D.—l

44

BAY OP PLENTY. Tauranga-East Cape Road. —Described in sections as follows, viz.:— Otamarakau Road. —This section has been maintained by the Native contractor during the year, and is now in a good state for horse traffic. Length, 8£ miles. Whakatane—Ohope (3^ miles). —Has been maintained in good order by the contractor during the year. Opape-Torere (7 miles). —Has been maintained in good order by Native contractors during the year, and is in a good state for horse traffic. Maraenui-Omaio (6 miles).—This also has been well maintained during the year by a Native contractor. Whakatane-Te Teko Swamp Road. —A length of 10 chains of the swamp portion of this road has been fascined and formed. The road is very much out of repair, and not fit for traffic. Whakatane-Opotiki. —Section 1 (3 miles) : 4,582 cubic yards of ordinary soft rock, and 1,251 cubic yards of rock which required blasting, have been removed on this section during the year; and 9j miles beyond the above have been laid off ready for construction during the year. Opotiki-Waiotahi Road (5| miles; width, 8 feet). —This is a section of the Tauranga— Opotiki Inland Road, and 13 miles 55 chains have been surveyed and laid off, ready for construction. Opotiki-Ormond. —No. 2 section (3 miles 62 chains) : 300 chains* of forest have been felled and cleared one chain wide on this section during the year. No. 3 Section (10 miles). —800 chains of bridle-track have been formed 4 feet wide, and 800 chains of forest cleared one chain wide; also 676 cubic yards of rock have been excavated on this section. There are now 21 miles of this road open for traffic, and in good order. Tauranga-Taupo Road. —The width of the formation of this road through the Mangorewa bush, 16 miles, has been increased from 18 feet to 20 feet; the worst curves have been improved, and the grades made uniform. The road generally has been maintained in good repair. Over a length of 3| miles the bush has been felled to a width of 3 chains, to admit the sun and wind. The Waititi Bridge has been entirely renewed, and twenty others substantially repaired. Three new culverts have been built, and seven repaired. Rotorua-Tarawera. —This is in good general repair. Atiamuri-Taupo.—Taupci-Napier. Atiamuri-Stony Creek (69 miles). —This road is at present in very fair order for traffic ; it has been maintained partly by ordinary day labour and partly by the Armed Constabulary. Stony Creek-Kaiwhaka (31 miles). —This has been kept in good condition for traffic, and has been still further improved in grading and width. Heavy floods in June caused serious damage by bringing down slips, and washed portions of the road away, but these damages were speedily repaired by the employment of a few additional men. Taupo-Hot Springs. —This road needs little attention, and is in good order. Atiamuri-Tokoroa Plains (9| miles, being part of the Road to Cambridge).—The work of formation was intrusted to certain Natives under contract; they, however, left the work incomplete, and it is now being finished by day-labour, under the overseer. It is expected that the work will be all completed in April. It will be suitable for light traffic, and has been in use since September. EAST COAST. Matamau Road. —This work has been completed during the year. It connects Matamau Railway-station with the main road. MANAWATU DISTRICT. Manawatu Gorge Road. —This has been maintained in good order, and has been still further improved by cutting back the rocky points and easing some of the sharp curves. TARANAKI DISTRICT. Gravelling Henwood Road (2| miles). —A contract was entered into for this work on the 10th March, and the work is now progressing very well. Stony River-Opunake Road. —Eleven new bridges, vai'ying in span from 20 feet to 50 feet, have been built during the year, and their approaches completed. Werekino Bridge (on the Stony River-Opunake Section of Road). —This bridge was much in need of new floor, and the work is now in hand. Umuroa Culvert (on same Section of Road). —The original 4-foot culvert was found to be too small in a heavy flood, and the bank alongside of it was washed away. The gap is now being filled up with a 6-foot culvert, and general repairs are being effected. Newall and Manihi Roads. —These have each been completed for a distance of 5^ miles into the bush. They branch off from the Stony River-Opunake Road, at 5| and 13 miles respectively, south of Stony River. The bush is felled and cleared so as to make them passable for bullock-drays. lnglewood-Whitecliffs Road. —The formation of about 3 miles northwards from Inglewood