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1 racings in lieu (if block-sheets have been made as an expedient to take up the back work and preserve original working-plans. The work done includes 1,174 tracings of all kinds, 42 new plans made, and 12 new Crown-grant record maps. All surveys coming from the field have been recorded on the different standard maps. Miscellaneous.' — There was, of course, the usual volume of miscellaneous duties, which cannot be tabulated, in attendance on the public, correspondence, searches and supply of information from maps, &c. Changes o/ Slaff. — Assistant Surveyors 0. N. Campbell and T. A. Johnston have left the staff of this district, the former transferred to the Auckland District and the latter proceeding to England to take up civil engineering. Messrs. C. A. Mountfort and H. E. Girdlestone have been attached to the Head Office staff on standard surveys and triangulation respectively. I have again to acknowledge the assistance I have received from both the indoor and field staff, as well as all private surveyors whose work has come before me James Mackenzie, Chief Surveyor.

NELSON. Minor Triangulation. —The area returned of this class of work was an extension of the present system of triangulation to control sectional surveys in the Glenroy and Maruia Valleys, containing an area of 170,620 acres, at a cost of l-49d. per acre. The whole of the triangulation down the Buller Valley and up the Maruia Valley has been recomputed by polygons, in terms of the Imperial standard, from a remeasurement of the Waimea base on to verification bases on the Braeburn Settlement and Maruia Plains. The closure on to the Maruia base showed a difference of 0-57 link per mile, and on to Braeburn 0-35 link per mile. Previously the triangulation from the Waimea base to the bases at Collingwood and West Haven had been recomputed by polygons, in terms of the Imperial standard, and also gave excellent results. Standard Survey. —There is still the need of a revision of the standard survey of the City of Nelson, and very probably this work will be undertaken during this year, as the City Council have agreed to make a contribution towards its cost, and with this help the work will be put in hand. Owing to the more urgent surveys of selected areas being required, it has been impossible to undertake any standard traverses of the main roads to control the subdivisions of properties being brought under the Land Transfer Act. This work is of great importance, and becoming more necessary as time goes on. Rural. —The staff surveyors have executed 52,132 acres at 2-31s. per acre, and contract surveyors 9,064 acres, at 2-225. per acre. The work done by the staff compares favourably ;is regards cost with the contract work, and with three exceptions the work has been executed at a very low cost. Another contract of 5,000 acres has just been completed in the field, and three contracts have been let recently for a total area of 20,000 acres. The surveys of selected areas in the Inangahua County are being executed by Mr. Montgomerie by contract, and Mr. Snodgrass is making the surveys of a number of applications in the Buller County. These surveys are apparently being carried out in a satisfactory manner, but it is very essential that all the contract surveys should be subjected to field checks by an Inspecting Surveyor, and it is very difficult to spare the services of a staff surveyor, and my own time is too fully occupied to undertake the work. When these contracts are completed, with the work being done by the staff, the arrears of the surveys of selected areas will be within reasonable limits, and it will be possible to get the surveys of unselected Crown lands made and the blocks opened for settlement. Inspections. —-Mr. J. D. Climio, Inspector of Surveys, made inspections of the work of four staff surveyors with satisfactory results ; and four insepctions have been made by staff surveyors. Other Work. —This work consists chiefly of field inspections, reports, and minor surveys, which cannot be shown in the general return. Roads, &c. —-These roads were all laid ofE in short lengths, principally to give access to Crown lands or deviations from existing roads to improve the grades. Mining Survey. —No surveys of this class were executed by staff surveyors, but five mining surveys, comprising 125 acres, were returned by contract surveyors. The fees for the payment of these surveys were deposited with the Wardens. Land Transfer Office. —The Land Transfer Draughtsman reports that 94 plans were examined and approved, comprising 3,430 acres, and that 39 other plans were examined and returned for correct ion ; 149 deeds were passed, and 185 certificates of title were made out in duplicate (370 diagrams). Proposed Operations, 1911-12. —The contract survey for the completion of the trig, and subdivisional survey of D'Urville Island is nearly completed, and the work is now being inspected by a staff surveyor. An area of 62,570 acres is in the hands of the staff surveyors, of which about 10,000 acres is completed in field. The unallotted applications number fifty-nine, and contain an area of 24,000 acres. During the year I propose to have the survey of the Howard Block, 20,000 acres, the Matiri Extension] Block, 8,000 acres, and the Waimea Block, 5,000 acres, put in hand. As it is proposed to open the Brighton Block, of 8,000 acres, and Mokihinui Valley Block, of 4,000 acres, for selection on pastoral license, the survey of applications received in these blocks, together with other current work, with work in hand and proposed as above, the staff and contract surveyors will be fully occupied. Office-worlc- —During the year 92 sectional plans (embracing 78,890 acres), 18 road plans, 5 trigonometrical plans, and 20 miscellaneous plans, with an aggregate of 470 traverse sheets, were examined ; 36 certificates of title in lieu of Crown grants were issued (in triplicate) ; 184 tracings