95

0.-1.

Catlin's, Block TlL—Roads have been formed in this block 68f chains, 10 ft. wide, and bushfelling done for 100 chains. Gatherwood Road, Block 11., Catlin's. —This road has been formed 91 chains, 10 ft. wide, which used up.the vote ; about 40 chains more formation is required. Thomson's Road, Block 11., Catlin's. —This road has been formed another distance of 20 chains, 10 ft. wide, which cost rather more than at first expected, owing to hard stone being met with. Ivimey's Road, Block L, Catlin's. —This road has been felled and logged a distance of 43 chains in readiness for the formation to be gone on with. Barr's Road, Block 1., Catlin's. —This road has been formed 10 ft. wide a length of 106 chains, and work is in progress extending the formation. McKenzie Road, Block X., Glenomaru. —This road has been formed an additional length of 35 chains, 10 ft. wide, and 12 chains of bushfelling and logging done. Katea to Owaka, Block IX., Glenomaru. —This road has been formed a distance of 60 chains, 12 ft. wide, connecting with Hunt's Eoad, and giving an opening to the factory. Goldsbery's Road, Block V., Glenomaru. —This road has been formed a further distance of 42 chains, and work is in progress in forming 30 chains additional. Lake Village-settlement Road, Block VIII., Glenomaru. —This road, which has been taken through the settlement, is a deviation from the old surveyed road, which was too precipitous to be of any use to part of the settlement. The length of this new road, which has been formed 10 ft. wide, is 46 chains, and gives access to five sections which hitherto have had no outlet. Ward's Road, Block IV., Glenomaru. —This road has been formed 29 chains, 10 ft. wide, to give access to Section 41. Freston Hill Road, Block VII, Glenomaru. —This road has been formed 29 chains, 10 ft. wide, and bushfelling and logging done for a distance of 41f chains. The formation on this road will be continued when a fresh authority is available. Hunt's Road. —Some of the worst portions of this road were widened and metalled and generally surfaced over a distance of four miles. Makaraeo Estate. —On this estate two miles and a quarter of railway has been constructed, and one bridge built with twelve spans of 26ft. each, and two of 24ft. 6in., and another bridge started which is to have nine spans of 20 ft. each. All the formation-work has been practically finished, and a contract let for the excavation and building of a limekiln. Momona Estate. —On this estate the drainage outlet from the estate to the main ditch was cleaned for a distance of 6 chains, the bottom planked to a width of 3ft., and sides slabbed to a height of 2f ft., and a flood-gate was erected. Culverts. —In connection with the Catlin's works during the year 103 culverts have been built, aggregating a total length of 2,655 ft., and varying in dimensions from 12 in. by 12 in. to 3 ft. by 18 in. John Hay, Chief Surveyor.

SOUTHLAND. Mr. Falkiner reports as follows : — Te Anau-Sutherland Falls. —Nothing beyond clearing away remains of avalanches and fallen trees, and general repairs to the track, has been done between Te Anau and Beech Huts; the track from Beech Huts to Sutherland Falls has been improved and repaired, and two iron huts have been erected at the junction with the Milford Sound Track. These huts give sleeping-accommodation for eighteen people. Mr. Eothwell, with a party of men, is now forming a track from Beech Huts to the saddle, a distance of three miles, with a grade of 1 in 6. Tracks to Western Sounds. —The track is now completed from Milford Sound to Beech Huts, with the exception of a bridge over the Arthur Eiver. When this bridge is erected there will be uninterrupted foot traffic through to Te Anau, except in flood-times, when some of the small creeks are difficult to cross. Most of the old wooden bridges are becoming unsafe, and will need to be renewed. When possible, I intend to make fords for horses, with a light plank-bridge, with wire handrail, for foot-passengers. Te Anau-Wakatipu -Road. —A considerable sum has been spent on this work. 72 chains of road has been made and culverted. The work has been handed over to the Lake County Council to complete, as it is within easy access of Queenstown. Waikawa-Catlin's Road. —Tenders were called for breaking metal, and the work was done by the settlers. The remainder of the work was surfacing, repairing culverts, and removing slips at day-wages. There is a contract in hand now for carting and spreading metal. I hope next year to have the worst portions of this road permanently metalled. Clifton-Tisbury. —Two contracts —one a co-operative contract for bushfelling, logging-up, and fascining 36f chains. Tenders were called for the other contract, as we could not get men to take up the work, which consisted in cutting ditches and spreading the material on the fascines. The road is now open for dray traffic during the summer, but, like all clay roads in the bush, is impassable in winter. Inveroargill Hundred, Blocks XVII. and XX. —Four co-operative contracts were carried out. The work consisted of bushfelling, logging-up, and draining. Kingswell's Greek. —There were two small co-operative contracts, but the bulk of the money was spent in cutting a drain to carry the Kingswell Creek water, which used to overflow badly in flood-time. One mile of drain has been cut along the general course of the creek, which acts very well; the material has been roughly spread along the road-line so as to help in the future roadformation. Another section of 68 chains has been let, and when this is completed there will be very little chance of the flood-water doing any damage. It would be satisfactory if the channel could be extended from Elles Eoad on to the estuary so as to allow the flood-water to get away.