C.-3

2

Thames to Coromandel. —The road between Coromandel and the Thames is now almost completed, with the exception of one piece near Manaia, and another piece between Manaia and Tiki. These portions are estimated to cost £300, and of this amount a subsidy has been authorised to the extent of *£150. Road to Taraicera Claim. —A syndicate has been prospecting for some time in the range above the Corflmandel Hospital, and they have found sufficient inducements to get machinery. This road is for the purpose of allowing it to be brought on to the ground. It is estimated to cost £100, of which amount a subsidy has been authorised to the extent of £50. Thames County. Karaka Creek to Lucky Hit. —This is for widening and improving the road up Karaka Creek, to give better facilities to get the quartz from the mines conveyed to the crushing-batteries. The estimated cost of the work is £600, of which a subsidy to the extent of £300 is authorised, and out of this amount £170 has been paid. Waiomo to Tapu. —This is for widening the horse-track between these two places into a drayroad. This work is nearly completed, and. has cost £1,500, of which amount a subsidy was authorised to the extent of £750, and out of this subsidy £659 Is. lOd. has been paid. Puriri to New Discovery. —Several quartz claims have been taken up ;near Puriri, some of which are proving payable for working. There is a road for some distance up the flat by which machinery can be conveyed, but there is no road to connect the claim with the machine-site. What was formerly known as the Ngawhakapoupou Claim has been acquired by another party, which is erecting a crushing-battery at the foot of the range. To improve the road in the flat and construct a dray-road to this claim is estimated to cost £200. Of this amount a subsidy to the extent of £100 has been authorised. Hikutaia towards Maratoto. —This is a dray-road up the flat from the Thames-Te Aroha Eoad to the crossing of the Hikutaia Eiver. A portion of this flat is very swampy, and there is another portion where a road has to be constructed round the point of a small terrace. This work is estimated to cost £400, and out of this a subsidy has been authorised to the extent of £200, of which £73 17s. 7d. has been paid. Alabama Creek. —This is a horse-track from the road leading up Hape Creek to some claims on Alabama Creek where payable stone was reported to be found. The estimated cost of the track is £100, and of this amount a subsidy has been authorised to the extent of £50. Bocky Point. —This is a portion of the main Thames-Coromandel Eoad within the Thames Borough boundary. It has been widened and nearly completed. The estimated cost of the work was £350, and of this amount a subsidy was authorised to the extent of £175. Sylvia Claim to Tararu. —This is partly for constructing and improving the dray-road on the upper portion, up Tararu Creek, and connecting it with the Sylvia Mine, where some rich refractory ore has been discovered. There are two crushing-plants and two aerial tramways being constructed up this creek, and this work is necessary to enable machinery to be brought on the ground. Its estimated cost is £250, of which amount £125 has been authorised as a subsidy. Te Papa Gully. —This is for widening and metalling a dray-road from the mines in Te Papa Gully, to enable the quartz to be conveyed to the crushiug-batteries on the flat. The estimated cost of the work is £100, and of this amount a subsidy has been authorised to the extent of £50. Paeroa to Hikutaia. —This is for widening and metalling a portion of the main Thames Valley Eoad through a swamp. The cost of the work was £400, and out of this a subsidy of £200 has been paid. Maratoto Track. —This is to construct a track through the ranges from Waitekauri to Maratoto. It was estimated by the County Council to cost £100, and of this amount a subsidy was authorised to the extent of £50. Bcjjairs to Flood Damages. —A heavy flood occurred last year, and destroyed several portions of the roads in the county. The County Council represented that these damages would cost £200 to repair, and a subsidy was authorised to the extent of £100 ; but only £17 6s. lOd. of this has been paid. Crushing-battery to Waihi Mines. —This was for constructing a road from the crushing-battery erected at the Ohinemuri Eiver to the mine at Waihi. It was estimated to cost £300, and of this amount a subsidy was authorised to the extent of £150; but, as there is a new crushing-plant erected at the Waihi Gold and Silver Company's mine, this road is not now required. Piako County. Premier Mine to Katikati. —This is for a horse-track over the range from the end of the bridletrack at the Premier Mine, now belonging to Ferguson's syndicate, to Katikati. It is thought this track will tend to open up more mines, besides being a short road over to the east coast. The estimated cost of the work is £500, and of this amount a subsidy has been authorised to the extent of £250. MIDDLE ISLAND. Mablboeough County. Sounds Boad to Cullensvilh. —This is a dray-road to connect Gullensville with the Queen Charlotte and Mahakipawa Souitds. The estimated cost of the work is £217 45., and out of this a subsidy has been authorised to the extent of £108 12s. Mahakipawa Creek. — This is a horse-track constructed from Cullensville up the side of the Mahakipawa Creek for a distance of two miles. The cost of -the work was £450, and out of this amount a subsidy of £225 has been paid.