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December, 1896, and was appointed an Assistant Surveyor on the 27th March, 1902. He served with success in the Wellington District, principally in the Wairarapa, Wanganui, and Waimarino districts, and carried out all the duties entrusted to him with conspicuous energy and ability. Amongst other work he carried out several explorations and reconnaissances for the Department, and also assisted in the standard survey. He was promoted District Surveyor on the Ist December, 1912, and joined the Expeditionary Force on the 31st May, 1917, being killed in France on the 20th August, 1918. His professional attainments were of the highest order. He had an undeviating sense of honour, whilst his energy and ability, coupled with an obliging and cheerful disposition, made him respected and esteemed by his fellow-officers and all those brought into contact, with him. Another promising officer of the Department was one of the victims of the influenza epidemic. Henry Francis Edgecumbe joined the Department as a draughting cadet on the 20th February, 1891, and was transferred to the field as a survey cadet, being subsequently appointed as an Assistant Surveyor on the 11th November, 1898. He was chiefly employed on surveys in the Auckland District, where he gave evidence of being a careful and competent surveyor. He gained the respect of his superior officers by his assiduity and the conscientious manner in which he carried out the work entrusted to him. He was subsequently placed on the secondary triangulation under the late Mr. Langmuir, Inspector of Surveys, and was appointed District Surveyor in January, 1908. After creditable work in the field he was promoted to be Land Transfer Draughtsman, Dunedin, in February, 1916. On the 30th May of that year he joined the Expeditionary Force and attained the rank of Lieutenant therein. On his return to New Zealand at the end of last year he caught the prevailing epidemic and died at Te Awamutu on the 15th November, leaving behind him a high reputation for good and conscientious work and the respect of his fellow-officers. Arthur Neville llarrop joined the Department as a Surveyor in the Westland District in April, 1892, and did excellent work in that district. He was promoted to be District Surveyor on the Ist April, 1911, and appointed Chief Draughtsman in the Hokitika Office in May, 1914. In this position he carried out his duties assiduously and well, and his sudden death on the 13th February last was a distinct loss to the Department. William James Price was first employed as an overseer in connection with bushfelling contracts in the Rangitatau Block, Waitotara River, and provisionally appointed as a Crown Lands Ranger in the Waimarino District in November, 1909. He was permanently appointed Crown Lands Ranger for the Wellington Land District in March, 1913, and did excellent work in this capacity looking after the settlers in the improved-farm settlement and reporting on the settlers in the Waimarino district. Unfortunately an attack of illness in June, 1918, prostrated him and led to his early death on the 16th of that month. The deceased officer was respected by all who knew him, and his good work was much appreciated by the Government! Richard Edward Harris entered the employ of the Department in January, 1901, when he was appointed a Ranger of Crown Lands for the Nelson District. In that district he reported on land applications and Crown leaseholds, supervised timber-cutters, and in every way proved himself a hard-working, conscientious, and faithful officer, whose energy and enthusiasm for his work were well known. Another death from the influenza epidemic was that of Thomas Lionel Folley, a draughtsman in the Lands and Survey Office, Auckland, who joined the Department on the 11th October, 1910, and proved himself energetic, reliable, and conscientious in the performance of the duties entrusted to him. In common with the officers above mentioned, his death occasioned a distinct loss to the Department. A third loss from the influenza epidemic was occasioned the Department by the death of Robert Mclver, whose services as a surveyor were engaged in October, 1914. He did good work in the Auckland District, and proved himself energetic and reliable. William Edwin Gourlay was killed as the result of a fall sustained whilst climbing Mount Egmont on the 3rd June, 1918. He was a draughting cadet in the New Plymouth Office, where he did good work and gave every evidence of becoming a valuable officer. Another officer who died whilst serving" with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force was Thomas John Lang, Cashier in the Wellington Office, who at the time of his death was serving as a Lieutenant in the Army Pay Branch. Mr. Lang for many years was in the Accounts Section of the Head Office, where he did excellent work and proved himself an energetic and able officer. Phillip Corliss Gannaway, who had been an officer of the Department since January, 1904, died of sickness on 6th November whilst a member of the Auxiliary Naval Patrol, in which he ranked as Lieutenant. After serving as a cadet he was appointed as Assistant Surveyor in October, 1912, on the staff of the Chief Drainage Engineer, in which capacity he showed zeal and ability, whilst his personal conduct was admirable. Retirements. The principal retirement during the year was that of William Henry Skinner, who joined the Department on the Ist July, 1872. as a survey cadet under Mr. T. Humphries, receiving an appointment as an Assistant Surveyor on the Ist July, 1876. He carried out several surveys in the Taranaki District with success, particularly the survey of the Mokau-Mohakatino Block, and in conjunction with Mr. Skeet the Waimate Plains. On the Ist July. 1888, he left the field and joined the office staff at New Plymouth. In this office he did good work, and was promoted to be Land Transfer Draughtsman in 1904. having acted in this capacity for some time previous. He was subsequently promoted to be Chief Draughtsman in the New Plymouth Office in February. 1905, and after doing good work in this position was appointed Commissioner of Crown Lands