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Oreti Bridge.—The length of this bridge is 400 ft., in 20ft. spans. The work is completed. Winton Greek Bridge.—This bridge is in two spans of 15 ft. each. It was built to take the place of the old bridge, which was rotten. Otapiri Bridge, Evan's, and Otapiri Bridge, Forest Hill. —These bridges have been erected to take the place of the old bridges, which were rotten. The new bridges are very substantial, having iron-rail piles and ironbark superstructure. A balance of £l5O is still due to the County on Evan's Bridge. Mimihau Bridge. —This is also a new bridge, to take the place of the old structure. The same design is observed, and the work in this case, as in all other bridge-work, has been carried out by day labour. Mr. Macpherson, Wallace County engineer, reports as follows: Clifden-Bedcliffe.— This vote was expended in two contracts on formation, cuttings, culverts, and gravelling. 44 chains of bad road on Grassy Creek Flat was gravelled, and 42 chains of formation done on the Belmont Saddle, which was formerly a very bad place. Mossburn-Te Anau.—2s chains of Gorge Eoad, this side of the saddle, has been gravelled, and some 18f chains on the farther side has been formed and gravelled, and a 16 ft. stone bridge, erected over the Gorge Creek. Longwood, Blocks 15, 16, and 17.—The balance of this vote was spent in cuttings, embankments, and culverting what is known as O'Connell's Road, and gives an outlet from his Section 5, Block XVI., Longwood, for wheel traffic. Heddon Bush Boads.—This vote completed gravelling the Plantation Road as far as the Bayswater Road (about 16-J chains). The remainder was expended in assisting the Council to gravel 45 chains in continuation of this road west of Aparima River. Line of Hundreds .—This vote was spent in gravelling 17 - 6 chains west of the railway, and 16 - 6 chains about a mile west from the Aparima River. Forde's Boad ( Groper's Bush).—About 55 chains of light gravelling has been done, which more than absorbs this grant. Sunny side-Woodlands.—This vote was for sheep- and bridle-track between these two runs, which are west of the Waiau River. A track 12 ft. wide and about five miles long has been cut, and is of great advantage to Sunnyside. The balance of grant—£s Is.—has been spent in widening and improving the bush-track between Woodlands and Clifden. It is now a pleasant ride from Clifden up to Sunnyside, whence Lake Monowai, one of the most beautiful though least-known of the New Zealand lakes, is within any easy half-day's ride. Small Grazing-run 23, Centre Hill District.—22 chains of ditching, formation, and gravelling has been done. Waiau District, Blocks VIII. and X.—A bad sideling on Marshall's Road was formed, and two very high banks in Matheson's Road which had subsided were repaired. The balance of vote was expended in gravelling about 100 chains of main road through Merrivale Block. Otautau Stream Bridge.—This was renewed, at a cost of £290, by a substantial plain pile bridge, 86 ft. long, of four spans. The timber used was ironbark for under- and blue-gum for super-structure. Clifden-Bedcliffe and Bedcliffe-Manapouri.—These votes were more than absorbed by two contracts. 24 chains ditching, formation, and gravelling on Grassy Creek Flat, and 41 chains gravelling cuttings over Belmont Saddle, which is not yet finished; 12 chains cuttings and gravelling near McLee's turn-off, and 12 chains ditching, forming, and gravelling across a bad swamp above Redcliffe. These votes have made a great improvement to the Otautau-Manapouri Road. Otautau-Clifden. —Two contracts take £202 15s. of this vote: one, formation and gravelling from the mouth of Limestone Gorge to Clifden Suspension - bridge; the other from the top of the Orawia Hill towards Koromiko. A contract to absorb the rest of the vote was let for gravelling on this side of Merrivale, but was abandoned owing to the scarcity of metal. It has since been relet at a higher figure. Black Creek Bridge and Boad.—The remainder of this vote was spent in grading about a mile of road south of bridge. A pipe culvert has yet to be put in. Waiau District, Blocks VII., VIII., and X.—£2o 14s. 6d. has been spent on grading, trimming up, and widening formation on roads in these blocks, about three miles having been so improved. Tenders were called for gravelling to extent of balance of voce, but none were accepted, as the work cannot be proceeded with this season, and will most probably be done cheaper in the spring. Biverton-Golac.—2s chains of metalling and gravelling has been done at a cost of £164 9s. 7d., which completes this road as far as the turn-off from the railway. Mines Department, Colac-Bound Hill.—This vote was more than absorbed in two contracts: one of £lO5 ss. 2d. for ditching, formation, and gravelling 20 chains, starting from Colac ; the other for £149 13s. 4d., blinding the old corduroy track, replacing bridges with embankments and culverts, and metalling with stone tailings a distance of 1 mile 76 chains from Round Hill down to the Great Western Company's dredge. This latter work makes a good pack- and riding-track. Dip ton-Hamilton Burn.—Owing to a necessary road-deviation, the work on this road was much delayed. A contract has been let for £213. Double Cabbage-tree Protective Works {£l for £l). The residents contribute £5O and the Council £5O towards this. Tenders have been called for this work, which is in embankment, willowplanting, &c., and is estimated to cost £2OO, but to the 31st March no satisfactory tenders had been received. The Council have purchased the land along which most of this work extends, so as to enable material for embankment to be obtained at a less cost than otherwise. It is estimated that the difference in cost of the earthwork will exceed the price paid for the land. General.—Ninety-two contracts have been let during the year—nineteen open and seventythree co-operative. Of these, sixty-three have been completed (eleven open, and fifty-two cooperative), leaving twenty-nine of last year's contracts still in hand. D. Barkon, Chief Surveyor.

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