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fencing, Hl.' chains; road-formation, 17 miles 4!) chains; Waitoa outfalls, 1 mile 9 chains; clearing and grubbing roads, 5 miles 44 chains; cleaning drains, 7 miles 12 chains; olearing and widening streams, 51 chains . removing timber from drains. 1 mile 6 chains ; staking steamer-channel in Piako River ; and the supply of 1,000 poles for stop-bank fillings. The following works were performed by day-labour: Fencing, 15 chains: raising stop-banks. I mile 71 chains; road-formation, 1 mile 54 chains; clearing roads and grubbing. '2 miles 75 chains ; drain and road-bank formation, 3 miles 8 chains; township-roads formation, 20 chains; deepening drains and road-forming, 3 miles 66 chains : deepening and clearing drains, 4 miles 5 chains ; cleaning drains. 1 mile : sinking artesian bores, 6 ; deepening and widening drains, 73 chains ; widening drains only. I mile 75 chains ; sowing KM) acres in grass; sowing stop-banks, 20 miles ; moving spoil from banks, 1 mile 60 chains ; dam, 1 ; rough service jetties, 2 ; rough service bridges, 2 ; poles for fillings, 600 ; snagging and weeding Waitoa River. 3 miles 65 chains : flood-gates erected, 23 ; wharves built, 3 : buildings erected, 4 : bridges built, 22 ; stop-bank fillings, about 40 chains ; and dredging of canals. 110,353 cubic yards. Many other services too numerous to mention have been performed by day-labour. About 105 men are employed on day-labour works, and the cost of works done by them does not exceed that of similar work done by contract. About 175 men are employed on the general-contract works. The total daily average number of men on all works during past year was 280. Grassing. Some MX) acres of burnt swamp land was roughly sown in grass during past year, and the same lias i a ken very well. The clovers have done particularly well. The grassing of stop-banks was not very successful, as the native growth seemed to choke out the Blue Kentucky sown : however, it is a slow-moving grass, and will probably show up better next spring. Cattle. The stock purchased for purposes of demonstration to shew the suitability of the land for grazing were all sold after the conclusion of the first ballot of past year. Some 522 head of mixed cattle realized the net sum of £1,627 7s. 4d., showing a substantial profit upon the original purchase of same. The original number purchased was 550 head of mixed cattle, costing £1,167 ss. 3d. Some twenty-eight head died or were otherwise lost. Wα ikk. Constant supplies of fresh water were conveyed i<> the various works commanded by the Piako River and Waitakaruru Stream, and no cases of fever occurred as the men were always supplied with good drinking-water. Flax-areas. Some £38 16s. 10d. was derived from two flax-areas during past year, and no other areas have 1 n dealt with, as the market is and has been dull. A good deal of flax was burnt during the summer. and the experimental plot at Waikaka was destroyed. Generally speaking, the losses are not more than might reasonably be expected with such a dry season. Fires. With the exception of the flax burnt as above, no damage was done by fires, and settlers suffered no damage. A staff of men was kept employed busily for some weeks in fire-prevention. Surveys. Three survey parties have been actively engaged upon the surveys of lands for selection. Up to date some 22,109 acres 3 roods 2 poles have been surveyed into small farms, town and suburban sections, and reserves. The plans of above have also been completed. Surveys are now in progress in connection with further lands it is proposed to open. Some 7,843 acres of Crown awards and Native lands were also surveyed, and, in addition to above, engineering surveys were carried out by the stall. Valuations. The valuations of lands surveyed for selection were duly completed, and work out at £108,065. Cost of Draixage-works. The total cost as estimated to end of financial year 1910-11 of all drainage and constructional works, &c, is £66,011, of which sum £32,103 has been expended during financial year 1910 11. This has been the heaviest year experienced, as most of the work undertaken was of a more substantial nature, on account of previous operations having dried the ground and made it possible to enlarge the scope of the works. Principal Works proposed. The principal works to be carried out during current financial year are as follows :— (1.) The completion of Waikaka Canal. (2.) The continuance of dredging operations on Waitakaruru-Maukoro Canal. (3.) The completion of Puhanga Canal overflow. (4.) The cutting of a canal from Waitoa River to Piako River near the junction. (5.) The transformation of existing road-banks into finished cart-roads. (6.) The general strengthening of stop-banks. (7.) The completion of wharves, flood-gates, bridges, &c. (8.) The continuance of snagging upper reaches of Piako and Waitoa Rivers. (9.) The completion of drainage, road-formation, and outfalls on the areas known as Waitoa Block and Waikaka respectively. (10.) And generally the improvement of existing works.