87

C—l

Blind River Road. —During the year 75 chains of dray-road has been completed on the above work, which gives settlers access to the various sections on the Blind Biver Block. Bluff Gave and Port Underwood. —This work consists of making a track to a landing at Bluff Cave, to enable the settlers to land in a boat from Ocean Bay and Eobin Hood Bay. Length of track formed, 6 chains 25 links, principally rock-cutting. Havelock-Blenheim. —Work completed under this heading represents the general repairs to Wairau traffic-bridge. The work was carried out by Spring Creek Eoad Board. Picton-Queen Charlotte Sound. —This is practically the Picton-Grove Eoad. The only work completed under this heading was the removal of a few slips, and sundry expenses at the Picton end of the road. Redwood Pass. —Improving Eedwood Pass Eoad, two miles in length. The work was carried out by Omaka Eoad Board. Starborough. —During the year 5 miles 5 chains 97 links of dray-road has been formed. The road-machine was used on this work, which considerably lessened the cost of construction. Waihopai River Protection. —Waihopai Eiver protection-works carried out by Omaka Eoad Board. Blenheim-Kaikoura-Waiau. —The work performed under this heading consists in the maintenance of above road by the Awatere Eoad Board, Kaikoura County Council, and Amuri County Council. Nelson-Havclock (and Bridges). —During the year a traffic bridge has been erected over Flat Creek, on main road Havelock to Nelson (Eai Valley). The length of bridge is 46ft., and 5 chains 58 links of approach. The work has been completed, but final payment has not yet been passed for the approaches. Havelock Mudflat Bridges. —Eepairing Mudflat bridges on Eoad Havelock to Grove. Work carried out by Pelorus Eoad Board. Omaka Bridge (Contribution). —Work carried out by Omaka Eoad Board. Erecting 5 chains stop-bank, Omaka Eiver, Eenwicktown. Wakamarina and Kaituna Bridge. — Eeflooring bridge, Wakamarina. Work carried out by Pelorus Eoad Board. Clarence Bridge. —The vote was expended in constructing protective works to the bridge. Drain, Wairau River-Gravel-pit. —Cutting drain, to protect road from being flooded, on road near Wairau Eiver, towards Havelock. Length of drain, 40 chains ; 9 ft. by 3 ft. Picton-Grove Road (Mines Department). —During the year 25 chains of dray - road has been formed and one mile of bridle - track made 6 ft. in the solid; also, nine culverts have been built. When the contracts on hand at the Grove end were completed for the formation of the dray - road it was found necessary to cease making the dray - road, as the cost of the maintenance of the work by the time the road was completed to Picton would amount to a considerable sum of money. It was therefore decided that a track 6 ft. in the solid should be made to connect with work at the Picton end. This would enable us to get the connection through quickly, and the cost of maintenance of this work would be a nominal sum—in fact, as each slip came down so it would widen the track. In many places the old track has been worked into grade, and we have for the price of our 6 ft. track a 10 ft. road. I altered the line of road in parts as surveyed, as the present work entailed too large an expenditure for the present requirements. The work is progressing satisfactorily, and about two miles will be completed about the end of April, but only one mile is shown in the returns. A further grant is applied for on this road, and we hope to have the track through to join the work at Picton end before Christmas. Before any further work is done at the Grove end it will be necessary to run a few trial grades to decide upon the line. There remains to be done, so far as grading is concerned, the unexplored portions from Shakspeare Bay to Humphries Bay. Since the New Year the road has been graded from end of work at Grove to Ngakuta Bay, and points have been fixed as far as Humphries Bay. Omaka Estate (Land for Settlements). —Work completed on the above roads during the year consisted of repairs to road caused by flood. Kaiaho Canal. —ln 1882 a channel was cut through the Kaiaho Neck, which had the effect of saving three-quarters of a mile of land-carriage to all the settlers in the upper half of Kenepuru Sound. This channel silted up a year or so afterwards, and became useless. Seventeen years' accumulation of silt and shingle has lately been removed, and two wing walls built at each end of the canal, to prevent the silt washing in again. It is now available for boats at all states of the tide, except for an hour or so before and after low water. It requires deepening another 3ft. or 4ft., when it would be available for boats at all states of the tide. A sum has been placed on the estimates for this purpose. Cheviot-Kaikoura Road. —Mr. F. S. Smith, District Surveyor, reports: The length of drayroad constructed is only 3 miles 48 chains, but a large proportion of the expenditure was incurred on work which is in an unfinished state, on the Kahautara Bluff, and cannot be returned as completed. This cost also includes the charges against maintenance of sixteen miles of road completed last year; a 46ft. span bridge, costing, without abutments, £87 6s. 4d., and three open-tender contracts, costing, with material and supervision, £1,131 7s. Id. The gross cost of the Earainai Tunnel is £980 7s. lid.; but the trucks, rails, &c, are almost as good as new. The net cost of the tunnel, without supervision, is £911 Os. 6d., or about £16 ss. per lineal yard of driving through very hard rock. The length of the Earamai tunnel is 56f lineal yards. The only other work done on roads in this district is 1 mile 22 chains up the Puhipuhi Eiver, at a total cost of £350 18s. 5d., for open-tender works. The earnings show the usual difference between good, skifful men and men unused to the work. The ec-operative system has worked very well indeed this year; we have not had one single