E.—l

5

The only districts calling for special mention are Wairarapa and the North of Auckland. During the year the road has been opened through from Masterton to the Manawatu Gorge. Contracts have been let for metalling all the worst portions of it; but owing to the weather having broken much earlier than was expected, the Contractors have necessarily been allowed to let the completion of their contracts stand over until after the winter. This road runs through fine country, and will be the means of opening up a very large tract for settlement. A separate statement has been made out of the expenditure on the roads North of Auckland, It shows that up to the 30th June, 1875, £62,739 Is. lOd. had been spent and charged to that item, but this included the Mangere Bridge. Deducting, however, the cost of that bridge, it leaves £47,252 14s. 2d. as spent up to that date. There has been expended during the past year the sum of £3,727 2s. 2d., and there are liabilities to the amount of £3,162 Is. Id., leaving a balance of £5,858 2s. 7d. still unexpended. This money, it is proposed, shall be principally expended in building all the bridges required on the main trunk road from Auckland to the Bay of Islands, and such other works as may be required to make that road passable for ordinary traffic. I should here mention that a vote of £20,500 was taken last year (No. 69), under the head of " Repayment to Immigration and Public Works Account of Advances made therefrom," to meet the expenditure that had been made on account of roads for opening up confiscated lands. As it was stated in the Appropriation Act that this vote was to meet liabilities, it has been held that it could not legally be issued for new works as was intended; the amount at the disposal of the department has therefore been curtailed to the extent of £17,872 11s. 2d. This sum the House will be asked to re-vote, to enable the department to meet the liabilities it has incurred on the presumption that the money voted was at its disposal. During the year, as will be seen from the report of the Assistant Engineer-in-Chief, a very considerable number of the Armed Constabulary have been employed on the roads. The larger portion of the work done by them is in the shape of maintenance and repairs, and but in a few instances they have been employed in construction. No extra pay has been given to the men for this work, but an allowance for forage for horses has been made to the officers. So long as this force is necessary, useful work can be found for these men ; but it must not be supposed the work done by them, taking their time and pay into account, will be executed as cheaply as it would be by contract. Seeing, however, that it is done in addition to their duties as Armed Constabulary, it is a clear gain to the country. WESTLAND EOADS. Only a very small expenditure has taken place during the past year on the roads in Westland, under the Public Works Department. There is a balance of last year's vote unexpended, which I shall ask the House to re-vote, with a view of expending it to the southward of Hokitika. EOADS.—NELSON SOUTH-WEST GOLD FIELDS. A reference to the Tables and the Report of the Assistant Engineer-in-Chief will show the works on which expenditure has taken place during the past year. There is a balance in hand over liabilities, which is considered to be sufficient to complete the road between Greymouth and Reefton. "WATEK-EACES. The Thames Race is now very nearly completed. The Waimea and the Mount Ida Water-Races, and the Waipori Sludge Channel, are also in the same position. The Nelson Creek Race will take some months yet to complete. As it is a part of the Government proposals to hand these races over to the counties in which they are situated, it will not be necessary to ask for votes for the expenses of their management.