37

C.-l

fokatoka No. 3 Additional Loan Block. —The expenditure this year has been confined to metalling which work is now being carried out under the direct supervision of the County Engineer within whose area the block lies. Limestone foundations are now laid on all roads to be metalled, and consequently each soldier settler has a hard road access. Altogether there were 6 miles 4 chains of metalling to be done, and this has now been completed with the exception of a length of 2 miles on which a wearing-surface of blue metal has still to be laid. Expenditure for the year was £1,221 3s. 6d. Hamilton Swamp. —In January the field-work was commenced on the large area of undeveloped and partly-developed swamp lands lying generally to the east and north-east of Hamilton. This area is under the control of several Drainage Boards, but owing to the depth of peat tho results obtained have up to the present not been too successful. '.Hie work in hand is oonfined to the obtaining of all data that will be useful in drawing up a report on the drainage of this area. The obtaining eif levels is of necessity the first requisite, but in this class of country soundings must bo taken at frequent intervals in order to ascertain the depth of peat, so that an estimate can be made as to the probable amount of consolidation. So far 30 miles of levels have been carried out, at a cost of £305 17s. 7d. The. work will be continued as far north as the area under the control of the Mangawhara River Board, after which the field-work of the Rukuhia area will be commenced. Kerepeehi-Kaihere Road. —The metalling of this road in the Hauraki Plains area was carried out under a pound-ior-pound subsidy, and 1J miles was completed. Expenditure was £1,766 13s. Bd. Hereford Park Water-supply. —Installation of ram and piping on the above works was completed in July, 1923, and a successful trial was at once made. A satisfactory supply of water was obtained at the reservoir on the hill, but after the ram had been working some weeks it gave trouble, at first with silt coming down from intake, but latterly from bolts continually breaking. Stronger bolts are to be tried early in the coming year, but in the event of these not holding a stronger make of ram will bo required. Expenditure for year was £136 9s. lid, Waiare Water-supply. —Material for this water-supply installation has been delivered on the ground, and tank-stand has been erected in Mrs. Shippon's paddock. Delivery-pipe from ram-site to tank-stand has been laid, a wire cable being stretched across the stream to support the pipe-line above fiooel-level. Ram and part of the drive-pipe have been lowered to ram-site, but excavation of rock has proved rather more difficult than was anticipated, and the job has consequently been delayed. Installation should bo complete early in the coming period. Expenditure for the year was £433 7s. Bd. Omeheu Water-supply. —-At the' request of the settlers in the Omeheu Soldiers' Settlement (Rangitaiki district) a scheme for a water-supply by pumping from the Rangitaiki River was put in hand by the Department. A contract was let for the erection of a 6,000-gallon reservoir and windmills, and the laying of a main pipe-line to serve the various sections. This work is almost complete, and a very satisfactory supply of good water is now available. To ensure a regular supply it has been deemed necessary to install an auxiliary engine and pump, and this work is now in hand. .The total length of main pipe-line is 101 chains, and at present there are sixteen leads from this. The expenditure for the' year was £712 10s. 2d. Orongo Settlement. —-50 chains of road were metalled, and the roading of the block, comprising 3 miles 57 chains of metalled road and 163 chains of formed clay road, is now completed. The work of ploughing and cultivating has been continued when weather conditions were favourable, and 219 acres were ploughed with tractors, 227 acres cultivated, and 158| acres sown in grass. Unfortunately, wet weather made spring sowing impossible. The grass-seed sown during autumn has been somewhat injured by the heavy rain which occurred early in April, but the establishment of a good pasture is assured if the settlers will keep the fescue, under control. Parts of this alluvial land are still very soft, and in these localities the drains require constant deepening. 13 miles 37 chains of drains have been cleaned and deepened. The expenditure for the year was £5,260 14s. 9d. The following particulars give the aggregate of the principal operations carried out over all the works under the direction of the branch : — Cleaning drains .. .. .. .. .. 394 miles 1 chains. Widening and deepening drains .•', . . . . . . 122 ~ 38 ~ Constructing new drains . . .. .. 27 ~ 51 ~ Dredge cuts .. .. .. .. .. .. 47 „ 60 ~ Reforming roads .. .. .. .. .. 3 ~ 61 ~ Forming new roads .. . . . . .. 24 ~ 38 ~ Metalling roads .. . . .. .. .. . . 2 ~ 64 „ Remetalling roads . . .. .. .: .. 0 „ 75 „ Fencing roads .. . . .. .. . . . . 11 „ 16 „ Clearing road-lines .. .. .. .. .. 1 „ 72 „ New stop-banks .. .. .. .. .. 3 „ 49 ~ Repairs to stop-banks .. .. .. .. .. 7 „ 0 „ Levels taken .. .. .. .. .. • ■ 252 „ 0 „ Traverses run .. .. .. .. • • 58 „ 65 „ Artesian wells sunk .. .. .. .. .. 3 (number). Flood-gates built .. .. .. .. ..11 „ Concrete culverts built .. .. .. .. .. 5 „ Box culverts .. .. .. .. . ■ ■. 5 ~ Pile! bridges erected ... .. .. .. 20 „ Sill bridges erected' .. . . .. .. 29 „ Concrete bridges erected • • • • • • ■ • 2 ~ Sleepers .. .. .. .. .. 13,000 Fascines for roads .. .. .. .. 19,440 bundles. Metal for roads .. . . .. .. 6,904 cubic yards. Spoil excavated by floating and dry-land excavators 1,700,298 ~ Rock-excavation .. .. .. .. 32,946 ~ Scoop excavation .. .. .. .. 11,800 „