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contracts. About twenty miles of dray-road has been constructed, eleven miles of dray-road has been improved, and seventy-five miles has been maintained. With the exception of a gap of about two miles on the Kaingaroa Plains, the formation of the road is now continuous from Eotorua to a point about seventy-three miles from Eotorua, and with an expenditure of about £500 on culverts, bridges, and slips the road could be opened into the head-waters of the Whakatane" Eiver within a mile of Te Umeroa Settlement, a distance of seventy-six miles from Eotorua. Having just received an authority for £500, this work will be put in hand at once. The gap on the Kaingaroa Plains should be done as soon as funds will allow, but at present the old track is available for traffic. In connection with this work a branch road has been formed, 10 ft. wide, for a distance of two miles and a half, giving access to the Te Papa totara forest, at the back of Te Whaiti, where there is a splendid supply of that timber—sufficient to meet all requirements for that part of the district. The crossing of the Eangitaiki Eiver near Galatea is very unsatisfactory, being at times dangerous. There is a very good site for a bridge, which could be built for £250, and to which the new road has been formed. A section has been taken of it, and as soon as funds are available for the road, plans of the bridge will be submitted for your approval. Owing to want of funds, all the men— Europeans and Natives —at work on this road were discharged, excepting a few surfacemen, last December. During the whole year the bulk of the work has been given to Natives, to relieve their distress consequent on the failure of the potato-crops, about twenty of the Ureweras being employed at bush-clearing near Euatahuna, about twenty of the Te Whaiti Natives on the Te Papa Eoad, and about forty Natives from Te Houhi, Galatea, and Whirinaki on the Kaingaroa Plains. A staff of six men has been employed in maintenance, and the road is now in good order throughout. A bridge is badly wanted in place of the present ford across the stream about a mile beyond the Waiotapu Eoad junction. The ford will always require attention, and in times of flood is dangerous. The bridge could be erected for about £150. Rotowhero via Waiotapu-Wairakei Road. —About four miles have been re-formed. The entire road has been maintained, and is now in good condition. Its length from the junction of the Galatea Eoad to Wairakei, including the branch roads to Ohaki and the Areatiatia Bapids, is thirty-eight miles. A bridge of 25 ft. span has been constructed over the Wairakei Stream. A 4 ft. by 3 ft. culvert has been built near Wairakei, and a 6 ft. by 4 ft. at the Waikato Bridge. Other small culverts are being constructed, so that the road will be completed right through by the time the Waikato Bridge is built. During the present season the traffic has been considerable, in spite of it being necessary to swim horses across the Waikato Eiver. A mail-coach goes each way once a week, besides many specials. The road is also a favourite with cyclists. When this road is opened one of the surfacemen can be spared from the Eotorua-Atiamuri lengths, and should be put on it. Tirau (Oxford)-Rotorua Main Road. —From its junction with the Tauranga Boad to the boundary of the Eotorua County, which is the Government portion of the road, and is nine miles in length, the road has been maintained, and is now in good order, with the exception of two culverts that require reconstructing, and for which timber has been ordered. Before next summer the scrub on the sides of the road should be cut down by contract labour, ready for burning and sowing the ground with grass-seed. This would help considerably to keep the road dry and hard in winter. Akeake. —An authority for £75 has just been issued for this work. Nothing has yet been done. Maketu Wharf. —£100 authority has just been issued. Nothing has been done. Otawa No. la, lb. —No authority has been issued for this work. Pye's Pa. —No authority has been issued for this work. Papamoa Special Settlement. —The sum of £193 has been expended by the Tauranga County Council in the formation of 3 miles 40 chains of horse-road. A further sum of £206 has been issued for expenditure to the same body. Papamoa No. 1; Papamoa Nos. 1 and 2. —Grants of £156 and £200 have just been made to the Tauranga County Council. No work has been done, as far as I know. Tauranga-Cambridge. —A grant of £100 has been made to the Tauranga County recently. Nothing has yet been done. Maketu-Rotorua. —The Government portion of this road is 22-J miles in length ; it has been maintained by a staff of three men. Six miles and a half have been re-formed, and a whare has been erected for the use of the surfaceman at the northern end. Pongakawa-Rotorua and Rotorua Road. —Five miles of engineering survey have been made, 2 miles 12 chains of dray-road has been constructed, giving settlers access to the main road from Tauranga to Whakatane. The work is now being extended. Tauranga-Runanga. —This road has been maintained in good order from the boundary of the Taura.nga County on the north to Eunanga on the south, a distance of 118 miles, by a staff of eight men. Thirty-five miles of it have been re-formed, five bridges have been repaired, twenty culverts reconstructed, and. 16 chains of drains have been cut. That portion of it through the Mangarewa Gorge has been considerably improved and made safer for traffic. Arrangements have been made for renewing some of the culverts and improving the portion between the Eangitaiki and Eunanga. Ateamuri-Orakeikorako. —In order to assist Natives about -Ateamuri, this work was put in hand in October. Eleven miles of location and engineering surveys are done, and 2 miles 54 chains of dray-road constructed. The road was laid off from Ateamuri to Orakeikorako, connecting then with the road from Wairakei. When finished it will make a very interesting drive for tourists, giving complete access to the worders of Orakeikorako. Otarewa-Waipapa Stream (Robison's Road). —No authority has as yet been issued for this work. Orakeikorako (Tracks to). —Of this road, 10 miles 28 chains have been widened from a horsetrack into a buggy-road, connecting Orakeikorako with the Wairakei Eoad. Sixteen miles of the