C— 8

1927. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. DRAINAGE OPERATIONS IN HAURAKI PLAINS. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1927, TOGETHER WITH STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 10 of the Hauraki Plains Act, 1908.

Sir, — Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, 30th June, 1927. I have the honour to present herewith the report of the Chief Drainage Engineer on operations carried out during the past year on the Hauraki Plains in accordance with the provisions of the Hauraki Plains Act, 1908. I have, &c., J. B. Thompson, The Hon. A. D. McLeod, Minister of Lands. Under-Secretary for Lands.

BEPOBT OF CHIEF DRAINAGE ENGINEER. Sir, — I have the honour to present the nineteenth annual report on the reclamation works carried out on the Hauraki Plains during the financial year ended 31st March, 1927. Owing to the increasing number of trading concerns handling the produce of the district, it is becoming more difficult to obtain complete production returns for the reclaimed areas, but the available returns as given below continue to show indications of progress throughout the district. For purposes of comparison the previous year's returns are shown in parenthesis. Three factories manufactured 1,235 (1,081) tons of cheese, and conservative estimates of the other principal items of produce based on the incomplete returns available are —butter, 2,300 (2,042) tons ; hemp, over 1,000 tons ; value of stock sold exceeded £45,000 (£32,730). Freight handled by steamers and scows trading between Auckland and Piako River ports amounted to over 8,000 tons. On the earlier settled portion of the area many of the difficulties which attend land-settlement in swamp country are disappearing. The energies of Government Departments and local bodies are resulting in improved drainage and flood protection, and the extension of good roads, telephone, and electric power throughout the district. The great majority of the settlers are developing their farms into better-paying condition. Still, the fact cannot be too much emphasized that field-drainage within occupied farms will produce a greater increase per acre than any other form of development. The rainfall at Kerepeehi during the period covered by the report was 60-91 in. Rain fell on 184 days. The annual rainfall recorded at Kerepeehi during the past eleven years is shown in the following schedule : —

I—C. 8.

Year. | Total Rainfall. Wettest Month, and Fall. Driest Month, and Fall. 1916-17 .. .. .. 55-57 in. Nov., 1916 —6-65 in. Jan., 1917—0-65 in. 1917-18 .. .. .. 4641 in. April, 1917—5-67 in. Dec., 1917—2-18 in. 1918-19 .. .. .. 41-02 in. Oct., 1918—7-47 in. Feb., 1919—1-34 in. 1919-20 .. .. . • 34-85 in. Feb., 1920 —6-10 in. Dec., 1919 —0-89 in. 1920-21 .. .. .. 35-93 in. Sept., 1920—5-10 in. Feb., 1921—0-72 in. 1921-22 .. .. .. 46-34 in. Feb., 1922—6-62 in. Nov, 1921—1-34 in. 1922-23 .. .. .. 33-81 in. Jan, 1923—4-14 in. Mar, 1923—1-72 in. 1923-24 .. .. .. 52-42 in. April, 1923—9-76 in. Nov, 1923—1-81 in. 1924-25 .. .. .. 52-56 in. j April, 1924—8-55 in. Mar, 1925 —1-36 in. 1925-26 .. .. .. 40-29 in. June, 1925 —6-67 in. April, 1925—0-84 in. 1926-27 .. .. .. 60-91 in. May, 1926—8-86 in. April, 1926—1-83 in.