G.—lo.

The cost of clearing, stumping, ploughing, and cultivation, grass and other seed and sowing (except 88 acres not sown at 31st March, 1933) 2,386J acres was, according to the analysis of expenditure, £7,038, or less than £3 an acre, not allowing for subsidies received during the year. Fencing 1,935 chains cost £3,588, including material in hand. Posts were totara purchased from Putaruru, and puriri split on the scheme land or lands adjoining. Transport and packing were costly items, especially on the hills on Eivers' and the Ohope sections. The drains were of varying dimensions, and were mostly on Eivers' Block and the Ohope sections, which could not be stocked with safety until the swamps were drained off. Draining cost £844. The road to the Ohope Beach sections, a favourite resort of the Whakatane population, was deviated a length of 45 chains, on which there were heavy cuttings and fillings and culvert work. This and track-making for packing cost £258. Other capital charges were for plant and equipment, £402 ; buildings and accommodation, £218 ; surveys, £214 ; and the purchase of stock, £475. The account was credited with £1,509 from unemployment subsidies ; and other receipts, £20. Up till towards the end of the 1932-33 financial year, no permanent stocking of the block was possible, but sheep and cattle purchased for the Rotorua Schemes through the Bulk Stock Purchase Account were used to crush the fern-growth in the newly established pastures. At the 31st March, 1933, there were 1,550 breeding-ewes, 37 rams, 216 old ewes (killers), and 1,472 two-tooth wethers on the Scheme. It was intended to bring the ewe flock up to 2,000, and the necessary complement was obtained after the end of the financial year, when the wethers were withdrawn to Botorua. Of cattle there were 200 bullocks, 191 Polled Angus heifers running with 6 Polled Angus bulls, 19 dry cows, 158 mixed cows and heifers purchased from Eivers, with 48 calves, and a Jersey heifer : total, 623 head. 2. Bay op Plenty Gboup. The Ngatiawa Scheme, which is now included in this group, is dealt with separately in this statement. The other schemes in the group are dealt with in a separate paper —G.-lOc of the present session. The following summaries of the progress of development work, areas grassed, and stock carried, are compiled from the schedules in the said paper G.-lOc. Summary of Development Work (from G.-lOc, p. 23). Acres. Area cleared (including scrub-cutting, stumping, grubbing) .. .. 3,829 Area stumped after clearing .. .. .. .. .. 158 Area ploughed and cultivated .. .. .. .. .. 3,720 Area harrowed only .. .. . . .. .. .. 150 Area disked and harrowed .. .. . . .. .. .. 38 Area grassed .. .. .. ~ .. .. 5,634 Area sown in lucerne .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 Area pastures renovated .. .. . . .. .. .. 38 Fencing material— Posts split .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 23,735 Battens split .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 55,050 Strainers split .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 285 Fencing— Chains. Repairing .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 672J New .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7,565 Draining .. .. .. ~ .. ~ .. .. 935 Roading— Metalling .. .. .. .. .. • .. .. 99 Formation .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,155|. And also clearing ragwort, clearing fence-lines, packing fencing material, &c. Much of this work was done free of cost to loan funds. The labour cost of work where wages were paid based on contracts completed at the 31st March, 1933, was £9,030, on which the subsidy payable from unemployment funds was £3,140. The number of individuals actually employed was 355. The figures are eloquent of the fact that the value of the work carried out was far in excess of the gross expenditure in wages. In the summary on page 24 of G.-lOc, the Supervisor assesses the total in grass, exclusive of rough pasture, as 15,239f acres, of which it was estimated that 4,837 acres carried 7,209 sheep. The stock carried was as follows : Dairy stock—Cows in milk, 3,121 ; dry cows, 296 ; springing heifers, 1,545 ; weaners, 1,196 ; bulls, 227 ; sheep, 7,209 ; and also working-bullocks, run cattle, and horses. The Supervisor anticipated that, after allowing for culling and springers coming forward, nearly 4,800 cows and heifers would be milked during the current dairying season. Of the sheep, 1,500 old ewes were held on the Maraenui section of Te Kaha Scheme for ragwort control. The policy of stocking ragwort-infested land with sheep was adopted in the previous year with satisfactory results. It was noted that sheep held on ragwort land from autumn to spring required to be removed early in the summer and replaced with a fresh lot. In this way they took little or no harm from ragwort poisoning.

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