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33 chains of the Makumaku Road. Some 3,940 cubic yards of broken metal had been delivered on roads and base-course of metal laid for a distance of 2 miles 54 chains. The unfavourable weather experienced until well into the summer hampered progress. Earlier in the year 2 miles 1\ chains of the Kerepeehi-Kaihere Road from Kerepeehi to the Kaihere Ferry was graded, rolled, and resurfaced with 1,146 cubic yards of metal. Patetonga Riding Roads Metalling, Hauraki Plains. —This work comprises widening, improvement, and metalling of 8 miles 20 chains of road situated in the vicinity of Patetonga. The Public Works Fund is providing four-fifths of the cost and the Hauraki Plains County Council the remaining onefifth. The work is being spread over three metalling seasons and at 31st March, 1929, the contractor had delivered only 552 cubic yards of metal. Work was continued to May, 1929, at which date the base-course of metal had been laid to Patetonga Township, completing the gap in the metalled road from Patetonga to Morrinsville. Metalling was resumed last October and steady progress maintained throughout the summer. Early in April the base-course of metal had been laid from Patetonga to existing metal surface at Kaihere, thus providing an all-weather road-connection between Patetonga and Ngatea. Some 6,566 cubic yards of metal was spread during the year, and base-course laid for 5 miles 38 chains, and surface-course for 1 mile 39 chains. Incidentally 3 miles 23 chains of hill road was reconstructed and 1 mile 57 chains of swamp road re-formed, entailing the cartage of 8,828 cubic yards of clay for ballasting and haunching. Orongo Settlement. —On this settlement some 9 miles 25 chains of drains were cleaned and 1 mile 36 chains deepened. A 4-ft.-diameter concrete-pipe culvert was also constructed under the new road-approach to the Waihou River Bridge (Kopu). Tangowahine Settlement. —The only work carried out on this settlement has been the regular inspection of the flood-gates along the Northern Wairoa River, and this work should be continued until the adjacent sections are selected, when the incoming tenants can carry on this work. Reporoa Settlement. —Only one drain was cleaned on this area during last autumn, but following on the signing of a petition by the settlers for the formation of a Drainage Board, tenders have been let for the cleaning of all outlet drains. Summary of Work done :— Miles oh. Miles eh. Cleaning drains .. .. .. 303 28 Traverses run .. .. .. 150 73 Widening and deepening drains .. 57 30 Willows ring-barked .. .. 13 15 Constructing new drains . . . . 36 19 Number. Dredge-cuts and canals (new) .. 16 76 Flood-gates built .. .. .. 12 River and canal improvements .. 22 03 Pile bridges erected .. .. 12 Roads disked and graded .. .. 9 40 Sill bridges erected .. .. 7 Roads metalled . . . . .. 2 72 Cub. yds. Roads partially metalled (first course) 8 12 Metal used for roads .. .. 15,221 Stopbanks formed .. .. 2 30 Clay used for roads .. .. 8,828 Stopbanks raised or strengthened .. 8 70 Spoil excavated by floating or dryStopbanks repaired . .. 15 45 land excavators.. .. 1,536,545 Fences erected .. . . . . 4 32 Rock excavated .. .. .. 29,688 Levels taken .. .. • ■ 255 15 Planted in flax .. .. .. 319 acres Office. —The expenditure passed through the books totalled £156,777 10s. lid., of which amount £48,419 16s. lid. was paid from Thames and Whakatane Imprest Account, and £48,538 3s. sd. through the Auckland Branch of the Treasury. Some 261 piecework and co-operative contracts were let, and 3,506 vouchers prepared and passed for payment. The total revenue collected was £24,532 13s. 3d. Rates. —Drainage rates are now being levied in four districts —viz., Hauraki Plains, Rangitaiki, Waihi. and Kaitaia, entailing 1,917 rate notices. The rates struck totalled £19,497 7s. 7d., and amount collected totalled £15,138 18s. 6d. Photostat. —The photostat machine was operated on fifty-seven occasions and 3,950 prints were made, comprising 1,584 for the use of this Branch, 1,055 for District Survey Office and Public Works Department (for which no charge was made), and 1,109 for Valuation, State Forest, and Lands and Deeds Departments.

APPENDIX IV.—HUTT VALLEY SETTLEMENT. (H. W. C. Mackintosh, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) Wonderful strides have been made in the development of this area in the past twelve months, both in the residential and the industrial portions. Prices continue to be very satisfactory, and the sales are at least equal to expectations. With the success of the scheme absolutely assured, one may now with safety and a certain degree of satisfaction quote figures showing the progress of the work to date, and the financial position as at the end of the year just completed. A total of 1,200 sections have now been disposed of, and this number is made up as follows : Residential sites, 824 ; shop-sites, 46 ; sites for workers' homes, 301 ; church-sites, 6 ; school-sites, 3 ; industrial sites, 16 ; and areas for Railways Department, 4. Of the total number disposed of, 875 were sold as the result of some twenty-five auction sales, all of which were conducted by this office.

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