D.—l.

APPENDIX B.

ANNUAL REPORT ON PUBLIC WORKS BY THE ENGINEER-IN-CHIEF.

The Engineer-in-Chief to the Hon. the Minister op Public Works. Sir, — I have the honour to submit the following report upon the various works under my control completed and in progress throughout the Dominion during the period from Ist July, 1935, to the 30th June, 1936. Table No. 3 (pages 9-11) shows the expenditure on Government Railways in New Zealand up to the 31st March, 1935, and also the mileage opened for traffic.

RAILWAYS. North Auckland Main Trunk Railway.—Okaihau Northwards. Work on this section was again confined to the disposal of surplus stores, buildings, &c., which were on hand when construction was suspended. The quarry installation was dismantled, and maintenance work was practically nil. Dargaville Branch Railway.—Tangowahine Section. No work other than the operation of goods and passenger services and the necessary maintenance of permanent-way was carried out during the period. There were 5,316 passengers, 388,346 superficial feet of timber, 999 bales of wool, 46,800 head of stock, and 3,625 tons of general goods carried during the year. Taubaroa Quarry. This quarry was in active operation for ten months of the year, during which time the average output per month was 2,357 cubic yards. The total amount of metal crushed was 23,570 cubic yards, including 500 cubic yards of spawls. Of this amount 8,706 cubic yards were used on road and highway metalling by this Department, 4,798 cubic yards by local bodies, 9,414 cubic yards by railways, and 650 cubic yards were sold to farmers in the adjoining districts. The plant has been kept in good order throughout the year, and a metal-washing plant was built in order to obtain a good class of clean concrete metal. Waikokopu Branch Railway. This line has been maintained by this Department during the past year in order to permit the carriage of frozen meat from Wairoa to Waikokopu, as well as the general haulage of goods. During the period a two-year programme of bridge-painting was completed, every bridge on the line having been cleaned and given two coats of paint. Repairs to the Waikokopu Breakwater to make good storm damage were carried out, and 245 cubic yards of concrete placed in position. Napier-Gisborne Railway. Kofuawhara Section. —From 23 m. 0 ch. to 33 m. 72 ch. ; length, 10 m. 72 ch. The first steps towards resumption of construction were taken in May, when the repairing of quarters for staff and workmen was commenced. Operations were extended as soon as possible to embrace all the restoration work requisite for getting construction going, the number of men employed being built up continuously as accommodation became available. Fifty-one huts for single men were put into good repair, while the Y.M.C.A. recreational building and twelve married quarters were reblocked to make them serviceable. Twelve single huts were received on transfer from Lake Waikaremoana Hydro-electric works and were re-erected. Attention was given to the service road, which was completely formed and metalled before the cessation of railway-construction. Water-tables were cleaned out, scrub cleared, and culverts put into shape over the full length. The bridges were also repaired where necessary. The cleaning up of the faces and restoration of the service track as a preliminary to commencement of actual formation work were put in hand in the heavy cuttings along the Waikokopu Bluffs— 23 m. 24 ch. to 24 m. and at 28 m. 53 ch.

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