D.—l

During the year under review a weekly average of 6,774 men were engaged on relief-of-unemployment works controlled by my Department, and the following schedule of some of the work accomplished will, I am sure, be both interesting and informative to honourable members : — Dray-roads— Formed .. . . .. .. .. . . 144 miles. Widened . . .. .. ~ . . 81 miles. Metalled . . . . .. . . . . .. 400 miles. Stumping and logging — Heavy .. . . . . .. . . . . 2.397 acres. Light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,716 acres. Scrub-cutting . . . . .. .. . . . . 17,032 acres. Bushfelling .. .. .. . . . . .. 89 acres. Fireblight-protection : Hawthorn-hedge cutting . . . . 12-| miles. Sand-dune reclamation : Marram-grass and lupin planting .. 5,000 acres. Farm lands cleared of boulders, ploughed, sown, &c. .. .. 2,204 acres. Land cleared of noxious weeds .. .. . . . . 993 acres. Fencing .. . . .. .. .. .. .. 130 miles. River-control works — Channel-improvement excavation .. . . .. 39,093 cubic yards. Widening, clearing, and deepening channels . . .. 145 miles. Stop-banking . . .. .. . . .. 14 miles. Willow-clearing .. . . . . . . 76 miles. Groynes erected .. . . .. .. . . 2,673 lineal feet. Land drainage — Excavation of drains, deepening and improving .. . . 122 miles. Water and sewerage pipes laid .. . . .. . . 18,000 feet. Small Farm Schemes — Fencing .. .. .. .. .. 61 miles. Bushfelling .. .. .. .. .. .. 92 acres. Buildings erected: cottages and milking-sheds &c. .. 110 Land cleared . . . . . . .. .. . . 1,869 acres. Area ploughed, &c. .. . . .. .. . . 1,262 acres. Area sown in grass or crops .. .. .. .. 513 acres. Drains laid .. .. .. .. .. .. 1-| miles. Stumping and logging . . .. .. .. .. 567 acres. Aerodrome-construction — Scrub-cutting .. .. .. .. .. .. 65 acres. Land-levelling .. .. .. .. 63 acres. Returfing and top-dressing .. .. .. 26 acres. Irrigation — Tunnels .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,223 lineal feet. Rock excavation .. .. .. .. .. 3,000 cubic yards. Dry rock dam . . . . .. .. .. 30,180 cubic yards. Rock in mortar .. . . . . .. .. 4,641 cubic yards. Concrete placed .. .... .. .. .. 6,335 cubic yards. Races constructed . . . . . . . . .. 1,428 chains. Concrete syphons, 15 in. by 54 in. diameter . . . . 8,620 lineal feet. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. General Departmental Buildings. At Whangarei a Public Works garage and fitting-shop was erected; at Wellington storage accommodation was provided for the Dominion Laboratory; at Timaru an additional room was built for the Pensions Department. The total net expenditure under this vote for the period was £30,802, which includes a further Government subsidy of £30,000 towards the cost of erecting the National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum Buildings at Wellington. Courthouses. Expenditure under this heading for the year ended 31st March, 1935, was quite small, totalling £533, and comprising improved heating facilities to the Napier Courthouse, some additions to the Palmerston North Courthouse, and part of the cost of erection of a new courthouse at Putaruru which was in course of construction at the end of the year, and is now in occupation.

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