C—la

6

General: 5,056 plans were endorsed on Crown grants, &c. The total number of plans examined and approved was 1,710; plans compiled, 138; tracings, &c, made, 2,300. Fees collected, £190 16s. 6d. Proposed Operations, 1915-16. —Twenty-live staff surveyors have on hand 302,816 acres of Crown land, 105,208 acres of Native land, 228iJ miles of road, and 101 acres of town surveys. In addition to the above, the larger areas of Crown land and new purchases proposed to be surveyed for selection are as follows, arranged in counties : Mangonui, 9,700 acres, national endowment; liokianga, 5,800 acres (1,000 acres national endowment); Whangaroa, 2,800 acres (1,500 acres national endowment); AVhangarei, 1,000 acres; Rodney, 700 acres; Waitemata, 1,600 acres (300 acres national endowment); Franklin, 2,300 acres (300 acres national endowment); Waitomo, 500 acres; Awakino, 12,600 acres; Waikato, 3,000 acres, national endowment; Tauranga, 5,000 acres; Piako, 3,000 acres, national endowment; Ohinemuri, 5,000 acres; Thames, 8,000 acres; Coromandel, 6,000 acres. Accounts. —There has been a large increase in the work of the Accounts Branch this year. Transfers, &c. —The field staff has been reduced during the year by the transfer of Mr. A. H. Viekerman, District Surveyor, to be officer in charge of the Roads Branch; by Mr. R. P. Greville's (Inspecting Surveyor) appointment to Superintendent of Kauri-gum Surveys; Mr. H. F. Edgecumbe, District Surveyor, to triangulation-work, under Mr. Langmuir. Messrs. W. B. de L. Willis, F. W. Watson, and G. Pirrit, Assistant Surveyors, joined the Expeditionary Force; Survey Cadets N. A. Middlemas, L. J. Poff, and L. W. B. Hall also joined the same Force. Messrs. H. T. Mitchell and G. A. Hathaway resigned; Mr. D. I. Barron transferred to office; Mr. V. I. Blake transferred to Land Transfer Draughtsman, Gisborne. Mr. A. A. Seatou has been absent all the year on sick-leave, and has since died. Messrs. Burnley, Leeds, E. V. Blake, and Surveyor's Assistant Olsen have been engaged since January on surveys of kauri-gum land under the direction of Mr. Greville. The only additions to the survey staff have been Messrs. P. V. Norman and R. M. Mclver (temporary). Messrs. G. J. B. Cairnie, H. B. Randrup, F. Coleman, and M. Hawort-h, of the office staff, joined the Expeditionary Force. The appointment and transfer of cadets and temporary draughtsmen have increased the office staff by ten during the year, but in most branches there are still arrears of work. With the rearrangement of the rooms and contemplated additions to the staff of officers to be specially trained as draughtsmen, it is confidently expected the trouble of arrears that have been banking up so long will almost disappear in the next year, or two years at the most. During the year a superannuated officer, in the person of Mr. W. C. C. Spencer, passed away. Mr. Spencer had many years of faithful service in the field and office to his credit, during which time he made friends with all whom he came in contact. Conclusion. —The work of the office for the last year has been much interfered with by the continual changes of staff and the structural alterations of the building. 1 have to specially thank all officers for their good work and strong efforts during a very arduous and troublesome year. H. M. Skeet, Chief Surveyor.

HAWKE'S BAY. Minor Triangulation. —The proposal mentioned in the report for last year for the extension of the major triangulation into this district from the Auckland side was abandoned owing to the large area of settlement surveys requiring attention and the lack of staff to take on this particular work. This extension of the triangulation is urgently required for the reason that the present minor trig, work is generally of a low standard, and, being based apparently on several different measurements, is incapable of being brought into harmony without revision on thoroughly reliable and sound lines. Only a very small area of this class of work was executed during the year, the work being done for purpose of controlling sectional surveys in the Porangahau district. Topographical Survey for Selection. —Although only 12,781 acres, at a cost of l'93d. per acre, of this class of work has been returned as completed during the year, a large amount of useful topographical survey has been done in connection with rural and Native surveys carried out by staff surveyors in different parts of the district. Included in these may be mentioned Kaiwaka, Matakuhia, and Marangairoa Blocks; also on various blocks of which field operations are complete but plans not sent in. The area returned is a careful magnetic topographical survey of Maiigamaire and part of the Whawhakanga Blocks, being subdivided for settlement purposes. The permanent survey of this block is now nearly complete. Rural. —During the year an area of 50,086 acres, at a cost of l'27s. per acre, was executed, the cost per acre of the previous year being l's7s. The principal blocks subdivided for settlement were: Kaiwaka (14,483 acres), divided into 5 small grazing-runs; Otawhao (5,045 acres), into 46 sections; Matakuhia (6,589 acres), into 2 small grazing-runs; and two blocks under Land for Settlements Act—Gwavas and Springhill Settlements —containing 12,281 acres, and divided into 31 sections. The balance of the area returned is made up of more or less small areas in different parts of the district. In every instance the operations have been carried out in open country, with the exception of Mr. Gray's Matakuhia Block, on which there was a large amount of cutting through heavy bush in rough country, this fact accounting for his cost being somewhat higher than the other surveyors' costs'. Town. —During the year 34 acres of this class was divided into 63 sections, at a cost of 26095. per section, for the purpose of workers' dwellings, known as Pakowhai and Lomas Settlements, and situated near Hastings; engineering survey of longitudinal sections was done in connection with the latter settlement.