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Mount Cook Prison. —The galleries have been erected and painted, and the ceiling-panelling done. The gas-fittings have been put in. The cell-doors have been made and fixed, and earthworks have been carried out to some extent. Porirua Asylum Contract. —This contract is in progress, and is about three-quarters finished. Departmental Buildings, Wellington. —Several rooms have been renovated, some improvements in gas-lighting and ventilation have been carried out, and various minor repairs executed. General Post and Telegraph Office. —All the mantelpieces were overhauled and made fireproof, and extra tanks were supplied and fixed for flushing purposes. Pahiatua Police-station. —A contract for the erection of a police-station at Pahiatua was entered into in January last, and is in progress. Various. —A gas-service was laid on in the Masterton Courthouse in December last, and the roof of the post-office at Lower Hutt was repaired. General Maintenance. —General repairs and maintenance of the buildings throughout the district were attended to. Marlborough-Nelson District. Lunatic Asylum, Nelson. —A fire-reservoir was constructed, and service-pipes laid, and alterations to a hot-water-circulating apparatus completed. Miscellaneous repairs were carried out at the departmental buildings, Blenheim, and the policestation, Picton. Canterbury District. Sunnyside Asylum. —A contract for the completion of the south main-entrance block and for building new male day-rooms was let in November, 1891, and the work was begun at once and is in progress. Materials have been obtained for a fire-prevention service, and the work of laying the pipes, &c, will be put in hand. The general repairs and maintenance of the building have been attended to. Departmental Buildings, Cathedral Square, Christchurch. —A contract for considerable additions and alterations to the post-office was entered into in February last, and good progress is being made with the work. A new floor has been laid in the operating-room of the telegraph department, and several minor repairs have been effected in the buildings. Old Government Buildings, Armagh and Durham Streets, Christchurch. —Two of the offices in these buildings were thoroughly repaired. Additional gas-service has been put in some of the rooms, some drains cleared and repaired, and various small repairs effected. Courthouses and Police-stations. —At Christchurch the roof of the Eesident Magistrate's Courthouse has been repaired and the windows of the Police Court rehung, &c. The Courthouses at Temuka, Amberley, West Oxford, and Akaroa have all been repaired and repainted, and some fencing erected and repaired. A contract for the erection of a Courthouse in brick, with lock-up in wood, at Papanui, was let during the year, and the work was finished in January last. The police-station, lock-up, and constable's house at Little Eiver were repaired and painted. Otago District. New Police-station, Dunedin. —This contract was completed in June, 1891. Court-houses. —Some improvements have been effected in the Police Court in Bond Street, Dunedin. Police-stations and Gaols. —Considerable additions to the Ophir Police-station were completed under contract in June, 1891. The fittings of the old police-station, Dunedin, were shifted to the new police-station. The Police Inspector's residence, Dunedin, was repaired and renovated, and various repairs were carried out at the police-stations, Palmerston, Kaitangata, Outram, Hawksbury, and at the gaols at Oamaru and Lawrence. Post- and Telegraph-offices. —Various additions and repairs have been made to the post- and telegraph-offices at Dunedin, Lawrence, Palmerston, Oamaru, Brighton, Port Chalmers, and Milton. Customhouses. —Eepairs to fittings, floors, &c, of the Customhouse, Dunedin, have been carried out. Departmental Buildings, Dunedin. —Three rooms were renovated, and the general maintenance attended to. Quarantine Island, Port Chalmers. —Additions and repairs to the jetty were carried out under contract, and the work was finished in October last. The buildings and tanks on Goat Island were also repaired. MAEINE. Various matters in connetion with harbours, lighthouses, and wharves have been examined into and reported upon during the year

ENCLOSUEES. This report is accompanied by the following enclosures : — 1. Statement showing lengths of railways authorised, constructed, and surveyed. 2. Diagram showing mileage of railways open each year. 3. Maps of the North and Middle Islands, showing railways opened and in progress. I have, &c, William H. Hales, The Hon. the Minister for Public Works. Engineer-in-Chief.

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