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pegs which will have to be done soon. It was not considered necessary to do this before, because there was a fairly good road along the beach and river-bed ; but, now the Natives have fenced in Native Reserve L, about 60 chains of this road is blocked, and something will have to be done to keep the road off the heavy sand. Much of the work had to be done on ropes over the face of a high bluff, and much of it under unusually trying conditions. Mr. Young has been in charge of this work, and it is due to his skill and careful supervision that the work has been done so safely and well. I am thankful to report that no serious accidents have happened this year, which is a matter for congratulation, seeing that all the work had to be done by explosives, and, as above stated, much of it in most dangerous situations. Puhipuhi Roads.-—The work under this head has been confined to the Seaward Yalley section, running from the Main North Eoad at Blue Duck Creek and then along the Seaward Valley towards the Waipapa Saddle. It is all through heavy bush. Nineteen contracts have been completed, and at present there are no contracts in hand. It is proposed to call for tenders for cooperative contracts in one-mile lengths—bushfelling, 66 ft. wide; pack-track, 4 ft. wide. The road so far has been formed 12ft. wide, with the bushfelling, 66ft. wide; the distance formed, 2 miles 72 chains. The work has not been satisfactory to us. Owing to the want of experience in this kind of work in the men we could get, it has cost more than it is really worth, and the men have, even at the high price given, not made very good wages. The men are now getting more knowledge of this class of work, and the rest of the road should be done more cheaply. It is proposed to first form a 4 ft. pack-track along the grade line of the road on this and the Puhipuhi Valley Road, so as to give the settlers access to their holdings, and then spend the balance of the vote in widening the road in the most important parts. Kaitao Block Roads.—Under this heading is 110 chains of road, mostly through a deep swamp on the Grange Road, with culverts and side ditches, and formation 20 ft. wide. This has been completed, and the contractor has made a good job of it. The other road is up the north of the lower Puhipuhi, a distance of 1 mile 27 chains. Thirteen contracts have been completed, and we have now two contracts in hand. It is proposed to complete this road out to the Puhipuhi River bed below the gorge. This road will require a good deal doing to it before it is open, in the way of removing slips, making drains, &c. Many of the men working on this road are inexperienced at this class of work, but on the whole they have done fairly well. The total cost of the repairs to the Waiau Bridge at Waiau was £5,528 18s. 6d., which includes engineering fees, £105; Inspector's pay, £l6B ss. 3d. : out of which the Government found £2,000 (Agreement No. 1780, R. 1127). This is for a completely new superstructure down to the eapsills. This bridge was built in 1882 of birch and matai, much of which was obtained locally from the Wandle Bush, and it has lasted about seventeen years ; the piles, however, were of ironbark, and apparently are still quite sound. The new superstructure is built almost entirely of ironbark (except the decking, much of which is of the old timber sawn up and used again), and should last, with reasonable care and attention, at least twenty-five years. The work was done by contract under direction of the Amuri County Council. Waiau Bridge-site at Parnassus.—The work consisted of taking sections of the river-bed, and putting down fourteen bores of a total depth of 362 ft. The time taken was seventeen weeks. The actual cost of the boring and sections was 18'735. per foot of boring. Reports, estimates, and sections have been forwarded to the Chief Surveyor. Molesivorth, Jollie's Pass Road.—-The work was done by the Amuri County Council, and consisted of clearing out water-tables and slips on Jollie's Pass, repairing Mitchell's Cutting and fords over the Clarence and Acheron Rivers, clearing out all the old cuttings, and doing general repairs to the road as far as Cameron's Ford up the Acheron River. Reserve West of Kahautara. —This is a road from the main Waiau-Kaikoura Road to the Greenburn Stream through the Shearing Reserve, and is formed to give access to the small grazing-runs. The work on this road has turned out very badly. What appeared to be clay has turned out to be chiefly hard rock or tight shingle. The work has been unsatisfactory to both us and the men employed. It is hoped that we shall be able to get this road open in May or June. Completed Work.—Chief among this class is the road through Reserve A, a deviation of the main Waiau-Kaikoura Road through the Shearing Reserve. This road is to be done partly by the Government and partly by funds supplied by the Kaikoura County Council, and has turned out the most troublesome work we have had done here. The lowest tender was accepted, and, as this was about £l4O below the estimate, the contractor has failed to complete it to my satisfaction. After trying all means in our power to get the contractor to do the work in a proper manner, I gave him notice, and took the contract from him, and I am now completing it at his expense. I hope it will be completed about the end of April. Clarence Bridge Protective-works.—There are 200 yards of shingle, fifty bags of cement, 2 tons of wire, and all plant now on the ground. This work should be taken in hand during the winter, while the river is low. General.—The weather has generally been unsuitable for roadworks during the past year. The men have worked cheerfully and well, and very little complaint has been made. The cost of supervision has been at the rate of 3-87 per cent, of the expenditure, which I think is not high, considering the scattered nature of the work and the close supervision required where so many men new to the work are employed. C. W. Adams, Chief Surveyor,

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