D.—l

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Matiere Section (0 m. to 10 m. 21 eh. ; length, 10 miles 21 chains).—Owing to the lack of suitable labour, work on this section was concentrated on the tunnels. Of the total length of this tunnel (76 chains) only 7' chains remain incomplete. Excaval ion of the tunnels at 4m. 68 eh. and 6 in. 10 eh. has been completed, and the brick lining has been commenced. The tunnel at 7m. 55 eh. is now complete and lined. Formation on this section is practically complete. Ohura Section (10 m. 21 oh. to 19 in. 70 eh.).—Permanent survey litis been completed and landplan survey is in hand. About 1\ miles of formation has been carried out. Oi'unake Branch Railway. Kapuni Section (0 m. 6 eh. to 7m. ; length, 6 miles 74 chains). Earthwork has been completed with the exception of a small block at I m. 22 eh., which' will form the approach to the road overbridge. Good progress has been made with the Waingongoro Bridge, but work on the Kapuni Bridge at 4 m. 69 eh. had to be discontinued owing to there being an insufficient amount of labour offering. Auroa Section (7 in. to 12 m.; length, 5 miles). Cuttings (less batters) and banks have been completed to Rowan Road, Bm. 29 eh. From 8 in. (il eh. to om. the formation has been almost completed. At 9m. 50 eh. the cutting has been completed and adjacent bank formed to 9m. 44 eh. 1,100 yards of formation at Mangawhero station-yard has been excavated. A number of culverts have been laid, but shortage of cement has hindered operations. Moturoa-Opunake : Two deviations from Moturoa-Opunake line to give direct access to New Plymouth Breakwater were surveyed and plans have been prepared. Manaia Branch (Kapuni to Manaia) (Om. to 5 m. 49ch.). One cottage has been and one is being removed. Shallow earthwork has been completed between 17 eh. and 64 eh. except batters in cuttings. Light formation was carried out between I in. 24 eh. and Im. 62 eh. Between 2m. 22 eh. and 2m. 67'5ch. formation is complete. From 3m. 64ch. to 4m. 24ch. and from 4m. 30ch. to 4m, 65 eh. formation is practically complete. Forty double huts have been erected and a number of old huts repaired. South Island Main Trunk Railway. Kekerangu Section (56 m. 6 eh. to 63 in. 6 eh. : length. 7 miles). No work has been done on this section during the past year. Midland Railway. Nelson-Westland (North End). Kawatiri Section (59 m. 17 eh. to 63 m. 8 eh. ; length, 3 miles 7 chains).- Work on this section was suspended during the war, but has been recommenced. To date preparatory work only has been carried out. Arthur's Pass Tunnel. Otira End. —The progress of the enlargement and lining has been impeded by the nature of the ground worked. During the year 783 shifts were worked, the average number of men per shift being 23-75, as compared with 670 shifts of an average of 18-4 men for the preceding year. Bealey End. —During the year 572 shifts were worked, the average number of men per shift being 13-3, as compared with 682 and 12-5 for the previous twelve months. The completed lining at each end is 19 chains, the total bottom hemline driven 5 miles 25-18 chains, total lining completed 4 miles 50-67 chains. Tenders for the electrification of the tunnel have been invited, and are due on the 7th August next. Greymouth - Point Elizabeth Railway Extension. Work was commenced in April last, a contract having been let for bushfelling. Further contracts for clearing and formation have since, been let, and the work is proceeding satisfactorily. Culverden-Waiau Railway. (Length, 13 miles.) This section of line was handed over to the Working Railways on 15th December, 1919, for traffic. Up till this date a daily goods service had been run between the two terminals. Waimate Branch Railway Extension. (0 m. to 4 m. 60 eh. ; length, 4 miles 60 chains). Construction on this line was recommenced early in the New Year after a lapse of four years. Good progress has been made with the preliminary work of clearing, and the stream-diversion of Serpentine Creek has been completed for a length of 8 chains, and the railway-bank has been finished between 2m. 27 eh. and 2m. 32 eh. Serpentine station-yard formation (2 m. 50 eh. to 2m. 64 eh.) is complete. Progress generally has been somewhat slow owing to the difficulty of procuring suitable labour. Otago Central Railway. Cromwell Section (44 m. 52 eh. to 57 m. 6 eh. ; length, 12 miles 34 chains).- The bridge at 46 m. 22 eh. was completed during the year, and those at 48 m. 38 eh. and 48 m. 52 eh. were practically completed. Owing to subsidence at 47 m. 19-4 eh. the piles of the railway-bridge had to be redriveii.