C—B

6

Works performed during the Year. The following works were carried out under either the piecework or co-operative contract systems : — M. oh. Double drain and road formation ... ... ... ... 2 50 Deepening and widening drains and spreading spoil ... ... 7 68 New drain and road formation ... ... ... ... 1 46 Clearing and grubbing road-lines ... ... .. ... 2 42 Cleaning road-drains .. . . ... ... ... ... 54 43 New road-drains ... ... ... ... ... ••■ 0 78 New outlet drains ... ... . . ... .. ... 8 15 Deepening and widening outlet drains ... ... ... ... 21 2 Cleaning outlet drains ... ... ... ... ... 14 0 Drain and stop-bank ... ... ... ... ... 1 20 Deepening stop-bank' drains ... ... ... ... ... 1 14 Cleaning stop-bank drains ... ... ... ... ... 3 3 Removing heavy tinibei from drains (extras) . ... ... ... 2 52 Snagging Waitoa River ... ... ... ... ... 2 30 Discing roads ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 0 Distance covered ... ... ... ... ... 135 63 Under this heading the following were supplied : Fascines for road purposes, 12,843 bundles; piles for bridges and wharves, 57; sleepers for tramway, 4,547; poles, 100 j shingle loaded at Kauaeranga, 5,086 cubic yards; spit shingle delivered, 3,065 cubic yards. The following works were carried out by day-labour : — M. oh. New road-drains ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 15 Widening and deepening road-drains and spreading spoil ... ... 19 21 Clearing road-lines ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 0 Cleaning road-drains ... ... ... ... ... ... 43 20 Road-formation ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 70 Deepening and widening outlet drains ... ... ... ... 10 15 Cleaning outlet drains ... ... ... ... ... 36 15 Deepening stop-bank drains ... ... ... ... ... 0 25 Strengthening stop-bank ... ... ... ... ... 4 15 Cleaning stop-bank drains ... ... ... ... ... 10 25 Removing heavy log timber from drains ... ... ... ... 5 0 Weeding Waitoa River ... ... ... ... ... 4 40 Metalling (spreading and breaking) .. . ... ... ... 5 40 Discing roads ... ... ... ... ... ... 15 0 Distance covered ... ... ... ... ... 161 61 ■ _• Under the above heading the following works were carried out: Construction of bridges, 7; construction of culverts, 3; construction of floodgates, 2; artesian bores for settlers, 22; spoil removed by dredges, 176,196 cubic yards. In addition the various roads were maintained by day-labour, and various works that cannot possibly be scheduled were carried out. Fires. In only one block was loss sustained by (ires that spread from Crown lands, and this was in the vicinity of Waikaka. Here, in February, a lire crossed the canal and burnt portion of three sections, but not more than 100 acres was burnt, and in some cases this was an advantage. Until such time as the country is more closely settled there will always be the likelihood of fires spreading and damaging property. During the year various blocks of ('town land along the Piako River were stocked heavily with settlers' cattle, and consequently no fires started in a locality that usually provided a series conflagrations. In last report mention was made of tenders being called for the supply of grass-seed to sow areas at Waikaka and Ngarua that had been just, burnt. Unfortunately, the grass-seed did not arrive till June, 1914, which was rather late in the season, but nevertheless it was all sown, and, taken right through, germinated and grew fairly well. Most of the areas sown, were subdivided and disposed of during March, 1915. Flax Adhas. Owing to the majority of the easily accessible areas beariifg flax having either been burnt oi- subdivided and disposed of as farms, I am not able to report any dealings in flax. The mill at Patetonga worked at intervals, and was supplied with flax by the settlers. It is most unlikely that the Department will derive any income of any importance from flax royalties in the future. Metalling of Roads. During the previous year (1913-14) this work was commenced, and up to date the length of roads metalled is nine miles and a half, the distance for the year being five miles and a half. Late in March, 1914, the scheme for carrying gravel from the Kauaeranga River, near Thames, with the Department's own plant was inaugurated, and during the year the supply from