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APPENDIX No. 2.—SUEVBYS.

EXTBACTS EEOM EEPOETS OP CHIEF SUEVEYOES ON THE SUBVEY OPEEATIONS FOE THE TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 31st MAEOH, 1898.

AUCKLAND. Major Triangulation. —The work under this heading consists of 512,000 acres, at a cost of 0-22 d. per acre, and extending over the whole of the Hauraki Peninsula, from Cape Colville to Te Aroha, which was covered by a series of triangles of about twelve-mile sides by Mr. L. Cussen, assisted by Mr. Spencer, and computed on the polygonal system, with the latitude and longitude of all stations deduced. This work was found absolutely necessary in order to connect the various minor triangulations scattered over the whole peninsula. Three hundred thousand acres of this old minor work was so reduced and revised where it was found to be necessary. I forward a diagram of this work drawn for photo-lithography. Minor Triangulation. —The area under this heading is 551,000 acres, and includes 300,000 acres revised by Mr. L. Cussen, 125,000 acres by Mr. H. D. M. Haszard (in conjunction with the major work), and 77,000 acres by Mr. A. H. Vickerman, at Karioi, to enable him to check the extensive revision surveys of old work which he had to undertake. Some 24,000 acres were done by Mr. Galbraith, in connection with the subdivision of the western portion of the Opuatia Block ; it was densely wooded, and difficult of access. Twenty-five thousand acres were also surveyed by Mr. Spencer at Cape Colville, to check his road surveys. The mean cost of this class of work has been 0-36 d. per acre. Topographical Survey. —Some 12,960 acres were surveyed by Mr. H. D. M. Haszard, partly by boundary surveys and partly by triangulation, at a cost of 3'35d. per acre. This was done for the purpose of ascertaining what areas of the timber leases held by the Kauri Timber Company were denuded of kauri forest, and could be resumed for mining purposes, and it had to be sufficiently accurate to enable it to form the basis of transfers to the Crown of the timberless areas. Rural and Suburban. —There has been a very large increase in the area returned as completed compared with last year, the staff alone having surveyed 457 sections, with a total area of 84,842 acres, or an average of 194 acres for each section; authorised surveyors under contract have contributed 28,987 acres, subdivided into 173 sections, the total output being 630 sections, with a grand total area of 113,829 acres. The mean cost per acre for the whole area was Is. -58 per acre. The work done by the staff was completed at a mean cost per acre of Is. '53, and the contract surveys at a mean cost of Is. '73, per acre, the whole being less than last year's cost, whilst the work has nearly all been in very heavy, broken, forest country. There is no special feature calling for further remark, except that the contract work has been distributed amongst nineteen authorised surveyors. Town Section Survey. —Very little of this class of work has been done, and, of the total area of 186 acres returned as done by the staff, some 127 acres, in 200 lots, has been surveyed by Mr. Haszard as mining township and business sites, and the balance of 59 acres, in 150 lots, has been surveyed by Messrs. Spencer and Seaton, the former being gold-mining township lots resurveyed, and the latter having surveyed the new Township of Eaupo, on the northern Wairoa Eiver. The mean cost per lot is 10-68s. Native Land Court Survey. —Practically the whole of this work has been done by authorised surveyors, the cost being either advanced by the Government or secured by charging-orders granted by the Native Land Court. The total area surveyed, either as new surveys or for the carrying-out of subdivision orders of the Court, amounts to 162,691 acres, apportioned among 119 blocks, at a mean cost of a little over 6d. per acre. The whole of this area was also distributed amongst nineteen authorised surveyors. The largest contract was that of Mr. Mitchell, being a subdivision of Wheretoto into thirteen blocks, of a total area of 54,326 acres. Gold-mining Survey. —The almost total collapse of the mining boom has caused a wonderfully altered condition of things in the mining areas surveyed for the several Wardens' Courts, the total area surveyed by contract surveyors being only 14,214 acres, distributed amongst two hundred separate mining areas, the mean cost being 4s. -11 per acre. The cessation of this class of work has enabled the mining records to be brought up to date, whilst the several local offices of the Warden have been supplied with copies of the Survey district blocks, showing all the mining claims so far recorded. Boads and Railways. —The mileage of roads graded and surveyed shows a large increase over last year's return, the total being 254 miles, at a mean cost of £11-66 per mile. Of this distance the staff have completed 241 miles, at a mean cost of £11-44 per mile, and contract surveyors have surveyed thirteen miles at a mean cost of £15-84 per mile. Of the total returned in the above, seventy-two miles are engineering surveys, done under Mr. Wright's direction, and these cost £7 per mile. Other Work. —The total of £1,390 returned under the head of " Other work " comprises a sum of £151 by Mr. Baber for traverse of pipe-track for Eotorua water-supply, taking levels for Mr. Hay re the drainage scheme, &c.; £40 is cost of running out afresh old boundaries of museum endow-