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five miles has been graded, and about sixteen miles constructed, and contracts let for the construction of two large bridges. There are still three more bridges to be built and about eight miles of road to be constructed and improved before the road will be available for wheel traffic throughout. The portions already constructed have been maintained, and in places ballasted with limestone rubble. Waingaro-Ngaruawahia. —The road is available for wheel traffic, but there are several places which require widening. Works are now in hand for improving some of the worst places. Onewhero (Sections 128 and 129). —This is a portion of the Raglan-Tuakau Eoad, being a part not yet formed, in the Onewhero Settlement. Works are now in hand and will shortly be completed. Sregmen's Landing. —Nothing has been done pending settlement of compensation. Huntly-Kahuhuru. —The grant is being expended chiefly in repairs to bridges and in raising the road across the various swamps. Lawson's Hill. —This is a portion of the road branching off the Tuakau-Eaglan Eoad towards the west coast. Two miles and a half of bridle-track has been constructed. This road is the only outlet for a considerable number of settlers. Mangapiko-Maire is a portion of the Tuakau-Eaglan Eoad. About a mile and a half has been formed. Awaroa, Block Xl.— This road gives access to Block XI., from the boat-landing on the Maire Stream. It is now available for horse traffic from the landing to a considerable distance into the block itself. About one mile was constructed during the past year. Waipa Bridge. —Works are now in progress for the erection of this bridge, which consists of three spans of 40 ft. each, three spans of 120 ft. each, making a total length of 480 ft. Matahura. —About three-quarters of a mile of road has been constructed by the Huntly Eoad Board. Wairangi Bailway-station and Matahura. —About a quarter of a mile of road has been constructed by the Whangamarino Eoad Board. Ohinewai-Matahura. —Half a mile of road has been constructed by the Huntly Eoad Board. Blocks X. and XI., Ranginri Survey District. —This road is required for the purpose of opening up Crown lands, and to give better access to settlers on the west side of the Waikato Eiver. Nine miles of the road has been constructed, mostly in open country, and, being on high land, will probably prove a good winter road. Swanson Village Settlement. —This vote has been expended in constructing about half a mile of the main road that passes through the settlement, involving a large cutting and filling, and also in improving about one mile of road giving access to the various sections. Buapekapeka Block. —The small balance of this loan is being expended in giving access to one of the settlers who had no road to his section, about 50 chains of bridle-track being constructed. Motatau. —About half a mile of bridle-track has been made to give outlying settlers access to the Eamarama Valley Eoad. Pakiri Block. —To open up this block about one mile of bridle-track and one bridge of 50 ft. span were constructed. Auckland Special Settlement. —The road through this settlement connecting the WaimamakuPunakitere Eoad with the Hokianga-Opanake Eoad has been formed into a bridle-track. The settlement, being at the top end of the Waimamaku Valley, and at a high elevation, is very wet, so that the roads become almost impassable in winter. I am, with this year's grant, widening and metalling the worst places. Avoca Block. —The Hobson County Council have made a road partly through this settlement from the Dargaville-Tangiteroria Eoad, and they are now widening a portion of it. Taupiri Block. —Two miles of engineering survey were made, and about 50 chains of bridletrack constructed. Works are still in progress to connect the road through this block with the Ohinewai-Matahuru Eoad. Kaimarama Block. —The balance of this loan has been expended in the construction of a bridletrack for a length of about two miles. Auckland University Swamp Fascines. —About 9 chains of road were fascined and 20 chains improved, to give settlers a more direct outlet to Huntly. General. One hundred and sixteen plans and specifications for works undertaken by the counties and Eoad Boards out of Government grants have been examined and approved of. In all cases works have been personally inspected by Mr. Wright, Mr. Burd, or myself before certifying to the final payments. In addition to the above there were 284 co-operative contracts and twelve large bridge contracts let during the year. Four Inspectors have been permanently employed, and others as occasion required, in supervising and laying out works. Gehhaed Muellee, Chief Surveyor.

EOTOEUA. Oxford-Botorua. —Up to the month of December thirty-one miles of this road were maintained, when 21 miles 60 chains were handed over to the Piako County, being the portion within their boundary, and the balance of 9 miles 20 chains has been maintained during the rest of the year, 3 miles 34 chains of which have during the year been re-formed. As the place formerly named Oxford is now Tirau, the name of this road should, I think, be Tirau-Eotorua. There is now one. surfaceman on the Government portion of the road.