33

D.—l

Land Plans. —Various detached surveys have been made, such as the railway deviation at Pokeno, land for coal-siding at Huntly, Woodhill deviation, &c. Thames A^alley-Eotobua Bailway. Putaruru-Botorua Section: Ngatira Contract (8 miles Formation, Platelaying, and Buildings).— On this contract 7-J miles of formation are completed, all the bridges and culverts are finished, and the line is linked in for 4-J miles, fencing about three-fourths done, and buildings practically completed. Native Petty Contracts. —At the Eotorua end the formation has been constructed between 3 miles and 9 miles by Native labour. Surveys. —The whole of the remainder of this section of the railway has been surveyed, and plans, &c, are ready for contract. The land-plan survey has been completed, and plane are now in a forward state of progress. A survey is also in hand of a road about 6 miles long, connecting the proposed railway-station at 18 miles 5 chains with the main road leading to Ohinemutu. WANGANUI DISTRICT. Main Teunk Bail way, Noeth Island (Southekn End). Poreiva Contract (12 miles 54 chains, Formation and Platelaying). —At the date of last last year's report this contract was under maintenance, and it was finally taken over in June, 1887. Some minor works have since been added, such as additional flood-openings at two places, and water-supply at Marton Junction, as well as the necessary station-buildings. HunterviUc Contract (12 miles 54 chains to 18 miles 31 chains, Formation and Platelaying).—The work on this contract is still incomplete. Circumstances rendered it necessary to arrange for a transfer from the original contractor to another, who is now pushing on the works, which it is expected will be finished by the end of May. The station-buildings contracts on this length are completed. Service Beads. —These were described in last year's report, and the portions then not finished have been completed since, with the exception of one or two bridges. The road from Pukeore (about twenty miles from Marton) had been opened 22-J- miles at date of last year's report. It has been completed since to a total distance of 36J miles, beyond which a distance of 1 mile 11 chains has been felled, but not cleared, through the bush to the site of Turangarere Station, which is, by the railway-line as surveyed, 61 miles 48 chains from Marton Junction. This road has been laid out as a dray-road, and will form a leading and useful line of road for settlement purposes. It is probably the best line of through road yet laid out from the West Coast to Murimotu. Pipiriki-Ohakune (25 miles 5 chains). —Beported last year as being completed for a packtrack for 16 miles. Since then it has been completed to Ohakuue, and maintained during the year. Complete plans and sections of this road, laid out for dray-traffic, have been prepared. Kerioir-Taumaranui (about fifty miles). —This has been maintained, and is available for horsetraffic. Inland Patca Boad. —This extends from the Bangitikei Biver (on the line of road from the East Coast) to Turangarere, about 27f miles, where it joins the open country near Murimotu Plains. Certain works have been done on this road, the present position of which is this : From Bangitikei Biver to Moawhanga, 15-J- miles, and on to about 23 miles, the road is passable for drays, except at the Bluff, at 13 miles, where about 19 chains require to be widened; and other improvements are needed between 15 miles and 23 miles. Thence to 24 miles 75 chains (Hautapu Falls) the natural formation would allow of the passage of drays with very little work. From the Falls to Taurangarere Station site, 27 miles 55 chains, no work has been done, and the route is not passable. The estimated cost of making the whole of this length passable for drays is £1,050. Plans and sections of bridge-sites on the Bangitikei and Moawhanga Bivers have been prepared for the purpose of estimating the cost of bridging these rivers. Surveys. —The line is now finally located and pegged out, and plans furnished from end of Hunterville section, at 18 miles 31 chains, to end of Paengaroa section, at 50 miles 62-J- chains; and the line is located and survey nearly completed from thence to Turongarere Station, at the head of Hautapu Valley, 61 miles 48 chains. About two months' work would complete the pegging-out of this latter portion. Excavations have been made at various places to ascertain the nature of the foundations of walls, sites of bridges, and the material likely to be found in a tunnel. This survey was discontinued, by order, in January, 1888, and the officers employed on it were removed to the New Plymouth District to make surveys of the Taranaki-Auckland routes, particulars of which are given below—viz. : First, from near Ngaire (or about five miles south of Stratford) to Nihoniho ; second, from Waitara, via the coast and the Miini Valley, to join the former at an intermediate place. Ngaire Boutc. —On this there are employed three survey parties, and at the southern end eight miles have been explored, and position of line determined, three miles of trial line completed, and information obtained for junction with main line : the formation and grades will be easier on these eight miles than if the line started from Stratford. On the inland part of this route the work has as yet been preliminary—viz., exploration from the Tangarakau to Nihoniho, and determining there the approximate position of trial lines ; also the getting-in stores and the opening-up of a pack-track by way of the Tongaporutu Stream, as the nearest way to the centre portion of the survey. Nine miles of this track have been completed, leading towards the Tangarakau Biver. Waitara Boute. —This follows the open country at no great distance from the coast to the Mimi, which it reaches about fifteen miles from Waitara, and then turns off inland. % miles of survey have been completed, mostly over easy country, which will continue as far as the junction