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2

Ohinemuri County. Boad, Karangahake to Waihi.' —There is a very steep hill to go over between Owharoa and the crossing of the Waitekauri Creek on the present line of road, and it was represented that a very good grade could be got by following up the Ohinemuri Biver for some distance, and up the valley of the Waitekauri Creek. The estimated cost of the deviation was £600. A subsidy was authorised to the extent of £300; plans and specifications were got out for the first section of the work, and approved, but it was afterwards found as they proceeded with the survey that no better grades could be got than on the present line of road, and consequently, after spending £57 10s., this deviation has been abandoned. The subsidy paid on the work was £28 15s. Bridge over Ohinemuri Biver at Karangahake. —This is a bridge across the Ohinemuri Biver to give further facilities to get quartz taken to the crushing-plant which has recently been erected by the Crown Company, and it will give access to the mines, which are all on the opposite side of the river from the present road. Designs for the bridge were prepared by the Public Works Department, and the County Chairman now wishes it to be constructed under one of the Government engineers. It was originally estimated to cost £1,100, and a subsidy of £550 was authorised; but it is now estimated to cost £1,280. MIDDLE ISLAND. There have been very few roads constructed on the subsidising principle last year in the Middle Island, the goldfields counties' revenues not admitting of this being done. Very little money has been spent on those roads and tracks which were referred to in my last report under the head of " Subsidised Boads and Tracks," and therefore it is not necessary to again refer to them.

BOADS CONSTBUCTED FBOM DIBECT GEANTS. Boad, Teroha,nga Gorge to Puhipuhi. —This is a continuation of the road from Tamarere to Terohanga Gorge, in the Bay of Islands County. It is constructed from this gorge to Mr. Parson's homestead, which is about two miles and a half from the quartz workings at Puhipuhi. The estimated cost of the work was £800, and of this amount £702 7s. has been paid. Horse-track, Cabbage Bay to Port Charles. —A horse-track has been completed from Coromandel to Cabbage Bay, and a continuation of this track is in course of construction to Port Charles ; about two miles and a half, between the sea-beach at Cabbage Bay and Port Charles, has been completed, but there are still about twelve miles to construct, and through a very rough broken country. An authority for £360 was given towards this work, and of this amount £200 has been paid. Boad, Tiki to Makikarau. —This is portion of the road from Coromandel to Mercury Bay. An authority for £250 was given towards this work, and of this amount £210 has been paid. Horse-track, Coromandel to Kuaotunu. —This track is being constructed partially by subsidies and partially by direct grant. An authority was given for £200 towards the construction of this track, and the whole of this amount was paid during last year. Horse-track, Kuaotunu to Mercury Bay. —A horse-track has been constructed from the end of the dray-road coming from the sea-beach at Kuaotunu to Mercury Bay. The cost of this road was £350, and the whole of this money has been paid, and the road completed. Boad, Thames to Manaia. —This is portion of the main road between the Thames and Coromandel. A grant of £500 was authorised towards this road, and the whole of this money has been paid. The road is now in a fairly passable state, but it is very liable to slips on the Thames end, and it causes considerable trouble to the Thames County to keep it in repair. Horse-track, Puriri to Tairua. —This is a continuation of a horse-track constructed several years ago by the Lands Department, from the Puriri Valley towards Tairua. This track was constructed for about three miles, and as it ended in a dense bush, it never could be utilised. Contracts have recently been let to continue on this track towards Tairua, to the gold-workings on the east side of the range. A grant of £300 was given towards the construction of this track, but none of the money has yet been paid. Boad, Havelock to Mahakipawa. —This is a road along the side of the range facing the Mahakipawa arm of the Pelorous Sound, and crosses over a low saddle and through the marshy flats into Havelock. Arrangements were made with Mr. Cullen for getting through his freehold property some time ago, and a subsidy was previously authorised the Pelorus Boad Board if they could find their portion to construct it; but nothing was done until last year, when about three miles and a half of it on the Mahakipawa end was constructed under the supervision of the Public Works Department on the co-operative principle. The cost of the work up to the end of March last was £1,311 9s. Track, Mahakipawa to Waikakaho. —This is a horse-track from the end of the present one up the side of the Mahakipawa Creek, over the range, to join the track constructed by the Eavenswood. Company from the Waikakaho Valley to their quartz-workings on that side of the range. A grant of £150 was authorised for this work, which is now in progress. When completed, it will be a great boon to the miners on both sides of the range, and likely to be the means of further prospecting being done. Horse-track, Aorere Valley to Karamea. —This track has been under construction for several years, and contracts were let last year to complete it from the Aorere Valley to the mouth of the Heaphy Eiver, a distance of thirty-six miles. The track has also been constructed from the Mokihinui to near Karamea, and from Karamea to near the Kohai Bluff. When the present contracts are completed there will still be about eleven miles to construct between the mouth of the Heaphy Biver and the Kohai Bluff, to give direct communication along the coast-line from Collingwood to Jackson's Bay. The total cost of this road, including the contracts now in progress, is £29,620175. 3d., of which amount £28,202 ss. lid. has been paid, leaving a liability at the end of March last of £1,760.