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are well advanced. The fencing on the section has been finished. Some of the small bridges are finished, and the others are being built. The clearing of the Huiroa Station site has been finished and a start made with the earthworks. Mount Egmont Branch Railway. All bush-work has been completed up to 6m. 2 0h.., the earthworks are finished up to sm. 70 eh., and the fencing on 4§ miles. The platelaying has been completed on 5J miles, and the line is partly ballasted over this length. The site for the stone-crushing yard has been cleared of bush, and the earthworks are well advanced. The excavations for the pipe-line and for sand-trap are finished. A contract for the supply of steel pipes is in progress. A small dam is being constructed in the Manganui River to divert the water to the pipe-intake. The crushing machinery and the Pelton wheels are on the ground. The concrete formations for this plant are being put in. The length of line to quarry face is 9 miles 20 chains. Midland Railway. Tadmor Section (31m. to fylm. 29 eh. from Nelson; length 10 miles 29 chains). —The works on this section have been completed, and the line is about ready to be opened for traffic. Some additional fencing has been done where the line runs along the road in Tadmor Valley, and some special gates and crossings provided. An additional station has been provided in Tadmor Valley to better meet the requirements of the traffic. A considerable goods traffic was carried over the section during the year. Manu Section (fylm. 29 eh. to 51 in. Iβ eh.; length, 10 miles 20 chains). —The earthworks on the first 2 miles are nearly finished, and the bush-work for the first 9 J miles is done. The fencing is finished to 43 m. Reefton—lnangahua (4.5 m. 76 eh. to 66 m. 10 eh. from Greymouth.). —The earthworks on the first 5 miles from Reefton are nearly completed, also the earthworks in the Reefton Station yard. The platelaying in the station-yard is finished, and on the line put over Burkes Creek, about a mile beyond the station. The approaches to the Waitahu road and railway bridge are complete, and the bridge is open for road traffic. The bridge over Burkes Creek has been finished, and tenders have been received for the erection of a bridge over Larry's Creek. Stone protection has been put around one of the piers of the Landing Bridge to check the scouring-action of floodcurrents. Rolleston Section (50 in. 39 eh. to 52 in. 66 eh.). —The large cuttings between the Otira Station and the west end of the Arthur's Pass tunnel has been started, and a large amount of work has been done. Groins to protect the approaches to the Rolleston Bridge are being built, and this work is well advanced. All the piers for the Goat Creek Bridge are finished, and some of the steel girders are in position. The piers for the Rolleston Bridge are finished, and all the girders are now in position, and the riveting-up of the superstructure is nearing completion. Tenders are being advertised for the construction of the Arthur's Pass summit tunnel, 5 miles 24 chains long, in England, United States, and Australia, as well as locally. Mount Torlesse Section (6 m. to 18 m. from Springfield; length, 12 miles). —The heavy earthworks up to the Broken River Station at 12 m. are nearly complete. All the tunnels, nine in number, up to Broken River are now completed; some of these tunnels were somewhat difficult to construct, owing to the heavy ground through which they passed, necessitating extra thick lining and other exceptional work. The five short tunnels between Broken River and Sloven Creek have been started. About half a mile of tunnelling has been finished during the year. The earthworks are in progress up to 14 m., and some preliminary work has been done up to 18J m., including a start at putting in the pipes and culverts. The steelwork of Staircase Viaduct has been finished, and the rails laid over the viaduct. Small bridges over creeks between Staircase and Broken River are practically finished, except two spans of 22 ft. Some of the short spans of the Broken River Bridge are in position, and part of the steelwork of the centre span, 192 ft. long, is also in place. The line will be finished for traffic in a few months just over the Broken River. The rails have been laid about three-quarters of a mile beyond Staircase Viaduct. A new coach-road has been formed from the Broken River Station yard to the Cass, 15 miles long, 12 miles being new road and the rest (an existing road) improved. The completion of the line to Broken River will materially shorten the journey from Christchurch to the West Coast. This section of line up the Waimakariri Gorge is perhaps the heaviest in the colony. Wbstpobt Inangahua Railway. The earthworks have been started on the first 4 miles from Westport end, and some progress has been made. The felling and clearing of the bush is practically finished on the first 5 miles, and the line has been fenced for 1J miles. Wet weather has greatly retarded the work. Picton-Waipara. Worth End. Seddon-Blind River Section (38 m. £5 eh. to 38 m. from Picton). —In July last works were again started at the northern end from Seddon onwards, and some progress has been made with the earthworks on the first 3j miles. A number of pipes and culverts have been put in, and the erection of the bridge at Hog Swamp has been .begun. A start has been made with the earthworks at Blind River Station yard. The boundaries of the railway reserve for the length under construction liave been fenced by the property-owners, as part of the conditions of sale. South End. Waikare Section. —The Waikare Section was finished and opened to Ethelton on the 3rd November last. Some minor works have since been done.