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Mangatoro Valley Road. —Only 2 chains of formation has been done on this road,-34 chains having been widened to 14 ft. 554 cubic yards of slips have been cleared away, 50 cubic yards of rock excavated, 4 chains of drains cut, and a short length of embankment formed. This road, which connects with the Hawke's Bay District, passes through hilly, flat, and undulating wooded country, and is maintained from 14 ft. to 16 ft. wide for seven miles. It is all in good repair, with the exception of a few narrow places which require widening. The 1 mile 22 chains of metalling mentioned in my last report has not been extended, there being no funds available for the purpose. All culverts are in good condition, and the two bridges in good repair. Section 183, Block IV., Aohanga (Aohanga Valley). —On the 27th January last the sum of £200 was authorised for expenditure, but, owing to the non-completion of negotiations for acquiring the land, nothing has yet been done. Section 12, Block X., Makuri. —£so was authorised for expenditure on this road in December of last year, and operations have lately been commenced. Ohinereiata Road. —This is practically a continuation of the last-mentioned road through Section 12, Block X., Makuri, and when completed will connect the Waewaepa with the Upper Makuri Eoad. £50 has been authorised for expenditure, and the work is now being proceeded with. Towai Road (Rising Sun Association). —Considerable progress has been made on this road during the year —36 chains of road-line has been graded and pegged, 28 chains of bush felled and cleared, three miles of road-formation (6ft. wide), fifty-six culverts (varying in dimensions from 12 in. by 12 in. to 24 in. by 24 in., and 745 ft. in length) have been laid, 8 chains of drains cut, and 6 chains of embankments formed. The maintenance of 4 miles 40 chains has involved the removal of 340 cubic yards of slips and the excavation of 57 cubic yards of rock. About two miles more of formation will connect with the Waihi Valley Eoad, and open communication with Coonoor and Makuri, vid Puketoi. This connection will be a great boon, and it is unfortunate that want of funds should prevent its completion, or that the same cause should operate against the maintenance ' receiving that attention the road requires. Coonoor Farm-homestead Association. —ln January last the sum of £200 was authorised for expenditure on constructive works in this farm-homestead block, and instructions have been issued to commence work. Tcwai Road (Coonoor). —Last year I had a considerable amount of work to record on this road, but during the year under review nothing has been done but general maintenance for a distance of five miles. For four miles the width varies from 14 ft. to 18 ft., the remainder being a 6 ft. horsetrack which is at present in very bad repair. The dray road is in very good order, and the culverts all in substantial condition. Upper Makuri Valley Road. —Nothing has been done on this road but general maintenance, which has not been at all expensive. It is a dray-road, from 14 ft. to 18 ft. in width, and for ten miles passes through a sideling country. I can report it as being in fairly good order, and the bridges and culverts in good condition. The Pahiatua County Council bear the cost of maintaining a part of this road. Alfredton-Weber Road. —During the period under review great activity has been shown on this road, the details of which are as follows: Eoad-survey graded and pegged, 8 chains; road-forma-tion, 16 ft. wide, 40 chains ; widening, 19 chains; and 24 chains metalling, 12 ft. wide, being about 22 cubic yards to the chain; two bridges have been erected, of 20 ft. and 30 ft. spans respectively; thirty culverts, of various dimensions, inserted, of a total length of 652 ft.; 20,047 cubic yards of slips have been removed, 1,099 cubic yards of rock excavated, 33 chains of corduroy laid, 20J chains of drains cut, 4 chains of embankments formed, and two miles and a half of road-line laid down in grass. The timber supplied for bridges and culverts totals 26,294 ft. This is a dray-road, varying in width from 14 ft. to 18 ft., and is maintained for a distance of 35 miles 23 chains. Wheel communication is now complete to Weber, and a weekly coach-service is now running between Pongaroa and Dannevirke. This may consequently be considered as a main arterial road. In some places it passes through undulating country; in others, along white-pine swamps. For about eight miles it passes along the Akitio Biver, where the sideling cuttings are a constant source of trouble, owing to the liability of the earth slipping from the papa rock. All the bridges and culverts are in very good condition, but the road in many places is in very bad repair, as, owing to the unsettled weather of the past summer, no opportunity has been given to have it properly crowned, as the large staff of surfacemen were continually employed in removing slips, clearing water-tables, and other works of maintenance, and no funds were available for employing more men. I would strongly recommend that the northern end of this road be metalled as soon as possible, as a large number of settlers are dependent upon it for the carriage of their supplies. I may here state that the burnt papa metalling has proved a decided success, as a coating of 8 in. which has been on the roadway for three years is still in good order, notwithstanding bullock-dray and other heavy traffic passing over it. An unreasonable prejudice appears to exist against the use of this material. Alfredton-Weber, Flood-damages. —ln May, 1898, the sum of £300 was granted to the Wairarapa North County Council for the purpose of prosecuting this work. About 500 cubic yards of slips have been removed, and 210 lineal feet of tunnels driven. This tunnelling embraces two drives, of 100 ft. and 110 ft. in length respectively—the former 5 ft. by' 3 ft., driven through tough blue papa ; the latter 6 ft. by 4 ft., in stratified brown rock. These tunnels are to divert the water from culverts beneath heavy embankments, which had partially collapsed through underscour of the culvert foundations. The work in the larger tunnel was attended with considerable difficulties owing to leakage through the soft porous strata met with at short intervals throughout, which necessitated timbering the whole drive at much extra cost. Both drives are lined with concrete walls, and inverts 8 in. thick, with 4-J-in. brick arched roofs set in Portland-cement mortar. Parapets, wing- walls, and aprons of concrete are provided at the inlets and outlets of each tunnel. Altogether the work has been done in a very satisfactory and sub'stantiaLmanuer. i