Gr.—-lOC.

TE KAHA DEVELOPMENT SCHEME.—OMAIO SECTION. (See Plan 30, G-10.) Work done to 31st March, 1933. Contracts.—Contracts for work estimated to cost £1,632 3s. and providing employment for 72 men were submitted and approved. Subsidies were allotted to the extent of £573 os. 4d. At 31st March, 1933, the amount spent on the work was £1,675 135., and the subsidies paid or payable amounted to £573 os. 4d. There was an excess payment on the contract price of £43 10s., occasioned by the extra area of 21 acres scrub, a portion of which was grubbed standing. The total number of men employed was 76—individuals 30. Work. —Work consisted of scrub-cutting, ploughing, discing, and harrowing, sowing and manuring, splitting posts, battens, and strainers, fencing, and access roading as set out in summary hereto. Scrub-cutting. —The area covered by this work was 495 acres of light scrub, heavy manuka, and secondary bush. The total cost was £399 and the number of men employed 29. This area was burnt and surface-sown. Ploughing, &c.~The total area of ploughing was 316 acres ;of this area 295f acres were sown in grass ; 7| acres in lucerne ; and 13 acres were prepared for lucerne but not sown. Ploughing, discing, and harrowing of this area cost £363 Bs., and 8 men were employed in the work. Sowing and Manuring.—A total area of 798 acres was treated under this heading, and consisted of 495 acres of the scrubbed area and 303 acres of the area ploughed, including the lucerne patches. Total cost £79, and number of men employed 10. Post-splitting, <Scc., and Access Road. The posts were split on the Ohotu and Haparapara Blocks and battens on the Omaio and Whitianga Blocks. A short access road of 10 chains had to be constructed to enable the posts to be carted out. The cost was £5. The total number of posts split and delivered was 10,000, costing £500, battens 12,500, cost £62 10s., strainers 100, cost £50. The total number of men employed was 8. Fencing. —The amount of fencing done totalled 510 chains at a cost of £216 155., and employing 15 It consisted of the external boundary of the clearing and cultivation work done and two subdivision fences. Pastures.—The total area pastured by the scheme was 790f acres grass and 7\ acres lucerne. It is estimated that another 100 acres of pasture of sorts is available within the Scheme, thus making an approximate total for stock of 900 acres. Dairying. —It is proposed to commence dairying upon this area next season and arrangements are in hand for the building and equipment of 5 cow-sheds. The sheds have been allotted to the following persons : — Shed No. I,—Tu Gage and Son .. .. .. 131 acres .. 30 heifers. Shed No. 2.—Te Ara Ngamoki and Son .. ... 145 ~ . . 48 ~ Shed No. 3.—Rawiri Kopu and Haunui Hati .. 126 ~ .. 30 Shed No. 4. —Tawhai Bros. .. .. . . 125 ~ .. 30 Shed No. s.—Ngamoki Bros. .. .. .. 183 ~ .. 57 " 710 acres .. 195 heifers. Sheds Nos. 2 and 5 will be equipped with milking-machines, three cow plants of the McL. Wallace make. The balance of the grassed area estimated at 190 acres will carry the weaner heifers (123) for the 1934 milking season, and if necessary the above farmers will be required also to graze a proportion of the weaners. Haymaking. —Eleven tons of hay and 5 tons of ensilage were harvested during the year. Buildings. —A temporary store-shed was built from slabs and roofed with condemned railway tarpaulins.

Summary of Work done and Relative Labour Cost, 31st March, 1933.

Top-dressing of old pastures —Spring 1931, 80 acres (includes Whitianga 20 acres. Super only).

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Area T pr,M-ii Number Nature of Work. orNumbfr Labour Cost. of Men Remarks. employed. £ S. d. Scrub-cutting .. .. .. 495 acres 399 0 0 29 Ploughing, discing, and harrowing 316 acres 363 8 0 8 Splitting and delivery— Posts .. .. .. 10,000 .. 500 0 0"! Battens .. .. .. 12,500 .. 62 10 0 , Strainers .. .. . . 100 .. 50 0 0( 15 Access roading . . .. .. 10 chains 5 0 0J Sowing and manuring .. .. 798 acres 79 0 0 10 790| acres grass; 1\ acres lucerne. Fencing .. .. .. 510 chains 216 15 0 15 Totals .. .. .. 1,675 13 0 76