PRIVATE SURVEYORS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 535, 16 June 1909, Page 10

PRIVATE SURVEYORS.

A COMPLAINT FROM AUCKLAND. , iBT TKLKOKArn.- - BTECIA I. CORUr.srOHDBHT.I Auckland) June 15. "There never has been any disposition on the part of the Government'-to employ" surveyors who are in privato practice in the Dominion," said an Auckland surveyor wlton interviewed on the subject. "The Government has expended large sums of money," lid went on to say, "in having surveys executed, but no sh,ire of this has come the way of privat-e surveyors, with the exception .of two estates acquired for closer settlement. There are still about 7,000/000 acres of Native land in the North Island, and a great portion of this is, 1 believe, ready to be surveyed. Many thousands of acres have been put into the hands of the Maori Land Boards in North Auckland, but no attempt appears to be made'to have surveys-carried out. It has been stated in Parliament so frequently that tho delay has been due to the want of surveyors that it is only just to private surveyors to say that'such is not the case. The Government could have all the surveys it: waiits carried, out carefully and expeditiously if it would only give private surchance. The Maori Land Boards have 'the power to employ surveyors, but show little disposition to do so. Tho only case I know of where a surveyor has been directly employed by a Maori Land Board was to survey a block in the Bay of Islands, and tho board only gave it to him .after going round privately to every surveyor in. Auckland for a quotation."