C.—B.

most of the year, progress of the work has been below expectations. Three hundred and thirty-four chains of drains were cleaned, 9,259 cubic yards of material excavated m improving 733 chains of existing drains, and 13,784 cubic yards excavated in the construction of 669 chains of new drains. Valuable work in checking the spread of ragwort was accomplished by treating the plants scattered over a large area with sodium chlorate, and an area of six acres was cleared of rushes. Another working-party of twelve to twenty-one men is camped on the Kerepeehi Block, at the Kaihere Landing, and engaged on clearing Grown land (principally flax-plantations) of blackberry. The metalled roads on the Kerepeehi Block have been maintained, and 436 cubic yards of surfacing metal was used tor resurfacing 194 chains of the Awaiti Canal Road and Makumaku Road. Forty-two chains of Findlays Road was reformed and surfaced with. 418 cubic yards of metal. The metalling of Wani's Road was commenced in April, and, after 50 chains had been reformed and surfaced with base-course metal, work had to be discontinued owing to wet weather until November. The total length of Wani's Road to be metalled is 5 miles 38 chains and the metalling of 18 chains of Pukahu Road is also included in the scheme, but owing to limited funds the work has to be spread over a period of three years. To give immediate metalled road access to the greatest possible number of settlers only the base-course is being laid at present Base-course metal was laid on 280 chains of this road after reforming, and the surface-course was laid for a distance of 25 chains. The total quantity of metal spread was 3,046 cubic yards. In January the formation of a section of three miles of the NethertonTirohia Road was commenced. Co-operative-contract parties camped on the job cleared and stumped 197 chains of roadway, excavated 3,651 cubic yards of material m the construction of 128 chains of drains, and installed seven culverts. Road-formation was completed for a distance of 60 chains. The total length of the main drains cleaned in the Kerepeehi-Awaiti district was 27 miles 65 chains, and in the Orongo Settlement 4 miles 26 chains A small staff has been employed in the Kerepeehi Workshops and Depot, where all stores and materials are received and despatched. The steel frame for the Kerepeehi Block pump-house was fabricated in the Kerepeehi "Workshops, and practically all repairs to machinery and plant has been carried out by the workshop staff. Waitakaruru-Torehape District. Working from a camp in the Waitakaruru Township, a gang of twenty-one to forty-one men have been employed enlarging the channel of the Waitakaruru Stream and raising the stop-banks. From "50 chains of canal 14,955 cubic yards of material was excavated and placed with barrows in the stop-banks. The stop-banks on the Kairito Canal were also raised for a distance of 1 mile 25 chains, and in this work 8,400 cubic yards of material were placed by hand-labour. Two hundred and three chains of fencing was erected to protect the Kairito Canal banks. Emergency repairs to roads and stop-banks caused by local floods were carried out. The improvement of the Waitakaruru Stream by manual labour is progressing slowly owing to difficulty experienced by the employment agencies m supplying labour. Plans were made for employing at least fifty men on this work, but for many months the number of men employed has been below thirty. Another work-camp equipped for twenty-five men to be employed on drainage and land-development work is situated on the Maukoro Canal, three miles from the Waitakaruru Township. At the end of the year twenty-three men were in this camp, but during 1934 the number varied between seven and eleven. In the Waitakaruru district 14 miles 67 chains of drains were cleaned, 6,504 cubic yards of spoil was excavated for the improvement of 205 chains of drains, and 490 cubic yards in the construction of 5 chains of new drain. In September, 1933, a camp for twenty men was established near the junction of the Orchard-West and Waitakaruru-Torehape Roads for drainage and land-development work. In Mav 1934 as there were only three men in this camp, it was closed, when an access bridge and 255 chains of fencing had been completed on two small farms at Mangatarata,. Fifteen to twenty-six men accommodated in hutments at Torehape have been engaged throughout the year on drainage and road-construction. Four hundred and two chains of drains were cleaned and 30 chains of drain improved by the removal of 100 cubic yards of material Clay from a pit at Torehape is being transported by light railway for ballasting peat-roads 11,044 cubic yards of clay ballast were hauled by petrol-locomotives _an average distance of about three miles. The maximum haul was 5f miles. 1,600 fascines were cut and laid along 20 chains of roadway and 20 chains of light railway were laid and 3,159 willow-sleepers cut on the banks of the Piako River. Grass-seed was sown on 180 acres of burnt peat swamp. Patetonga-Tahuna District. On the completion of the metalling of the Patetonga Top Road in March, 1934 the men from the roadwork camp established at Patetonga in October, 1932, were employed resurfacing Otani Street, Patetonga Township, for a distance of 65 chains with 217 cubic vards of metal quarried and hand-broken. The metalling of O'Dwyer s Road was commenced, but in May the work was stopped for the winter and the camp closed, the men being transferred to the Kerepeehi Block Camp. The metalling of 60 chains of O Dwyer s Road was completed in December by men from another camp at Patetonga. Three hundred and sixteen cubic yards of metal was quarried and hand-broken for this road . A working-party of five to twenty-one men has been engaged on drainage-work m this district. 3,479 cubic yards of spoil were excavated in widening and deepening 106 chains of drain. 33 miles 69 chains of drains were cleaned.

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