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ongaonga Bridge, 56 ft. long, is now ready, and the erection of the bridge will soon be put in hand. Upper Waitara, Mangaere, Junction Road, Purangi to Ohura Road. —The only work done under this vote was the removal of slips and the maintenance of ten miles of road. Egmont (Metalling, £1 for £1). —The settlers on Egmont Boad between Junction Boad and Mount Egmont Forest Eeserve have raised a loan under the Loans to Local Bodies Act to metal with broken stone the unmetalled portion—about five miles—of the road. The work is now in hand, and should we have a fine autumn may be completed this season. In addition to the benefit the settlers will derive through having a good road on which they can take their milk to the dairy factory at all times of the year, the mountain house, under the control of North Egmont Forest Board, will largely gain by the advantage of possessing better road for tourist traffic, the metalled road being then completed within four miles of the house. Kent Road. —The expenditure on this road is for the benefit of settlers on Block VI., Egmont Survey District, who hold their lands on lease from the Crown. Contracts for culverts and earthwork are now in progress, and plans and specifications have been prepared and timber is being cut for a bridge, 60 ft. long, over the Mangaotukutuku Stream, The expenditure will greatly benefit the Crown tenants, who hitherto have had only a track to their farms. Koru-New Plymouth (£1 for £1). —The Oakura Eoad Board have arranged for a loan of £600 under the Loans to Local Bodies Act to metal the worst portions of Koru and New Plymouth Eoads. Tenders have been invited for the work, and it will be pushed on as quickly as the weather will permit. Maude Road. —This road also, as well as Kent Boad, leads to Block VI., Egmont, and contracts have been laid off and are in progress for improving the worst grades, putting in culverts, and widening the existing bridle-road into dray-road width. Tracks and Huts, Mount Egmont. —With the view of improving the facilities for tourists who may wish to ascend Mount Egmont, the North Egmont Domain Board, New Plymouth, are having their mountain house lined inside and painted, and have also improved the chimneys and internal accommodation. The grass paddocks have been made more accessible for visitors' horses by culverting the creeks, making roads, and opening tracks through the logs, &c. The bridle-road to the house has also been improved. .\ new caretaker has been appointed, who acts as guide to parties ascending the mountain, and keeps the house and surroundings in order. A piano has just been obtained by public subscription, and adds very much to the other attractions of the house. The East Egmont Board, Stratford, in addition to improving their mountain-track, are having an accommodation-house erected at about 4,000 ft. above the sea. The material is all on the site, and erection of building in progress. The South Egmont Board, Manaia and Kaponga, have also improved their road, have added to the conveniences of their house, and are about obtaining a piano for the use of visitors. These Boards would make other improvements to their roads and buildings, but have not funds. Were good driving-roads made thousands of persons would be induced to climb the mountain, resting at these houses, which, being at an elevation of from 3,000 ft. to 4,000 ft. above the sea, might be made most useful sanatoria. Even despite the indifferent tracks by which visitors have to travel to these houses, over two thousand people go there each year, many of whom ascend to the top of Mount Egmont. A small annual grant to each Board would enable them to gradually improve their bridle-tracks into driving-roads, and enlarge their houseaccommodation for visitors and tourists. Akama. —This refers to a road in Mangaere Block now under control of the Stratford County Council. It is proposed to expend this vote in draining and forming a swampy part of the road, and by so doing give the settlers more direct access to Huiroa, Toko, and Stratford. Huiroa. —Five chains of dray-road formation were constructed, in continuation of work done last year; also part payment of work completed last year. Kohuratahi-Tangarakan. —Kohuratahi Boad runs from Ohura Boad to Tangarakau Eiver, an affluent of Wanganui Eiver, and is intended, when completed, not only to give access to lands recently surveyed and sold in Kohuratahi Block, but also as a route by which, in connection with Wanganui Eiver, the Whangamomona and'other settlers can obtain supplies and send away produce. The road has been felled, stumped, and cleared to within two miles of Tangarakau, and formed as 8 ft. bridle-road to within four miles of that point, the work done this year being 202 chains of road-formation, 950 lineal feet of culverts, and 45 lineal feet of bridges. Mangaotuku. —This road leads from Ohura Eoad at about 13J miles from Stratford into the Gatton and Mangaehu Special-settlement Blocks. It has been felled, culverted, and formed as a 5 ft. bridle-road, and now the Stratford County Council is raising a loan of £640, under the Loans to Local Bodies Act, to widen about four miles of it to dray-road width. No work has yet been done, but all the preliminaries are arranged. Mohakau. —The Stratford County Council is draining, widening, and generally improving this road, which is felled and formed as a bridle-road, and the vote will be used to supplement their expenditure. Ohura Road, Metalling. —Tenders were accepted early in the year for metalling two miles (two separate contracts of one mile each) of the road in continuation of the nine miles and a half already done, the metal to be shell rock, laid 12 ft. wide by 8 in. deep, the contracts being £570 and £575 respectively. Owing to the wet autumn no work could be done last season, and the. wet spring prevented any progress being made until January. One contract was completed in February and the other on the 15th March. In February another mile was let at £595, and that is now nearing completion. The metalling extends now for 12-J- miles from Stratford, the worst parts of the road being clone ; other parts, where sand was available, were coated with a dry yellow sand to a depth of 12 in. or more, at an average cost of £140 per mile. This answers well for light traffic and on easy grades, but would not stand very heavy traffic, and cuts and scours away on heavier grades than 1 in 30 with the winter rains. About two miles of sanding has been done

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