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APPENDIX lI.—SURVEYS. EXTRACTS FROM THE REPORTS OF CHIEF SURVEYORS ON THE SURVEY OPERATIONS FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 31st MARCH, 1903.

AUCKLAND. Minor Triangulation and Topographical Surveys. —Under this heading is an area of 230,891 acres, costing l-58d. per acre. This, for the most part, is, more properly speaking, provisional or subsidiary work, executed to enable topographical maps and reports to be prepared and schemes of subdivision drawn up for poster lithos, covering the greater portion of unsurveyed Crown lands in the Auckland District. This work, with the exception of 16,300 acres triangulated in connection with Native Land District Court w-ork in Horohoro and adjoining districts, was the outcome of the pressing demand for Crown land, which had to be ready for disposal by the end of the year. Rural and Suburban. —138,089 acres, consisting of 421 sections, at a cost of l-05s. per acre, is returned this year. This is slightly less than that completed last year, but it must be borne in mind that the energies of the staff had to be devoted to the topographical work mentioned under that heading, while the ordinary settlement surveys were at a standstill. Waari Hamlet is a block near Henderson Railway-station, cut up in suitable sections for workmen's homes. Toum Section Survey. —Three Native townships—Puru, Karewa, and Parawai—make up a total of 510 acres, subdivided into 399 allotments, at a cost of 19s. per allotment. The first two named are extensions of Kawhia Town. The other is situated on the inner side of the south head of entrance to Kawhia Harbour, the outlet to the extensive settlement now progressing in Kawhia County. Native Land Court Surveys. —This year a total of 351,386 acres, in 107 blocks, at a cost of 3-lld. per acre, is returned. In addition, thirty-seven blocks, totalling 29,897 acres, were surveyed, the cost of which was paid for privately, making a grand total of 144 blocks, with an area of 381,283 acres. The major portion of this work lies in the King-country, being the subdivisions ordered by the Native Land Court of the Rangitoto-Tuhua Block. Gold-mining Surveys. —These surveys show a slight increase in area, the number of claims surveyed being thirty-eight, with an area of 1,952 acres, costing 4-13s. per acre; to this should be added eleven claims, of 184 acres (145 acres river-dredging claims), the cost of which is paid privately, which brings up the total to 2,136 acres. Roads. —The staff has surveyed 107-83 miles at an average cost of £13-44 per mile, and have now in hand a total of about 146 miles. Other Work. —This total (£2,112 14s. lid.) comprises various services as follow: Inspections, road exploration and grading, Rangers' reports; timber measurements, traverse Rotoiti and Rotoma Lakes, reports, &c, for Warden, Hauraki Mining District; reports on estates for land for settlements; plans and engineering surveys, Waerenga and Ruakura Experimental Farms, &0. Inspection. —Mr. L Cussen in his report states that "the character of the work performed by staff surveyors is uniformly good, and they showed much energy and aptitude under the heavy pressure of survey-work in connection with the large areas of Crown lands which the Government decided to have opened for settlement." The private surveyors' work inspected in the RangitotoTuhua subdivisions was well performed. Field-work in Progress. —The staff, numbering eight staff and twenty-one temporary surveyors, have in hand nearly 360,000 acres of rural-land surveys, and will continue the subdivision of the large areas of Crown land to be thrown open for settlement principally in the Counties of Kawhia, Mangonui, Whangarei, Hokianga, Rotorua, Opotiki, and Whakatane. The survey of Otorohanga and Te Kuiti Townships for the Maori District Land Council are also in hand. Land Transfer Surveys. —227 plans were examined and approved, consisting of 785 subdivisions of a total area of 46,402 acres. Fifty plans are still in the office, of which the examination is not yet complete. Office-work. —194 sectional and township plans, and 171 plans of roads taken and closed, and thirty-nine Native Land Court plans, with 887 traverse sheets, were received and checked. 419 plans were indorsed on Native Land Court orders, and 2,128 plans on certificates of title, &c. Numerous tracings were prepared and forwarded to Head Office for lithographing, the current work for the year being very heavy. Miscellaneous. —The great demand for Crown land taxed the energies of the field staff to the utmost, and to meet this pressure twelve extra surveyors were temporarily appointed. Six of the permanent staff and eight temporary surveyors are now working double parties, to enable the area under survey to be opened for settlement at an early date. The addition to the field staff involved a greater volume of office-work, which apart from this has been annually increasing, and has been taxing the energies of the office staff to the utmost. Gerhard Mueller. Assistant Surveyor-General. 10-C. 1 App.