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1922. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. SWAMP DRAINAGE. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1922, TOGETHER WITH STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS.

Presented to both Houses of the. General Assembly pursuant, to Section 13 of the Swamp Drainage Act, 1915.

Sir, — Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, 19t.1i Juno, 1922. In pursuance of section 13 of the Swamp Drainage, Act, 1915, I forward herewith the report of the Acting Chief Drainage Engineer upon the operations carried out under the above Act for the past year, together with a statement of cash transactions and balance-sheet. - A satisfactory state of affairs is disclosed, and the works are proceeding on good lines. Three plans showing operations are attached. I have, <fee, The Hon. 1). H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands. J, B. Thompson, Under-Secretary.

REPORT BY ACTING CHIEF DRAINAGE ENGINEER. Sir,— 1 have the honour to submit annual reports on the areas proclaimed under the Swamp Drainage Act, 191.5. Kaitaia Drainage Area (39,665 Acres), Mongonui County. The progress of the works has been steadily maintained during the past year, and a large area of the land affected by the operations of this scheme has received a direct benefit—in fact, some of the land has received practically the full benefit that will be obtained even on the completion of the works. Consequently it should not be long now before the rating clauses of the Swamp Drainage Act are applied to at least portion of this area, as at the present time the maintenance of finished works, as well as interest on the capital expenditure, arc charged up to the capital account. The key to the successful drainage of the whole area is the improvement to the Awanui River, and as this work progresses a larger area is benefited, and consequently is able to be more fully developed. This work has been progressing satisfactorily, and during the coming year progress should be more marked, as the dredging will not be so difficult. The Whangatane spillway is of great importance in this connection, and the dredging of this channel to the requisite depth has been commenced from the upper end. The design of the concrete weir at the junction with the Awanui River has been practically completed, but the construction will not be undertaken until the dredging is further advanced, when the concrete-work can bo carried out without being interfered with by the water-level in the spillway. The unwatcring of the Tangonge Lake should be commenced in June, and this work will enable the drains on the I'ukcpoto portion of the area to be deepened, and so improve a large area of land which is at present useless. Rainfall, <&C. —Tie fall for the year as recorded by the gauge at the Kaitaia office was 4942 in., the wettest month being March, when 5-84 in. were recorded, and the driest January, when the record was 2-2-1 in. From this it will be seen that the year has been far from a dry ono. A gauge

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