The Globe. MONDAY, APRIL 19, 1875.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 266, 19 April 1875, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, APRIL 19, 1875.

Major Palmer’s report upon the state of the surveys of the colony is not complimentary to those gentlemen who have been employed as surveyors by the different Provincial Governments of New Zealand. According to the Major’s report, carelessness and inaccuracy seem to have been the rule in the different survey offices; and error and confusion have never been thoroughly eradicated. Cheering news this for land buyers. Everyone who wants to purchase Crown lands now will be in a state of doubt and uncertainty as to whether the survey office of the province in which he is residing, is to be trusted as to accuracy or not. It is evident, too, that the past misdoings of the different offices must inevitably lead to an enormous amount of litigation in the future. It has been known for some time how very inaccurate some of the earlier surveys in Canterbury were, and cases are beginning to crop up which have to be settled in a court of law, to the enriching of the lawyers, but to the disgust of purchasers or vendors of land in this province. Otago seems to be the only province in which a really good system of surveys has prevailed. If, however, a good system can be carried out in one province, there is no reason why it should not be applied to the whole of the colony, and it is not too much to expect that this should be the case, and that we should copy from Otago any good points in the working of the survey department. Major Palmer recommends the establishment of a centre office at Wellington, under the charge of a SurveyorGeneral, who would have the duty of organising and superintending all details. This is all very well in its way, and the establishment of the office pointed out by Major Palmer would, we suppose, take place shortly after the abolition of the provinces, but we doubt very much if the two great Southern provinces will, if they can possibly help it, agree to the introduction of a system that would remove the supervision of the Crown lands that are for sale away to the North Island. Major Palmer’s report shows that one of the most important departments in a young colony has been badly managed, and that this bad management will lead to future serious complications is inevitable. Eeforra in the survey department is urgently needed, and must be carried out as soon as possible. Whether Major Palmer’s suggestions are the best that could be made we do not care to argue, but we are quite certain that the representatives of Canterbury and Otago will not vote for any system by which the absolute control of the surveys is taken away from the offices at Christchurch and Dunedin, and placed in the hands of an official at Wellington,