LAND SURVEYS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1852, 11 September 1913, Page 5

LAND SURVEYS.

BIG FIGURES FOR THE YEAR. NO MORE DELAYS. When the annual report of Government Survey operations was tabled in tlie llouso of Representatives yesterday by the Prime Minister, Mr. Massey took the opportunity as Minister for Lands to draw attention to several references in it to the survey of lands. He also read a telegram from the Commissioner ol Crown Lands at Auckland giving tho assurance that. the survey of Crown lands that was being engaged in was not retarding the surveys of Native lands. "From these papers," said Mr. Massey, "it will bo seen that surveying is proceeding very satisfactorily and quite as expeditiously as, or perhaps even more so, than at any previous timo in tho history of tho Dominion." Ho read tho following extracts from tile report:— "The work for the year has been a very favourable one indeed, and, taken as a wholo,- the area surveyed shows an excess over that of the previous year. "The total cost of tho surveyors and their parties amounted to £113,661, which is £24,131 in excess of that or the previous year. This is easily accounted for in tho first placo by tho greater outfit consequent on the employment of additional surveyors, along with the difficulty in obtaining suitablo hands for field parties, to m<!et the still great demand for settlement lands. ,

"The work coming under this head (settlement, surveys) has during the year been pushed on with special vigour, and reaehos a total area of completed surveys of 430,651 acres. These are comprised under tlio different heads as follow: —Rural, 409,915 acres; village and suburban, 2678 acres; Maori Land Board subdivisions, 17,726 acres; town allotments, 332 acres. "Tlio area of Native land surveyed during the year reached a total of 671,343 acres, in 2755 subdivisions, which is a record for more than 20 years past. This total is made up of 653,617 acres in 2714 subdivisions of Native Land Court surveys, and 17,726 acres in 41 subdivisions, of Maori Laud Board Surveys." Mr. Massey read also a telegram to hand from Mr. Sheet, Chief Surveyor at Auckland, in reply to a question addressed to him. This telegram was to the following effect:—'.'lncreased activity survey Crown lands has not retarded Native land surveys. Every block requisitioned by Court or board lias immediately been put in hand, except in tlio case of Kaikou 2 and 3, where subdivisions are impracticable. Now trying arrange with Judge for repartition. Owing to suspension of courts through epidemic, have no further work to give out until further requisitions are received. Can place any Native survey wanted."

Mr. W. A. Yeitch (Wanganui) said that he was surprised to hear the statements read by the Prime Minister. He had heard serious complaints about the Survey Department. In the Putiki district, near Wanganui, surveying was so far behind-hand that it was impossible to properly locate sections. Complaints had also come to him from settlers on Crown land in the Wanganui district about the difficulty of getting their sections properly surveyed. The Prime Minister said that lie was not at all satisfied that the trouble at Putiki was tlio fault of the Survey Department, but he would have the mattor looked into and see what could bo done.