(3.—la

28

Statement showing Payments to Local Bodies in the Taranaki Land District, &c. — continued.

WELLINGTON. Manawatu Gorge Boad. —A small gang, under the supervision of Mr. E. H. Eeaney, cleared eighty-eight slips, comprising 3,080 cublic yards, opened and cleared side drains for 1,980 chains, remetalled holes and ruts for 50 chains, logged-up thirty rubble walls, repaired two platformbridges and twenty-five culverts, put in 175 ft. of new culverts, and re-formed 306 chains of the road surface. The expenditure was £469 9s. 4d., and the road was handed over to the local bodies on the 31st March. Pahiatua to Palmerston North. —Mr. Eeaney executed the engineering survey of 2 miles of this road and prepared plans and specifications. Three contracts, comprising 6 miles 33 chains of bushwork and horse-road formation, 6ft. wide, were completed, the expenditure on the works being £833 14s. 4d. About 5 miles of this road remains to be formed, partly through the Forest Eeserve and partly through sold lands on the eastern side of the Tararua Eanges. Mangatainoka District. —A contract, comprising 2 miles 59 chains of light bush-work, with drayroad formation, including three totara bridges, two 15ft. and one 20ft. span, was completed, the expenditure being £301 17s. 7d. The work was confined to the Hawera-Kakariki Boad, which leads to and serves about 7,000 acres of Crown lands on the Mangahao Eiver. Puketoi. —Mr. Eeaney executed engineering survey, with plans and specifications, for drayroad formation of 3J miles of the road through Mr. Holmes Warren's Tiraumea Station, and two contracts have been let for the work. Mr. Eeaney also located a further distance of 7 miles of this road. Mr. E. P. Greville executed the engineering survey with plans and specifications for horse-road formation of 2 miles of the Makairo Eoad, and the unemployed were put on this work. A day-party, under the supervision of Messrs. J. D. Climie and Eeaney, constructed 3 miles of the Aohanga Eoad as a horse-road. The expenditure on these works was £817 9s. 5d., and the latter road benefits an area of 2,000 acres of Crown lands. Pohangina to Oroua. —Mr. H. J. Lowe executed engineering surveys of 4} miles of the Branch and London's Eoads, and prepared plans and specifications for 2 miles 25 chains of bush-work and horse-road formation, a contract for which is now in hand. The expenditure on this work was £72 16s. 7d. Boad, Oroua Paver. —The Kiwitea Eoad Board was granted a subsidy of £1 for £1 up to £100, with which a portion of the Oroua Valley Eoad was formed 14ft. wide; the length of the work being 2 miles 1 chain, and the area of Crown lands served 1,400 acres. The sum of £50 has also been expended in the same manner on the Kimbolton Eoad, but the work has not been completed yet. Maitngakaretu. —The Upper Wangaehu Eoad Board was granted the sum of £125, with which the road kuown as Hale's Track was formed 6ft. wide for a distance of 1 mile 79 chains. The area of Crown Lands served is 3,270 acres. Otamakapiia. —Two contracts, comprising 3 miles of bush-work and horse-road formation 6ft. wide, were carried out on the Tapuae Eidge Eoad, the expenditure being £326 os. 9d. The area of Crown lands benefited is 3,272 acres. Waitotara to Omahinc. —Three contracts, comprising 5 miles of bush-work and horse-road formation with pipe-culverts, were carried out on the Mangawhio Eoad, the expenditure being £676 18s. Id. The area of Crown lands benefited is 5,180 acres. To Purchase Boads to Grown Lands. —The roads through the following lands were purchased, at a total cost of £231 35., viz. : Section 15, Block XIV., Apiti, C. London, £31 55.; Section 9, Block X., Kopuaranga, James Stuckey, £170; Sections 38, 57, and 168, Block V., Puketoi Survey District, W. J. Saunders, £29 18s. The first- and last-mentioned roads led to an area of 28,000 acres of Crown lands. Miscellaneous. —The sum of £253 was spent in the following manner: W. Siever's compensation for road taken through Section 11, Makara, £189 12s. 6d.; Mrs. E. Moore, compensation for improvements on land taken for road through Section 19, Block XV., Mangohau Survey District, £11 15s. ; tents and flies purchased for road parties, £10 65.; and grass-seed sown on cleared roads, £41 6s. 6d. An area of 259 acres was cleared and grassed in the various village-homestead settlements in the district, and the sum of £305 10s. 9d. was spent in assistance to the settlers. John H. Bakee, Chief Surveyor.

Local Bodies. Deferredpaymont;'and Perpetuallease Lands. Small Grazingruns. Total Payment. Length, Locality, Description, and Particulars of Work authorised by Land Board. Brought forward .. Igaere Road Board £ a. d. 2,497 12 8 464 5 8 £ s. d. 1 12 3 £ s. d. 2,499 4 11 464 5 8 New formation, 2 miles 73 chains; felling and clearing, 32 chains; metalling and gravelling, new, 12 chains ; metalling and gravelling, repairs, 24 miles : spread over seventeen different roads. 9 miles, new formation, on nineteen roads ; 1 mile 10 chains felling and clearing on three roads ; 9J miles logging and stumping on twelve roads; 2j miles metalling on ten roads; 4J miles repairs on ten roads. 34 miles on Makino, Kawaiti, and Ball Roads, cuttings, culverting, scrubbing, and clearing. Vaimate Road Board .. 1,245 4 0 1,245 4 0 'atea West Road Board 62 17 7 11 18 4 74 15 11 Totals 4,269 19 11 14,283 10 6 13 10 7