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the work was costly the outlay was unavoidable. The road is now, with the winter before us, in very good order. Among the more important of the improvements effected during the year may be noted the following : 4 chains tarred metal in Arawa Street; 12 chains asphalt footpath in Arawa, Tutanekai, and Pukuatua Streets; concrete kerbing only, 5 chains; ordinary metalling ■of streets, 61 J chains; three wood culverts and two ferro-concrete culverts. A substantial new water-trough has been erected at the junction of Fenton Street and Maketu Road, the previous one having been in a very dilapidated state. With the exception of the metalling of the streets all the foregoing work may be classed as non-recurrent. A rather expensive but very necessary work, in the matter of cleaning up and covering the late rubbish-tip, had to be undertaken during the year. The new Infectious Diseases Hospital having been built near the tip, the Health Department called upon us to abolish the depot. We had to do a considerable amount of levelling off, after which the whole of the debris was covered with loads of pumice and soil, over which grass will ultimately grow. The work cost £45, but an entire transformation of the locality has been effected, to the satisfaction of the Medical and Health Officers. The refuse has now to be taken to a new depot near the cemetery, where it is being systematically dealt with by either burning or burying. FIBE-PBEVENTION. The Fire Board was duly constituted in June, 1912, the three members representing the Department (as the local authority) being Messrs. J. R. Raw, A. E. Kusabs, and W. Hill. Ihe Board called for a contribution of £323 10s., being the share of the estimated expenditure for the financial year ending the 30th June, 1913, payable by the Town Account. A like amount is payable by the insurance companies doing business in the town,, and ,£5O is payable by the Government. To meet this expenditure a special rate of three-eighths of a penny per £1 was struck on the value of improvements in the town. This yielded £301 17s. 10d., of which £188 16s. lid. was collected before the 31st March, 1912, leaving a balance of £113 os. lid. outstanding at that date. The money raised by this rate cannot, of course, be expended for any other purpose than payment of these demands made by the Fire Board. So that the Fire Board should not have to spend a considerable sum in purchase of land for the station, this Department granted the Board a site, 60 ft. by 50ft. (a part of the town-works yard) at a peppercorn rental. During the year a contract was let for the erection of a new fire-station and firebell-tower, at a total cost of £1,150, and flic work is now nearing completion. The station is a handsome twostoried building on a concrete base, providing sleeping-accommodation for seven men, a large social room, and all necessary conveniences. The tower is of iron, 45 ft. high, with a concrete base, and the bell is rung by hydraulic power derived from a 2 ft. 6 in. pelton wheel. In connection with the rating I would point out that according to the Fire Brigades Act, 1908, the financial year for all Fire Boards ends on the 30th June. The financial year for the Government and all municipal bodies ends on the 31st March, and the fact of having two separate rating years is distinctly inconvenient. It would simplify and expedite office-work if the financial years of Fire Boards and local bodies could be synchronized. Hospitals and Chabitablb Aid. The levy made on the town by the Waikato Hospital and Charitable Aid Board this year was £217, as compared with £260 for the previous year. To meet this a rate of one-ninth of a penny in the pound was struck on the capital value of the town. This yielded £217 11s. 10d., of which £142 lls. 7d. was collected before the 31st March, 1913, leaving a balance of £75 os. 3d. on that date. Public Health. During the year the new Infectious Diseases Hospital has been erected on a portion of the Sanatorium Reserve near the junction of the Wairoa Road and Fenton Street, and has now been ready for use for some time. The old Isolation Hospital at Koutu was burned by order of the Health Department, and the Town Account has now been relieved of an ann,ual rental of £38 hitherto paid for this old building. It is pleasing to note that although the Hospital lias been ready for use since October, 1912, it has never been required. There has only been one case of infectious disease in the town during the year, and even then the patient had contracted the trouble outside the town. This satisfactory condition of affairs is largely due to the continued efforts of Inspector Sargeant, who is unremitting in maintaining a higher standard of sanitary efficiency. Native Villages. Work in the Native villages of Ohinemutu and Whakarewarewa in the matter of maintenance of roads and preserving -sanitary conditions has been steadily carried out during the year. Considerable improvement has been effected at Ohinemutu in road-repairs and fences. " The roads in Whakarewarewa Village give us considerable trouble through subsidences taking place in the most unexpected places, and also in the vicinity of hot pools. Urgent repairs in tin's connection cost us over £25 last year. Judging from present indications we may be called upon any day for a considerable outlay at Whakarewarewa to cope with subsidences in the road due to thermal activity.

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