MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS.

TENDERS will be received at the Office of the Secretary for Works until noon of Friday, 19th March 1875, for

Contract Nos. 19 to 25.—Maintenance of portions of road, Tokomairiro to Tuapeka.

Specifications may be seen, and forms of tender obtained at the Office of the Provincial Engineer, Dunedin, and at Police Camp, Lawrence.

Tenders to be indorsed "Tender for Contract Nos. 19 to 23" as the case may be.

The Government does not undertake to accept the lowest or any tender.

MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS.

TENDERS will be received at the Office of the Secretary for Works until noon of Friday 19th March, 1875, for

Contract Nos. 10 to 14.—Maintenance of portions of road, East Taieri Bridge to Tokomairiro.

Specifications may be seen and forms of tender obtained at the Office of the Provincial Engineer, Dunedin and at Police Camp, Tokomairiro.

Tenders to be indorsed "Tender for Contract Nos. 10 to 14" as the case may be.

The Government does not undertake to accept the lowest or any tender.

MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS.

TENDERS will be received at the Office of the Secretary for Works until noon of Friday 19th March, 1875, for

Contract Nos. 15 to 18.—Maintenance of portions of road, Tokomairiro to Clutha.

Specifications may be seen and forms of tender obtained at the Office of the Provincial Engineer, Dunedin and at Police Camp, Balclutha.

Tenders to be indorsed "Tender for Contract Nos. 15 to 18" as the case may be.

The Government does not undertake to accept the lowest or any tender.

APPLICATION FOR LAND UNDER DEFERRED PAYMENT.

JAMES WILLIAM THOMSON, for section 7, block XV., Waipahi District.

Objections must be made in writing and lodged on or before noon on Tuesday, the 30th day of March current, at the Land Office, Dunedin, when the above application will be decided.

TUESDAY, 20th APRIL.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that sections S, 3, and 11, block IV., Dunback District, respectively 93a. 2r. 12p., 143a. 1r. 21p., and 58a. 2r. 19p., will be offered for sale by public auction, at the Survey Office, Naseby, at noon on Tuesday, 20th April, 1875, at the upset price of £1 per acre.

THE undermentioned Town Sections will be sold by Auction at the Land Office, Invercargill, at noon, on Tuesday, the 20th day of April proximo:—

MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS.

TENDERS will be received at the Office of the Secretary for Works until noon of Friday, 19th March, 1875, for:—

1st.—Contract Nos. 1 to 9—Maintenance of portions of road, Dunedin to East Taieri Bridge.

2nd.—Contract Nos. 26 and 27—Maintenance of portions of road, Saddle Hill to West Taieri Bridge.

3rd.—Contract Nos. 28 to 30—Maintenance of portions of road, Dunedin to Portobello.

4th.—Contract Nos. 31 to 47—Maintenance of portions of road, Dunedin to Palmerston.

5th.—Contract No. 48—Maintenance of portion of Pine Hill road.

Specifications may be seen and forms of tender obtained at the Office of the Provincial Engineer, Dunedin.

Tenders to be indorsed, "Tender for Contract No...." of Contract.

The Government does not undertake to accept the lowest or any tender.

Adapted to the purpose of extracting gold from auriferous earth more completely than any of the machines or methods at present in use, has voted the sum of £250, to be offered as a bonus for the invention of such an apparatus, subject to such competition and regulations as His Honor the Superintendent may seem fit.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the vote of the Council, that plans and proposals for such an apparatus will be received for consideration, up till the first day of August next ensuing.

The following particulars are published for the information of intending exhibitors of plans. The plans and proposals will be submitted to a body of judges, composed of experienced miners, and such other persons as His Honor the Superintendent may appoint, and in considering them the following points will be kept in view:

1. The cost of the apparatus as it appears on the plan, and its portable cost and tear and wear.

2. The readiness with which it can be secured in any part of a tail race, and be moved from one part to another and again secured.

3. Its adaptability to the different widths and falls of tailraces used in different districts; to the varying quantities of water used either by choice or necessity for flushing the same; and to the different kinds of wash-dirt from which gold is obtained in the Province.

Inventors are expected to be conversant with the machines and methods at present in use, and not to offer simple reproductions of the same. They are also expected not to offer reproductions of machines or methods which have fallen into disuse. They can obtain practical information on these and other points, by application through the post to the Central Mining Association at Naseby.

If, in the opinion of the judges appointed, any plan shall appear to be worthy of adoption by the miners in this Province, the Government undertakes to furnish copies of the same to each of the Mining Associations in the Province with full instructions as to intentions of the inventors, and the payment of the bonus will then be determined in the following manner, payment being due within eight months from the date at which the copies of the plans and instructions have been issued to the various Mining Associations:

By the fact of the apparatus being used by at least twenty-five sluicing companies in the Province, employing an average of at least five men each, for the period of six months, and the intention of the same companies to continue use thereof; such fact and such intention being verified by the affirmation before a Warden, of the Managers or representatives of such Companies.

In the event of two or more plans being considered worthy of a trial, the Government will determine in what manner the competition shall be carried on, and the best plan discovered.

As the bonus is only intended to stimulate inventive genius, every inventor may reap a further benefit from his invention if he think fit, by taking out a patent.

Plans and proposals intended for submission under this notice, are to be addressed to the Goldfields Secretary, Dunedin, on or before the date first above-mentioned.

D. M'KELLAR,
Goldfields Secretary.

Cromwell, 5th March, 1875.