was increased to twenty-eight men, who have been engaged principally on road and drain construction. The work included* cleaning 424 chains of drains, excavating 17,909 cubic yards of material in widening and deepening 504 chains of existing drains and 858 cubic yards of material in constructing 35 chains of new drains. A comprehensive scheme for several miles of road-construction, consisting of clay ballast laid on fascines over a peat subgrade, commenced in this district several years ago, and carried on intermittently when funds were available for the work, was continued this year. The clay ballast is hauled for a distance varying between 1 and 5f miles on light railways. Owing to past delays in completing the work, it has been necessary to renew a large proportion of sleepers, and this has retarded progress during this year. 5,522 sleepers of willow and other timber were obtained along the banks of the Piako River for renewals and extension of the line, 1,260 fascines were laid under 45 chains of new line, and 4,483 cubic yards of clay ballast hauled an average distance of 1-1 miles. Operating from a camp situated on the Waitakaruru-Maukoro Canal, three miles south of the Waitakaruru Township, a working party varying from eleven to nineteen men has been employed deepening drains in the northern Pouarua area. 553 chains of drain were deepened, 12,930 cubic yards of material were excavated by manual labour in enlarging 551 chains of existing drains, and 321 chains of new drains were constructed involving 9,114 cubic yards of excavation. The raising of the Waitakaruru Stream stop-banks by manual labour, commenced in 1933 as a relic,f-of-unernployment 2—C. 8.

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measure, was discontinued in June, 1936, when it was decided to complete the work more eeônomieally with a mechanical excavator. 2,496 cubic yards of earth were placed with wheelbarrows in raising 17 chains of stop-bank. Tenders were called for cleaning 107 chains of main drains in this district in addition to the maintenance work carried out by co-operative contract parties. Minor undertakings included the erection of a light rolled-steel-joist bridge over the Waitakaruru-Maukoro Canal and noxious-weed eradication. Patetonga District. In this district a party of six to ten men has been continuously employed on drain construction and maintenance. 1,645 chains of drain were cleaned and 12,659 cubic yards excavated in enlarging and improving 340 chains of drain. A small co-operative contract party completed 150 chains of drain improvement at Koromatua, involving 7,144. cubic yards of excavation. A party of six men has been employed with a log-hauler removing willows, previously ringbarked, and scrub from the banks of the Piako River since January, 1936, with an interval of five months, August to December, when work had to be suspended owing to the high-river stage. Both banks have been cleared of heavy growth for a distance of 170 chains. During January, February, and March two working parties were engaged inspecting and treating with poison the willows not killed by previous ringbarking on a 160 chains reach of the Piako River and 520 chains reach of the Waitoa River. , Alteration to the Mangawhero Stream culvert was carried out to prevent damage to the concrete-lined channel by drift timber. Surveys and Office Work. Engineering surveys carried out during the year required 200 miles of traverse, 470 miles of levels, 261 river cross-sections, and 99 chains of road location. Land surveys of eighteen rural sections and 3 miles of road were completed. A very considerable amount of routine work was carried out in connection with the measurement of earthwork completed by contractors and the Department's excavating machinery, measurement of area of land cleared and ploughed, and the preparation of plans. The average number of individual employees shown on the pay-sheets throughout the year was 175 ; the actual number employed has varied between a maximum of 219 men in May and a minimum of 161 in September, 1936. These figures do not include contractors and their employees engaged on buildings, road-construction, and seasonal drain-cleaning. A large portion of the construction work is carried out on the co-operative contract principal, and all workers are paid fortnightly. This involves a considerable amount of travelling for the office staff in addition to the work of preparing contract vouchers, wages-sheets, and stores management. The field and office staffs have carried out their duties with zeal and efficiency. Summary. The total length of the subsidiary drains constructed on the Hauraki Plains since the inception of the scheme is now 780 miles 68 chains. The principal works carried out during the year under review are summarized in the following schedule :— Length. Excavation. M. Ch. Cubic Yd. Drains cleaned by manual labour .. .. .. .. 72 2 Drains widened and deepened by manual labour .. ..21 15 52,162 Drains, new, constructed by manual labour .. .. .. 7 0 20,643 Stop-banks enlarged by manual labour . . .. .. ..0 17 2,496 Total quantity of drainage excavation by manual labour .. .. 75,301 Drains cleaned with weed-cutting launch .. .. 732 River and canal improvement, machine construction . . . . 850 171,717 Metal. Roads metalled . • • • • • ■ • • • . . 232 4,006 New roads formed . . • • ■ ■ • ■ ■ ■ 042 Ballast. Clay ballast delivered on peat roads by light railway .. .. .. . 4,483 Number. Sleepers cut and delivered for tramway .. .. .. •. 5,522 Fascines used for road-construction .. .. • ■ • • • • ' > Acres. Area cleared of scrub and rushes . . .. . . .... 124 Willows ringbarked on river-banks . . . • ■ ■ 8 40 River-banks cleared of willows and scrub .. . . 2 10 Number. Road bridges erected 20 ft. span hardwood stringers and pile abutments (1) 45 ft. span rolled-steel joist (1) I have, &c., R. G. Macmorran, Chief Drainage Engineer. The Under-Secretary for Lands, Wellington.

