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works carried out comprised chiefly removing land-slips off sideling-cuttings ; repairing breaches in road, cutting ditches, drains, and shingling road in Starvation Gully; protecting approaches to fords at the Porter and Broken Eivers with log- and boulder-work; improving road down the Craigieburn, protecting same, and diverting a short length on to rock-cutting to avoid two fords; building scrub bank and groins, and strengthening two already put in at river-bed near 45-mile peg; rebuilding sideling-cutting scoured away by river near 49-mile peg, a length of 4 chains; and making new coach-road on flat at 51-mile peg. Log-cribbing has been built up in several places, three culverts renewed with log timber, and three replaced with drain-pipes. Two short spans of the Bealey Gorge Bridge have been lifted and replaced with new timber, and substantial additions and repairs made to the overseer's house, also to the roadman's house near the 7-mile peg. Along the road there have been several patches of shingling done, and the same is badly in want of more. A large amount of work in making fords and roads across the river-beds has been created by the loose shingle washed off the mountain-sides by recent rains accumulating in the creeks and riverbeds, which in flood-time rolls along, causing the rivers to shift about. There is plenty of work in hand to keep the extra men going for some time yet in completing the necessary repairs ; and I may here state that the usual routine work of maintenance has been duly carried out, and every care taken for the safety of the traffic on the road. Oxford Bush Roads. —Out of the £300 voted for these works, a sum has been expended on the construction of two concrete culverts on the Main Bush Eoad and one each on Sladden's and Luer's Bush Eoads. Eespecting the balance of the vote proposed last year to be expended on the erection of a girder bridge over Gammen's Creek, the Oxford Eoad Board, who are carrying out the works, report that, after repeatedly calling for tenders for its construction without success, they have, with my approval, substituted a rubble and concrete arched bridge for same, and tenders have now been called for its erection. Waipara-Cheviot Road. —Money has been expended during the year on shingling about 95 chains of the Omihi Valley portion of this road. The work was carried out by ordinary contract under the supervision of the engineer to the Waipara Eoad Board, who reported it extremely well executed and the road now in good condition. It is proposed to expend the balance of the vote in deviating, re-grading, and improving the road at the Omihi Saddle. Highbank Settlement Roads. —The only expenditure was for two water-crossings and carting and spreading forty loads of shingle, executed during last year. The Ashburton County Council have been notified that a vote of £500 has been granted them for the entire completion of these roads, after which it is intended that the Mount Hutt Eoad Board will take over their future control. The work will consist chiefly of shingling the roads already formed. Tengawai-Fraser's Road. —£25, as a pound-for-pound subsidy, was granted the Mackenzie County Council for this work, which was carried out in order to give Mr. Fraser better access to his Crown leasehold, and comprised the formation of 20 chains and shingling 11 chains of the road on the northern boundary of Section 20359, commencing at the eastern end of the construction completed last year. Fairlie-Pukaki Road. —Amount voted, £400. The works carried out comprised regrading, shingling, and removing large boulders on road Pukaki to Tekapo, about 100 chains; removing boulders and shingling of 110 chains of road between Lake Tekapo and Burkes Pass, and shingling about 30 chains of road between Burkes Pass and Silverstream. The works were carried out by the Mackenzie County Council's own men under the supervision of the county engineer, the Council supplying free the necessary horses, tools, and plant. It is proposed to expend the balance of the vote in forming and shingling a portion of the Fairlie-Pukaki Eoad between Balmoral and Wolds Station, a length of 110 chains—a very necessary work. Pukaki-Mount Cook Road. —The works carried out comprised 11 chains of light formation 18 ft. wide between Twin and Whale Creeks, also three stone fords and 32 chains of catchwater drain, besides which ten large rocks were taken out of the surface of the old road. Near Old Glentanner 8 chains of the 1894 cutting was widened, the batter sloped back at the sandy place, and 5 chains of it gravelled; 6 chains of the soft piece of cutting was gravelled, as were also 6 chains of the cutting north of Whale Creek, and 8 chains at the bay three miles south of Old Glentanner; at the latter place a 1 ft. by 1 ft. stone culvert was built with intake and outlet drains 2 chains long. At five miles down the lake, where there was a bad place, 9 chains of formation 18 ft. wide, two stone fords, one 1 ft. by 1 ft. stone culvert, and 5 chains of catchwater drain were made. The road has been in good order all the season. Several large floods have made the usual washouts at the creeks, and kept the surfacemen busy, but the traffic has not been stopped. The improvements suggested last year are still very much wanted —viz., new road round Lake Pukaki, repairs to old formation on lake, re-forming section near Jack's Creek, and clearing cuttings between Bush Creek and the rabbit-fence. Mount Cook and Glaciers (Tracks). —Money has been paid over on account of these works, which were completed and fully described last year. They are now in very fair order, but will require some little attention by next year. Clement's Road. —£250 was granted the Waimate County Council for providing access to J. E. Clement's Section 28059, and was expended as follows : On the purchase of 65 acres and 21 perches of Section 27826 ; forming 49f chains of road, and fencing same 99 chains. The work was found on inspection to be satisfactorily carried out, and the Council has conveyed the land purchased to the Crown. Nukuroa-Studholme Junction. —The work carried out comprised gravelling to a width of 12 ft. that portion of the 50-link road between the railway and Meikle's Eoad, a length of 40 chains, and the construction of 3 chains of flat formation, in addition to re-forming, breaking the large stones, and filling in the ruts of that portion of the said 50-link road gravelled last year. Nukuroa (Railway-gates). —The work is being carried out by the Working Eailways staff, and comprises removing two railway-gates, which were a great inconvenience to the settlers in the vicinity, and substituting cattle-stops tlierefor ; also, fencing, &c.

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