SURVEY REGULATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 417, 28 January 1909, Page 9

SURVEY REGULATIONS.

"FAIRLYBRISTLE WITH DIFFICUL- • . TIES." ' •

UNIFORMITY OF'PRACTICE DESIRED.

One ; 'of i the', most •important' matters;; .discussed/- at ; the -annual.';meeting/'of ■'the^ New Zealand-.'lnstitute';of.Surveyor^which'vwas held in' Wellington.yesterday, had.reference to the'.necessity for uniformity of'practice,, in connection : with the'survey regulations.-'The point;was 'brought; up- ; byMtor.s Bridge,; .of Uhrist-ohurch,, who'moved \i\ follows ■[ ■■■_ ■} ■ '.-..; ! "That' thVcouncil bring before the Sirf- y veybrs' 'Bo'ardHhe; desirableness' of - reyis-; -J. ing ..in regardV: to;theiollowing points':-^-(l).That-a .sur-,";: veyoivbe allowed, to employe as many as-,.: sistahts '.as':he; requires,; and. that, as the:;; : ' rogulatiohs.'areboihg.iiiterpreted arid .en-} ~ forced in ; ;various ways by: different chief. ■-; sarveyprs,;the : bbard;take steps to ensure, uniformity; of ipractice.;^;: ,-;/.;-;''';;'-.'

,i :! In: proposing, the motion, Mr;, Bridge;said ;. ■tne'inattors; referred';to in the!motion j lad ; been-exercising the "minds, of; members' of :the" -- profession l for; a- considerable period;,;; ItVwas : thought :'that the. latest regulations would ob- - viatev all'difficulties which; beset, surveyors, : but- thei rtroubles. had , beenVintensifi'ed.'i :.''■'■'-•.•'•.•.■■■■ ' .;' ■■ ■"■■ '"-■ : j:, v: Mr.'Garrett,:;of Wanganui, who seconded "the motion, 'said, that'the regulations-fairly bristled with-difficulties, of one kind, or .an- ; other. If • they were-not-revised the-occupa-. ' tion ,of '•■ the- bulk of ; ' private. surveyors .-would begone; "•" ■ ■'•■'-■'.'■" '•:■-•■.■-: '■'■ '■'-,:..'- ■•:■'■■■ Miv'O/'W; Adams, of. Wellington, was op-, posed to any' suggestion that .the length of survey pegs should .be reduced, >lr. - Dix, of -Wanganui,-; said .that,:-under '.' the .present rates," Native; work .was.not.'re-. munerative in.winter. He pointed-to anomalies in f ',thb ;: charges for-'mining surveyis., .There was,: he ■ continued, rensbn to believe that in regard to-Native''.work: the ■'-Govern-■ -merit- did not--adhere': to. the : -'regulations;: Liens: ■on.^Nativo.lands :;fbr.! : work,done ..were very unsatisfactory.-.. ■.... - :, ;■ ■.: -J : The retiring president (Mr.' M'Kerrow) held that the;. Government; ought to pay .for, all ■ Na'tivosurveys.-It;.was'easy for the Government.to put a lienbn-land, but-if-a; private: .'surveyor, put alien on a strip-of land inj say, a dense, it was practically pfno use to him; .Strong: representations in connection; with:.the payment of; Native; work had been; .'made.tp the'-'Native Minister, -Native Depart-: ; - meiit, .and'the. Surveyor-General.' ~ .;' V'ThoHoniG; E l . Richardson pointed out that ' so long as alterations were being made to tho . regulations there would be'different interpretations/- '■ ",-V ':.-.'• ■: -■'. ■:'. ' ':.'/= ■:.'•'■'..':■'.'■• ••-.,'. .;-Mr.:'J. W. Davies.was of-opinion .that the i.-new: regulations .wero not.so bad:as';they had been painted.' But he could not say. that ■they,wero;dovoid;of flaws;.. Considorablo lack. '■' of.knowledge.with respect to tho regulations; : was'sometimes shown by. surveyors; :He ad-.

yooated that.in the country, a modified system., of good ordinary'traverses slibuld''bo'substituted for tho excessively expensive' standard purveys.as:in towns:;, By.that mean's the.cost ; would'be reduced from between £50 and £200 '. tba few : pounds_'per mile.._ What was! wanted was a general circular giving the rulings and instructions "of ._• the 'Surveyor-General■' in fe-. gard to'the. various- points in dispute.'" '-'.■';'. After:further discussion . the motion was carried without dissent.