15

a—ia.

Ist March, 1912, but which had to be disposed of twelve months before the expiration of the existing leases. Owing to the rough nature of the country and its low value, it was considered that prismatic compass and chain traverses tied on to the trig, stations at intervals by theodolite bearings, and having the new unfenced boundaries carefully pegged on the ground, would be amply sufficient to meet all requirements and put the new lessees in possession of their runs ; this system was therefore adopted. and hence lam obliged to return the work as topographical. In addition to the survey of the boundaries, all intersecting fences were traversed, partly to get them placed on the maps in their correct positions, and partly to facilitate the work of valuation of the improvements, which will have to be undertaken three months before the expiry of the old leases. While these surveys were in progress the staff was augmented by the temporary transfer of District Surveyor Morison from Westland to Canterbury, and the employment of three unauthorized assistants, who worked under the direction of the authorized surveyors. While all the surveyors employed on this arduous work deserve commendation for the manner in which they carried out their duties, I desire particularly to remark on the thoroughness and energy displayed by District Surveyor Allom in connection with it. Town Section Survey, Roads, &c, and Gold-mining Surreys.- 1 have nothing to report under these headings. Land Transfer. —Work in this branch of the Department has continued to increase during the year, some 336 survey plans having been checked and passed. In addition to the tabulated matter shown in Table 4, I append hereto a schedule compiled by Mr. Leversedge, showing a complete list and the nature of the dealings carried out during the year. lam glad to be able to report that the accumulation of work is being gradually overtaken, which is very creditable to the officers employed, considering the unusual rate at which it has been coming in of late. Other Work. —During a slack time last winter, Mr. District Surveyor Allom extended the standard traverse along 26 miles of roads outside the city boundaries. The plans of this work have not yet been made, but I expect he will be able to complete them during the coming winter, and also to further extend this very necessary work. Inspections. —Owing to the pressure of pastoral-run and settlement, surveys, only three formal inspections have been made during the year, though in numerous cases Mr. Haszard has gone out to clear up title-discrepancies in connection with Land Transfer surveys. Proposed Operations, 1911-12. — During the present year the undermentioned lands will be prepared for settlement, and offered to the public before the Ist March next : Waihao Downs (settlement land), 3,604 acres ; Sherwood Downs (settlement land and surrendered run), 56,500 acres ; pastoral runs in the Mackenzie and Coleridge Districts to be offered as small grazing-runs, 82,100 acres ; pastoral land surrendered by the Acland family, to be offered as small grazing-runs, 49,870 acres : total, 192,074 acres. With the exception of the Mackenzie runs the whole of the above lands require subdivisional survey in the spring. In addition to this, the road through the Glynn Wye freehold and the freehold itself (about 7,000 acres) must be surveyed before the Ist of next March, in order that the new lessees of the adjoining runs may be placed in possession of their holdings. To cope with this work I shall only have Mr. District Surveyor Allom left on my staff after the Ist May, as Mr. Gray returns to Wellington on that date, so that I shall require the services of at least two more surveyors from the Ist September to enable me to have the Mount Peel and Sherwood Downs properties subdivided in time. Mr. Allom will finish the survey of Waihao Downs early in May, after which I propose to let him do a few small surveys that are on hand, finish his plans in this office, and then send him on to Glynn Wye to lay off the road and survey the freehold. The road will be an important one some day, and should be laid off by a man of experience, and I have therefore chosen Mr. Allom to do it. Changes oj Staff. —I was transferred to this district from Napier in July last, vice Mr. F. W. Flanagan, who was promoted to be Valuer-General. Mr. Thomas Maben was superannuated on the 31st May, after many years of faithful service. Mr. Assistant Surveyor Young resigned on the 30th September and left for Queensland, and Mr. J. G. Wilson was transferred from the Marlborough District to the Land Transfer Branch here. Office-work. —The Chief Draughtsman, Mr. Haszard, reports that the office staff has had a particularly busy year, getting out data for over a million acres of pastoral-run survey, tracings for Land Purchase Board and land-for-settlements blocks, besides the ordinary routine of office check and record. During the month of February the full strength of the staff was concentrated on the preparation of maps for the Census Enumerators. As shown in the tabulated return, 587 plans have been placed on leases. Photo-lithographic tracings have been prepared and revised for about 1,500,000 acres of pastoral-run country and of 10,000 acres of land-for-settlement blocks. Fifteen Public Works plans in triplicate, totalling 45 ; 29 road-deviation and other plans ; and 7 plans under the Land for Settlements Act have been checked and recorded. Numerous tracings and descriptions have been prepared for Gazette notices, also a tracing of Akaroa Harbour for the Admiralty. Mr. Schmidt has been engaged since last August on an up-to-date map of the Timaru Borough, which will show all the latest subdivisions ; the plan is now about two-thirds completed. The compilation required much research in the Deeds Office, which will explain why such plans take so long to make. In continuation of the work mentioned in last year's report, six more county maps have been compiled and the tenures coloured off, for exhibition in the office corridor. We have no proper lithograph plan of the Amuri County, so lam having one compiled for photo-lithography. Some progress has also been made in overtaking the arrears of the Crown-grant record plans. In conclusion of this report, I beg to record my appreciation of the manner in which the whole staff jhas worked, and of the valuable assistance I have received from Mr. Haszard. T. W. Beodrick, Chief Surveyor.