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possible under the circumstances. The other minor work consists of a comparatively small area by Mr. L. Cussen, at Karioi, for the purpose of checking contract surveys ; and also of an area in the Mangakahia District, by Mr. J. B. Thomson, for the purpose of check upon subdivision surveys ; whilst 273 square miles were completed by Mr. William Cussen for purpose of check upon Native Land Court subdivision surveys. Rural and Suburban. —There has been a very considerable increase upon last year's output. The total area so returned is 920 sections, for a total area of 148,488 acres, or a mean of 161 acres per section, and with a mean cost of l - 425. per acre. Of this amount, the staff have returned 776 sections, of an area of 110,581 acres, at a mean cost of T3os. per acre ; whilst contract surveyors have completed 144 sections, of a total area of 37,907 acres, at a cost of T76s. per acre. Of course the above return does not include mining contract surveys, which are dealt with in another place. Town Sections. —These are only eighty-two in number, of a total area of 91 acres, and the cost is nearly £1 4s. per acre. It comprises a re-survey by Mr. A. H. Vickerman, of the town of Port Albert; and a few additional town lots at Kohukohu and Broadwood, by Mr. H. M. Warner. Native Lands Court Surveys. —None of this class of work has been done by the staff, but authorised surveyors have completed these surveys for purposes of giving effect to Native Lands Court orders. These comprise fifty-seven blocks, containing a total of 243,009 acres, at a mean cost of about 4Jd. per acre. An additional thirty-seven blocks, containing 46,257 acres, have been surveyed, but no certificates of cost have yet been given. Of the subdivisions and areas brought to credit last year, the following balances have been paid on the Native Land Purchase and other accounts: D. Stubbing, Maraeroa, £144; E. Newmann, Parahirahi, £62 12s. Bd. ; W. Cussen, Okahukura, £423 9s. Bd.; E. Frissell, Kawhia, £298 Bs. Id. Gold-mining Surveys. —There has been an enormous increase in this class of surveys, so much so that the energies of the draughting staff have been severely taxed to keep pace with it; and the strain has been continuous, because the demand by the public for the examination and approval of plans was so urgent that our ordinary office records have fallen heavily in arrear. The total number of plans of mining surveys received has been 1,054, of a total area of 69,683 acres, or an average of a little over 66 acres per section, and surveyed at a mean cost of 5-655. per acre. In order to keep pace with the necessary recording of these class of surveys, mining block sheets, on a scale of 10 chains to the inch, have been got out for the whole of the Hauraki Mining District, and all work is entered upon them after the traverse reductions have been checked. These sheets are now being reduced to a scale of 40 chains to the inch, and will be drawn for photo-litho-graphing to a scale of one mile to an inch, as the most useful scale upon which to show the progress of mining for such an extensive district. I note no diminution of applications. At the present time over thirty authorised surveyors hold authorities for more than 20,000 acres. In order to keep pace with the checking of mining surveys, I have detached a surveyor to examine the work upon the ground, and hope to be able to keep one continually at this class of supervision for manj' months. A start was made with the survey of the Waihi goldfield township; but, owing to the illness of the surveyor, and the multitude of residence sites granted and overlapping the streets in all directions, it was temporarily abandoned ; but I hope to complete Waihi, and lay off before long a township at Waitekauri also. Roads, &c. —Some 260 miles of road have been graded and surveyed during the year, at a cost of under £10 per mile. Of this length, the staff surveyed 246 miles at a cost of £9/52 per mile; whilst the 15 miles done by authorised surveyors cost nearly £13 per mile. Before finishing my remarks on these survey returns, I would point out that the number of sections and areas of all kinds dealt with amount to a total of 2,150 sections, with a total area of 507,528 acres. Other Work. —The total expenditure under this heading is £1,454 11s. Bd. The major portion of which has been incurred by Mr. District Surveyor L. Cussen, as follows: Inspection of Native Land Court and land purchase surveys within Aotea, Eohepotae, £535 14s. 2d., and supervision of Drewera triangulation, £248 os. 10d. The next heaviest item is by Mr. Baber, who charges the incompleted survey of the Waihi goldfield township with £195; and inspection of roads, £22. Owing to the increase of building operations in the Eotorua Township, it was found necessary to lay down standard blocks along all the streets, from which the true street alignment might be maintained. This work, together with the levels of all streets, was well carried out by Mr. J. I. Phillips, and standard maps furnished at a cost of £118 3s. sd. The other items call for no comment, being ordinary expenses incurred for road supervision, &c. Work in Progress. —The work now in progress comprises some 140 miles of minor triangulation, chiefly for the purposes of checking section-survey work of rural and suburban surveys. The staff and contract surveyors have 115,445 acres in hand ; in addition to which mining surveyors hold authorities for 27,000 acres; whilst roads on hand, or to be put in hand, amount to 340 miles. In addition to the rural area on hand there will be some 17,000 acres of the Opuatia purchase to be subdivided almost immediately, and also some 10,000 acres of the Mangakahia purchase. I have shown no Native Land Court surveys on hand, because the details have not as yet officially reached the office, but it will involve the survey of about 200,000 acres, in various subdivisions, to carry out the present judgments as given. Land Transfer Work.— The number of subdivisions and plans passed for Land Transfer purposes is again very small, and shows only 425 subdivisions, for a total area of 44,523 acres. The total number of new plans received in the office numbered 158. Crown Grants, Certificates of Title, <&c. —The total number of marginal plans prepared amount to 1,657, with a total area of 748,207 acres. The total cost is £154 12s. 6d. Office, General. —The office work has increased very heavily during the past year, and the additional correspondence, vouchers, and authorities, are mostly due to the great increase in mining work. Geehaed Muellee, Chief Surveyor,