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MANUAL DRAIN-CLEANING Additional to the above machine drain-cleaning, considerable labour was employed in cleaning section outlet drains as follows: M. oh. Drains cleaned by departmental labour (manual) .. .. 44 45 Drains cleaned by contract labour (manual) .. 46 14 PIAKO RIVER AND PUHUNGA CANAL (WILLOW-CLEARING) During the year approximately 300 chains of bank on the Piako River and Puhunga Canal have been cleared of willow. The method used has been satisfactory, and consists of felling all willows in early spring, and when new growth appears on the stumps, one spraying of Weedone, a hormone-type spray, is applied. Except where adverse weather conditions affected the work, a 90-per-cent. " kill" has been obtained. The work is financed by the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council. KAIHERE EERRY SERVICE This ferry service has been adequately maintained during the year and has functioned uninterruptedly since reconditioning last year. Expenditure, including wages, &c., amounted to £623 19s. lid., while receipts were £259 2s. 3d. PUMPING-STATION, KEREPEEHI Due to the low rainfall during the year and the even spread of the winter rains, the flood-pump at Kerepeehi operated only for brief periods to keep the stop-banked area of 4,000 acres free of water. Running-time totalling 123| hours was recorded, while 119£ hours was the total for 1948-49. WORKSHOPS AND DEPOT The fitting-shop and blacksmith's shop have been constantly occupied in repairs and maintenance on excavators, motor-vehicles, launches, and plant throughout the year, while the carpenters have been fully employed in floodgate construction and repairs, building construction and maintenance, and bridge maintenance. DETAILS OF ANNUAL PRODUCTION The following figures show the annual production for the Hauraki Plains for the year ended 31st March, 1950, with the 1948-49 figures in parenthesis:— Value. £ £ Butter (tons) .. 2,986 (3,021) 718,664 (691,820) Cheese (tons) .. 5,664 (5,077) 745,433 (643,093) Pigs .. .. 8,000 (8,023) 48,000 (48,036) Bobby calves .. 19,190 (18,870) 23,550 (22,879) Cattle, sheep, &c. .. 18,835 (22,579) 70,819 (98,807) Totals .. .. .. £1,606,466 £1,504,635 FUTURE OPERATIONS Investigations will be commenced, when survey staff are available, into possible improvements to the discharge capacity of the Lower Piako River, and to the continuation of the Maukoro Canal southwards.

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