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On the Pipiriki-Waiouru Eoad the average throughout (£1 15s. 9d.) has been high, though it must be remembered that the usual payment by former metal contractors for such teams was £1 10s. per day. The prices were fixed higher in order to compensate for the high prices of horse-' feed (oats, ss. a bushel, and chaff, ss. or 6s. a bag) and the great risk of broken time, rain falling in that district on an average number of 210 days in the year. The higher prices per yard-mile thus given, combined with the fact that there was almost unbroken fine weather this season during the contracts, and the fact that, most of the leads being down hill, all the contractors raised the sides of their drays sufficiently to carry 1-J cubic yards per trip, caused these high earnings. On the Ohingaiti-Tokaanu Eoad, on account of long uphill haulage, the teams could not take more than 1 cubic yard per trip. This difference between uphill and downhill cartage on long leads was the chief cause in the disparity in earnings. In spite of the high earnings at cartage at the prices given, the total cost of thus metalling a section of the Pipiriki-Waioura Eoad has been much less than would have been the case if last year's tenders had been accepted. In January, 1897, tenders were invited for loading and cartage of shell rock on this section. The rate of the only tender was 12s. per cubic yard. By the present system the total cost of loading, carting, and spreading over the same section has been 6s. 10f d. per cubic yard. This, on the quantity of 1,806 cubic yards, represents a saving of £451 10s. The saving in time and cost of not advertising should also be considered. In remote districts, where high prices range, metalling operations will probably be carried out at less cost by this co-operative system, but in old settled districts the contrary would be the case. The work is undoubtedly much better done, but costs more for supervision, tools, and management. If approved, it is proposed to conduct next year's metalling operations entirely on this system, and probably also do the loading by contract. Spreading is preferably done by day-work. As in previous years, the character of the work done in all classes has been excellent. G. T. Mubbay, Eoad Surveyor.

MAELBOBOUGH. The roadworks executed have, on the whole, been creditably carried out by the parties engaged, and the wages fairly remunerative. Superficially it appeared that the men worked amicably together, more so on the Picton Eoad works. This probably was due to the fact that the men on that work were all well known to each other, and amongst them were very good workmen ; yet closer insight showed that the best workers were keenly alive to the want of skill— or, as expressed by the men, '' knack— i n some of their mates, and would have resented it in others not so well known to them. The workman who undoubtedly appreciates the co-operative system is averse to his skill and better-directed manual efforts being reduced to the level of an inferior workman. On the Picton Eoad works two parties were engaged ; the men were residents of Picton and neighbouring district. In order to render the selection to each party fair to the men the two headmen were first selected, and they were instructed to alternately select a man, after deciding who should have the first pick. The party No. 1, whose headman had first choice, made 6d. per diem more than party No. 2. The prices asked by the men being deemed excessive were fixed by the Inspector, and ultimately accepted. The wages earned by the parties Nos. 1 and 2 were 7s. 9d. and 7s. 3d. for a working-day of eight hours respectively. On the bridle-roads of the Sounds a modified system was adopted, the men finding tents and tools, and dividing moneys earned for time worked pro ratd. The votes for these works being small, the system does not require the frequent attendance of an overseer, thus lessening cost of supervision. The headmen of these track parties —usually good workmen, and having the confidence of the men—are, in nearly all cases, incapable of analysing the work done. This and the irregular attendance of the men, who are settlers, and have their own sections to attend to at intervals, makes it difficult to ascertain the actual earnings of the men, but it would appear that the wages earned ranged between ss. and 6s. for a workingday of eight hours. C. W. Adams, Chief Surveyor. The number of contracts completed has been seventy-five, with an average of five men to each party. The lowest was three, and the highest was seven. As usual, the old difficulty of getting men to work together harmoniously for any length of time was experienced on this work. I do not think any of the parties held together for more than two or three contracts. Generally at the end of each contract there was a splitting-up of the parties, with fresh combinations, generally resulting in all the good men getting into one party and the poor workers into another. Besides the desire of getting good mates in a job, it would appear that one of the causes is a desire for fresh mates to relieve the monotony of their lives, and, however desirable this may be to the men, it very greatly increases the difficulty of pricing the work, for, try as much as you may to make one uniform rate—as all men must live—to a certain extent rather more must be given to the poor workers than to the able. So far as possible the prices are equal, and yet one party of poor workers, new to the work, earn 2s. 6d., and the other, a party of thoroughly experienced and hard-working men, made 13s. per day. The poor workers did. not try to make wages; they were both inexperienced and careless as to whether they even made tucker or not. The others were thorough experts. The average earnings per day for each man, all weathers, was 7855., and, considering the way the men worked and the number of splendid workmen we have had, I think speaks well for the careful way Mr. Eobert H. Young did the pricing. This result is based upon the assumption that the men worked eight hours a day. They probably worked, on an average, more than that, but we have no means of telling exactly how long they did work; but they would certainly not work less than eight hours in the winter; and we know some of them worked much more when the days got longer ; while some of the parties only work eight hours, on principle, at all seasons. Generally we find that the most skilful workmen work longest hours.

13—C. 1.