H.—2,

4

The paths are in good condition, and the asphalt tennis-courts have been thoroughly overhauled. The lower bowling-green has been retimbered, and the timber around both greens should keep in good order for years. Fishing and Shooting.—The upper reaches of the Wa.ihou River provided good trout-fishing during the past season. Some good bags of wild duck were secured during the early part of the season, principally on private lagoons and the swampy portions of the Waihou River. Curlew were plentiful on the sea-coast adjacent to Waihi Beach, and some good bags have been reported. Music in the Domain.—The Te Aroha Municipal Band has rendered a large number of programmes in the Domain during the past year. The band is very popular with the public and always attracts a large number of people to the Domain. X-ray Apparatus. —An up-to-date X-ray plant has been installed in the Cadman Bathhouse and has already proved a great boon to the district. The apparatus consists of one mobile X ray and one portable X ray, the latter plant being one that can be taken out to cases if required. General. —The general work in connection with the Te Aroha Domain had been well carried out. The grounds have been kept in excellent order, and many favourable comments have been made about the neat appearance of the Domain. I should like here to express my appreciation of the way in which the members of the staff have carried out their duties during the year. Given favourable weather, the outlook for the next season is promising, and we should have a more successful year in every way. ROTORUA. Buildings.—The outstanding feature as regards our buildings is that a commencement has been made by the Public Works Department in the matter of erecting a new block to take the place of the Duchess and Pavilion Baths. The old buildings have been dismantled, and at date good progress has been made. Most of the underground work immediately under the new structures has been completed, and fair progress has been made with the framework of the structures. The old Duchess Bath building, which was in very good order, has been moved to a new site alongside the works office. The building has been subdivided, and is at present used in one part as an office for the Overseer and clerks, and in the other part as a dining-room for the workmen, of which a large number have been accommodated with sleeping-hutments erected in the neighbourhood of the work. When all new work has been completed the building will be taken over by this Department and used as a general store, thus giving much-needed accommodation for stores. The principal feature of our maintenance work has been the completion of the Plombiere Douche room and installation of the apparatus. The room, which for years has been merely an empty shell in the south wing of the main bath building, has been floored, ceiled, and lined, and will be ready for the giving of treatments in May. Gardens. —No new work of any importance has been undertaken during the year. The playinggrounds and floral areas have received all the necessary attention during the year. The gardens were kept bright and gay all through the season with a sequence of blooms. Water-supply. —During the year seventy-six new consumers were connected with the mains. A water-supply was laid to the borough camping-ground, at the south end of Ranolf Street. This involved the laying of 450 ft. of 4 in. cast-iron main, 130 ft. of 3 in., 135 ft. of 2 in., and 278 ft. of 1 in. G.W.I. piping. This provided for the main supply, and the reticulation throughout the camp. The following quantities have been laid in various streets to provide for extensions and new connections: 63 ft. of 3 in., 36 ft. of 1| in., 5,250 ft. of 1 in., 90 ft. of fin., 1,951 ft. of i in., G.W.I piping. 750 ft. of 1 in. G.W.I, piping was laid in the gardens in order to provide a system'of watering the various bowling-greens. In various parts of the town where two or more houses have been connected to the supply through one pipe these services have been rearranged in order to give each property its individual supply, so that each can be disconnected, if necessary, without interference with the other. This involved the laying and rearranging of 688 ft. of | in. piping. A 6-ft. length of the 16 in. main delivery-main in Fenton Street, being Wanganui steel pipe, originally laid for experimental purposes, having become badly corroded with sulphur, and leaking, was cut out and replaced with cast-iron pipe. Drainage.—During the year eleven new connections were made to the sewer, involving the use of 140 ft. of 4 in. and 40 ft. of 6 in. earthenware pipes. The septic tank received its periodic clean-out, and the filter-beds were dug over. Several pine-trees in the neighbourhood of the filter-beds had to be cut down, as the needles formed a coat on the surface of the beds and prevented full operation. The trees were cut up and used as firewood. The drainage-work in connection with the new Plombiere Douche in the main baths was all carried out by the Department's staff. All pumps in connection with the sewage-pumping section were maintained in working-order throughout the year. General Plumbing.—ln connection with the supply of hot mineral water from the Rachel pool to the main building some 550 ft. of 6 in. cast-iron mains were laid. A new pump-house was built at the south wing of the building, and greatly improved approaches made to same. Some 320 ft. of lead-lined piping conveying Priest acid water from the spring to the main building had to be replaced with a similar quantity of heavy lead pipe with special lead flanges cast and wiped to the ends of each pipe. A considerable amount of concrete and plastering work was also carried out on the main building, in replastering some of the public baths, and remodelling the Aix and Russian rooms. The staff also carried out the necessary plumbing-work in connection with the installation of X-ray plant at Te Aroha. A considerable amount of plumbing-work was necessary in connection with the building programme for the new Pavilion baths.