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culverted, graded, and formed. About 2 miles seventy chains—the balance of the road to back line of reserve—is now being felled and cleared, after which it will be culverted and formed. The cost to date has been £764 ss. lid., and the liabilities for works in progress amount to £210. The work has been done entirely by natives, the contracts were taken a little below average rates in the district, and the work has been done in a most satisfactory manner ; in several eases work being done not required by the. specifications. The completion of this road will be a great boon to the settlers in the Rahotu district, as it will enable them to obtain sawn timber, fencing, and firewood of which they are in great want. A sawmill will probably be erected on native land, adjoining this road, during the ensuing summer. The total expenditure on roads under my actual supervision during the past year has been £4,019 12s. 2d. In addition to the before-mentioned works, I have had the supervision of the plans and specifications, and the inspection and the issuing of certificates, on account of the following works entrusted to Road Boards. Stratford-Opimake Road, being the completion of tho formation and metalling of this road between Stratford and the Waingongoro stream. This work, consisting of the forming and metalling of about ninety chains of road, is being carried on by the Ngaire Road Board. The contracts for the formation, and some tunnels, are now well advanced, and are expected to be completed about October, and the metalling will bo commenced so soon as the road is dry and firm. The vote of £1,000 is expected to complete the road—including metalling—from Stratford to the top of the hill on the west side of the Waingongoro stream, excepting tho approaches of the Waingongoro bridge, which will be made at the cost of tho Waimate and Ngaire Road Boards. No payments have yet been made on account of this work. Bridge over Waingongoro Stream, Stratford-Opunake Road, —This work is being done under the supervision of the Waimate Road Board. The concrete piers are built, and a large amount of the material for the bridge is on the site. The bridge will probably be completed in August and open for traffic in about October. No payments have yet been made on account of the work. The certainty of the Opunake Road being constructed to the Waingongoro Stream, and the erection of the above bridge, have been the means of selling a very large area of Crown lands in Blocks VII. and VIII., Kaupokonui, which previously had been unsaleable. Nearly all the sections open for sale have now been disposed of, and those abutting on to the forest reserve will soon be in demand. Roads through Native Leased Lands, Blocks X. and XL, Opunake. —The formation of parts of the Ihaia-Kaweora and Waituka roads, so far as the lands have been leased, was entrusted to the Stouy River Road Board. The various works—draining, culverting, and formation—are just completed, the whole of the vote, £700, having been expended. Motuwhero Valley Road. —The opening this road, to give access to the Crown lands inland of Waverley and Waitotara, has been placed in the hands of the Wairoa Road Board, who have employed, a surveyor—Mr. Eraser—to lay off the best line obtainable. A very good, and practically level line of road has been found, of easy formation, and, I presume, the road work will be soon commenced. In connection with all of the above works, I may state that I have carefully examined the various plans and specifications, and have visited and inspected the several works as occasion required. In addition to the supervision of the road work placed under my charge, I beg to state that during the past year I have also performed the following work in connection with my duties as Crown Lands Ranger:—lnspections of 21,110 acres of deferred-payments and perpetual lease lands, held by 215 selectors, in the Taranaki and West Coast districts ; nine inspections under the Forest Trees Planting Encouragement Acts ; thirty-two special inspections, at various times, for valuations, or granting certificates to deferred-payment settlers to purchase their freeholds ; the reporting on eleven Road Board schedules of proposed expenditure of deferred payment monies, in many cases requiring my inspection of the Road Board books; and the usual office work, including the plans and specifications for the various road works; 153 reports and certificates, and outward correspondence of over 420 letters. G. F. Robinson, Crown Lands Ranger.

WELLINGTON. Otamaleapua-Waitapu Block. —Kimbolton Road extension work done, sixty chains felled and cleared, sixty-six feet stumped thirty-three feet in width, 148 chains formed twenty feet in width, at a cost of .£846. Also, 553 chains felled, cleared and stumped, sixty-six feet and sixteen feet, and 524 chains formed seven feet in width, and maintenance on 10 miles of roads, and sowing grass seed, at a cost of £676. The works have been carried out by Mr. Charles Field in a thoroughly workmanlike and satisfactory manner. He is now extending the horse road to the Pemberton Association's block. The Kiwitea Road Board have in hand the metalling of lj miles of this road, to cost £260. The works on the branch road to the Oroua, to give access to the Feilding Special Settlement block, are ready to be advertised. The area opened up or served is about 75,000 acres. ■ East Side of Pohangina. —Work done : 152^ chains of bush felling, stumping, formation, fourteen feet wide, culverting, &c., at a cost of £667. This road is also a useful and important line, it gives access to the Wanganui Harbour Board's Endowment block, and the Crown lands on the east side of the Pohangina river ; the area opened up or made more accessible is 10,000 acres. Mangahao and Mangatainoka. —Mr. Reaney explored about 58 miles of roads, including the proposed cross-roads over the Tararua Ranges to Manawatu, of which he located about 20 miles. Levels were taken over 11 miles, complete plans and specifications for contract were prepared of 9f miles of roads, and 7 miles more were graded and laid off for contract with the Abney clinometer. The contracts let, and now in progress, comprise:—-1. The Pahiatua-Mangahao road: 4i miles to be felled, cleared, and stumped, sixty-six feet and thirty-three feet respectively, find formed and culverted as a dray road thirteen feet in width, at a cost of £1,235. 2. Tho