C.—l

62

Belgrove-Tophouse and Tarndale. —This road became impassable owing to the heavy floods in January. At that time last year's grant was exhausted, but in anticipation of the next grant men are put on by the county to open it, and the road is now in order. Takaka Boads and Bridges. —A sum of £200 was granted to the Collingwood County for the extension of the East Takaka Eoad, and for general improvement of old track by deviations, easing of grades, widening of culverts, &c. This work is in hand. Waimea County: Boads and Bridges. —£300 was granted, and has all been expended in restoring the roads damaged by the heavy floods of last year within the county. Port to Stoke (Bocks Boad). —The sum of £25 has been received from the Government in addition to the work done by prison labour, amounting to the excavation of 15,000 cubic yards of earth at a cost of 9Jd. per cubic yard, amounting to a value of £578; making a total of £603 expended during the year. The work is progressing satisfactorily. The sea-wall is completed with the exception of 4! chains of pitching, the blocks and cement for which are in stock. The filling-up for the whole length is sufficiently advanced to insure the safety of the wall. In some parts the roadway is filled in the whole width. The work is under the management and supervision of the town engineer, S. Jickells, Esq., who reports as above. Wairoa Gorge Boad. —£105 19s. has been expended from balance of last year's vote in completing a deviation of 11 chains in length to avoid a steep bluff. Ngatimoti Bridge. —The erection of this bridge, 309 ft. in length, over the Motueka Eiver, at the junction of the Graham, was completed early in the year at a cost of £830. Of this amount the Government granted £430 in two instalments, and also advanced a loan of £400 to the Waimea County. Takaka-Biwaka Boad. —The portion of this road lying within the Waimea County was seriously damaged by the heavy rains and floods of January. £100 was granted to the county, but a further expenditure from county funds of £168 was necessary to make the road passable for wheel-traffic. Biwaka Bridge. —£soo has been granted to the Waimea County, but too late to begin work this year. Plans and specifications are in hand. Mud Flat-Karamea Boad. —A grant for this work was made to the Buller County, but it was subsequently undertaken by the department. A survey of two miles and a half length w r as made, at a cost of £68 55., but a deviation has since been made to avoid paying compensation through freehold lands. A length of 64 chains is now under construction, by four parties of five men each, under the co-operative system. Mokihinui-Karamea Boad. —Alteration of horse-track to dray-road; Seddonville—formation, 12ft. wide ; metal, 9ft. wide. The old track required some deviations on the hill over the tunnel, the maximum grade now being lin 13. The work was let, under the co-operative system, in seven contracts, under the supervision of the Buller County engineer, a grant of £600 having been made to the county. The total length was 1 mile 9-25 chains, and the cost £592 10s. The work done has widened and improved the worst part of the road between Mokihinui and Seddonville. Kara.mea-Wangapeka Boad. —This road is being constructed through a block of country comparatively but little known, between Nelson District and the West Coast. The work on this road has been started at both ends. At the mouth of the Little Wanganui Biver, West Coast, a survey and section of three miles in length has been, made for a horse-track—the clearing 1 chain wide, formation sft. to Bft., and 4ft. metalling. One mile and three-quarters have been cleared and formed, of which one mile and a half have been metalled, the work being let in seven contracts under the co-operative system, giving employment to men out of work at the Mokihinui mines. The continuation of this road is required to give access to lands open for selection up the ' Little Wanganui Biver Valley, now being taken up for settlement. At the Nelson end the work has been commenced at the Wangapeka Saddle, at an altitude of 3,308 ft. above sea-level, distant seventy miles from Nelson. From the end of constructed drayroad at Chandler's, which is twenty-two miles from the saddle, a horse-track was contracted some years since by the Public Works Department, ten miles of which was graded for dray-road. This track was in bad repair from slips, and had to be opened for pack-horses. A reconnaissance was made, and six miles and a half of road surveyed and pegged, with easy grades, for future dray-road; but this work was much delayed by bad weather. The construction of a horse-track, with clearing 1 chain wide, formation sft., with 4ft. width on the solid, has been commenced, and about threequarters of a mile completed to date, under the co-operative system. Some difficulty was experienced at first in obtaining men, owing to the distance from settlement and cost of packing up stores, which have to be carried on horseback twenty-five miles ; and the work is thirty miles from the nearest post-office. The total expenditure up to the 31st March on the whole road is £811 17s. 2d. During the month of February I inspected the work, and then crossed the ranges over the Little Wanganui Saddle (3,650 ft.), and proceeded down the river to its mouth, situated six miles from the Karamea, and found the country through which the line of road is proposed to be taken favourable for construction. The following is a report of my journey of exploration.

Wangapeka-Wanganui Boad. I have to report on the above as follows : — Mr. Saxon, who was engaged to lay off this line of road, having completed the survey of about three miles length from the Wangapeka Saddle down the Karamea Valley, I sent an overseer up to start co-operative work on the 11th February, following up myself from Nelson on the 16th, reaching Chandler's accommodation-house, Wangapeka, on the 19th. A dray-road is constructed to Chandler's, but from thence to the saddle there is only a horse-track for twenty-two miles to the saddle.