49

P.—l.

BAT OP PLENTY. Tauranga-JSast Gape Road. —Described in section as follows, viz.: — Otamaralcaw Road. —Two miles of this have been formed 12 feet wide by the Native contractors during the year; work consists of side-cuttings through open fern country. A contract has been let for the maintenance of this section, 8| miles, and it is now in a good state for horse-traffic. Matata-Whakatane.- —The two horse-bridges across the western branches of the "Whakatane River, on this section, have been repaired during the year, and are now in a good state for horse-traffic. Whakatane-Ohope.- —This section has been maintained and kept in good order during the year, and is now in a good state for horse-traffic; length, 8-| miles; width, 8 feet; lies through broken fern country. Wlidlcatane-OMioa (8 miles). —Three miles of this have been formed 18 feet wide during the year by Native contractors : the work consists of 1 mile through forest and 2 through open fern. The road is not yet open for traffic, the remaining 5 miles being still unformed. Opape-Torere. —This section has been maintained in a good state for horse-traffic during the year by a Native contractor; length, 7 miles, 8 feet wide; through forest and broken fern country. A. contract has been let for widening this road to 18 feet. Maraemii-Omaio. —This section has been maintained in good order by the Native contractors during the year ; it is 6 miles long, 8 feet wide ; through broken forest country for two-thirds of its length, the rest through open fern and manuka scrub. Whakatane-Te T&Jco Swamp Road.- —137 chains of the original formation through the swamp have been fascined and covered with earth, and 60 chains of drain have been cut through the swamp by Native contractors during the year. The road is not in a good state for traffic. Opotihi—Onnond Road. —Ten miles of road-line have been surveyed and laid off for construction during the year, with improved gradients not steeper than 1 in 14, through a densely-wooded and mountainous country. A contract has been let by the Whakatane County Council for forming 5 miles of this road 12 feet wide: on this work has been done during the year, viz., 400 chains of benching or forming the road 4 feet wide, 120 chains of this widened to 10 feet, and 30 chains widened from 4 feet to 12 feet; 120 chains of forest have been felled and cleared 1 chain wide. The original line of road is-in -a bad state for traffic. Tauranqa-Taupo Road.- —Excepting for about three months in winter this road has been maintained in good order for traffic; the part which then gets into bad order is that in the Mangorewa forest, about 18 miles in extent. In this forest three steep hills have been avoided by felling and clearing the bush 1 chain wide for a distance of about 77 chains, with the necessary formation. It has been found necessary to rebuild Waititi Bridge, which was repaired last year; and the Mangorewa Bridge is decaying so rapidly that arrangements are being made for rebuilding it also. The traffic appears steadily to increase on this road. There are now seventeen large teams of horses and bullocks in regular work, and the coach and other light traffic is also increasing. Botorua-Tarawera Road. —This is in good order. Atiamttbi-Taupo. —Tat/po-Napier. Atiamuri-Stony Creek (69 miles).' —This section of road has been maintained in the usual manner during the year, in fairly good condition considering the limited number of men employed. Stony Greek-Kaiwhaka (31 miles). —This section has been kept in good order for traffic during the year, and, besides the usual maintenance, has been improved in several places by widening sharp curves and removing projecting points, &c. Besides usual work over the whole of the above road, the Lower "Waipunga Bridge, near Tarawera, 87 feet long, has been rebuilt of good,, sound timber, totara and inatai; the bridge at Taupo over the Waikato Eiver has been overhauled, painted, and tarred; the bridge at the Atiamuri crossing of the same river has also been screwed up, painted, and tarred; all the lesser bridges and culverts have also been well looked to and repaired where necessary. Taupo-llot Springs. —This is in usual good order. Atiamuri-Tokoroa Plains (9f miles), via Maungaiti, on the Eoad Atiamuri to Cambridge. —Instructions have recently been issued to proceed at once with the formation of this road and the erection of the necessary bridges and culverts. Taupo-Orakeikorako (8 miles). —An inspection of the probable route of this road which leaves main road at Puketarata has been made during the year, and an approximate estimate of its cost furnished, amounting to £2,300. No instructions have yet been given as to its construction. EAST COAST. Matcmau Road. —This road is intended to connect the railway line at 74 miles with the main coach road at Matamau; it is 45 chains long. A contract has been let for constructing the boxculverts on this road, and the work is now in progress. Tenders are being called for the clearing, forming, and metalling. MANAWATU DISTEICT. Manawatu Gorge Road. —This has been maintained in good order during the year ; some of the projecting rocky points are being removed, so as to widen the track and increase the safety of the road generally. Kairanqa Block: Roads, &c, to open Lands before Sale.—The different works undertaken have been completed ; and the totals (including the work done in the previous year) are as follow : Outlet drains cut beyond road-lines, 3 miles 4496 chains; roads cleared, formed, and drained, 12 miles 1667 chains ; roads, bush felled, and cleared in centre, 4 miles 7850 chains. The main outlet drain along the road in the centre of the block was damaged by floods after completion : it is now being repaired before being handed over to the local Eoad Board. Manchester Block. —The work of constructing roads carried on by the Emigrant and Colonist's Aid Corporation has been overlooked, to see that the proportion of cost authorized by the Government has been laid out in a satisfactory manner.