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'" Roads, Aleipata District. —An overseer has been stationed in the Aleipata district, and a commencement is about to be made with roadwork. " Approaches to Customs Yard. —These approaches are being substantially laid down in macadam. " Apia Waterworks.—-Work proceeded slowly during the year ending the 31st March on this scheme. At first labour was impossible to obtain, and subsequently the non-delivery of pipes and fittings, due to industrial troubles in New Zealand, held up the work. The principal extensions made were, an 8 in. spiral main from Vailele Road down Tivoli Road to the Beach Road, a 4 in. cast-iron main from the Alcazar to Vaila, and a 1 in. main was extended to Mulinu'u and the Observatory. Eighty-five connections were made to the mains during the year. Since the Ist April a supply of 6 in. pipes has arrived, and extensions have proceeded actively. A 6 in. main, with four hydrants, has been laid along the Beach Road to Savalalo. A 4 in. main is now being laid from the Central Hotel down Taufusi Road. A large supply of pipes is now to hand, and extensions can be prosecuted with vigour. " Native Water-supplies. —Native villages are encouraged to install prope water-supplies, the Government finding part and the Natives the balance of the cost of gravitation supplies. Up to the 31st March, surveys and plans had been made for gravitation water-supplies for Satitoa and Aufaga, and for minor schemes in small villages. Recently a supply of pipes for this work arrived, and the Satitoa scheme has been commenced. The Aufaga scheme will be commenced as soon as the pipes can bo transported. These works are giving the Natives considerable satisfaction. " Improvement of Boat-passages. —This work was commenced in the Aleipata district, and is continuing. A party is at present engaged on the work in the Faga and Falcatai districts." Reporting on the year ending 31st March, 1921, the Engineer says : —• " Bridges.- -No new bridges have been built. A number of existing bridges are in a dangerous state and must be replaced at an early date. A number of bridges have, been built in the past of Oregon pine, the life of which under such conditions is about five years. All repairs and new construction will be carried out in cither Australian hardwoods or reinforced concrete. " Vaimoso Bridge.- This bridge has been entirely redecked with Australian hardwood. " The following bridges have been repaired : Moata'a Bridge, Fagali'i Bridge No. 1, Fagali'i No. 2, Fagali'i No. 3, Lepea Bridge No. 2, Mulivai Bridge, Luatuanuu Bridge, Vaca Bridge. A bridge-painting gang is being formed to overhaul and paint the several steel bridges in the vicinity of Apia." In his supplementary report the Engineer says : — " Vaea Bridge. —The superstructure of this bridge has been entirely renewed in Australian hardwoods, and is now fit for the heaviest traffic. " Fugalea Bridge. —This steel bridge has been thoroughly overhauled, chipped, and painted. Approach railings have been repaired. " Vaim,oso Bridge.- -This steel bridge has been chipped and painted. " Lepea Bridge. —This steel bridge has been chipped, and painting is well advanced. " Solosolo Bridge. —This steel bridge is being given a thorough overhaul, and painting and chipping are well advanced. " Fagaloa Footbridge. —Tho footbridge at the head of Fagaloa Harbour, 55 ft. in length, is being entirely renewed as a substantial job in Australian hardwoods. The work is well advanced. " General, Repairs. —The following bridges have received minor repairs since the Ist April: Moataa Bridge, Fagali'i No. 3 Bridge, Mulivai Bridge, Luatuanuu Bridge, Vaisigano wooden bridge. " Sanitation, Lamp-lighting, Street-cleaning, Cleaning Government Grounds, Rubbish-collection. — These duties are undertaken by the Public Works Department. A small sanitary service was taken over from the Medical Department on the Ist July, 1920, and the remainder of the above services were taken over from the Police Department on the Ist December, 1920. Practically the whole of the street-lamps have been repaired or renewed, and twenty-one which were out of use when handed over have been recommissioned. Two kulis have been employed continuously on street sweeping. A Samoan gang for cleaning Government lands was formed, and with the occasional assistance of the Niuo labourers, most of the Government grounds have been put in. very fair condition. Rubbishcarts were, taken over from the Police Department, thoroughly overhauled, and renovated. Rubbishcollection has been continued to date. " Workshops. —Temporary joinery and blacksmith's shops have been organized, and although the only machinery so far installed is a circular saw, a large and varied assortment of work has been accomplished in a little over five months. " A shipwright's shop was taken over from the Harbour Department at the time of reorganization, and repairs to Government lighters and launches have been continuously carried on. " A mechanical workshop has been organized in connection with the garage; repairs to cars, lorries, launch-engines, &c, and the erection of machinery, have been carried out by this staff. Owing to the isolation of Western Samoa, it is most essential that their department should be able to undertake all urgent mechanical repairs, and for this purpose modern machinery is being installed. At present we have to wait anything from throe to nine months for spare parts, which in many cases could be made on the premises." LABOUR. The provision of an adequate supply of efficient labour is a vital necessity and a difficult problem. The possible categories of labour are—Samoans, Niue-Islanders, Melanesians (Solomon-Islanders, &c), and Chinese. About fifty men were, in April, 1920, recruited from the Island of Niue for service for a year, and returned to Niue in July last. Their labour was costly and not altogether satisfactory, but in view of the general paucity of labour the draft served its purpose. The Melanesians are the black boys recruited by the Deutsch Handels and Plantagen Gessellschaft for work on its plantations. They originally numbered 877, and have been repatriated by
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