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Weedons. —Maintenance, including the resealing of the parade-ground, has been effected. Timaru. —Heavy flooding resulted in damage to the surface and stop-banks. Maintenance along economical lines continues. The survey for an alternative site is at present under way. In all other districts routine maintenance, and in some cases resowing, took place. LAND IMPROVEMENTS Whangarei Sub-district.—Very little work was carried out during the year, although tentative reports on water-supply schemes in various parts of the district were submitted at the instigation of farming organizations and local authorities. Kaipara Harbour Reclamation. —A new stop-bank and floodgate were constructed, in addition to general maintenance. Sand-dune Reclamation. —Depending upon the availability of man-power, work at reclamation areas, with the exception of Kaipara Heads, progressed steadily during the year. Stocks of seedlings have been built up, general maintenance and cultivation carried out, and fire-protection measures taken. At Woodhill-Helensville reclamation line-clearing for the year totalled 1,107 miles ; line-cutting, 172 miles ; internal roading, 11 miles ; and 212,000 trees were planted. In the Woodhill nursery 286,690 trees were lined out. At Maioro sand-dune reclamation 233 acres of Marram-grass were planted, 410 acres sown in lupin, 291,000 seedlings lined out, and 85,700 trees planted. On the Hokio-Manawatu area acres were planted during the year, using 57,800 two-year-old pinus and macrocarpa trees. In the nursery, 72,900 trees were lined out. Of a total of 1,500 acres, 75 acres only remain to be fixed with lupin and marram. All the best areas, a total of approximately 1,200 acres, have been planted in trees. Land Clearing.—Full advantage is being taken by settlers of the opportunity to increase production through land clearing. Operations continue over widely scattered areas, and mainly in the Invercargill and Westport districts. Unfortunately, work has sometimes been handicapped during the most favourable time of the year due to plantbeing required upon more urgent works. In the Westport area during the past year sixty-four jobs were completed, involving land clearing, 339 acres ; disking, 46 acres ; harrowing, 9 acres ; diskploughing, 9 acres ; clearing of new fence-lines, 129 chains. Machine costs for the year were £686 ; total expenditure, £907 ; and total recoveries, £956. In the Invercargill district, besides a considerable amount of levelling and filling of sections, acres were cleared, 8 miles of track formed, 4£ mileg" of drainage channels completed, and 2 miles 60 chains of stop-banks raised. Total expenditure amounted to £11,493, and recoveries £13,133. Since the inception of the scheme, 6,292 acres have been cleared. Berwick State Forest.—Roading and draining of the State Forest Service's new property at Berwick and construction there of a permanent staff camp were undertaken. The camp-site has been levelled and terraced, one mile of road formed and lightly gravelled, and 10 chains of 24 ft. by 6 ft. creek channel excavated. One mile of road is under construction. HOUSING SERVICES CONSTRUCTION In housing districts where the scope of work permits the use of plant to any extent, the Public Works Department performs a considerable amount of work on roadformation, footpath and kerb construction, and services installation. In the Hutt Valley all this work is done by the Public Works Department, and in Auckland approximately half. Construction of kerbs, channels, and concrete footpaths was curtailed by the shortage of cement, though good progress was maintained in all other work.

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