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Tauranga Section (34 m. 78 ch. to 41 m. 5 eh. ; length, 6m, 7 eh.). —This section was open for traffic throughout the year, and the usual maintenance carried out. Incompleted portions of fencing, earthwork, and platelaying were finished during the year, the latter work including rail connection to the new Tauranga Railway Wharf and the laying-down of the associated exchange siding. The earthwork included placing 47,000 cub. yd. as reclamation behind the new wharf on behalf of the Tauranga Harbour Board. At the Tauranga Station five more platelayers' cottages and a7O ft. engineturntable were erected. Te Maunga, Te Puke, Paengaroa, Pongakawa, Otammak.au, and Matata Sections (41m. 5 ch. to 79 m. 16 ch. ; total length, 38 m.). —This length has again carried regular goods and passenger traffic throughout the year, and adequate maintenance has been carried out. New bridging totalling 124 lin. ft. was erected. The Te Puke quarry output included 16,600 cub. yd. crushed metal, 6,900 cub. yd. spalls, and 20,000 cub. yd. stripping for Tauranga Harbour reclamation. The Matata pit output included 32,000 cub. yd. metal, mostly used for ballasting purposes, and 75,000 cub. yd. of stripping, mostly used for widening embankments. Rangitaiki Section (79 m. 16 ch. to 87 m. 45 ch. ; length, Bm. 29 ch.). —Considerable construction work was done during the year on this section, including widening banks with 18,260 cub. yd. spoil from Matata pit, the spreading of 9,827 cub. yd. of ballast, the building or completing of 195 lin. ft. of bridging (four bridges). Awakeri Section (87 m. 45 ch. to 91 m. 40 ch. ; length, 3m. 75 ch.). —Here again the chief work done was the strengthening of embankments with 53,000 cub. yd. spoil from Matata pit, and the spreading of 14,580 cub. yd. of ballast ; 215 lin. ft. of bridging has been completed except for the placing of two 20 ft. spans, for which steel is not yet to hand. Taneatua Section (91 m. 40 ch. to 100 m. 5 ch. ; length, 9m. 35 ch.). —Three sets of cattle-stops, three sets of private-crossing gates, and two 2 ft. circular and one 3 ft. arched concrete culverts were put into position during the year. The formation was strengthened with 33,000 cub. yd. spoil distributed by work-trains, and 7,000 cub. yd. distributed by dray teams. A creek-deviation 24 ch. long to left of 100 m. was made, and 1,800 cub. yd. of rock spalls were quarried for protection work at Whakatane River. Ballasting-work is represented by the placing of 26,000 cub. yd. of ballast from the Whakatane River ballast-pit, this completing the main line, and the approach roads to Kiwinui, Pekatahi, and Taneatua station-yards. Station buildings : At Taneatua Station the six platelayers' cottages and one Stationmaster's house, begun the previous year, were completed, and, in addition, two sets of 16 ft. station-gates, engineshed pit, one buffer-stop, and cart-dock at platform were placed. At Kiwinui two buffer-stops, one 6,000 gal. water-vat, and double cart-docks were erected, and water-supply was laid on to the yard. Mount Workshops.—The programme on new construction was much hampered by non-arrival of steel from England, due to the coal strike. Four hundred tons of steel were fabricated into girder spans during the year, mostly for bridge-work outside the Tauranga district. Maintenance-work, some of it of a heavy character, has been done to the Department's construction plant in the district, and to the railway rolling-stock. This latter includes work done on ten locomotives, five passengercars, and 171 wagons. Traffic. —A regular passenger and goods service was maintained throughout the year between Tauranga and the terminus at Taneatua, and a full maintenance programme has also been continued. The total revenues for the year from this traffic service was £21,816. Gisbobne-Napier Railway. Putorino Section (10 m. 56 ch. to 37 m. 35 ch. ; length, 26 m. 59 ch.). —During the previous period the formation on this section had been vigorously pushed on in order to enable work to be commenced on the Waikoau and Matahoura Viaducts. This programme has been adhered to during this year, and with the exception of two small blocks of cutting at 30 m, 25 ch. and 30 m. 65 ch., totalling 8,000 cub. yd., the formation has now been completed to the Matahoura Viaduct site at 33 m. 42 ch. The formation from this latter point to the end of the section is well in hand, so that by the time this viaduct has been completed the formation and platelaying should be finished to Putorino station-yard. The formation of the Waipunga, Waikoau, Tutira, and Matahoura station-yards, including access roads, has been completed, and the sidings have been laid in the first two. 12 ch. of access road to the Putorino station-yard have been completed, and also the metalling of the access road to the Tutira yard. Three steam-shovels,|in addition to manual labour and scoop teams, have been employed on the earthwork of this section, a total of 159,634 cub. yd. having been excavated for the twelve months. 8 m. of fencing have been completed during the period, and this part of the work is generally well in hand. Nine pipe culverts and one water-drive have been completed and the big water-drive at Maori Creek at 36 m. 58 ch. is in hand. Good progress has been made with the large steel viaduct across the Waikoau Creek at 26 m. 60 ch., all piers and abutments being completed. This viaduct consists of four 60 ft. and one 250 ft. spans, with an over-all height of 236 ft. The temporary trestle which is being erected to carry the main span is also practically completed, and the transporter cableway erected for the placing of the steel is now in operation. 292 tons of steel which have been fabricated in England have been landed and transported to the site. The assembly and riveting of the legs for piers B, D, and E, and the approach 60 ft. spans are in hand, and it is anticipated that the steelwork will be completed very shortly after the end of 1927. The preliminary work in connection with the bridge over Sandy Creek at 29 m. 12 ch., consisting of three 60 ft. spans, has been completed, and the materials for the construction of the temporary trestle, concrete abutments, and pier-foundations are being conveyed to the site, At 30 m. lS.ch, the

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