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road has been maintained. The grades and crossings of some of the creeks are capable of considerable improvement, and a surfaceman has been put on to keep the road open, and improve it as much as he can. Tauhara Mountain. —Not being of an urgent nature, and other work being more pressing, nothing has been done towards the construction of a road up this mountain. Tokaanu-Taupo. —This road extends from its junction with the Taupo-Napier Eoad to Tokaanu, a distance of thirty-six miles, and has been maintained in fair order. Six miles of its formation have been renewed. For some weeks, owing to want of funds, all the surfacemen had to be taken off, and since then only two men have been kept on, instead of the usual number of three. It is much to be regretted that this had to be done, the road running through country very liable to slips, and the river-crossings requiring constant attention. Several portions of the road have never been properly formed, and are very heavy. There are also four rivers crossing it which should be bridged as soon as funds are available, taking the most dangerous first, which is the TaurangaTaupo, an estimate of which has been sent to you. If, however, a comfortable and swift service of launches were established on the Taupo Lake the question of expenditure on this road beyond ordinary maintenance would become a matter of less urgency. Tokaanu Road and Wharf ".—A survey of the wharf-site has been made, and plans and estimates of the wharf have been submitted to and approved by you. The work of construction will be put in hand as soon as possible. Whakatane Wharf Repairs. —An authority of £200 has recently been issued for this work, for which I understand the Whakatane Eoad Board have submitted plans for your approval. Galatea-Te Teko. —Six miles of dray-road have been maintained, and a 30 ft. bridge has been built over the Ngatamawahine Stream. This road at present connects the Native settlement and school of Te Houhi with Galatea. As soon as funds can be spared it should be continued as a horse-road to connect with the road from the Eangitaiki Valley across the ranges to Euatoki. Matata-Te Teko. —A grant of £100 has been made quite recently to the Whakatane County Council. There has been no time to do any work yet. Nukukou-Maraetotara. —Grants of £100 and £400 have been made to the Whakatane County Council. Proposals for work on the road have recently been submitted for my approval. Otara River-Papamoa. —£300 has just been granted to the Whakatane County Council for this work. Omarumutu-Te Whaiti. —£loo has been granted to the Whakatane County Council for this work. Opotiki-Otamarakau. —The sum of £200 was granted to the same body for this work in January, 1898, but, as far as I know, nothing has yet been done. Papamoa-Omarumutu. —£150 has been spent in widening 37 chains of this road by the Whakatane County Council. Rangitaiki-Ruatoki-Waiotahi. —Thirty miles of this horse-road have been mantained, 5 miles 57 chains have been re-formed, and 1 mile 22 chains has been widened into a dray-road near Euatoki. Te Teko-Opotiki. —The portion of this road between Te Teko and Whakatane requires improving by means of drainage, re-formation, and three small bridges. A sum of £525 having been just authorised, the work will be put in hand. Waimana-Ohiwa. —Two grants of £200 each have recently been made to the Whakatane County Council, and proposals for the work have been submitted to me. Waioeka River, Waiotahi Block. —36 chains of road-formation has been done by the Whakatane County Council under a grant of £100. Another grant of £300 has just been made to the same body. Waioeka, Blocks 2, 3, 4. —A grant of £100 was made to the same body, but nothing has been done. Waimana Block. —£14 has been spent on this block in the improvement of 60 chains of horseroad and maintenance of eight miles. A grant of £485 was made to the Whakatane County Council in February last, but nothing has yet been done. Bay of Plenty, Sundry Roads. —£50 was granted to the Whakatane Coanty Council in February. Kaiti Bridge. —A sum of £200 was granted to the Tauranga County Council for this work in March. I understand plans will shortly be submitted for approval. Kaituna Stream Bridge. —£lso was granted to the Tauranga County Council in December, 1897. I could not approve of the plans that were submitted, and nothing has been done. Ruahihi Bridge (Tauranga-Cambridge). —No grant or authority has been issued for this work. Morea Bridge. —The plans for this bridge over the Ohau Channel were received in March. As the bed of the stream is very uncertain it has been decided to drive the piles by day-labour, and to let a contract for the superstructure. The bridge will consist of one 80 ft., one 20 ft., and one 12 ft. span. Tenders for the supply of piles will be called at once. Meanwhile the old bridge has been made sufficiently strong to carry light traffic. Waikato Bridge, Waiotapu. —A contract was let for this bridge, which consists of four 58 ft. spans, in July last. The contractor's time for completion of the work expired in February. All the pile-driving is done, and rapid progress is being made with the superstructure. The work should be completed about the end of April. The driving has been exceedingly hard, some of the ironbark piles being driven until they split. All the timber is of first-class quality. Otara Bridge. —This bridge, which is 360 ft. in length, is being rejoisted and redecked by the Whakatane County Council. The grant is for £100, the county finding £1 for £1. Whakatane County Bridge (Repairing and Construction). —A grant of £500 was made to the county for repairs to the Waioeka Bridge, which is 392 ft. in length, the county finding £1 for £1. Some of the piers of this bridge had sunk to such an extent by the river scouring its bed that it B—o. 1.