73

C—l

have been laid. The total formation maintained has been 4 miles 62 chains, of which 37 chains are available for wheel traffic. Apiti-Norseivood Road. —This road is intended to connect Apiti with Norsewood, in the Hawke's Bay Province, and during the year considerable activity has been shown in that direction. The following are the details: 2 miles 9 chains of road-line graded and pegged, 5 chains felled and cleared; 18 chains widened from 6ft. to 16ft., and 1 mile 71 chains widened to 14 ft.; 7 chains metalled, 2,270 cubic yards of slips cleared, 9,236 cubic yards of rock excavated, 5 chains of drain cut, and seventeen 12 in. by 12 in. culverts laid. In the neighbourhood of Coal Creek the work has been exceptionally heavy, and, owing to the loose nature of other parts of the formation, considerable expense has been incurred in clearing slips. The maintenance has extended over 2 miles 9 chains of dray-road, the remainder being in the hands of the Pohangina County Council. Umutoi Road (Pohangina Block). —The following work has been done on this road during the year: 3 chains formed 6ft. wide, 30 chains widened from 6ft. to Bft., 5 chains metalled, two culverts (28 ft. in length) laid, 700 cubic yards of slips cleared, and 388 cubic yards of rock excavated. The road has been maintained for 2 miles 27 chains. Umutoi Road (Umutoi Block). —Nothing but maintaining 2 miles 23 chains of this horseroad has been done since my last report, in which work is included the removal of 320 cubic yards of slips. Tunipo Road (Salisbury Block). —Very little work has been done on this road, but it is now completed throughout, the distance maintained being 3 miles 25 chains. The following is a statement of the annual operations : 5 chains of road-line formed 6 ft. wide, one culvert (24 in. by 24 in., and 24 ft. "long), 732 cubic yards of slips cleared, 10 chains of rock excavated, and 1 chain of corduroy laid. Apiti Bridge (Oroua River). —In May last the sum of £275 was granted to the Pohangina County Council to defray the cost of repairs to the bridge across the Oroua Eiver at Apiti. The only work yet done has been some temporary repairs to damages caused by flood. No progresspayments have yet been made. Coal Greek North Block. —Of the £100 granted to the Pohangina County Council for the purpose of constructing a track from Coal Creek to the Main Bidge Boad, the final payment of £42 has been made. The work comprised the formation of 23 chains 12 ft. wide from the Main Eidge Eoad, and 21 chains of 6 ft. formation at the lower end. Umutoi Road, Upper Pohangina Valley (Salisbury and Delaware Blocks). —The road-line reported last year as being graded and pegged has been formed 8 ft. wide for 1 mile 52 chains, and 300 cubic yards of slips removed. The following bridges have been erected : Three 12 ft. long each, and one 22 ft. long, all with a roadway of 8 ft.; and one single span of 25 ft., with alO ft. roadway. The distance maintained has been 2 miles 12 chains. Takapari Road, Upper Pohangina Valley (Salisbury and Delaware Blocks). —There was great activity shown here during the latter part of the last financial year, which was continued for the first three months of this, since when nothing further has been done. The following are the details : 1 mile 15 chains of horse-road formation, 160 cubic yards of slips cleared, 100 cubic yards of rock excavated, fourteen culverts inserted (of a total length of 148 ft.), and one bridge 14 ft. long and 8 ft. wide has been erected. Maintenance extends over one mile. Pohangina Valley Road (Forest Reserve). —In my last report I stated that in the interests of the settlers in the valley it had been decided to open road-communication into this forest reserve, and that £150 had been granted by the Pohangina County Council for the purpose. Protective work was subsequently undertaken, which cost £50, and a further sum of £65 9s. 6d. was expended in felling and clearing a deviation of the road for 1 mile 40 chains. No further work has been done, and the grant of £150 still remains to the credit of the County Council, no progress-payment having been applied for. Kimbolton Road. —Last year some metalling was done between Beef Creek and Whare Eoad, Pemberton, the cost of which was defrayed by a grant to the Kiwitea County Council, which local body has now complete control of the road. Aorangi Bridge. —-This bridge across the Oroua Eiver at Aorangi, near Feilding, consisted originally of six spans of 60 ft. and one of 30 ft., but the latter and two of the 60 ft. spans were washed out by the Easter floods of 1897. To repair the damage it was found to be necessary to erect three 60 ft. and one 30 ft. spans, which has been done. It is a truss bridge, with al3 ft. roadway. A grant of £725 having been made to the Manchester Eoad Board on the pound-for-pound condition, the work was carried out by that body, and has passed the supervising inspection of this department. Dannevirke-Weber-Wimbledon. —Great activity was being shown when I reported last year on this road, consisting of the erection of two beam bridges (20 ft. and 24 ft. in length respectively), road-formation, river-diversion, metalling, and culverting, the Government granting a contribution of £400 to the Weber Eoad Board towards the cost, the final payment being made on the 15th August of last year. Oporae Road. —The following work has been done on this road : 18 chains of road-line felled and cleared of bush, 1 mile 33 chains formed 6 ft. wide, fourteen culverts (of a total length of 226 ft.) laid, 165 cubic yards of slips cleared, 358 cubic yards of rock excavated, 4f chains of drains cut, and 4 chains of embankments formed. The road is maintained for two miles. The formation contracts alluded to in my last report have been satisfactorily completed, and the road is now open for horse traffic to the main road at Oporae Station. This connection is of great benefit to the settlers on the Eising Sun Association Block; but to be of permanent use to them it will be necessary to bridge some deep creeks which intersect, and are quite impassable in bad weather, and to widen the road for vehicular traffic. Extensive deviations have been made in this line to procure easy gradients. 10—C. 1.