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Proposed Operations for 1907-8.—A staff of three permanent and five temporary surveyors are at present engaged in different parts of the district on field-work, covering an area of 101,812 acres, more or less, of subdivisional work in Totoro, Ohura, Waro, Tainui, Mokau, Piopio West, and Mahoe Survey Districts; also the survey of 365 miles of road to be taken under warrant through Native lauds, road deviations, and other miscellaneous work. The completion of the standard survey of Hawera Town, and, if arrangements can be made with the Council, a portion of the Borough of Eltham, may also receive attention. Frans. Simpson, Chief Surveyor;

WELLINGTON, The gross area surveyed during the year under the various headings is approximately 88,794 acres, besides 34 miles of the North Island Main Trunk Railway and roads in the North Waiinarino Block, plans of which are completed. The particulars are as follows: — Rural and Suburban. —The principal surveys of this class have been the completion of the northern portion of the Waimarino Block, situated in the Hunua and Kaitieke Districts, by Messrs. Lowe, Strachan, and Roberts; the continuation of the subdivision of the Kaitieke Block in the Kaitieke Survey District, by Mr. Thompson, for ordinary Crown lands settlement; also of the Dyer Settlement, in the Huangarua, Wairarapa, Waipawa, and Hauraugi Districts, by Messrs. McKay, Strachan, and Girdlestone, for occupation under the Land for Settlements Act. Mr. Carkeek completed the subdivision of the Ohutu Block for the Aotea District Maori Land Board. Mr. Girdlestone completed the subdivisionai survey of part of the Tauakira Block, situated in the Tauakira and Ngamatea Survey Districts, and explored for roads. Native Land Coiirt. —ln addition to the 11,640 acres in the Tauakira Block, as shown in Table 1, the Government is also interested in the survey of 2,035 acres of Native land—viz., Mangatainoka J4f and Rangitatau Blocks—on which Government surveyors, Messrs. Mountfort and Strachan, surveyed certain boundaries (returned under headings of " Other Work," on Table 1). Liens have been taken out over the greater portions of these blocks in the Native Land Court, and in addition 51 Native blocks, comprising 147 subdivisions, containing 20,361 acres, were surveyed by private surveyors for the Natives direct, so that the total surveyed by staff and licensed surveyors is 34,036 acres. Standard Surveys. —The Inspecting Surveyor, Mr. Climie, completed the extension and revision of the former standard survey of the City of Wellington at a cost to the Government of £812 3s. 2d. Office-work. Examination of Plans. —During the year 152 plans of sectional and Native surveys, containing 121,678 acres, were received, and 135 approved; 65 statutory plans were received, 157 approved and recorded, and 74 others were examined, and 43 sent for proclamation. Compilations. —Thirty-one drawings and tracings were prepared for photo-lithography, 3 new Crown grant maps compiled, and one 40-chain trig. map. Roads and Railways. —The staff having been principally employed on settlement surveys, only necessary deviations and side pegging of roads have been attended to, and in addition 18 - 5 miles of the North Island Main Trunk Railway was surveyed, at a cost of £325 10s. 7d., or £17 12s. per mile. Other Work. —Under this heading many and various duties are included distinct from the actual cost of subdivisional surveys, comprising as it does small surveys for scenic purposes and other departments, repairing and replacing of trig, stations and displaced standard blocks, redefining old boundaries, timber estimates, road deviations, &c, the character of which cannot be tabulated in the ordinary schedule of work returned. The usual repairs to trig, stations have been effected by Mr. Lowe, at a cost of £42 13s. 2d. Inspection of Surveys. —Mr. Inspector Climie inspected 18 surveys during the year, including 15 for the Land Transfer Department, at a cost of £195 lls. 7d. ; and Mr. Mountfort completed 7 inspections, at a cost of £135 14s. 7d. The Surveyors' work maintains a uniform standard of excellence, regardless of the difficulties obtaining in the rough and remote blocks in which most of the surveys are now carried on. Land Transfer Office (Survey