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■'■ Seacliff Asylum. —Contracts have been let for the supply of timber and joinery required for the patients' cottage and for the auxiliary building. Quarantine Buildings, Port Chalmers. —Some repairs have been done and the buildings have been repainted. Stock Inspector's House, Lawrence. —A contract for additions and repairs to this building was completed in March. In addition to the works detailed above a considerable amount of work has been done in general repairs; also, a number of fittings have been supplied to various departments. MARINE. Panmure Wharf. —The Panmure Wharf contract was completed in August; this is a ligli structure, intended principally for landing passengers from excursion-steamers, &o. A contract for seven buoys, let to Messrs. Massey Bros., Auckland, is in progress. East Cafe Lighthouse. —A contract for the ironwork for the tower has been completed by Mr. C. Judd, Thames. A considerable amount of material has been landed for the construction of the lighthouse and buildings, some of the houses required for the permanent staff have been built, a tramway has been laid, and excavations for the foundations for the cower are in progress. At Sticking-point Eeclamation, Lyttelton Harbour, a large amount of rock-excavation and levelling has been done by prison-labour. A contract for repairs to the Quarantine Wharf, Port Chalmers, has been completed. Plans for the new lighthouse on Somes Island have been prepared. Some repairs to Hokitika Wharf have been carried out, to make good damages caused by flood. HAEBOUE DEFENCES, ETC. Auckland. A considerable amount of work in connection with the mine-fields has been done, sheds removed and re-erected, additional buildings put up, a tramway laid, testing-rooms removed and re-erected, an office provided for the clerk, a wharf 300 ft. long with a tee 60 ft. by 30 ft. built ; also a solid approach to the wharf 100 ft. long, and other works done. At other forts : A blacksmith's shop has been built, and a small barracks. The walls of an observing station have been lined, and a survey made for an additional gun-emplacement. Officers' quarters have been renovated and the drainage improved. Some works in connection with searchlight emplacements and plant have been finished, others well advanced. Alterations to the walls of one of the forts are in hand. An additional big-gun emplacement is nearly finished. A resurvey of the mine-field has been made. Wellington. The slipway and shed at Shelly Bay were finished. The electric plant and emplacements have been finished. The Mahanga Bay Wharf has been strengthened by ironbark piles, and a number of minor works have been done, for the most part by prison-labour. Some alterations and improvements to the Gardens Battery have been carried out. Lyttelton. The roof of the residence of one of the magazine-keepers has been repaired. An engine and boiler for electric light are in course of erection. A new range-finder station has been built. Extensive additions have been made to the Armed Constabulary barracks to provide stores and workshop, the roof put in a good state of repair, and the whole building painted ; a new parade-ground has been formed, and the drainage completed. An observing-station and covered way have been built and a barbed-wire fence erected at one of the forts, and repairs to the drains, walls, and buildings carried out. Dunedin, An iron fence has been built in front of one of the batteries and a fighting-station built. At another fort a magazine and a new gun emplacement have been built. Pipes have been laid for telephone-wires between the guns, &c, of some of the batteries. STOEES AND SEEVICES. . Tenders were invited for the supply and delivery of general ironmongery, builders' and furnishing ironmongery, and other stores for the Public Works and other departments for the year, Contracts were also entered into for the supply of coal, firewood, &c, in the several districts, and in Wellington the usual contracts were let for cartage, window-cleaning, chimney-sweeping, and the removal of rubbish, &c. I have, &c, William H. Hales, The Hon. the Minister for Public Works. Engineer-iu-Chief.