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£208, the expenditure for the year being £279 17s. 2d. This road connects the settled districts with the whole of the Grown lands in Waimarino, Bangataua, and other blocks, which comprise an area of about 400,000 acres of Crown lands. Waitotara-Omahini. —A road party was put on by Mr. John Annabell, and they formed 32 chains of the Ngutuera Valley Eoad 4ft. wide, built six small bridges and ten culverts, .at a cost of £45 3s. 9d.; 7 miles of roads were laid out for contract; and tenders are being called for the Contracts Nos. 54, 55, and 56, comprising 5f miles of roads to be felled, stumped, and cleared. The area of Crown lands to be opened is 14,000 acres. Tokomaru Block. —The 2J miles of Carry's Eoad were completed for dray-traffic, the expenditure out of vote last year being £612. A further sum of £100 is to be given towards the extension of this line to Mowhero. The only Crown lands affected are the 5,000 acres in Pukototara Block, which are, however, still very distant from the point mentioned. Otamakapua Block. —Mr. Charles Feild and his party cleared, felled, and stumped the Peep o' Day Eoad, comprising 3f r miles, at a cost of £239 45.; they repaired and renewed the Oroua Branch Eoad, cost £18 125.; and repaired Kimbolton Eoad extension, cost £19 16s. The Kiwitea Eoad Board metalled 2J miles of the Kimbolton Eoad within the Birmingham Block, at a cost of £260. West Waitapu-Otamahapua Block. —The work on this block effected by Mr. Feild's party comprised the felling, stumping, and clearing of 408 chains on the Waituna Valley Eoad, and formation of a 7ft. horse-road for 140 chains on the same line ; the stumping, clearing, and part forming of 95 chains on Williamson's Eoad; and the felling, stumping, and clearing of 109 chains on the extension of the latter, inclusive of 50 chains formation 6ft. wide. The same party also built five small rough bridges and five culverts, the cost of the works being £700 ss. The area of Crown lands directly benefited is 10,000 acres. Torotca lioad. —Mr. Eeaney supervised a gang of men, including village homestead settlers, in extending this road to the Tiraumea Eiver. The length completed comprises 114 chains of drayroad, at a total cost of £961 15s. Bd. This line leads into the Puketoi country, and will benefit, at least, 20,000 acres of land. A wire-rope cradle-bridge was erected over the Tiraumea on this road, cost £37. . Pahiatua Village Settlement Boads. —The Hill Eoad was felled, stumped, and cleared, the length being 29 chains, and cost £21 15s. The Pukemikau Eoad for a length of 47 chains was felled only, cost £9 10s; and 30 chains of the latter road was felled, stumped, and cleared, at a cost of £27, exclusive of supervision, &o. A contract, No. 40, has been let for the formation of chains on the middle road; the contract price is £55 2s. 6d. Mangaone Boads. —The Central Mangaone Eoad, Contract No. 30, length SJ miles, was completed. The work done comprised felling, stumping, and clearing, at a cost of £272. The 66j chains in Contract No. 35, Tawataia Eoad, for similar work, were also finished, at a cost of £58. These roads connect the Tiraumea Crown lands with Alfredton and Eketahuna. Hefty & Boad. —This line, which leads into the Wellington Special Settlement Block and the Crown lands west of Mauriceville (7,000 acres), was felled, stumped, cleared, and formed as a horseroad for 33 chains, at a cost of £79 18s. lid. Dreyer's Bock Boad is now being extended towards the Wangaehu, which is 3 miles back. About half the distance has been finished by felling, stumping, and clearing, and forming a 6ft.wide horse-road. The cost to the 30th June was £217 125., including the engineering survey, cost of Barren's party, and Mr. Crombie's supervision. The same party cleared out and renewed the formation on 242 chains on Barton's Wangaehu Eoad, at a cost of £113 Is. These works benefit about 10,000 acres of Crown lands. Dorset's Boad. —Contract No. 34, comprising 2J miles of bushwork and dray-road formation on this road, was completed, at a cost of £739; and Barren's party, under Mr. Crombie's supervision, extended the line 2J miles by felling, stumping, clearing, and forming the road for horse-traffic on final grades 6ft. wide, at a cost of £340 ss. 9d. The area of Crown lands benefited by these works, and which have nearly all been sold, is 6,500 acres. Mangaone-Tiraumea Boads. —Mr. Greville laid off 12J miles of roads in this district, and contracts have been let for the felling, stumping, and clearing of the whole length, the price being £863 3s. 7d. This expenditure will benefit all the Crown lands contiguous and to the eastward of the lines, amounting, say, to 15,000 acres. Pahiatua Bock Boad. —Contract No. 31, comprising bushwork and formation of horse-road on 2 miles of this road, was completed, at a cost of £352, and a contract, No. 42, is now being advertised to carry the road If miles to the junction of the Mangaramarama Valley Eoad. The Crown has disposed of all the lands in this locality except 1,400 acres. Miscellaneous. —The staff were employed in laying off roads in various parts of the district, in supervision of works, and miscellaneous surveys and reports. Mr. A. D. Wilson laid off 4-| miles of the Wangaehu Valley Eoad, made a survey and section of a proposed bridge site on the Upper Wangaehu, and also an engineering survey, and completed the specifications and plans of 2 miles of the Maungakaretu Eidge Eoad, and he opened up the old track, at a cost of £122 in all; Mr. Climie made surveys, took levels and cross-sections, and made plans, &c, of 5J miles of the Tirau-mea-Makuri Eoads ; Mr. Crombie laid off 6 miles of Dreyer's Bock extension and Barton's line ; and Mr. Lowe prepared for contract 6f miles of the roads on Crown lands west of Mauriceville. J. W. A. Mabcrant, Chief Surveyor.

NELSON. Pigeon Valley to Motueka. —The Waimea Eoad Board have completed their portion of widening this road into a dray-track, and the final payment made of £93 10s. The total length completed is 4 miles, at a cost of £500, opening out about 1,000 acres of land.