C—lα,

12

Other Work. —This includes several blocks of large areas which arc in progress, the chief of which are the Piripiri Block (near Dannevirke), upon which Air. Brook is engaged; the subdivision ol Pastoral Run No. 17, in tlie Ngatapa district, in ihe hainl of Air. J. Roddick; the Waipuka, Okaihau, and Waimarama lands, upon which Mi , . .). G. Wilson is engaged; the Mohaka Native blocks, under survey by' Air. T. W. Hughes; and the \\ aipaoa, Block, in Air. E. 11. Sarnie's haiids. The gross area of these several blocks amounts to some 100,000 acres. There are also miscellaneous items such as sketch surveys for Te Rawhiti Maori I.and Board, comprising some -. .~j<>li acres, auo alioul 1,500 acres of private lands, of which sketch surveys and special reports were required by the Department, and several qther minor surveys. Inspection*. Mr. Brook (District Surveyor, Napier) carried out 4of these during the year, •'i of which wore Land Transfer surveys at Waipukurau and Hastings respectively, and a rural survey in the Alatapiro District; while .\lr. lirodrick (District Surveyor at Gisbornej made < s others, the results of which have been sent forward, with the exception of those that are not quite complete as regards reports, but will be forwarded ai an early date. This important class of work is greatlj retarded owing to the services of the inspecting officers being so fully occupied upon llfgenj surveys, thereby affording very rare opportunities for such work. Propotfd opt rut tun* fur 1908—9. — In the llawke s Hay portion of the district the following surveys are in progress: The subdivision of the Piripiri Block for settlement, by Air. Brook, and i lie surveys of the Crown awards am! Native Land Court partitions of the Waipuka, Okaihau, ami Waiiiiarama Blocks, upon which Messrs. Wilson, Walslie, am! Cagnev are engaged, while Mr. Hughes is carrying out tin- eubdivieional survey of Mohaka Blocks I and 2, comprising some 24,500 Hires in the Poverty Bay portion; Air. Varnie has the Waipaoa Block, of 11,623 acres, nearh finished; and Mr. Roddick is pushing on the survey of the subdivision of Pastoral Run No. 17, containing 1!),(i49 acres.. The survey of the Tapuwaeroa Block of Crown lands, containing 2, '■'>')! acres, lias been placed m the bands of Mr. (I l!\an (private surveyor) under special engagement There is also liie SubdivisionaJ survey of the country now held under the smallgra/ing run teiiuies, but which, on the expiration of the existing leases, is to be cut up for disposal under I , art 111 of " The Land Act, 1893." Several of tliese will need survey during the ensuing ien months, while about a dozen others will have to be similarly dealt with during 1910. In view of this, ami considering the urgency of the work, the services of two smart young surveyors are required before next spring, when these blocks should be surveyed in order to complete them by the time the leases fall in, and it is hoped thai provision will he made to lill the vacancies existing through the resignation of Messrs. Wall and Davis. Ojfiee-worlt. The following report has been handed in by Air. 11. G. Price, Chief Draughtsman: During the pear "nr* plans have been examined and approved, representing an area of 819,966 acres; these divided into their several classes give the following figures: Land Transfer, 806 plans, representing 986 allotments, with an area of 140,844 acres; Public Works, 9i) plans, with an area of acres; Native Land Court, 13 plans, with an area of 133,917 acres; and departmental plans numbered 34, with an area of 43,852 acres. In addition to the foregoing, ."ilti instruments of transfer, lease, mortgage, ivc, have been examined and reported upon; 297 tracings were prepared for settlers, surveyors, local bodies, to. The year's work shows a sub stantial increase in all brandies, and as the work of keeping up block sheets and record-maps is falling behind, owing to the man} c:dlx upon the | taff, the service's of two additional draughtsman, for the Napier and Gisborne offices respectively, arc greatly needed. These maps should lie always posted up to date, otherwise much time is lost in searching for information which would be available at all times were this the ease, anil it would fully engage the time of a special draughtsman to attain the desired end. To this I would add the following remarks: The alt tions ami additions to the strong-room and offioes at Gisborne, which were sanctioned in the early part of the year, have lit en satisfactorily (tarried out, and, with the new system of map-drawers, pigeon-holes, &.0., have effected a great improvement in every way, and much labour in searching for plans and documents is now saved. There has been an extra iron door fitted to the strongroom, which neeessai ih adds to its tire-resisting condition. The draught ing-tables have been renovated: pigeon-holes for letter-files, and alterations to counters in the public room and Receiver's office have also very materially improved the conveniences and appearance of the offices generally. The local land officer has had the county litho maps coloured to show Land-tenure*., &c, and tliese are now hung on spring rollers, so that the general public may have' access to them, and are found to supply a long-felt want. M/.<{■>//a/irons. —During the year there have again been several changes in the staff. Messrs. W. C. Wall and G. H. Davis, both of whom had but recently joined the ranks of assistant surveyors, resigned from the service in order to take up private practice, and their loss is to be much regretted as they were both excellent offioers. Air. H. E. Walslie has been appointed to succeed the former, and a successor to the latter is much needed. It is with sincere regret that I have to report that, after a most protracted illness, extending over main months, our respected Chief Draughtsman (Mr. James Hay) was advised to relinquish work, and his resignation was accepted in January. It is understood that his place will be filled by Mr. 11. G. Pi ice early in April, and. having been deprived of Mr. Say's valuable help for some ten months, this gentleman's arrival will relieve several of the offioers of extra duties they have necessarily had to fulfil in the interim. Mr. D. Nelson, draughting cadel in the Gisborne office, was transferred to the field staff in the Auckland District : and Mr. D. M. Ifeates removed from Napier to take up his duties; while Aliss M. Cooper was transferred from the Mead Ollice to fill Mr. ifeates's place as shorthand clerk and ivpiste. Mr. W. T. Neill, who was temporarily i id from the Dunedin office as Office * puter at Gisborne, returned to take up his former position at Dunedin. at Christmas. Air. W. G. Harding, lately attached to the New Plymouth staff, exchanged positions with Air. T. V. McKa_\ in December last, while Mr. W. J. Brooke joined the Napier office as clerical cadet in September.