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C—la

Village and Suburban. —During the year 311 acres of this class of work was divided into 44 allotments, at a cost of 18435. per acre. The area is made up of 50 acres known as " Gray's Bush," Te Puia suburbs, and 50 acres at Clive, near Napier. The cost, per acre last year under this heading was 3175., but the area in that instance was fairly large, and provided 4 allotments only. Roads. —During the year 3010 miles of this class of work was done, at a cost of £1826 per mile, as against £2164 per mile in the previous year, the principal lengths being 9 miles, Maraehara Valley Road, and 6 miles, part of Te Pohue-Tutira Road, surveyed in connection with exchanges on Kaiwaka Block, the balance being for more or less short, lengths in different parts of the district. Native Surveys. —The total area surveyed during the year amounted to 100,770 acres, in 501 subdivisions. Of this area the staff completed 26,44-3 acres into 43 allotments, at a cost of 11'29d. per acre, as against, 22'33d. per acre last year. These surveys were made up principally of the Marangairoa lo and Id at East Cape and Mangawhariki Blocks. Private surveyors completed 74,327 acres, containing 458 allotments, scattered over the whole land district, at a cost of 16'24d. per acre, as'compared with 2P96d. per acre for the previous year. Field Inspections. —Thirteen Land Transfer and 6 Native Land Court inspections were carried out during the year, as against 23 in the previous year, principally by Mi-. Brook, the results, generally speaking, being satisfactory. Inspection of the work of staff surveyors was also carried out, by Mr. Brook. Detailed reports of these inspections have already been forwarded to you. Work in Progress. —Actual operations' are being carried out on the Mangamaire and Whawhakanga Blocks (12,481 acres), situated about 69 miles from Napier (this work is now nearly complete); Manawa-angiangi Block (11,551 acres), revision survey in the same locality is nearing completion; Te Pohue - Tutir-a Road, 14 miles, field-work complete; Heru-a-tureia Block (3,990 acres), about 44 miles from Napier, field-work just completed; Maungaharuru E.R. (7,750 acres), in same locality, field-work completed; Whareraurakau Native Land Court survey (3,310 acres), in same locality, field-work just commenced ; Wharekahika Block (Native Land Court survey), 42,000 acres, at East Cape, field-work to be completed in June; Waipaoa Block. (8,785 acres), situated about 95 miles from Napier, on which a large amount of field-work was done prior to the last winter recess, the work being then left in abeyance, but Mr. Walshe is again on the ground rounding off the work done by Mr. Thompson and himself with a view to completion before the winter recess; Omahaki Block (15,710 acres), situated about 50 miles from Napier, field-work completed; and Timahanga No. 1 and Waipaoa sa, sb, and 50, Native Land Court surveys, containing 23,789 acres, field-work is nearly completed. Mapping of all the above work is advanced as far as is practicable. With the exception of Native Land Court surveys mentioned, the work is being done on blocks proposed to be opened for selection at an early date. Private surveyors have 45,764 acres on requisitions from the Native Land Court under survey. Proposed, Operations. —After completing work in progress staff surveyors will carry out subdivisional and other operations as follows: Tahora Block, of 49,000 acres, situated about 50 miles west of Gisborne; Te Putere Block, 8,000 acres, situated about 60 miles in a northerly direction from Napier; Pastoral Run No. 11, 11,000 acres, situated about 60 miles from Napier in a northwesterly direction ; Pastoral Runs Nos. 13 and 14, containing 32,659 acres, situated in the same locality; Mangaorapa No. 1 and Porangahau 1b No. 4, containing about 12,783 acres, situated near to coast, about, 70 miles from Napier, in a southerly direction. Other Work. —This 1 consists of miscellaneous departmental duties; inspection of roads, ivc, for other Departments; schemes of proposed subdivisions of land for settlement; reports on blocks proposed to be acquired by the Crown; standard, survey-work in Towns of Hastings, Dannevirke, Otane; reports on exchanges; reports on roads to be opened and closed; checking of Crown plans during the winter recess: assisting with arrears in plan-work during winter recess; examination of unlicensed assistants. Office-work. —Land Transfer Branch: During the year 246 plans, consisting of 1,271 allotments, and containing 62,064 acres, were received; 256 plans, consisting of 1,501 allotments, and containing 49,661 acres, were approved; 354 sheets of co-ordinates have been examined and filed Computing Branch : During the year 35 Crown plans, consisting of 139 allotments, and containing 51,431 acres, were received ; 38 Crown plans, consisting of 235 allotments, and containing 63,151 acres, were approved; 152 Native plans, consisting of 465 allotments, and containing 100,770 acres, were received during the year; 187 Native plans, consisting of 550 allotments, and containing 84,702 acres, were approved; 145 Public Works and local bodies' plans, consisting of 1,195 allotments, were received; 143 plans, consisting of 924 allotments, were approved; 600 sheets of co-ordinates have been examined and filed. Fees collected for protractor sheets, miscellaneous tracings, sale of lithographs', &c, amounted to £63 9s. Id. Miscellaneous plans compiled in office, 20. Tracings, lithographs coloured, <fee. : 27 tracings were made for sale-poster purposes, and 1,984 were made for various purposes—settlers' tracings', tracings for Valuer-General, field data tracings, and tracings for gazetting purposes. 540 lithographs for various purposes were coloured. District, lithographs: Owing to the great, amount of routine work requiring attention, practically nothing has been done i' l this section, although the Tautane district is nearly complete, and a start, made with Porangahau. When time permits this work will be pushed on. It is an urgent necessity in this district, the only lithographs available beinp; the county maps, and these are being revised to fill the gap in the meantime. A four-mile map showing survey-district boundaries is getting well on to completion. General. —It will be observed that the volume of work has been maintained during the year, and that survey operations have been carried out at an ail-round decreased cost. During the year