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repairs and cleaning up of the whole of the thirty-four miles of road constructed. This work, with your approval, was done by day-labour, at a cost of £117 9s. 3d. for Moeraki Bridge, and £319 Bs. 6d. for repairs; and the road was then handed over for maintenance to the county authorities. The last contract (sections 25 to 29) amounted to £2,143 10s., and extras, for additional culverts and drains, £55. Owing to non-completion within specified time, however, a fine of £50 was deducted from the above. The nature of the work is : Clearing, 33ft.; formation, 9ft.; and metal, sft. The construction of the whole of the thirty-four miles of road extended over four years. By the construction of this road through communication from Hokitika to Jackson's Bay and via Haast Past to Wanaka Lake, Otago, has now been established. Kumara to Beach. —Construction of tw-o miles of dray-road, to give access to the timbered land between the Borough of Kumara and sea-coast. It consists of 33ft. clearing, 14ft. formation, and 10ft. metal. Above a mile had been completed during the previous year, and the rest was finished in October last. The cost of construction of this road was subsidized by Government, the County Council having to defray part of it. The total cost of the work was £1,192 165., towards which Government contributed £625 during the past year. The County Engineer states that " this piece of road has opened up about four square miles of heavily-timbered flat land, but when the road is constructed through to the sea-beach there will be at least ten square miles of the same class of land opened up." Moeraki Grossing to Otumotu. —Nothing by way of construction has been done. The survey, specifications, plans, &c, of this road, nine miles in length, were completed in January last, and ready for inviting tenders. It is the only one of the roads for the construction of which appropriation was made and which has not yet been contracted for. The work is much wanted. Besides giving access to a quantity of good land in the Moeraki and Wakapohai Eiver Valleys, it will also give access to the large belt of auriferous country between Abbey Eocks and Arnott Point. The want of this road is very much felt, and makes profitable mining within that part of Westland almost impossible. Five or six men are employed on ground there now which should carry as many hundred. Smoothwater to Cascade. — £300 are authorized to be expended in benching and otherwise improving the surveyed road-line. The work is in hand, but no progress-payments have been made on it. The length of the road is nearly twelve miles. Main South Boad, Okarito. —Erection of bridge, culverts, and sundry improvements and repairs. Works carried out by the County Council, under my supervision, and subsidized by Government to the extent of £500 during the past year. Duffer's Greek, Boiven Boad to Sea-beach. —Length of track about four and a half miles, clearing 12ft., formation 4ft., metalling 3ft.; subsidized to the extent of £222 12s. In addition to those above enumerated, the construction of two more "horse-tracks—"Duffer's Creek, Greenstone Eoad, to 15-mile-post, Christchurch Eoad," and " Extension of Back Creek Track to Eel Creek"— is now in progress. These tracks are subsidized by Government under the Gold Fields Act, but no progress-payment has as yet been made. The County Council is carrying out the work under my supervision. Gerhard Mueller, Chief Surveyor.

CANTBEBUEY. Teviotdale Boad (to Deferred-payment Lands, Teviotdale). —A subsidy of £150 was granted to the Waipara Eoad Board to improve a cutting-out of the Omihi Creek, thereby making easier the access to the road completed last year. But, though that Board let a contract for it, it was not finished, and nothing has been done for some time. An additional £200 has been granted, to be expended on the surveyed road beyond the part finished last year, and tenders are now invited for part of this work. Kuku Pass Boad (to Upper Ashley, over Kuku Pass). —5 miles and 79 chains of easy grade have been formed through bush, and 3 miles 18 chains more have been let by contract. The Clerk to the Ashley Eoad Board reports : " With reference to No. 2 grant for this road, the work was commenced in June, 1883, at a distance of 3 miles 37 chains from the foot of the pass at the Kuku Creek Bridge, north of White Eock Quarries. The above distance was constructed out of No. 1 grant, the width of road to this point, as per agreement, 20ft. wide in the solid; No. 2 grant, starting from 3 miles 37 chains, with a road 12ft. wide in the solid, as ordered. There has been formed and now open for dray traffic a further distance of 5 miles 79 chains, making a total distance of 9 miles 36 chains from the foot of the pass at the Kuku Creek Bridge near White Eock Quarries. There is also a contract let for a further extension of 3 miles 18 chains. This contract has just been commenced. It has been considered advisable to make some deviations from the line laid out by Mr. Dobson, C.E., so as to avoid expensive bridges; but the grades are very little altered. Log culverts, stone fords, and cuttings have been constructed instead. This has been done with the approval of the Chief Surveyor. With reference to amount expended up to the 30th June, the Board have received, up to the above date, £1,450 ; amount expended up to the 30th June, including the June pay-sheet, £1,377 Bs. lid.; balance, £72 lls. Id., due end of July on work completed." Oxford Bush Boad (Oxford Bush to Upper Ashley).—6 miles 40 chains have beerj made, and £1,488 10s. 9d. has been granted to the Eoad Board; but the surveyor to the Board reports that, besides this sum, £183 19s. 3d. has been expended out of the Board's funds. Neither the Oxford Bush Eoad nor the Kuku Pass Eoad has been surveyed, and the measurements given come from the Board's surveyors. -■ Waimate County. —Mr. N. Hillary, County Engineer, reports "That the Crown lands which have been opened for sale by roads are Eeserve 143, situate within Waimate Survey District. The work done was formation and culverts on the road-line passing through a portion of said reserve. The total amount expended during the year ending on the 30th June, 1884, is £61 10a.; amount received from Government as part payment of the above sum, £30; leaving a balance of £31 10s., which has been spent out of the Council's ordinary revenue." 9—C. 1.

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