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The following is a summary of tie work of the Department at the different resorts under its control: — Rotorua. Revenue.—The aggregate revenue for this year shows an increase of £2,900 over that of the previous year. The increase has principally been derived from the sale of electric energy, the Round Trip, and passenger bookings. That the publicity work of the Department is bearing good fruit is shown by the fact that the value of travel tickets sold at this agency exceeded the total of the previous year by £1,940. During the last quarter of the year under review a notable feature was the opening-up of what is known as the " Okataina-Tarawera Round Trip." For many years the Department had this project in view, and had gone as far as putting a. launch on Lake Okataina, but nothing could be done on account of the reluctance of the motor-proprietors to provide facilities for the road portion of the trip. An arrangement mutually satisfactory to all parties interested was entered into with a local company, and the trip was inaugurated in December, 1925. It has been quite as successful as was expected in a new venture, and forms a valuable and attractive addition to the side trips in the Rotorua district. It comprises one of the most picturesque drives, and opens up to the visitor the loveliest (though hitherto least known) of the lakes, and there is no doubt that as it becomes better known it will be a very popular trip. A new launch has been built for the Waimangu Round Trip. The boat is used for the conveyance of passengers across Lake Rotomahana. Government Gardens.—The usual maintenance work has been attended to. The kitchen-garden and poultry-run provide a good supply of vegetables, fruit, poultry, and eggs for the Sanatorium and King George V Hospital. The arrangement whereby the Health Department shared the maintenance cost of this section was terminated during the year. The Department has now assumed full control, and charges the Health Department current market rates for all supplies. A new feature has been the establishment, near the Hinemoa Street entrance, of a native garden. A large triangular piece of waste ground has been trenched and dug, and is now planted with a fine collection of native shrubs and plants purchased from Mr. Travers, of Wellington. Thanks are due to the following for gifts of seeds and plants : Sir Henry Brett, Mr. Watson, and Mr. Leathert, of Auckland ; Mr. Treadwell, Wellington ; and Mr. Aston, of the Agricultural Department, who was instrumental in securing a very fine collection of seeds from Kew Gardens, England. Buildings.—The usual maintenance work and painting have been attended to throughout the year. The only new work undertaken is the construction of a ferro-concrete garage and benzine-store in the works yard, which was commenced in December. This will provide storage for three motor-vehicles and the concrete-mixing machine, and will afford some much-needed space for dry storage of timber. Water-supply, Drainage, Plumbing. —During the year thirty-eight new consumers have been added to the water-supply system. A considerable amount of work has been done during the year in rearranging supplies to meet the rapidly growing requirements of the town. As the Borough Council is carrying out extensive street and road-formation work, pipes in several localities have had to be lowered to suit the altered levels. In many cases in the early days several consumers in one block were supplied from a common pipe. These have all been individualized and given separate supplies. This course facilitates allocation of damage, and minimizes inconvenience when any leakage occurs. Approximately some 5,000 ft. of 1 in., 300 ft. of § in., and 1,000 ft. of | in. galvanized piping were laid in giving new supplies. During the year seven new connections were made to the sewerage system. For some years it has been evident that the system had some serious defects, due principally to the action of the sulphur on the cement jointing in the interior of the pipes, and also the formation of a silica deposit therein. Representations as to the probable serious consequences arising from these defects were made to the Government, and arrangements were made for practically the whole system being renewed, the only exception being a few street-ends in the westerly end of the town, where the sulphur-action is practically non-existent. A contract was let, and the work is now in progress. Electrical. —The notable feature of the year's work has been the " change over " in the matter of production of electrical energy from our generating-station at Okere to the Public Works Department's plant at Horahora. The Okere plant has served the town for the past twenty-five years. It was originally installed for the exclusive purpose of supplying Government buildings and institutions in Rotorua, allowance being made for the expansion of these services. As there was a good margin to spare, applications from the townspeople were accepted and supply given, and it is therefore not to be wondered at that, in attempting to keep pace with the requirements of a growing town, a point was reached when it could no longer do so. The alternatives were considered of (1) erecting a new and enlarged plant at Okere on a site farther down the river, at which much greater power could have been derived, or (2) linking up Rotorua town and district with one of the Government hydro-electric schemes. The latter alternative was adopted, and Rotorua and district are now supplied from the Government generating plant at Horahora. On Sunday, 14th February, 1926, the change-over was made. It is entirely to the credit of the Department's staff that the work was carried out so expeditiously and with a minimum amount of inconvenience, the only interruption to the supply being eight hours. The transmission-line from Horahora comes to Rotorua via Mamaku and Ngongotaha, and at an early date consumers in both these centres will be supplied from the main. Ngongotaha will be first attended to. This Department will still have control of all reticulation work in Rotorua town and suburbs, and at Ngomgotaha and Mamaku. The Department will purchase the energy in bulk from the Public Works Department, and, under agreement, the Okere plant and the Diesel engine will have to be kept in running-order so as to be available for supply in any emergency which may cause the Horahora supply to be temporarily stopped. The Okere plant will also be used during the peak load. Acclimatization; Red-deer Shooting. —The season for red-deer shooting, which closed last year on the 26th April, 1925, was a very successful one from a revenue-producing point of view, owing to the fact of no limit being placed on the number of deer that could be shot in some of the herds. The

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