Branch). —There were 340 plans passed, which does not include 50 single and 3,012 in duplicate plans indorsed on transfers, &c, all of which have to be examined ; 33 Land Transfer plans and tracings have been mounted and repaired. Titles. —There were 3,150 deeds and other instruments passed, showing an increase of 55 over last year; 50 single and 3,012 plans in duplicate were placed on certificates of title, being an increase of 52 over last year ; 20 miscellaneous plans were drawn or compiled. Miscellaneous. —The usual demands were attended to by the office staff. These comprised supplying information to the public generally, data for the execution of surveys by staff surveyors and others, 53 tracings, 78 general plans, 38 sale-plans, 240 lithos, 276 applications, and 12 plans were remounted and repaired, and a multitude of other duties performed. Proposed Operations. —A staff of seven permanent and three temporary surveyors is at present engaged in different parts of the district, and has an area of some 83,300 acres of subdivisional surveys in hand, consisting chiefly of bush land suitable for pastoral purposes in large areas. About 14,000 acres of selection surveys in the Kaitieke Block will be completed during the next season. Mr. Strachan has the survey of the surplus land around the margin of the Wairarapa

Office-work. Examination of Plans. —During the year 152 plans of sectional and Native surveys, containing 121,678 acres, were received, and 135 approved; 65 statutory plans were received, 157 approved and recorded, and 74 others were examined, and 43 sent for proclamation. Compilations. —Thirty-one drawings and tracings were prepared for photo-lithography, 3 new Crown grant maps compiled, and one 40-chain trig. map. Roads and Railways. —The staff having been principally employed on settlement surveys, only necessary deviations and side pegging of roads have been attended to, and in addition 18'5 miles of the North Island Main Trunk Railway was surveyed, at a cost of £325 10s. 7d., or £17 12s. per mile. Other Work. —Under this heading many and various duties are included distinct from the actual cost of subdivisional surveys, comprising as it does small surveys for scenic purposes and other departments, repairing and replacing of trig, stations and displaced standard blocks, redefining old boundaries, timber estimates, road deviations, &c, the character of which cannot be tabulated in the ordinary schedule of work returned. The usual repairs to trig, stations have been effected by Mr. Lowe, at a cost of £42 I3s. 2d. Inspection of Surveys. —Mr. Inspector Climie inspected 18 surveys during the year, including 15 for the Land Transfer Department, at a cost of £195 lis. 7d.. and Mr. Mountfort completed 7 inspections, at a cost of £135 14s. 7d. The Surveyors' work maintains a uniform standard of excellence, regardless of the difficulties obtaining in the rough and remote blocks in which most of the surveys are now carried on. Land Transfer Office (Survey Branch). —There were 340 plans passed, which does not include 50 single and 3,012 in duplicate plans indorsed on transfers, &c, all of which have to be examined ; 33 Land Transfer plans and tracings have been mounted and repaired. Title*. —There were 3,150 deeds and other instruments passed, showing an increase of 55 over last year; 50 single and 3,012 plans in duplicate were placed on certificates of title, being an increase of 52 over last year; 20 miscellaneous plans were drawn or compiled. Miscellaneous. —The usual demands were attended to by the office staff. These comprised supplying information to the public generally, data for the execution of surveys by staff surveyors and others, 53 tracings, 78 general plans, 38 sale-plans, 240 lithos, 276 applications, and 12 plans were remounted and repaired, and a multitude of other duties performed. Proposed Operations. —A staff of seven permanent and three temporary surveyors is at present engaged in different parts of the district, and has an area of some 83,30*0 acres of subdivisional surveys in hand, consisting chiefly of bush land suitable for pastoral purposes in large areas. About 14,000 acres of selection surveys in the Kaitieke Block will be completed during the next season. Mr. Strachan has the survey of the surplus land around the margin of the Wairarapa