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HAURAKI PLAINS SETTLEMENT SCHEME. Bate Account as at 31st March, 1937. Dr. £ s. d. Or. _ £ s. d. Maintenance of completed works . . .. 1,296 1 3 Balance brought forward .. .. .. 2,11117 5 Remission of rates .. .. .. .. 46 8 8 Rates levied .. .. .. .. .. 1,612 10 1 Balance .. .. .. ... .. 2,38117 7 £3,724 7 6 £3,724 7 6 Receipts and Payments Account fob the Year, ended 31st March, 1937. Receipts. Payments. Public Works Consolidated Public Works Consolidated Fund. Fund. Fund. Fund. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Rates .. .. .. .. .. 1,286 102 Drainage works : Stop - banks, Law-costs .. . . . . . . 15 10 4 clearing channels, and other Sales of land .. .. .. 8,70173 .. expenditure incidental to conRents and grazing-fees .. .. .. 9,163 3 1 ducting drainage operations Interest on sales of land .. .. . . 981 17 5 (including formation and metal-Artesian-well boring— ling of roads), materials supRepayment of advances .. .. 37 15 9 plied, &c. .. .. .. 21,641 3 4 Interest on advances .. .. .. 22 11 5 Material and stores .. .. 8,863 12 2 Instalments on buildings .. .. 3 15 0 Maintenance of completed works. . .. 1,363 13 3 Ferry fares .. .. .. . . 207 14 3 Refund of rent and interest . . . . 137 18 3 Credits in reduction of expenditure 7,919 6 3 .. Refund of miscellaneous receipts .. .. 2 0 0 Miscellaneous receipts .. .. .. 47 18 6 Discharged Soldiers Settlement AcTransfer expenditure to Treasury count: Recoupment in respect Adjustment Account .. .. .. 1,608 14 8 of merged transactions .. 4 5 8 20 17 4 Transfer expenditure to Public Kaihere Ferry expenses . . . . 245 1 5 Works Fund .. .. .. 30,504 15 6 .. Refund of rates .. .. .. 8 19 3 Transfer receipts to Treasury Adjustment Ac«ount .. .. .. 11,597 1 1 Transfer receipts to Public Works Fund .. .. .. 16,616 7 10 £47,125 9 0 £13,375 10 7 £47,125 9 0 £13,375 10 7 Revenue Account for the Year ended 31st March, 1937. Dr. £ s. d. Or. £ s . d. Interest on Public Works Fund capital .. .. 36,447 12 8 Accrued rents .. .. .. .. 9,076 13 11 Kaihere Ferry expenses .. .. .. 226 9 5 Interest on sales of land .. .. .. 1,337 17 2 Administration expenses .. . . .. 488 1 0 Grazing fees .. .. .. . . 26 19 0 Remissions of rent .. .. .. .. 378 16 3 Ferry fares .. . . . . .. .. 199 11 3 Remissions of interest . . .. .. 15 19 1 Kaihere Ferry: Half loss charged to County Rebates .. .. .. .. . • 665 0 6 Council .. .. . . .. . . 13 9 1 Irrecoverable rents, &c. .. . . . . 19 8 6 Hire of plant .. . . . . . . 6 19 2 Premiums on conversion .. .. . . 14 10 0 Royalties .. .. , . .. . . 41 3 4 Net loss carried down.. .. .. 27,553 4 6 £38,255 17 5 £38,255 17 5 £ s. d. £ s . d. Net loss brought-down .. .. .. 27,553 4 6 Balance carried forward .. .. .. 283,131 8 5 Balance from previous year .. .. .. 255,578 311 £283,131 8 5 £283,131 8 5

