SURVEYORS IN COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1144, 3 June 1911, Page 10

SURVEYORS IN COUNCIL.

SOME PROPOSALS. Several important matters were dealt with at a meeting ol tlie Executive of the Executive Committee of Uie New Zealand Institute or Surveyors, held yesterday. There were present: .Messrs.. 'llios. Humphries' (president;, Ledger (Nelson), Wyluo (Palmerston Nortn), Siadden, Smith,.and Eultou (Wellington). A letter was received lrom the Surveyors' Board, in reply to representations from the institute, at its last annual meeting, that the 'survey regulations in respect of the..'.'link;in mite" error should be amended.. V ■ :. Tlie regulation, in question is that which provides;', that a surveyor must "close" his an ertoruiot exceeding.one link per'."mile.' ?■"' ■ :*• When. the'"matter was discussed by tlio institute at its' annual meeting a number of members opined that the limit of error 'permitted-was on tlie small side, so far as country towns, where land was of comparatively low value, were concerned, ami also in the case of hilly country, where the work of the surveyor is most difficult, hi the case of largo towns, where land is sometimes worth .£3OO or .£'loo a foot, members were qtiite willing that no error at all should bo allowed. The Surveyors' Board (a body consisting of.the Surveyor-General, two representatives of the institute, and two members appointed by the Government) stated in its letter, considered by the institute yesterday, that, having carefully considered, tlie matter, it could'not'see its way to recommend any change in the "link in mile" regulation. Land that to-day was worth ,£2O or .£3O a foot, might, in a short period, bo worth .£IOO. A 9 to difficult cases the discretion of the District Surveyor should afford sufficient latitude. : No further action was taken by the institute. On behalf of a sub-committee, set up some jtjmc ago to consider the conditions iundcr''.:.which bridge '- construction and 'other'engineering works are carried out by country local authorities, Mr. I'ulton reported that it had waited upon Mr. Holmes (Engineer-iu-Chief to the Public Works ■ Department) and suggested that country engineers should be required to pas=> a proficiency examination. Mr. Holmes accorded the sub-committee a sympathetic reception and promised to consider its suggestion. . Ho had gathered together a considerable amount of information from other countries in regard to engineering requirements. It was resolved that the s.ub-committ'ee bo asked to draft a scheme and submit it to the next meeting it the institute. The activity of the institute in this matter is based upon a consideration that a great deal of road and bridge work in tho country is financed with loan money. In many cases the only person available to supervise the work is tho county engineer. Often this official has no special qualifications—ho may bo a retired chairman from a survey party. The institute considers that positions of this' nature should be held by men who have qualified as civil engineers. The chairman outlined a scheme for notifying local bodies as to the number and names of licensed surveyors in their respective districts, so that it will-.bo known who are members of the institute and who are not. The scheme also aims at gathering in more members and holding meetings in various districts during the winter months.