C.—B.

The following is a brief description of the principal works carried out during the year : — Dredges. Only three land dredges have been in commission during the year. All the floating dredges have been idle. The year's total quantity of machine-excavated material was 164,046 cubic yards. The following table shows the total quantities excavated each year by the dredges during the past sixteen years : — Year. Cubic Yards. Cost per Cubic Yard. 1920-21 .. .. .. .. .. 158,865 7-42 d. 1921-22 .. .. .. .. .. 246,022 7-29 d. 1922-23 .. .. .. .. .. 440,092 8-20 d. 1923-24 .. .. .. .. .. 508,654 7-27 d. 1924-25 .. .. .. .. .. 822,286 5-86 d. 1925-26 .. .. .. .. .. 856,653 6-32 d. 1926-27 .. .. .. .. .. 647,182 7-42 d. 1927-28 .. .. .. .. .. 652,413 7-32 d. 1928-29 .. .. .. .. .. 619,911 6-54 d. 1929-30 .. .. .. .. .. 595,565 6-25 d. 1930-31 .. .. .. .. •• 536,692 8-32 d. 1931-32 .. .. .. .. .. 390,611 7-99 d. 1932-33 .. .. .. .. .. 200,954 8-00 d. 1933-34 .. .. .. .. .. 116,224 5-96 d. 1934-35 .. .. .. .. .. 52,517 10-02 d. 1935-36 .. .. .. .. .. 164,046 8-26 d. No. 15 Bucyrus excavator, after completing tie construction of tie embankment roadway and back-filling around the site of the Kerepeehi Block pumping-station, has been engaged on the construction of the Reservoir Canal and subsidiary drains leading to the pump-suction chamber. This machine requires a tliorougi overhaul. Interruptions for tie purpose of carrying out running repairs have been frequent and have been the cause of the unusually high unit-cost. Using a half-yard Page bucket and operating with a 50 ft. boom, this machine handled 47,920 cubic yards in 197 working-days at a cost of ĪO-sd. per cubic yard. No. 16 Bucyrus excavator has been employed since November, 1934, in the Patetonga District widening and deepening the Waikaka Canal. Along the lower reaches of this canal the work was delayed by frequent floods, but when working above tie flood plain good progress was made. Tiis maciine has also been operating with half-yard bucket and 50 ft. boom, and the total output for 229 working-days was 61,844 cubic yards at unit cost of 6-92 d. No. 19 Dredge was laid up during the months of March, April, May, and June, 1935, when the 100 ft. timber boom and superstructure had to be renewed. During the nine months the machine was in commission it ias been engaged widening and deepening the Piako River Channel and building -stop-banks with the spoil. Material excavated from the river-bed has to be transported 200 ft. and built into a substantial stop-bank. These operations are carried out by the dredge with one handling of the material at a cost of 7-35 d. per cubic yard. The machine operates on the drag-line principle, using a 1-cubic-yard-capacity bucket. The total output for 173 working-days was 54,282 cubic yards. Kerepeehi District. The drainage-pumping station for the Kerepeehi Block, commenced in 1934, was practically completed in July, 1935. The erection of the steel-frame pump-house and pumping-machinery occupied the first four months of the fiscal year under review. Tie performance of the 33 in. centrifugal pump under acceptance tests carried out in June, 1935, are given hereunder : —

- -Before -tie pump had been connected witi tie drainage system, a rainfall of 3-02 in. in about luvivv hours ,m tie 20 th July, followed -by a fall of 1-07 in. during tie following day, caused some -flooding 1 on the-Kerepeehi Block.- 'No. 15 Bucyrus excavator, by working continuously for sixty hours, was able to Connect tie drainage system of tie 2,000 acre occupied block with tie pump. Twentyfour iours' pumping, assisted by some sluice-gate action, was then required to empty the drains.

3

/.; Brake Discharge, Pump, Water, Electricity, Overall Horse- p ump Static Head, in-Feet. Gallons, Revolutions, Horse- Horse- Efficiency P ower at Efficiency per Minute. per Minute. power. power. • ' Pump- J ' shaft. Per Cent. Per Cent. 3-<)2 28,500 155-25 33-90 82-8 40-9 73-4 46-2 3-87 .. 28,800 156-00 33-77 82-5 40-9 73-2 16-1 3-77 .. 28,900 154-80 33-01 79-1 41-7 70-2 47-0 5-10 .. 25,900 155-20 39-98 74-2 53-9 65-8 60-7 5.9I .. 24,950 155-10 44-73 78-1 57-3 69-3 64-6