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HAURAKI PLAINS SETTLEMENT SCHEME—continued. Balance-sheet as at 31st March, 1937. Liabilities. ■ Assets. Capital Account— £ s. d. £ s. d. Improved lands handed over to £ s. d. £ s. d. Public Works Fund .. .. 864,374 4 4 Land Board for settlementValue of Crown land set apart Leased .. .. .. 171,288 19 11 under Act .. .. 45,000 0 0 Unleased .. .. .. 11,490 17 0 909,374 4 4 Unpaid purchase-money for land Employment Promotion Fund capital .. .. 8,598 15 5 sold on deferred payment .. 19 ' 433 19 11 llf la Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account: Merged — - ~ '"J transactions under section 20, Discharged Soldiers Unimproved-value land not disposed ol .. 41,908 4 U Settlement Act, 1923 .. .. .. 405 0 3 Improvements on adjoining Crown lands .. /,7'« » Sundry creditors— £ s. d. Permanent reserves .. . . . . ■ • 8,851 0 0 Miscellaneous .. .. 282 4 7 Works in progress: Expenditure on land id course Departmental " .. 41 16 6 of reclamation, including formation and metalling — 324 11 of roads . . .• . • ■ • ■ • 599,633 16 10 Rettt charged in advance .. .. ■■ 2,246 10 0 Capital expenditure: Employment Promotion Fund 8,593 15 5 Rate Account .. .. •• •• 2,381 17 7 Artesian wells— £ s. d. Payments in advance— £ s. d. Crown tenants, Hauraki Plains. . 308 16 7 -p>„ T ,j- 176 19 4 Permanent reserves and Crown Rates :: :: :: i no 21a 10 9 Instalment principal on deferredpayment sales .. .. 34 0 Buildings 4,652 9 0 Instalment interest on deferred- Wharves .. . • ■ • ■• • • • • 3/0 o payment sales .. .. 10 2 8 Machinery and plant .. .. .. " ; Interest on well-boring .. 18 0 Live-stock •• •• 20 11 u 193 9 0 Loose tools .. . . . . • • • • 628 0 10 Suspense Account 112 11 Stores .. .. •• 5,725 19 1 Writings-off in suspense .. ■■ •• 3,048 14 0 Stamps on hand .. .. .. • • Deposits by lessees: Surety against drain damage 10 0 0 Sundry debtors— i s. d. Treasury Adjustment, Account .. .. 284,170 6 6 Rent .. . • •• 3 >j55 _ •' J . Rates .. . • • • 3,515 15 0 Instalments of principal on de-ferred-payment sales . . 60 15 0 Instalments of principal on buildings .. . . ■ . 1 18 11 Interest on well-boring . . 101 18 0 Interest on deferred - payment sales .. • • • ■ 188 5 3 Law-costs . . . . • ■ 144 8 7 Tram freights and ferry fares .. 21 14 6 Grazing • • • • • • 32 5 2 Miscellaneous .. ■■ 4,955 13 8 Departmental ■ • ■ • 639 4 7 12,897 0 1 Postponed rent (Land Act, 1924) . . • • 892 8 0 Postponed rent (Mortgagors and Tenants Relief Act, 1935) . . ■ ■ • • • • 61 10 3 Postponed interest (Land Act, 1924) . . .. 194 7 0 Losses in suspense .. .. 3,048 14 0 Interest accrued but not due .. . . ■ • 262 0 0 Premiums on conversion .. .. ■ ■ 87 0 0 Cash in Deposits Account . . .. .. 10 0 0 Revenue Account: Balance forward .. .. 283,131 8 5 £1,210,749 11 1 £1,210,749 11 1 W. Robertson, Under-Secretary for Lands. Wm. E. Shaw, Chief Accountant. i hereby certify that the Rate Account, the Revenue Account, and the Balance-sheet have been duly examined and compared with the relative books and documents submitted for audit, and correctly state the position as disclosed thereby, subject to the explanatory notes dealing with departmental Accounts generally as appearing at commencement of parliamentary return [8.-I, Pt. IV]. The following comment is appended : The balance of the Works in Progress Account—viz., £599,633 16s. 10d — appearing in the Balance-sheet greatly exceeds the value of lands the control of which has not yet been transferred to the Land Board.—J. H. Eowler, Controller and Auditor-General. pproximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given : tainting (6UO copies), £9.

By Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 937.

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