H.—2.

The effect of these improvements has been to increase the value of the permanent improvements, in addition to the realisable assets, to £12,930, made up as follows : — £ 1,500 chains earth roads, at £2 ... ... ... ... ... 3,000 775 chains pumice roads, at £4 ... ... ... ■■• , ■•• 3,100 40 chains metalled streets, at £20 ... ... ... ... 800 95 chains asphalted streets, at £28 ... .... ... ... 2,660 30 wooden culverts, at £10 ... ... ... ... ... 300 230 chains concrete kerbing, at £2 ss. ... ... ... ... 517 60 yards steel culverts, at £1 ... ... ... ... ... 60 210 chains concrete channelling, at £2 ss. ... ... ... 472 160 chains tarred pavements, at £5 ... ... ... ... 800 Puarenga Bridge, Whakarewarewa ... ... ... ... 220 Alum Creek Bridge ... ... ... ... ... ... 36 Kuirau Bridge, Ohinemutu ... ... .. ... ... 55 Whakarewarewa Road grading ... ... ... ... ... 750 Swamp drainage, 80 chains, at £2 ... ... ... ... 160 £12,930 Fire-prevention. The expenditure on fire-prevention generally has fallen from £154 to £ff7, but of the latter amount £70 was paid in capitation and fees for attendance at fires, as compared with £18 in the previous year under this heading. Isolation Hospital. The maintenance for the Isolation Hospital for the past year has cost £356 for sixteen cases, as compared with £92 for live cases in the previous year. This has been due to the number of indigent cases —mainly Native—which have been sent in for treatment, and which in previous years were treated elsewhere. Although there is power under the Public Health Act to recover the cost of treatment from the patients, and accounts for treatment amounting to £203 have been sent out, it has not been possible to recover any of the amounts, as quite 90 per cent, of the patients are indigent Natives. Maintenance-works. Maintenance-works have cost £1,434 for the year. The most important item is the repair, maintenance, and cleaning of the streets and suburban roads, which have been kept in good condition. The completion of the new water-supply system, with its numerous hydrant plugs, has greatly facilitated the street-watering, and reduced its cost. Owing to the friability of our main roadforming material —viz., pumice gravel—and the consequent dust on windy days in summer, this is a most important consideration, and has received careful attention. Refuse-removal. The house-to-house refuse-collection lias been carried out very satisfactorily by the contractor during the year, and no complaints have been received. Arrangements are being made to extend this service to the Native village of Ohinemutu. Bridges and Culverts. The bridges and culverts iv the town area have received careful attention, and two of the five -viz., the Puarenga Bridge, Whakarewarewa, and the Kuirau Bridge, Ohinemutu —were renewed during the year with heavier timbers, which will make them good for ten years to come. Owing to the extraordinarily corrosive action of the hot mineral fumes, the matter is of special importance in the case of both these bridges. Cemetery. The cemetery has been thoroughly tidied up, the paths crowned and pumiced, a further area cleared and pegged off, and an addition built on to the mortuary chapel, enabling the chapel itself to be reserved for its legitimate purposes. Street-lighting. The street-lighting has previously been supplied by the Government free of charge, but from February last a very reasonable charge—namely, £156 per annum —has been levied against the Town Account. In order to keep down the cost of this street arcs have been replaced by incandescent lamps, with fairly satisfactorily results. Nightsoil Service. The nightsoil service has been carried out very satisfactorily during the year, not a single complaint having been received from the public, constituting an excellent testimony of the care with which it has been performed. The house-to-house inspection has been undertaken systematically by the Inspector of Nuisances, and, as a result, the general health and sanitary condition of the town are excellent.

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