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Gladstone to East Coast. —The Pahiatua County Council had the bush fallen on 62J chains of the Opuratai Eoad, £10 being granted by Government. The Eketahuna Eoad Board constructed a bridge for dray-traffic on the Mangaoronga Road, the Government giving £40. The same body completed 25 chains of Hefty's Eoad for dray-trafific, the Government finding £25. Engineering and Supervision generally. —£502 15s. lfd. was spent in preparing plans and supervising road-works on hand, as specified in statement of accounts attached. This all came out of Survey vote. The Unemployed. —£472 15s. 4d. was paid out of Survey vote for Messrs. Greville and Reaney's supervision of "unemployed" works in the Pahiatua County. Village Settlements. —The Pahiatua County Council expended a Government grant of £200 in clearing and deviating the Mangaramarama Stream to prevent damage from overflow in the Pahiatua Village Settlement. The same body stumped and cleared a road 31-J- chains long by 16ft. wide, together with drains and culverts, in the Mangatainoka Village Settlement, the Government giving £30. The Bangitikei County Council constructed a bridge 12ft. span, and felled the bush for 20 chains, on the Paraekaretu Eoad, Hunterville Village Settlement, the Government contributing £10. Mr. Eeaney, Eoad Surveyor, Pahiatua, reports: During the nine months ending 31st March, 1892, I have been entirely engaged in the construction of roads by the unemployed, who have been recently developed into co-operative contractors, the work being on theMakairo, Makuri Gorge, and the Palmerston-Pahiatua Eoads. I have during that period found employment for over four hundred men, most of whom were provided with stores, including clothes, and medical aid when necessary, and all of them with tools and tents. I have also done, in connection with the above, six miles of engineering surveys and plans on the Makairo Eoad, and have taken out the quantities of four and a half of them during the progress of the work. I have also taken out the quantities and prepared twenty small contracts for four miles of the Makuri Gorge Eoad, and have constructed eight miles and and a half of that and the Makairo Eoad for dray-traffic. The first 150 men placed on the Makairo Eoad were anything but a satisfactory lot of workers, and the work done by them was consequently expensive, both in execution and supervision. On the Makuri Gorge Eoad a better class of men were put on at the start, and a better system of working was adopted. The work, which was of a somewhat difficult nature, has been done in a satisfactory manner at a reasonable cost. On the Palmerston-Pahiatua-Eoad thirty men have been started, the works having practically just been commenced. The majority of the four hundred men having been dealt with individually entailed a considerable amount of office-work, accounts and book-keeping, the inward correspondence being 515 letters and papers, outward 575, being a total of 1,090 ; the amount of imprest money paid away, mostly in small amounts, and accounted for, being £2,300. During the first three months of the period Mr. R. P. Greville, Assistant Surveyor, had the management of the works on the Makairo Eoad. I am glad to report that all our work, although of a dangerous character, and many of the men inexperienced, has been carried out free from any serious accident, a fact largely due to careful and patient instructions given by the overseers, of whom I cannot speak too highly. The following is a detailed statement of the work performed : — Makuri Gorge Boad. —Formed 14ft. wide, 4 miles; cost to date, £1,418 10s. lid.; number of contracts in operation during period, 19; number of men employed, 80. Mr. J. D. Climie made an engineering survey, and prepared plans and specifications for 3 miles and 67 chains of dray-road, which is now being carried out under the co-operative contract system. Makairo Boad. —Surveyed, 6 miles ; graded and pegged, 6 miles ; formed 14ft. wide, 4} miles; culverts, 163 ft. total length; cost, £3,236 7s. Forest-felling and clearing, 66ft. and 33ft. wide, 4-J- miles; number of contracts in operation during nine months, 67; number of men employed, 232. Palmerston-Pahiatua Boad. —Mr. Frith prepared plans and specifications for the construction of a horse-road, and the formation is now being made by co-operative contracts. J. H. Baker, Assistant Surveyor-General.
MAELBOEOUGH. Bridle-track, Bai Valley to Tennyson Inlet. —A continuation of present track up the Eai Valley over the dividing-range into Tennyson Inlet. Formation, 4ft. wide, with bush cleared half a chain wide. 1 mile 49 chains of formation completed, and 17-| chains of bush felled, and 111 chains partly felled. This work is being done by day-labour under the charge of Overseer Huddleston, and will shortly be completed, and it will render more accessible about 14,000 acres of Crown lands. Spring Creek Wharf, and removing Snag. —An extension of the present wharf in the Wairau River, near the railway-bridge. Fifty pounds of this vote has been granted for expenditure by the Spring Creek Rivers Board, and plans and specifications prepared and approved, and a contract let, but no work has been commenced. Pelorus and Bai Valley Boad. —Part of vote 92, item 9. Formation and gravelling, clearing water-tables, &c. A hundred pounds has been granted to the Pelorus Eoad Board. Sixteen chains have been formed, and 16 chains metalled. This work is just completed, but it has not yet been passed for payment. Henky G. Clakk, Chief Surveyor.
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