D.—1.

34

At the north end the Puniu Eiver has been bridged, and an approach-road made of about half a mile in length from the district road near Kihikihi, also a branch 4 miles long from the main road south of the Puniu to the Kawa Station. The earthwork and fencing on these roads were done by Natives. The contractor for the Poro-o-tarao Tunnel has made a rough dray-road from Te Kuiti to the tunnel, a distance of about 25 miles. The gradients are, however, so steep that it will be of little use permanently except as a bridle-track. The Ongaruhe, a branch of the Wanganui Eiver, is navigable for canoes to Te Koura, 16 miles from Poro-o-tarao ; and a dray-road has been made to the Waimaha Plain, 14 miles up the valley from Te Koura. A dray-road has been set out from the Upper Wanganui Valley at Totaratiatia, five miles above Taumaranui, to the Waimarino Plain, a distance of 23-J- miles. It follows generally the course of the Piopiotea River. A horse-track is in course of construction along this line, and rapidly approaching completion. Before the commencement of the railway surveys the only communication between the Waimarino and Murimotu Plains for horse-traffic was round Ruapehu. Now a direct road is in course of construction on the western side of the mountain. It has Been graded as a dray-road, but is only formed at first as a horse-track. The distance between the two open plains is 24-J- miles. There are large bridges of a total length of 505ft. at the Makatoke and Manganui-a-te-ao; they are made for dray-traffic. With the exception of these bridges, which are well advanced, the road is practically complete. From Ohakune, a point on the Waimarino-Murimotu, a branch road is in course of construction to Pipiriki, on the Wanganui Eiver, a distance of 25 miles. The road is of the same character as the one just described, and. in much the same state of progress. Three large streams crossed have been bridged—total length, 175ft. At the south end of the Main Trunk Railway a service-road has been made from Pukeore, near Hnnterville, to the Hautapu Valley, a distance of 22 miles. It also is graded for dray-traffic, but formed only as a horse-track. Detached pieces have also been made at difficult places up the Hautapu River. This road will be finished through in a few months—in fact, it may be expected that there will be no difficulty next summer in riding along the whole railway route from Marton to Te Awamutu. A survey is in progress, and nearly complete, of the continuation of the dray-road from Napier to Murimotu. The distance from the Eangitikei to whore the railway is struck at Turangarere is about 28 miles. A small section, 60 chains in length, of the worst part is in course of construction. The above statement gives the present position of the roads undertaken in connection with the railway, and includes works done prior to the 31st March, 1886. The principal works done since that date are the northern approach to the Puniu Bridge, -J mile; Upper Wanganui Valley to Waimarino, 23J miles ; Waimarino to Murimotu, 24-| miles ; Pukeore to Hautapu, and in Hautapu Valley, 10-J- miles ; Pipiriki to Ohakune, 16 miles; Rangitikei towards Turangarere, f mile : total, 75-J- miles. Clearing Wanganui River. —At the end of last year a channel had been cleared as far as the Kaiwaka rapid, 46 miles above Wanganui. The Mataiwi and Karatia rapids, which occur between the 43 and 44 miles, were not, however, cleared to the full width. The river is now cleared all the way to Pipiriki, 56f miles, except at one place, the Te Puha rapid, at 55 miles, and this also would have been done had the river continued low a fortnight longer. The work can only be done when the river is at its summer-level, from December to March. In addition to snags, large quantities of boulders and rock have been removed from the rapids, necessitating the use of a Priestman dredge and dynamite. The clearing of the rapids to Pipiriki, the establishment of c steamer on the river, and the construction of the road from Pipiriki to Waimarino and Murimotu will be important factors in settling the interior of the North Island. Surveys. —During the past year a contract survey was made of the Mokau section, extending from the end of the Waiteti section to the beginning of the Poro-o-taroa section, a distance of 11 miles 9 chains. This completes the working-survey at the north end of the line from Awamutu to the Ohinemoa Valley, a distance of 51 miles. The works on the Mokau section are rather heavy, much the same as the Waiteti contract. In addition to large cuttings and embankments, there will be a moderate-sized viaduct and one or two small tunnels. On the other hand, the detailed surveys up to the Poro-o-tarao show a saving in distance of 2 miles over the first trialsurvey. At the south end of the railway the contract surveys have been carried into the Hautapu Valley, 39 miles from Marton Junction —corresponding with 32 miles on the first trial-survey. This section is very heavy—probably the heaviest on the whole line. Ten out of the 21 miles between the Hunterville section and the Hautapu Valley are easy, but the remaining 11 are far above the average. The country is exceedingly rough ; and heavy earthworks, a considerable amount of tunnelling, and several high viaducts are unavoidable. As the country continues rough at intervals for 20 or 25 miles up the Hautapu, it was considered advisable to have the line properly located without delay. Two additional surveyparties were accordingly set to work, one in January and the other in February. Their surveys will be sufficiently far advanced in three or four months to give a good idea of the works required. Although much lighter than those on the section just referred to, the works up the Hautapu Valley cannot be considered otherwise than heavy. At the end of last year a second trial-survey had been run through the bush from Murimotu to Waimarino. It is generally easy, but shows rather heavy works at several places—notably for about two miles in the Mangawhero watershed, and at the crossing of the Manganui-a-te-ao and Makatote Rivers. I believe, however, that much of the work may be eliminated in making the final survey, and under any circumstances the cost of the section will not be excessive,