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1909. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS: SURVEYS. (ANNUAL REPORT ON).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Sueveyoe-Geneeal to the Right Hon. the Ministee of Lands. Sic, — Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, 25th May, 1909. I have the honour to submit herewith the animal report on the survey operations of the Department for the twelve months ended the 31st March, 1909. I have, &c, Thos. Humphries, Surveyor-General. The Eight Hon. Sir Joseph G. Ward, P.C., K.C.M.G., Minister of Lands.

REPORT. The output by the field staff for the year is summarised below, but the complete details for the different districts will be found in the attached tables and reports of the several Chief Surveyors in charge. The total cost of the surveyors and their parties amounted to £71,068, which is about £2,800 in excess of that of the previous year. This is accounted for chiefly by the increased demands for settlement surveys, which necessitated the employment of additional surveyors, both staff and contract; at the close of the year, the former alone numbered seventy-six. The following is a summary of the principal work completed during the past year : —

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Class of Work. Area. Cost per Acre. Total Cost. Minor triangulation Topographical Topographical, for selection as unsurveyed Eural and suburban, by staff Bural and suburban, by licensed surveyors Town Aores. 162,355 75,486 38,052 365,949 8,324 525 l-18d. 3-76d. 407d. 153s. £ a. d, 2,628 2 7 1,182 6-10 646 15 9 28,018 18 1C £23 8 per section 9-71cl. 1,120 0 10 Native Land Court, by staff... Native Land Court, by licensed surveyors Maori Land Board... Gold-mining, by staff Gold-mining, by licensed surveyors ... Eoads and railways Miscellaneous work and other duties ... 37,456 121,439 49,193 248 6,108 226 miles 15-70s. 3 08s. . 1,515 1 g 3,219 8 2 38 5 2 £21 per mile 4,755 4 11 12,879 8 1