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20ft. wide. There are still 22 miles which should be widened to make the road safe for stocktravelling. From Motu Eiver to Poututu the road has been placed in good repair before the rainy season set in, as it is now used by a considerable number of travellers. Tolago-Arikihi. —A gap of about 2J miles of this road between the portion formed from Tolago Bay and the Arikihi Buns has been made, thus giving access to those runs from the coast. This cost £97 Is. 2d., with liabilities of £62 17s. 6d.; and when these are discharged the total cost will be £559 17s. lid., including £279 19s. 6d. expended under the supervision of Cook County Council. Ormond-WaAa/pu Boad. —The Council has expended £83 17s. 6d. upon repairs to the OrmondWaiapu Eoad. Botokakarangu. —Since the Ist July last £300 was voted for this road and £317 2s. Bd. expended. Up to the present time £1,350 has been granted by Government and £1,428 17s. 7rl. has been expended. This has formed 6 miles of dray-track, including 64 pipe culverts, 4 timber culverts, and one 22ft.-span sawn-timber bridge, besides about 5 miles of sft. bridle-track from Cricklewood Junction towards Patere. If any further subsidy is voted it is intended to extend the dray-road as far as the funds will allow, at an estimated cost of £200 per mile. Makarelu. —A subsidy of £50 was granted to the Makaretu Eoad Board to assist in the formation of a road to give access to a portion of the lands lately selected in that neighbourhood, and the work has been completed. Woodville. —The Waipawa County Council agreed last year to subsidise £50 granted by Government by the same amount to form a passable road to the Woodville Special Settlement, and I believe the work has been completed. Wainui-Tahoraite Main Boad and Branches. —Since last report seven contracts have been completed and taken over. This extends the dray-formation to nearly 20 miles from Danevirke towards the sea-coast at Wainui. The cost for the year is £2,512 18s. 6d., and the total cost from commencement of work stands at £12,149 10s. 2d. It is estimated that the cleared but unformed gap on either side of the Akitio Eiver of about 9 miles will cost about £3,700, including three small bridges which must be erected before the road can be considered to be in fair order for dray-traflic. Five men are at present employed on this road clearing up slips, opening water channels, and otherwise putting the road into fair order for the rainy season. Communication between Haivke's Bay and Wellington Districts.— I have, in accordance with your request, indicated the best line to give communication between the Tautane District and the Crown lands in the Wellington District. The Wainui-Tahoraite Eoad and its branches will render more accessible some 60,000 acres of land, more than 40,000 of which yet remain in the hands of the Crown, and about 25,000 acres are to be offered for immediate selection. Total amount expended on Bonds out of Votes to open tip Grown Lands. —Since the first votes to open up Crown lands were taken, in 1880, to the present time £37,808 has been expended upon roads giving access to lands which have been or are being prepared for settlement. lievenue handed over to Local Bodies for Boad Works. —The thirds to local bodies from lands taken up under the various systems of deferred payment since last report amount to £2,546 os. 5d., which, carried to last year's total, makes £24,113 os. sd. from beginning of system. G. W. Williams, Chief Surveyor.

TAEANAKI. The only road directly under my supervision, and consequently omitted in Mr. Eobinson's report, is that from Pukearuhe to Mokau. On this 16 miles only £98 Bs. has been spent, and that in keeping the road open for horse-traffic. This is a very necessary work, as it is by this track alone that the Crown land north of the Mokau Eiver can be reached. As I have shown in previous reports, a large sum of money would be needed to open it for dray-traflic ; but it is to be regretted that a small sum is not available to form a horse-track over the Parininihi Eange, and so avoid the risk of the present track under the cliffs and the climb up by the zigzag. This latter is, through constant attention, still available, but at any time a heavy slip from the cliff may take place, completely demolishing it, and thus cut off communication with Mokau." Thomas Humphhies, Chief Surveyor.

Ingleioood to TVaitara.—Cost of work, £735 13s. 7d. Gives better access to about 2,000 acres in Blocks 11. and 111., Huiroa District, and leads to about 8,000 acres in the Ngatimaru District, east of Waitara. The work included the completion of two contracts for grading and forming the Junction Eoad, between the Suffolk and Tariki Eoads, the formation being 15ft. wide ; the completion of three small bridges, of a total length of 79ft., and the necessary approaches to them; the formation of 33 chains of Junction Eoad leading to the bridge now being erected over the Waitara Eiver at Tarata ; the widening of some of the points on the part of the Junction Eoad known as the " Zigzag," and the clearing away of slips from the cuttings at the same part; also the screwing-up and painting the Manganui and Maketawa Bridges, on the Junction Eoad, about ten months after their erection. It also included the completion of some contracts for felling about 1-J- miles of the Eimutauteka Eoad and about 2 miles of the Bristol Eoad, both in Block XIV., Waitara District, the felling being done 1 chain wide, and a cartway cleared, and grubbed in the centre 12ft. wide, making the roads fairly passable, excepting where culverts are required. Roads east of Waitara (£647 125.). —Opens up about 8,000 acres in Blocks 111. and IV., Huiroa, and Blocks XV. and XVI., Waitara. This includes the felling and clearing cartway of about 14J miles of the Junction, Kohete, Autawa, Pita, Oapui, Pukeho, Wiri, and Otaraoa Eoads; also the

* The formation of track over Parininihi Bango is authorised.—J.M.