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Departmental Changes : Promotions, Transfers. Appointments, etc. Consequent on the retirement on superannuation of the late Mr. E. C. Cold Smith. Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor for Auckland. Mr. H. M. Skeet was appointed from Southland to succeed him, while Mr. G. 11. M. McClure. of Westland, took Mr. Skeet's place. Mr. H. D. M. Haszard, ('hint' Draughtsman at (Ihristchurch, was promoted to Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor for Westland, while Mr. H. G. Price, Chief Draughtsman at Napier, was appointed to succeed him. Mr. F. A. Thompson. Chief Draughtsman at Hokitika, was promoted to succeed Mr. Price, while Mr. D. M. Calder, District Surveyor, Dunedin, was promoted to Mr. Thompson's place. Mr. G. H. Bullard. Inspecting Surveyor and Land Officer, Gisborne, was promoted to be Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor for Taranaki in the place of the late Mi. W. Armstrong. Mr. T. Brook. District Surveyor, was promoted to succeed Mr. Bullard at Gisborne. Owing to the retirement on superannuation of Mr. P. G. Smith, Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor for .Marlborough, Mr. W. H. Skinner, Chief Draughtsman at New Plymouth, was promoted in his place, while Mr. H. J. Lowe, surveyor. Wellington, took the latter's position. Mr. W. F, Marsh, Chief Draughtsman at Blenheim, was transferred to Dunedin, his place being tilled by -Mr. A. D. Burns. Mr. H. T. MeCardell. draughtsman, after a period of over thirty-eighl year's service, two of which he has held as Acting Chief Draughtsman at the Head Office, was promoted to the position of Chief Draughtsman in the same office. Mr. B. W. S. Ballantyne. officer in charge of the Native Branch at Auckland, was transferred to Wellington, Mr. C. T. Brown of the Wellington District Office taking his place: ami on the hitter's appointment to the Presidencj of the Lkaroa Maori Land Board his work was taken over by Mr. R. .1. Knight. Mr. Hursthouse, Crown Lands Ranger, Westport, was transferred to Marlborough, and was succeeded by Mr. F. Ward. Mr. A. Meharry, Crown Lands Ranger for Westland, resigned, and his place has been taken by Mi. G. Anderson. In the Auckland District Messrs. W. M. Atkinson anil A. .). Mountfort. assistant surveyors. were transferred to Napier and Christchiirch respectively. Mr. D. W. (fillies. District Surveyor. retired, as also Messrs. Covil and Scanlen, of the office stall. Mr. Macmorran, surveyor, was appointed to the engineering surveys, Hauraki Plains, while Mr. Hooper came from the field into the office. Mi. .). 11. Lindsay was appointed to the field stall', and Mr. Goulding, surveyor, resigned. Air. .1. 11. Boscawen, Caief Clerk, was appointed to the position of Inspector of Kami gum Reserves and Forest Areas. Mr. R. Leckie, clerk, was transferred to Christchurch, to succeed Mr. Bendely as Chief Clerk. In the Hawke's Bay District Mr. I). Nelson, of Gisborne, was appointed assistant surveyor at Nelson. Mr. L. W, Ward, assistant surveyor, resigned. In the Wellington District Mr. Greville, surveyor, joined the District Office staff as Inspecting Surveyor and Computer. Mr. Keddell, assistant surveyor, retired from the staff. Messrs. Randrup and Enting were transferred to Auckland, while Miss Gillanders. Computer, was transferred to Christchurch. In the Nelson District Mr. N. Wright was tranfserred to Napier. Mr. I. Keenan taking his place as Record Clerk and Accountant. Cadet .1. A. Montgomerie was promoted from the Reef ton Office to be draughtsman at New Plymouth. Mr. W. D. Armit was appointed assistant surveyor, Miss S. M. Murrell as typiste, and Mr. H. Black as temporary draughtsman. Mr. Roebuck, draughtsman, resigned, and Mr. J. P. Black took his place. Mr. Henry Smith, Land Officer, is now in charge of the Land and Survey Office at Beefton. In the Marlborough District Mr. W. Lindsay, draughtsman, resigned, the vacancy being filled by Mr. B. Pfaiikuch. of New Plymouth. In the Canterbury District Mr. J. 0. Bendely. Chief Clerk, was transferred to Auckland to succeed Mr. J. H. Boscawen, Mr. Henderson was appointed draughtsman, and Messrs. Newman and Freeman, draughtsmen, resigned. Obituary. During the past year death has lieen busy amongst the ranks of the surveyors, and it is with a feeling of regret that I have to record the passing-away of so many valued officers and ex-officers of the Department in the persons of Messrs. E. C. Gold Smith, Sidney Weetman, W. Armstrong. W. H. Pearson, and J. A. Montgomerie. Mr. E. C. Gold Smith came to the Dominion in the year 1864, and joined the first Waikato survey under Mr. Lowe in 1867. About this time he enlisted in the Volunteers at Tauranga, and saw active service under Captain Skeet. He also served as sergeant in Major Eraser's expedition to Waimana. In 1870 he again took up surveying, and accepted an offer of the General Government on the Survey staff under Captain Heale. On Ist January, 1897, he was appointed Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands at Napier. In July, 1906, he was appointed to Christchurch, and in July, 1909, to Auckland. Consequent on faffing health, he retired