INSTITUTE OF SURVEYORS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 417, 28 January 1909, Page 2

INSTITUTE OF SURVEYORS.

; ANNUAL MEETING,-..,•; ;'There, was a. satisfactory attendance at. the-, annual general meeting, of the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors, which was held in the Cnaniber of Commerce yestorday, the president . (Mr., James M'Kerrow) occupying" the' chair. '■■ RESUME OF THE ANNUAL REPORT.'. ''It was. stated in tho annual report, :,'which was adopted practically without any discus'sion', that there was a.lull iu applications for membership last ■ year,' as-compared with the' previous one.'-only'three studonts having been : admitted, while'seven members and associates would come, iip,, for election,:at the annual meeting. - : On- the .other - hand; - four members had resigned, nine had been. 6tvuck off for. arrears in subscriptions, and two (Messrs. Jas. Hay and T.vM. Grant) had been removed by death.-'--As a mark of nigh appreciation.of his services to the profession on the occasion of the Conference-of Colonial Premiers in London last year, the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph 'Ward) had been elected an honorary member, of the institute. : Adverse comment had been' made ion tho highly, theoretical nature of many of the questions set at the, examinations.'. The' Queensland Institute, had indicated '.its'-'sup-port of the views expressed by .the New Zealand Institute and communicated them-to its Surveyors' .Board.'.'. An-important conference, of representatives of all the Australasian surveyors' ■ • boards .was held inr Sydney during.; Easter, last, when the New: Zealand Board was represented 'by.the Hon. .-.G.;. 3?..;Riohnrdson. Among other matters, the question of.lmperial, reciprocity among surveyors, and/the..holding of' examinations annually, instead Vof ■-.'. half. yearly,, had been .considered: 'With''respect to the journal it was stated, that;-the council would be pleased' to-see more contributions in the way. of professional' papers-of-the 'same high value' as many, that had- been .published in the journal, in past, years.. If: the various, departments concerned could: see their way to support the, proposal to: encourage the- establishment of a chair of surveying .ahd.geodesy and municipal and borough- engineering at Victoria .College it would tend: to still further advance the-status of the-'profession.: 'It had' been arecommehdatioh'-from the last annualmeeting that the: council should- consider the question of ; securing 'legal'. advice as .to' the right .of: the' Government to .say* what ■'shape' sections: should assume in tho-subdivision by a surveyor or a.-i'owhship..:.. The, Surveyorgeneral: (Mr. Humphries) had since intimated. ;that while, the Government desired■ that Section lines should be drawn'at Tight' angles totho roadjino,'he;recognised;that it was not 1 always.practicable..''With ; regard't6 the question of the charging of search fees to surveyors, while .other: departments. allowed the. searches free of charge,, a letter .was-written to the Hon. the Native. Minister on.-the subject. ■:■ In reply, the .'Minister .had stated,, ."That after consideration he had issued instructions'-. that', where ■ information, ''is' required by' surveyors as to lists ,of owners to enable preparation of applications for survey 'authorities,, or.as to boundaries.laid "down by ,the Court-,to enable surveys to ho carried out in' accordance' with,-payment of searchfees be remitted! >lh , accordance with Section .11 of the Institute of Surveyors and Board of Examiners Act, 1908, the' Hon.. G,/l\ Richardson and.Mr. C. H. Bridge had been, nominated to. represent the institute' .on the Surveyors'./ Board,:' which would nowconsist of. three/North Island and .two South Island members. , The council '■ congratulated - the institute on; the-healthy/condition of-the finances.... It had .begun the year.' with- J3276 Bs. in' i -hand,' : and-closed with .£337' 175.:10 d. The subscriptions received had totalled 'J!272 7s/ 6di,' including .£9l 65;:.6d: "of.arrears,..and it- was very satisfactory. to he able', to report. that tho total amount : of tho outstanding 'subscripions ' did'no exceed ./:.. ■/.' '-.-■'■■•

■:',-■; '/THE :;NEW: OFFICE-BEARERS. •.' •:/ ■'. :The election of.-officerbearers.'resulted as follows: President, Hon. I G.F.: Richardson (unopposed); three members of the council,' Messrs. J;'- W.Davis, ;Jas.: M'Kenzie, and ,Jas> M'Ker.row j auditors, /Messrs;. D. T. Stuart :and. A. >S.. : Welclr (re-elected). //;/../'/:.-■'■ ■.'■•. :■:"- '■■'.'■. , ;' . Montague'-H;. Miller; of Auckland.was'eWcte'd' •a ! member of the institute, : and Courtenay Kenney,' Paeroa,: /Allan - G.' 'Saxby, - Napier, : James •; B.' ■ Birkmeyer, '■ Hamilton, '.- John-, G. M/Gibbon, ; Wellington,- ■ Thomas ' Learmoht,-. Greyinouth, and R. G.: Macinorrani Te Puke, .were.elected as associates:of the institute..,. : . '-.. After.:other where,-had.-been.; diSous'sed,.-.the;.meeting concluded with ■. a :/hearty/ vote '.of"- thanks 'to '•• the chajrman."^,' t^-i" 1- .;' ■