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TARANAKI. Surveys. — The gross area eurveyed during the year under the various headings by staff and contract surveyors totals 57.666 acivs. and 17-04 miles of roads. Triangulation.- An urea of 30,150 acres has been completed, and the preparation lor measurement of a ten-mile base in the Ngaire-Waimate Survey Districts has been carried out by Mr. T. G. Sole. Rural. —A total of 8,839 acres under this head has been completed, in H> seel ions, all of which is situated in rough forest country. Town Section Survey. —An area of 3 acres, comprising 12 lots, in the Tangitu Township was surveyed, and 20 acres in the Huirangi and Mataitawa Townships were repegged. Maori Land Board Subdivisions. —Three contract surveyors were employed upon the subdivision of Native lands brought under the jurisdiction of the Maori Land Board, resulting in a return of 18.306 acres in 42 sections. All these lands are situated in the Counties of Ohura and Waitomo. Native Land Court Survey. —One small survey of 348 acres was completed by Mr. District Surveyor Wilson, and thirty-one authorities were issued during the year under the Native Land Act, 1909, to private authorized surveyors, for survey of Native land, covering 76 subdivisions, of a gross area of 56,502 acres, ;<.t an estimated cost of £4,811. Of these, 7 authorities, covering 19 subdivisions, of a total area of 7.525 acres, have been completed and plans deposited. Of authorities issued prior to Ist April, 1910, under the Native Land Court Act, 1894, eight plans, covering an area of 10,933 acres, in 10 blocks, have been received and approved during the year. Roads, <&c. —ln this class, 17-04 miles were completed, at a cost of £375 14s. 6d., or £22-05 per mile. Inspections. —The usual inspections have been carried out over survey-work in progress, and a special inspection was made over Messrs. Wilson. Richmond, and Grigor's surveys by Mr. J. D. Climie. Inspector of Surveys. Other Work. —The expenditure under this head amounts to £190 95., made up of cost of inspections over road, contract, and Land Transfer surveys, inspections and reporting re subdivision of Wanganui River Trust land, and general miscellaneous field-work. Office-work : Examination of Plans. —The total number of plans checked under all heads in the ordinary Survey Branch was 127, with 312 traverse sheets : these covered 361 sections, of a total area of 99,574 acres, and 35 miles 32 chains of roads taken or closed. Settlement surveys of Crown lands were represented by 15 plans, containing 99 subdivisions, of a total area of 24,437 acres. Subdivisional surveys under contract for Maori Land Board, 6 plans, with 32 subdivisions, totalling 12,105 acres ; 2 trigonometrical plans, covering 30,150 acres ; 36 plans denning 35 miles 32 chains of roads taken and closed ; 40 Native Land Court plans, of 27,424 acres, in 35 subdivisions ; 10 miscellaneous plans, of 22 subdivisions, containing 422 acres ; 12 office compilations, of 4,664 acres, and 109 sections ; and 5 township plans, of 24 acres, in 63 sections. Land Transfer. —116 plans, with 164 traverse sheets, were checked and approved, covering 391 sections and subdivisions, of an area of 9,347 acres. Titles. —The plans placed on instruments of title of all kinds were 1,683, and 299 copies of leases and licenses were prepared. Compilations. —For photo-lithography, 13 drawings and tracings were prepared, and 16 new blocksheets were compiled. Miscellaneous. —The usual demands made on the office staff were attended to, comprising the supplying of information to the general public, data to the staff for execution of surveys, information for local bodies and for other Departments, &c. For the Valuer-General 120 tracings were prepared, and 73 for selectors. All recording on block-sheets, record, reserve, index, and other maps has been kept up to date. There were 31 applications for authority to survey Native blocks received and dealt with during the year. Proposed Operations for 1911-12. —A staff of three permanent surveyors, with cadet, and two temporary surveyors and one licensed assistant are at present engaged upon settlement work along the eastern and north-eastern boundaries of the district. The total area covered by these operations amounts to 104,050 acres, comprising 94,550 acres of new work in Mapara, Ohura, Rangi, Mahoe. Taurakawa, Omara, and Momahaki (Wellington) Survey Districts, and 9,500 acres final survey over provisional work in the Tangitu Survey District. In addition to the above, a partial survey has been made over an area of 13,000 acres in the Mimi and Waro Survey Districts. This work is at present suspended for the more urgent demands of settlement in the Wanganui Valley. Of the totals given above, 104,050 acres is made up of ordinary Crown lands, and 13,000 acres is national endowment. In conclusion, I desire to thank all the officers, both field and office staff, for their active assistance and co-operation during the year. Francis Simpson Chief Surveyor.

WELLINGTON. Secondary Triangulalion. —Mr. Mountfort, who took over this work from Mr. Lowe, handed it on to Mr. Girdlestone in order to proceed with a much-wanted revision on the minor triangulation around Wellington. Mr. Girdlestone is now engaged, under the direction of the Surveyor-General, in completing observations at principal trigs, which will enable the revision and recomputation of the fundamental work of the whole of the district upon accurate data. The triangulation executed by Mr. Mountfort around Port Nicholson combines into a homogeneous whole the standard surveys of Wellington City, Petone, Lower Hutt, and Hutt Valley and surrounding country, and provides an unimpeachable foundation for the subdivisional surveys spreading through