G.—No. 31

14

FURTHER REPORTS ON THE

Surveys : For Roads —Hokitika to Kanieri; Arahura to Staffordtown ; Marsden to Hohonu ; 17 m.p., Christchurch Road, to nearest point, Greenstone Road ; Kanieri to Ross. For Water Supply— "Waimea. Construction of Roads. Greek's Gully Track. —The contracts for construction of this track, amounting to £470, were signed on 26th April last. The total distance is 140 chains 65 links, giving an average of £3 6s. lOd. per chain, or £267 per mile, nearly. The track is to be cleared 17 feet wide, formed 7 feet, and metalled 4 feet, with culverts and drains where required. The work will be completed about 15th August. Kokatahi Road. —Sections Nos. 1, 2. and 5 of this road, comprising 2 miles 7 chains out of the total length of 6 miles 46 chains, have been let for the sum of £807, to be paid in land. The estimate for the work included in these contracts amounts to £843, so that the land applied for has been rated at rather more than £1 per acre. The estimate for the entire road, finished as at present specified, that is to say, " 33-feet clearings throughout, drained and formed 14 feet wide, with culverts where required," amounts to £5,340; metalling, 12 feet wide, would cost about £1,740 more, making a total of £7,080. It will be seen from the above that only one-eighth of the total work has been let up to the present time, and, as tenders have been called for almost continuously since the 16th of March, I fear that a long time must elapse before the whole work is undertaken for land payments. Bruce Bay and Haa.it River Track. —This track was much required, as the nature of the bluffs between Bruce Bay and the Haast almost precluded travelling along the beach. The total distance is fifty-six miles, and contracts have been entered into for the construction, to be completed on the 16th February, 1872. The estimate amounted to £2,960, and the tenders accepted to £2,180, payable in land; so that here, as in the case of the Kokatahi Road, the value set on the land was more than £1 per. acre. The work, when completed, will consist of clearing, 5 feet wide ; benching, 2 feet wide, on sidlings, with corduroy and culverts where required ; and foot bridges over deep creeks. About thirty miles of this line has been let out by the District Surveyor from Ross (Mr. Browne), and the remainder will be explored as soon as the contractors arc ready to undertake it. Fitzherbert and Stafford Streets, Hokitika. —27 chains of 16-feet dray road in Fitzherbert Street, and 43f chains of 14-feet dray road in Stafford Street, have been completed by prison labour, as part of the main road between Greymouth and Ross. The total value of the work, together with maintenance of Fitzherbert Street since its construction, as estimated by the Borough Engineer (Mr. Frew), amounts to £879. Maintenance of Roads. The roads at the commencement of the present Session having been in a state of thorough repair, the contracts set were for maintenance only, and aro therefore good examples of the value of such work in Westland. The rates for the different classes of roads, as deduced from the current contracts, are given below: — Christchurch Road. —lß feet wide, fifty-three miles, for six months, £1,875 —£5 18s. per mile per month. Arahura Road. —12 feet wide, two milts and three-eighths, for five months, £160 —£13 7s. per mile per month. Woolhouses Road. —8 feet wide, three miles and one-eighth, for five months, £200—£12 16s. per mile per month. Greenstone Road. —10 feet wide, fourteen miles and three-quarters, for four months and threequarters, £658 —£9 7s. per mile per month. Maori Gully Road. —B feet wide, seven miles and a half, for five mouths, £283 10s.—£7 lis. per mile per month. Chesterfield Track. —4 feet wide, five miles and a half, for five months, £45 —£1 13s. per mile per month. Surveys. Road, Hokitika to Kanieri. —The survey of this road was completed during the last Session, with a view to its being constructed by prison labour : but, in accordance with instructions received from the Colonial Government, plans and specifications were prepared for contract, and tenders called on Ist instant, to be in by Monday, the 17th. The lotal length of the road is 1 mile 66 chains, and the work, as specified, consists of clearing, 50 feet wide ; forming, 15 feet wide ; and metalling, 12 feet wide; with one 40-feet bridge ; culverts, and side-drains throughout. The tenders are to include maintenance for one year from date of completion. Road, Arahura to Stafford. —The survey for this road was commenced on 17th June, by a surveyor and four men, and will be completed on or about the 15th instant, with all the necessary levels, &c. The distance from Thompson's Bridge over the Arahura to Camp Street, Staffordtown, is about 3 miles 30 chains. With the exception of an embankment over low ground at Arahura, about 8 chains of terrace in Flowery Creek Valley, and a bridge over Waimea River, at Staffordtown, the lines present no difficulties whatsoever, and can be cheaply constructed. The Arahura Road Board have entered into contracts, some of which are completed, for the construction of about 137 chains of 9-feet road from Staffordtown to S."W. corner of section No. 1,001. It would doubtless be advisable to utilize this work as part of the main road, if the same could be done with advantage, but I find that to join their line would entail 35 chains extra length of road, and only effect a saving of £250. The present saving in money to so small an amount does not seem adequate to the loss which would be involved in the increase of distance. Road, Marsden io Hohonu. —The exploration for this road was commenced on the 17th of June, and occupied seven days. The country is difficult, and the Blnckwater route had to be adopted instead of the one at first proposed, which hit the Greenstone Road about one mile nearer Hokitika, and was therefore more direct as a main route, but would have involved the same amount of new construction. There will be grades of linlo in places for 15 chains at a stretch, but on the whole the