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Other Work. —The expenditure under this head represents the following: Report by Mr. Mathias on the triangulation, sketch and report and attendance at Court in the matter of the ejectment of undesirable Chinese at Round Hill, and the cost of the uncompleted work of Messrs. Hodgkinson and Otway in Waiau and Waitutu districts respectively. Proposed Operations for 1903-4. —Messrs. Mathias and Hodgkinson will continue their surveys of Blocks XIII. and XIV., Waiau district. These surveys are being executed on provisional methods, so as to enable the land to be placed in the market at the earliest possible date, the pegging and actual survey of the sections being left until afterwards. Mr. Otway will complete the mapping in connection with his landless Natives' survey of 31,000 acres in Waitutu district; but as this work may not be considered so important as the actual settlement surveys, I will possibly put Mr. Otway to take up and complete Mr. Hodgkinson's work, as I am sorry to say it has been found necessary owing to ill health to grant him leave of absence. When the present settlement surveys which are in hand are completed, I have a number of small isolated surveys which will be acted on ; and when the fine weather sets in it is my intention to detail one of the staff surveyors to take levels over Seaward Moss in Campbelltown Hundred, covering an area of about 14,000 acres, and have it thoroughly examined and reported on, to see whether or not the block is suitable for settlement, and whether it is possible to drain the land if other conditions are favourable. Then I might also have two blocks in Stewart Island explored and minutely examined. These proposals, I anticipate, will keep my staff fully employed. Office-work. —During the year fifty-three plans have been received from surveyors, embracing an area of 11,704 acres, and with one exception have been examined and passed. Lithographic drawings were made of the Borough of Gore, and Te Anau, Wyndham, Mararoa, and Manapouri Survey Districts. As a result of the extension of the triangulation westwards, a good deal of topographical information was obtained, and I therefore had a litho. drawing made of Alton, Rowallan, Waitutu, Hakapoua, and Preservation districts. This information has been published on a scale of two miles to the inch, and should be useful for tourist and other purposes. A standard (mile to the inch) drawing has been made of Preservation district. In consequence of certain additions to the Borough of Invercargill a new map has been published, also a lithograph map of the Borough of Gore, both of which appear to be much appreciated. Three new Crowngrant record-maps (two rural and one town) were constructed, and a large number of additions made to existing ones. A new wall-map of the south-eastern portion of the district was completed, and also three new application-maps. Sixty-five lithographic tracings for sale-maps and 115 other tracings were made, besides 102 tracings of Land Transfer deposited plans for the Valuer-General. The number of maps mounted was 173. For some time past we have been without the services of two of the draughtsmen, Mr. Treseder having been transferred to the Roads Department in October last, and Mr. Devereil having been attached to the Tourist Department since Ist January. This latter transfer is, however, only a temporary one. As mentioned in my report of last year, I have had the preparation of Land Transfer recordmaps in view, but have not yet been able to make a start on this most important work, on account of pressure of other work. However, I intend to put them in hand shortly, as I find that the services of the draughtsman usually employed on lithographic work will be available. lam pleased to say that, with the exception of a few of the more remote survey districts, all have been lithographed on the mile-to-an-inch scale, the lithographs being most useful and much appreciated by the public. As Mr. Devereil will shortly be available, I intend to utilise his services as much as possible in preparing and bringing up to date as many record-maps showing all tenures as circumstances will permit. This is an important matter, and, I am sorry to say, owing to pressure of other work and shortage of draughtsmen, I have not been able to accomplish as much during this year as I had anticipated. I am pleased to again place on record my thanks to all officers under my control for the willing and ready assistance accorded me throughout the past year. John Hay, Chief Surveyor.