0.—3

24

Hawera Road, to open up village reserve on Mangaone stream, about 3J miles long; part of £2,000 authorized out of the £8,000 vote. Contracts have been let as under:— £ s. d. 1. 54 chains formation 264 0 0 2. 112 ~ „ 735 0 0 £999 0 0 Mauriceville South Road, to open up Crown lands at South Mauriceville.—The Government has not yet granted any money for this road. Contracts have been let as under: — £ s. d. 1. 46 chains formation 105 0 0 2. 56 „ „ , ... 261 0 0 3. 60 „ „ 229 0 0 4. 46 „ „ 189 10 0 £784 10 0 Eketahuna to Alfredton Road is formed 15 feet wide, and cleared 33 feet on flat ground. All necessary or requisite bridges and culverts are built. No metalling'done. Road Pahiatua Block.—This road is formed 13 feet wide throughout, the bush felled 66 feet wide, and cleared 33 feet wide. All necessary or requisite bridges are built, no metalling done. The Mauriceville South Road is formed 16 feet wide, bush felled 66 feet wide, and cleared 33 feet wide. The contracts include all culverts, but no bridges or metalling. The road, through township reserve, Corporation endowment, and other parts of Pahiatua Block are formed 13 feet wide, bush felled 66 feet wide, all culverts are provided for, but no bridges or metalling. Hawera Road.— The formation is 16 feet wide, bush felled 66 feet wide, and cleared 33 feet wide; all bridges and culverts are provided for, but no metalling. Wangaehu Valley Road.—Formation 13 feet wide, felling 66 feet wide ; and clearing 33 feet wide; all culverts provided for, no metalling.

Manawatu Highways Board.- —The Chairman reports as follows : —" The £500 grant is being laid out on roads, south and east, in the Fitzherbert Block, and the roads to Palmerston North and the Manawatu Eiver. The length of the roads being formed with the £500 grant, is 3 miles 55 chains, in manner following. On ordinary lengths, 15 feet in width, with two side drains 2 feet wide and 1£ feet deep. On sidelong slopes, 12 and 14 feet in width, with inner side drains l£ and 2 feet wide ; together with the culverts required for removing surface water, and for leading creeks under the road."

Taranaki and West Coast. Mr. Robinson, Crown Lands Ranger, reports as follows:—By the schedule you will see that in the Taranaki Provincial District over 46 miles of roads have been felled, and that over £1,862 has been spent in bridges, culverts, drains, and earthwork, besides improving by drains, grading, &c, over 4 miles of Tariki Road, and grassing over 55 miles of newly felled roads. Also other minor works. With respect to the works in progess and to be carried on during the ensuing year, I do not know of any in the Taranaki land district, excepting an order I have just received for completing the felling of the Waingongoro Road (a few chains that is) beyond those I have shown in the statement. I should however, strongly recommend the opening of the Tariki Road to the Waitara River, a distance of under 4 miles, and the improving of the East Road from Stratford to the confiscated line. With regard to the latter, on receipt of your instructions of the 20th March last, I immediately wrote to the New Plymouth Borough Council, to the School Commissioners, and to the Manganui Road Boad, asking them to subscribe in the following ratio : New Plymouth Borough Council, £75 ; School Commissioners, £45; and Road Board, £10. I received answers from the School Commissioners and Road Board agreeing to the proposal, but the Council adjourned the discussion on the question to a future day. I again wrote to the Council on the 15th May, requesting an early answer. The matter was again discussed, and at last referred to the Reserves Committee, which really means that the Council will do nothing to assist. I can therefore do nothing on this road without further instructions from you. In the West Coast land district also the work to be done will be very limited unless the " continuous reserve " at Waimate is to be opened up by roads (to be charged against the rents), and the lands for sale to be further opened up by felling the cross-roads between the Eltham, Skeet, and Opunake Roads. Settlers in the Whakamara District are anxious to have lands opened up behind the Mokoia Reserve. They say it is equal in quality to the lands already sold in Whakamara, and that a good line of road can be got out, avoiding altogether the Otoki and other gorges.