Without this our young men would ne-
cessarily be forced to seek elsewhere those
advantages which in the present day are
so indispensable to a progress in any pro-
fession.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,
Your most obedt. Servant,

JAMES H. CAMPBELL,
Inspector of Schools.

His Honor the Superintendent,
Napier.

GENERAL REPORT UPON ROADS.

Napier, 31st May, 1865.

SIR,—I have the honor to submit to you
the following general report upon the
roads of this Province:—

During the present financial year no
works of any magnitude have been under-
taken, but all the established lines of road
of the Province have not only been main-
tained in good order, but also considerable
improvements have been made thereon by
forming and metalling smaller portions
and widening the original formation.

The traffic from the Southern districts
has been greatly inconvenienced for some
months by the encroachments of the sea
upon the beach track at the mouth of the
Waitangi, which has necessitated the
erection of a rather costly bridge.

Its site is in the line of the proposed
main south road, where the stream is 205
feet wide. The waterway has been re-
duced to 60 feet in three equal spans, and the
remaining 145 feet have been formed of a
piled and sheeted causeway, raised two feet
above the average level of the surrounding
country.

The bottom of the Waitangi being soft
mud, a very large quantity of filling was
required, reaching to the depth of 17 feet
in the centre, which of course made the
work very expensive, but substantial in
proportion.

The maintenance of the roads has until
now been managed by men either stationed
along the road and paid at the rate of 6s.
per day, or by men sent when and where
required and paid at the same rate.

This system was, I believe, the cheapest
and best while the roads were in a much
less forward condition than now, and
while few or hardly any men were settled
along the lines of road, willing and able
to undertake the maintenance, but now,
when small holders are established almost
everywhere near the roads, anxious for
employment of that nature, I beg leave to
recommend that in future, where practi-
cable, the maintenance be undertaken by
contract upon tender.

This plan is in practice in Australia,
where it is found to work so well, that
maintenance by day labor is in use only
on quite new lines.

The adoption of this system, taking
into consideration the large quantities of
spare metal and timber for culverts on
hand, will reduce the cost of maintaining
all roads in the province during the next
financial year to about £2000.

In reply to your Honor’s request to
state the new works which are the most
needed during the next financial year,
according to my opinion, I beg leave to
name as foremost a Bridge over the Nga-
ururo river, about half-a-mile above the
ferry. I am fully aware that the work
must be called heavy, considering the
financial resources of the province, but I
am convinced that the loss of time sus-
tained by the community in crossing the
punt amounts to more than twice the
interest upon the capital (£5000), re-
quired for the erection of a bridge strong
enough for a tramway. Without going
into details, I venture to state that the
gross receipts at the ferry (the two lessees
paying £180 per annum) are about £500
per annum, and I further venture to say
that every individual crossing would be
glad to pay 50 per cent. upon ferry charges
for crossing a bridge—making £750 per
annum.

Next in importance to the bridge over
the Ngaruroro, I consider the completion
of the road to the Puketapu hills, com-
prising about two miles of metalling, and
new bridges on the Awatoto road.

I had recommended last year the erec-
tion of a new bridge at Tareha’s, but on
further examination I found that the pre-
sent one would stand another year, but its
construction cannot be delayed any longer.

The sound material of the present
Tareha’s bridge will do for the two
smaller bridges required further north.
Estimated cost of Tareha’s bridge £180;
cost of two miles metalling at Puketapu,
£320.

My grounds for recommending the ex-
penditure of the largest amounts within
the immediate neighbourhood of Napier
are, that the lines of road (at least during
the season when wool is brought to Na-
pier, and provisions to the stations), are
fully practicable at present—that is, the
Port is easily accessible for the purpose of
shipping wool and taking supplies to the
stations.

This point having been accomplished, it
seems to me essential to commence further
improvements at the principal centre of
the population and the shipping port, and
gradually to radiate from there towards
the extremities.

This is the universal practice, as all out-
lying districts equally benefit by improve-
ments leading to their centre.

The best proof that even the most re-
mote out-settlements are well accessible
(considering the recent date of the settle-
ment of the Province) is that, in spite of
a rather wet summer, nearly all the wool
was in Napier and had been shipped in