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Accounts. —The Accountant reports that the number of vouchers passed through the books during the year amounted to 2,087, representing an expenditure of £45,682 17s. 2d. On his Imprest Account, 1,262 vouchers requiring payment were made by 1,811 cheques, totalling £16,225 9s. 10d., and the amount imprested by the Paymaster-General was £17,300. In his official account 892 cheques were issued, for the sum-of £15,339 2s. sd. The average number of men on survey parties requiring pay men! was ninety-six per month, and on timber parties nine. Transfers. —I was transferred on the Ist July—and assumed my duties as Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor from Chnstehiiich to this office. Mr. St rauchon being promoted to Welling ton as Surveyor-General. One District Surveyor was promoted to Christchurch as Chief Draughts man ; 2 staff surveyors and 1 draughtsman were retired on pensions, and the services of a temporary surveyor were dispensed with; 3 surveyors and one draughtsman were transferred from the" Public Works Department, and 2 draughtsmen from the Geological Department ; and 1 draughtsman was transferred from the Napier District Office. Conclusion. —My cordial thanks are due to the various officers, field and office staff, who have so willingly and assiduously carried out their several duties. Eric (7 Gold Smith, Chief Surveyor,

HAWKE'S LAV. Minor Triangulation. —No work of this nature has been executed dining the year. If is. however. most desirable that a check over the existing triangulation in tin- Poverty Lay portion of this district should be established, either by measuring a long base on the Poverty Lav Hat and extending a series of major triangles from it to Hicks Bay, near the East Cape, or by measuring lour shorter ones al Poverty Lay. Tolago. Waiapu, and Te Araroa. The original base was measured on the Poverty Bay flat, and the unit of length so obtained was carried through a series of minor triangles right up to the East Cape without any check measurement. It is supposed that some imperfect observations were made about the middle of the work, and hence the necessity for a check of some kind. So long as ! his uncertainty prevails it is difficult to exercise an efficient check over settlement surveys, and for that reason I should like to see the work undertaken at an early date. Standard Surveys. —Nothing done during the year. Owing to the incomplete state of the Standard Survey of Gisborne much time is spenl by the Department in checking town surveys, besides which private surveyors and their clients are put to unfair expense whenever measurements require to be made. Some years ago Mr. Stephenson Smith began this work, but was obliged to leave it incomplete. The result is that surveyors can never ascertain what are the correct offsets from the standard lines to the sides of the streets without doing an unusual amount of work on both sides of the section they are employed to survey. I beg to recommend for your consideration that this work should be com pleted, first by measuring offsets from Mr. Smith's lines to all the buildings and other landmarks, and then, after their correct positions have been thus determined, by putting in permanent stones or corner blocks in the most convenient positions at a uniform distance from the sides of the streets. If the Inspecting Surveyor was authorized to continue the Standard Survey I have no doubt he would be able to do some of the offsetting from Mr. Smith's lines at times when he is not occupied with his ordinary departmental duties. The 5-ehain standard authorized to be laid down at Gisborne has not yet been completed, owing to the time occupied in getting suitable blocks. These are now in hand, and it is proposed to finish it at an early date. A similar standard is required in Napier. Rural and Suburban. —The plans of 41,116 acres, comprising I i(i sections, have been completed, and that area is consequently returned under this heading at an average cost of I-68s. per acre. This includes 4,557 acres by Mr. T. Brook, 21.919 acres by Mr. Farnie, 5,238 acres by Mr. Roddick, and 9,402 by Mr. Cagney. In addition to these Messrs. Brook and Cagney have completed the field-work of the Clydebank Estate, 9.710 acres ; Mr. Walshe, Tongoio Estate. 8,540 acres ; and Mr. Ward. 8,400 acres, part of the Ruahine Forest Reserve, resumed for settlement, and other small areas, but which are not able to be returned under this heading. Native Land Surveys. —26,545 acres, comprising 80 sections, have been completed and the plans received. This includes the subdivision of the Mohaka Block by Mr. Hughes. 24,379 acres ; and 2.l(i(i acres, part of the Mangapoike Block, by Mr. Cagney. for the Tairawhiti Maori Land Board. Mr. Brookhas also nearly completed the subdivisional survey of the Paeroa No. 2 Block, and Mr. Hughes of the Hinewhaki and Ngainotu Blocks lor the same Maori Board. Other W'nrl:. This includes the Land Officer's proportion of the cost of administering the Gisborne Office, Mr. A. G. Smith's road party for three months in the Tahora Block, and the cost of all the miscellaneous inspections and surveys that could not well be returned under any other heading. During the three months he was employed Mr. Smith explored the Tahora Block of 18.(XX) acres, and located the best routes for about twenty miles of road to open it up. Unfortunately, at the end of that time ill health compelled him to retire from the service, and I had no one available to take his place, so the work had to be postponed until next summer. Inspections. —During the current year the whole staff has been so much occupied with urgent settlement surveys that little has been done in this very necessary branch of departmental work. Mr. Billiard has made seven inspections, and reports the work he examined as fairly satisfactory, also that all requisitions for amendment were willingly complied with. I note with satisfaction thai your own Inspectors will visit the district from time to lime and test the work of the different surveyors. I have already supplied Mr. Inspector Climie with particulars of three surveys here, and when Mr. Brook is at liberty 1 proposed to let him make some other inspections also.