α-i

62

The season has been an excellent one for metalling. If more funds had been available much good work could have been done. If the fine weather continues operations will be carried on till the end of April. In view of the very heavy traffic on this road" in connection with settlement, road-, and railway-works, a thoroughly well-metalled road is necessary. Murray's Track.— Under this item a length of 4 miles 33 chains of engineering survey has been done. Several sections of this will shortly be let for construction of a bridle-track through Patukete clearing. Bangitikei Bridge, Mangaweka. —Just before the Easter flood operations were in progress for v sinking the cylinders in the centre of the river, all the gear being on the ground and the scaffolding well advanced. The flood made a clean sweep of everything. The flood, combined with the two previous ones, caused a loss of fully £600. Besides the Easter flood, reaching as it did a hitherto unthought-of height, necessitating the abandonment of the cylinder design and the adoption of a cantilever design with a central span of 244 ft., thus entailing a furtherj loss of £400 at least, through the cylinders and other material having to be sent elsewhere after all the expense being incurred of bringing them there. The preparation of all the timber-work for the original design was completed shortly after the commencement of the financial year. There are now cut and partly delivered 36,884 superficial feet of totara, 5,024 superficial feet maire blocks, and 2,616 superficial feet ironbark, besides other plant and material as already fully reported on. All operations on the original design ceased last May, a new wire rope with haulinggear was erected for passenger traffic, the former one having been washed away by the flood. A low-level temporary bridge 260 ft. long in 24 ft. spans, with decking at a height of 6 ft. above summerlevel, was constructed between October and January, and has so far satisfactorily answered requirements. Pohonuiatane. —No work has yet been done out of authority issued under this item. (See " Hunterville, 1, 2; 3.") Awarua. —This includes the following roads : Mangaweka-Tekapua, Kaweka, Mangawharariki, Eakautoru, Torere-Horouta, and Pukeokahu. Taking them in their order, the work done comprises : Mangaweka-Tekapua, 12 chains dray-road approaches to the Makohine Creek, and a bridge 66 ft. long and 6 ft. wide over the same. Owing to the Easter floods the turning of the creek through a cut was abandoned. A large number of slips and one wash-out were caused by the same flood. The maintenance of this road is heavy. The Kaweka Boad branches off the MangawekaTekapua Eoad, about eight miles from Mangaweka; on it 108 chains of bridle-track has been formed. On the Mangawharariki Eoad 66 chains of metalling has been done between Mangaweka Township and the Eangitikei Eiver. On the Eakautoru Eoad, adjoining Mangaweka, 30 chains has been side-ditched and formed dray-road width. On the Torere-Horouta Eoad a large amount of work has been done, embracing 70 chains dray-road, 183 chains bridle-track, clearing approaches to Moawhango Bridge, one mile of traverse, and general maintenance work. On the Pukeokahu Eoad, 184 chains has been cleared for horse traffic. At Taihape Township grass-seed was supplied for sowing 90 acres. The engineering surveys made on these various roads in this block total up to 15 miles 10 chains. These returns are exclusive of all returns of works done on improved-farm settlements, which are forwarded separately. Taihape State Farm (under vote 91, item 912). —Work was commenced here in February, 1897. The Pukenawa and Kaka Eoads were first cleared, then formed as bridle-tracks, with the exception of 7 chains at a cliff, where the road was made dray-road width. The total length of bridle-track is 338 chains, on which are nine small bridges and ten culverts. An engineering survey of 150 chains on ahead has also been executed. At the wettest parts 40 chains of side-ditching has been done. Bushfelling was started in July and continued till early in January, when a block of 642 acres of bush was felled. The bush was fairly heavy and the scrub dense. The maximum number of men, sixty, was reached in September. At the present time there are only three men employed. The wages earned at bushfelling during the first three months were very low, but latterly they were rather high. Cocksfoot has already been sown on the 40 acres of road-clearing, and a supply of mixed seeds for sowing the main block is now on its way from Wellington. A drive in the papa has been made at Taihape to act as a powder-magazine in connection with the roadworks on the farm. A large assortment of tools is still left over from the works, but they will be required if the roadworks on the farm are continued. Flood-damages. —In connection with the flood of April, 1897, the Eangitikei County Council have done the following works on the Eangitikei Eiver, the total value being £876, and Government contribution £350: Construction of punt, 39 ft. by 8 ft., together with gear, and 20 chains approaches to ferry at a position about one mile south of Bull's; erection of cage and 200 ft. of temporary dray-road bridge at Vinegar Hill (this bridge is well built, and will stand any ordinary freshes for several years to come) ; erection of cage across the river at Onepuhi. A punt and gear have also been re-established at Scott's Perry, but subsidy on same is not included in this year's returns. Miscellaneous. —Out of "accrued fourths" from the Mangawhero Eoad Board a length of 57 chains of bridle-track has been constructed on the Otaranoho Eoad leading from Jerusalem to Mr. Syme's small grazing-run. Under this item is also entered the sum of £36 10s. 9d. expended in paying miscellaneous railway-fares on the Longburn-Wanganui Section. Makohine Village Settlement. —This authority of £200 was issued in the period 1896-97 under vote 118, item 489, for the construction of a road from Mangaonoho Eailway-station to this settlement. 60 chains of clearing has already been done, thus allowing of horse traffic. The contract for the construction of dray-road formation is now in hand. Momahaki Village Settlement Block. —The dray-roads, two miles and a quarter in length, on this block were finally repaired last April, and handed over to the Waitotara-Momahaki Eoad Board.