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Government, and without opposition and heartburning. I am aware that under present rules the Land Transfer Office only registers land as represented in Crown grants : it would, therefore, be necessary in each case first to amend the grant by indorsing on it the correct boundaries of the land as provided in " The Crown Grants Correction Act, 1866." Some system of symmetrizing by equivalent right lines the excessively sinuous and impracticable boundaries often insisted on by Natives in the adjudication of their claims, might also be requisite before a record map could be made the final evidence of property boundary—but this, and many other details, would probably have to be made the subject of legislative enactment— as soon as an energetic department had fairly appreciated the task before it. The work no doubt appears formidable, and the opponents of accurate surveys can easily magnify the difficulties involved, and the cost of surmounting them, but I am satisfied that when fairly grasped they will be found very greatly to diminish; and,however great they maybe, they will be most certain to become greater, and even in an increasing ratio, with every year through which the reform is postponed. I enclose the usual return of the number of maps and their areas received in this office during the past year, and also of the area and cost of the triangulation. I have, &c, Theoph. Heale, The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington. Inspector of Surveys.

Return showing Areas and Cost of Blocks of Land North of Auckland, surveyed under the direction of the Inspector of Surveys during the Year 1874-1875. Return "A." — Surveys under Contract Mileage Rates. Blocks. 4 Area- B v £ Cof d Wairua .. .. .. .. 27*800 0 0 .. .. 228 12 2 Waoku .. .. .. .. 17,650 0 0 .. .. 242 3 0 Tangihua .. .. .. .. 14,500 0 0 .. .. 121 2 2 Purua .. .. . . .. 15,410 0 0 .. . . 154 18 4 Uwhiroa .. .. .. .. 7,219 0 0 .. .. 63 0 9 Puwhata .. .. .. . . 3,352 0 0 .. .. 41 8 4 Takahue, Nos. 1 and 2 .. .. .. 28,527 0 0 .. .. 331 17 0 Tutamoe and Kairara .. .. .. 31,576 0 0 .. .. 220 15 0 Pakanae .. .. .. .. 20,000 0 0 .. .. 240 0 0 Kauae Ruru Wahine .. .. .. 9,800 0 0 .. .. 180 0 0 Mangataraire .. .. .. .. 2,944 0 0 .. .. 62 9 6 Ponewhenua .. .. .. .. 73 0 0 .. .. 11 17 10 Tokawhero .. .. .. . 2,727 0 0 .. .. 53 17 10 Maunganui .. .. .. .. 40,000 0 0^\ Waipoua .. .. . . .. 41,421 0 0 1 500 0 0 Native Reserves .. .. .. 11,913 0 0[ " Waimamaku .. .. .. .. 18,000 0 Oj 292,912 0 0 ' .. . .. £2,452 2 1 Or a little over 2d. per acre. Return "B." — Contract Acreage Rates. -p, , Area. Cost. Bloek3- a. B. p. £ s. d. Taungako .. .. .. .. 2,115 0 0 .. .. 52 17 6 Awarua .. .. .. .. 3,100 0 0 .. .. 77 10 0 Waihoanga .. .. .. .. 1,380 0 0 .. .. 34 10 0 Opouteke .. .. .. .. 43,622 0 0 .. .. 545 5 6 Tukuwhenua .. .. .. .. 2,680 0 0 .. .. 34 10 0 Omahuta .. .. .. .. 8,532 0 0 .. .. 142 4 0 61,429 0 0 .. £886 17 0 Or 3jd. per acre. Return "C." — By Surveyors on Daily Salary. ■n, , Area. Cost. Bl0CkS- A. B. P. £ >. d. Pukewharariki Rakauwahi .. .. .. I 6,080 0 0 .. .. 132 0 0 Oikura Unuhia .. .. .. .. 4,395 0 0 .. .. 95 5 9

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