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HAWKE'S BAY. The votes to open out the following blocks have been expended: Ngamoko Block, Norsewood District; Ahuaturanga Block, Woodville District; Tukituki to Waipawa, Bruataniwha District; and Blocks IX. and XIII., Tahoraiti District. Eeports on these works have been furnished with the returns for previous years. Maharahara Block, Woodville District. —Three contracts, covering 7 miles 28 chains of roadline, have been cleared 66ft., logs rolled off, and stumped 16ft. in the centre, and sown with grass seed, at a cost, including supervision and exploration surveys, of £1,496 Is. Id. The balance available for expenditure is £40 18s. lid. A further sum of £1,900 is required to clear the remaining roads, for formation in wet ground, and for side-cuttings. The area to be opened out is from seven to ten thousand acres of good level agricultural and pastoral bush land. Tahoraiti to Tautane. —Six miles of road-line have been cleared through the bush, 66ft. in width, at a cost of £559 18s. 6d. The road surveyor employed on this block was engaged during the first six months of the year in laying off for the Hawke's Bay Rabbit Prevention Committee the first section of the proposed line of fence. He has completed twenty miles of traverse, following the watersheds. The Committee have let contracts for clearing and fencing several miles. The line of road from Tautane to Tahoraiti has been definitely decided upon and graded, in readiness for clearing and formation, a distance of thirty-seven miles between the points that are at present open for dray traffic. In previous reports I have entered fully into particulars concerning the roadline and the country to be opened out by it. The expenditure to date is £1,612 11s. 9d., leaving the balance of the vote, amounting to £3,903, available for works; but, as I have before stated, a much larger sum will be required to complete the road. Botokakarangu Block. —With regard to this road nothing has been done beyond taking the initiatory steps towards acquiring the land for a deviation of the road, at the starting-point in the Ohinepaka Valley. Here, again, the vote is much too small to do anything further than making a start with the road. Mohaka to Waitara. —Mr. Kennedy has made the necessary surveys, and has prepared specifications for calling for tenders for twenty-two miles of bridle-track. Cost of surveys, £151 6s. 4d. Block XIV., Tahoraiti District. —Eoads cleared through forest, 66ft. in width, 4 miles 33 chains; formed for dray and bridle traffic, 2 miles 65 chains; culverts and bridges erected, 10; cost, including supervision and the taking of levels, £1,690 6s. Id. These works have been let in nine small contracts to settlers living in the locality. It is very desirable that a further distance of two miles should be made passable for horse traffic. This block, containing 4,016 acres, was advertised for sale on the deferred-payment system in April last; since then every section except one has been taken up. The sum to be paid by selectors for the land amounts to £5,456 18s. 10d., of which a third—or £1,818 19s. 7d.—will from time to time be handed to the Kumeroa Eoad Board for expenditure on the roads. From the sale of Blocks IX., XIII., and XIV., Tahoraiti District, and Block IX., Woodville District, the above-named Eoad Board will receive the sum of £4,817 10s. Bd. to carry on the roads that have been commenced in their district, extending over an area of about 13,096 acres. Block IX., Woodville District. —Eoad-line cleared 66ft. in width, and stumped on level ground 1 mile 29 chains ; cost, £163 2s. 6d. The lands, 614 acres, in this block have also all been taken up, and will yield to the Eoad Board during the next few years a revenue of £528. Baikaiatai Block, Takapau and Norsewood Districts. —Eoads cleared 66ft. and stumped 16ft. in centre, 3 miles 14 chains ; cost, £518 18s. 6d. The area opened out is 3,760 acres, of which 1,219 acres have been sold for cash for £4,480 18s. 9d., and on deferred payments, 2,551 acres, for £3,963 6s. lOd. The revenue coming to the Eoad Boards from the sale of deferred-payment sections is £1,321 2s. 3d. Hoeace Baker, Chief Surveyor.

WELLINGTON. The Chief Surveyor reports that the only road-works carried out under the supervision of this office were upon the Martin-Murimotu line, between the Paraekaretu northern boundary and the open country in the interior. The work consisted of opening the whole line for traffic over a distance of about twenty-five miles by removing slips and repairing bridges and culverts; this had to be repeated twice for the greater part of the distance. Three and a quarter miles of road were cleared of bush three-quarters of a chain wide; four and a quarter miles were formed from Bft. to 25ft. in width; eight bridges were constructed of available durable spars, and twenty-seven well-built permanent culverts were placed in position on the Pokiori Plats. The removal of slips kept the workingparty fully employed for weeks at a time; and there is every probability that constant attention will be required to keep the road open. Mr. Charles Field and a gang of labourers carried out the whole of the works under Mr. John Annabell's supervision. I am well satisfied with the energetic and practical manner in which Mr. Field conducted the works. The total cost amounted to £560. In anticipation of road-works the staff surveyors have been employed in exploring for and locating roads oh Crown lands, with the following results : West Tokoriiaru, 4 miles graded ; Otairi, 3 miles graded; Waitapu and Bast Pohangina, 16-J- miles graded, and 21 miles engineering plans and specifications prepared,; Makuri-Puketoi, 40 miles explored ; Kaiwhata, 4 miles graded; Paratieke, 6 miles graded ; Karewarewa, 6 miles graded. A sum of £50 was expended on a road in Fitzherbert Block leading to Crown lands in the Mangatainoko Block.

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