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Mangatainoka central road : Two contracts for 4f miles of bush felling, clearing and stumping sixty-six feet and thirty-three feet in width respectively, the contract price being £430. Mr. Reaney is superintending the works. Tenders are about to be called for the construction of a dray road from near the Mangatainoka bridge to the Masterton-Mangahao Special Settlement block, a distance of 5^ miles. The area benefited by these roads is about 15,000 acres. Kaiwliata Boads. —The Wairarapa West County Council have in hand the formation of the Gladstone East Coast road, between the Wainuioru and the Kaiwhata Rivers, and have let contracts, I understand, covering about 7j miles, the cost to be about £563. This road benefits about 20,000 acres. Pahiatua-Mangaone, fyc. —Mr. Reaney located 11 miles, and levelled over 2 miles, and contracts were let for 1 : 1J miles of roads as follows : — Tiraumea North, completed, 4| miles. Contract price, £353 Mangaone Roads „ 5A ~ „ „ £650 Pahiatua Village Roads if „ „ „ £120 Makakahi Road 3'| „ „ „ £270 The area affected is 15,000 acres. Tolcomaru Block. —Contracts were advertised for the construction of a branch road to West Tokomaru, but owing to opposition of property holders no tender was accepted. Marion to Murimotu. —The Rangitikci County Council undertook the metalling of part of this road near Huntervillo. Several bridges and culverts have been constructed, about fifty chains of road metalled. The line is now open to Pukeore, and gives easy access to the Crown lands in the Otairi block. Karewarewa Bloclc. —A branch road was cleared and stumped, sixty-six feet and twenty feet, and formed as a horse road four feet wide for 2 miles, at a cost of £233. This line connects with the Wanganui-Mangawhero-Murimotu Road, and serves about 7,000 acres. The block is now partly occupied on the Small Run system. Paratieke Block. —Two contracts were completed, comprising of miles of horse roads, cleared sixty-six feet, stumped twenty feet and formed, four feet wide. The cost was £484, and the area affected is about 10,000 acres. Most of the adjacent country has since been taken up on the Small Run system. Bangitumau. —No road works have been let, in consequence of the difficulty in acquiring legal rights of road. Otairi Block. —The surveys have been made, and plans and specifications have been prepared by Mr. Alexander Dundas for the construction of a horse road 2 miles in length, through the Clifton Special Settlement Block, to cost £300. Wairanga Brain. —The Manawatu Road Board were entrusted with the widening and deepening of the main drain. Three contracts were let for £465, of which, I understand £350 was provided by the Government. 250 chains of the main drain have been widened and deepened from section 1556, Block V. to its discharge at the Taonui swamp. Mwvmgakaretu Block. —The Rangitikei County Council was authorised to expend £200 in opening up this block by the Ongo line, the worst portions between Mangahoe Junction and Turakina River, adjoing the Maungakaretu Block have been formed for cart traffic, and the necessary culverts put in, the remainder is under contract. J. W. A. Marchant, Chief Surveyor.

NELSON. Tadmor and Buller Road. —The total length of this dray road to open 10,000 acres of Crown lands is 17| miles. At the date of last report 12 miles had been formed, and partly metalled at a cost of .£4153 Bs. 6d. During the year 2 miles more have been completed, If miles are in progress, and another section of 2 miles has yet to be done, to open and complete this work. In March, Contract No. 22, a 2 miles section was let at the Hope Valley end, and completed in June for £520. In April, Contract No. 20, If miles section, on the Tadmor side of the saddle, was let for £710, and is yet in progress. One progress payment of .£lOO 15s. 3d. has been made. Balance due, £609 4s. 9d. ; supervision £61 10s. The remaining section of 2 miles length lies between Nos. 20 and 22. The bush was felled sixty-six feet wide, clearing fourteen feet, formation twelve feet, fillings and approaches to bridges and culverts only, have been metalled. Aniseed Valley Bray-road. —This line has been constructed for the purpose of opening a large tract of Crown lands containg minerals. At the date of last report a length of 2 miles had been constructed at a cost of £470 13s. Bd. During the year a length of 7\ miles has been constructed, making a total of 9j miles at a cost of £3447 Is. 5d.; of this the Champion Copper Mining Company contributes one-third of the amount, £1149 os. Bd. Contract No. 24, 4 miles, was constructed at a cost of £1338 ss. 9d., and No. 25, 3| miles, £1638 25., including survey and inspection. A large amount of rock cutting was done on this road, the bush was felled sixty-six feet wide, and the formation was twelve feet. United Greek, Boad and Bridge. —This is a branch line from the main valley road constructed to give access to mineral land at the head of the United Creek, and to the Champion Company's works. The Government granted a sum of £600, the company to pay the balance. Contract No. 26, 1 mile forty-three chains has been completed at a cost of £842 ss. 6d., and bridge Contract, No. 27, for £113. The total cost, including survey and supervision, amounts to £955 ss. 6d., and the company contributes £355 ss. 6d. This road is similar in construction to the main valley road.