£>.—1

66

Courthouses. Dunedin. —Water-supply was improved. Port Chalmers, Queenstown. —Renovations were carried out. •■• ■ Bluff. —A new building has been erected. Alexandra. —Some additions have been built. Cromwell. —A fence was erected round the Courthouse. Police Stations. South Dunedin. —The lock-up has been repaired and painted. Gore —A new station has been erected. • Wyndham. —Some repairs were effected. Clyde. —Sergeant's quarters were renovated. Gaols. Dunedin. —The stonework was cleane-d and painted. Invercargill. —Fire-prevention appliances have been installed. Hospitals, Mental. The Camp. —Preparations for the erection of a fence are in hand. A new kitchen has been added to Superintendent's quarters, and general renovations effected. Miscellaneous. Customhouse, Oamaru. —Some considerable repairs were carried out. Immigration Barracks, Caversham. —This old building has been sold and removed. Quarantine Station, Port Chalmers. —Some additions to Caretaker's house have been carried out. Stock Inspectors' Residences, Balcluiha and Eurow.—Both buildings have been painted. Survey Department, Dunedin and Invercargill. —Strong-rooms have been erected at each office. Tvurist Department: Glade House, Te Anau. —Some extensive additions to this building are being carried out. In addition to the items mentioned, small maintenance-works have been carried out at a great many public buildings throughout the colony. MARINE. Some repairs have been done at the Bean Rock Light and to dwellings at Manukau Heads lighthouse, and an additional beacon erected at Kaipara Heads. A contract for the removal of rocks in Onehunga Harbour has been satisfactorily completed. A beacon has been erected in the north end of Waiuku Channel, Manukau Harbour. New plans have been prepared for wharf and store for the cable steamer "Iris." The wharf at Somes Island, Wellington Harbour, is being extended; and the wharves at Quail Island, Lyttelton Harbour, have been improved and extended. A marine survey of Point Elizabeth Harbour has been started. The fog-signal, Taiaroa Head, has been completed. The goods-shed, Okariti Wharf, has been enlarged, and a marine survey of the harbour is being made. A report on Takaka Harbour has been made. ROTORUA AND HANMER. The relaying and extension of the sewers in Rotorua Township has been completed. The collecting-tank has been repaired, and ventilation provided to it and to the sewers. The septic tank has been finished. The filter-beds are not yet completed, and the house connections have not yet been made pending the completion of the new water-supply. Pipes have been ordered for the Rotorua and Hanmer water-supplies, and are expected to arrive shortly. ELECTRIC AND CABLE TRAMWAYS. A large amount of work has been done by the Head Office staff in approving plans and inspecting works for tramways in the four chief towns. UTILISATION OF WATER-POWER. A further examination was made to ascertain if the storage of any large quantity of water is possible in the Wairua River watershed at reasonable cost. A dam can be built to flood the swamp area west of the Whangarei-Kamo line, from about Hikurangi to Whakapapa: the question to decide now is whether the land would be worth more for agricultural purposes if drained than if used as a reservoir for power purposes. Except in exceptional cases, it would probably be unwise to flood potentially good agricultural lands to form storage-reservoirs. ■ Rotoiti-Kaituna: A survey is now. in progress to determine the merits of this scheme. Wet weather and rough country is delaying its completion. So far the information got shows that it is probable that power can be supplied to Auckland, Waihi, and the Thames district at cheaper rates than from Huka, Horohora, or any scheme situated on the Waikato between these points. There are several possible alternative schemes, and very full investigation of the locality is justifiable.