G—No. 22.

8

SCHEME FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OE

What I would recommend is, that the scheme should be approved as it stands; that a condition on which the Government aid should be granted should be the raising by rates within the district a sum at least equal to half the amount granted; and that such districts as have not on the first day of January, 1872, complied with the regulation, and availed of the grant, should forfeit the same; and that the sums thus forfeited should be distributed among the working Road Boards of the Province, in accordance with a scheme to be submitted by me, for the approval of the Government, immediately after the first day of January next. By this means, those portions of the Province which are willing to tax themselves for the improvement of their roads would obtain the full benefit of the aid afforded by the General Government grant to Road Boards. I have, &c, J. D. Ormond, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Superintendent.

No. 7. His Honor O. Curtis to the Hon. W. Gisborne. Sir, — Superintendent's Office, Nelson, 21st July, 1871. In compliance with the request contained in your circular letter of the 21st June, I have the honor to submit, for the consideration of the General Assembly, a scheme for the division among the Road Boards of the Province of Nelson of the proportion of the £50,000 a year available for that Province during the financial year 1871-72, under the provisions of " The Payments to Provinces Act, 1870." I apprehend that the sum accruing to this Province will be about £4,300, and I recommend its distribution as follows :— £ 1. Upper Motueka, or Motueka Valley Road Board .. .. 2,200 2. Suburban North .. .. .. .. .. 400 3. Pangatotara .. .. .. .. .. 350 4. Waimea .. .. .. .. .. 350 5. Collingwood .. .. .. .. .. 1,000 £4,300 The sums proposed for the two first-named districts are to enable the respective Road Boards to complete or continue the construction of the roads referred to in my letter of the 7th January last, recommending a scheme of apportionment of the same funds for the past financial year. The proposed contributions to the Pangatotara and Waimea Districts, with a small portion of that to^the Upper Motueka, are intended to be expended in effecting communication between Motueka and Wangapeka by a route which will open up a fair, although not a large amount of agricultural land fit for settlement. The grant recommended for the Collingwood Board is for expenditure in the construction of a road up the Aorere Valley, connecting the Port of Collingwood with the Quartz Ranges, a district reported by miners to be capable of maintaining a considerable population, and at the same time passing through country containing a considerable quantity of bush land fit for agricultural purposes. I forward herewith the returns required by the Act from the following Road Boards, which are all that have hitherto been furnished to me : —Suburban North, Wairnea, Moutere, Motueka, Pangatotara, Riwaka, Takaka. While writing I am in receipt of your telegram of this date, calling my attention to the necessity of these returns being sent in without delay; and in accordance with your suggestion I have written to the Chairman of the three Road Boards—Collingwood, Amuri, and Upper Motueka—in arrear, to urge upon them the propriety of sending in the returns without further delay. I have, &c, Oswald Curtis, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent.

No. 8. Mr. J. B. Wemyss to the Hon. W. Gisborne. Sir,— Superintendent's Office, Blenheim, 18th July, 1871. In reply to your circular letter No. 34, of the 21st ultimo, relative to the division among the Road Boards of this Province of the proportion of the £50,000 available during the