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we had to cut 210 chains of track for swagging purposes. Very heavy slips came down in parts, and had to be removed. Taihore, Widening. —The settlers in Eltham and Terrace End Block are raising a loan under the Loans to Local Bodies Act for widening Taihore Eoad from Ohura Eoad, near Strathmore, to Mangaehu Stream. All the preliminaries are arranged, and the work, under the Stratford County Council, is expected shortly to commence. Terrace End. —The work of opening up roads in this special settlement has been proceeded with as well as funds would permit. 285 chains of felling, stumping, &c, 111 chains of sft. bridleroad formation (chiefly in papa rock), 12 chains dray-road formation, 44 lineal feet of bridges, 815 lineal feet of culverts, are the works completed during the year. A few small contracts are in hand, but a considerable amount of formation is still required to give access to each section. Mangamingi Township. —A strip of bush 2 chains wide was felled on the sunny side of Eawhitiroa Eoad, to allow the sun and wind to get at and dry the road. This has been burnt, and will shortly be sown. Ngaire. —Our work on Ngaire Swamps was practically ended last year, but the maintenance of the main drains was continued for about six months of this year. During that time 487 chains of main drains were deepened, the surrounding swamp having sunk, and 34 chains of new drains were dug. In many parts of these swamps where settlers have sown grass and stocked the land judiciously there is good pasture, and the land will soon have the appearance of ordinary grasspaddocks. In all cases the expenditure has been fully justified by the results. Tangahoe Valley. —A road-line has been surveyed (the engineering survey is also in hand) to connect Hawera more directly with Crown lands in Pukekino and Kaharoa Blocks. It leaves by Tawhiti Eoad, follows Whareroa Eoad, descends into Tangahoe Valley, and follows it up towards Confiscation Line and Pukekino Block. The Hawera County Council is arranging for the necessary transfer of private lands through which the road will pass, after which we will commence the expenditure of the vote in formation-works. Ball Road (Blocks IX., X., XIII, XIV., Carlyle and Opaku Survey Districts). —The 70 chains of metalling referred to in last year's report was completed last autumn, thus giving the settlers at Hurleyville a good winter road over the part that previously had been almost impassable. Central Patea Valley. —This vote is for felling and forming a road up Patea Eiver to give access to lands towards Eawhitiroa Eoad, but so far it has not been decided whether to connect with Ball Eoad, on west side of river, or with Kaharoa Boad, on east side, and until this is settled no expenditure can be incurred. It is, however, probable a bridge will be erected over Patea Eiver at Ball Eoad crossing, and should that be done it will determine the line of road. Kaitangiwhenua No. 2. —On Maitaiwhetu and Tahuri Eoads 286 chains of felling, stumping, &c, and 239 chains of bridle-road formation has been made. Mataimoana. — The Mataimoana Eoad has been felled'and formed as a 5 ft. bridle-road to about a quarter of a mile past Mataimoana Trig. Station, thus giving access to every settler on the road. It is proposed to fell and form the road onwards to Eidge Boad, and spend the balance of this vote in continuing the widening of the lower part of the road from bridle- to dray-road width. Nukuhau. —This is a surveyed road-line running from Mataimoana Eoad down to Whenuakura Stream, and is intended as a future connection, as the country gets settled. As no immediate necessity existed for the expenditure of the vote the work was not gone on with. Okahutiria. —The expenditure was for removal of slips and maintenance only. Okotukit. —Arrangements having been made with the owners of the land, several necessary deviations from the road-lines as originally surveyed were made, and the following works were then proceeded with : 20 chains felling, stumping, &c, 64 chains of 6 ft. bridle-road formation, 72 lineal feet of culverts. This work will shortly be continued. Waitotara Valley. —The work of continuing the widening of this road, reported on last year, has been continued, most of the work being heavy sidings in papa rock, all of which had to be blasted out. 319 chains of dray-road formation, 841 lineal ft. of culverts, 40 lineal ft. of 8 ft. tunnel in hard rock (to obviate the building of a bridge), and 4 chains of draining has been done in extending and widening the road. On the sth February there was an exceptionally heavy storm of rain in Waitotara district, 4Jin. falling in four hours. Waitotara Eiver rose to about the height of the floods of 1891, and two of the bridges on the part of road under charge of Patea County were washed away, as well as several culverts. On the portion of road under our charge some culverts were washed out, and tremendous slips came across the road from the hillsides. These are being removed, but the cost of repairs will diminish our funds for widening the road, which it was hoped would have reached Mr. Van Asch's property. This is now out of the question unless a further sum is granted for the purpose. Eltham-Waitotara. —The bridle-road east of Eukumoana Bridge, over Patea Biver, has been widened to dray-road width to near the top of Matemateaonga Bange. 509 chains of dray-road has been made, 876 lineal feet of culverts built, and 22 chains of drains cut. The road is open for wheel traffic for a distance of twenty miles inland of Eltham, and for bridle traffic through to Waitotara Eoad. Eltham-Waitotara, £1 for £1 (Metalling Rawhitiroa Road). —No new metalling has been done on this road during the year by the Hawera County Council, their work being confined to keeping the metal already laid in repair. Makuri and Akama (£1 for £1). —This vote is to assist the Stratford County Council in improving the above roads. We felled and formed them as 5 ft, bridle-roads, but the strain of heavy traffic upon them was too great, and they became impassable. The Stratford County Council is now draining and widening them to dray-road width. No payment has been made out of the vote. Contingencies and Engineering. —During the year the felling and formation of Motoroa Eoad has been completed to the last settler's holding. 72 chains of felling, stumping, &c, 137 chains of