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EEPOET. The attached tables show that the volume of work handled by the Department for the last year has been maintained. The tables give a concise summary of the amount of work completed. Full details are contained in the reports supplied by the Chief Surveyors, which are filed as departmental records. Under the heading of "Rural Surveys," in Table B, an area of 440,448 acres is shown as completed work, as compared with 613,810 acres for last year. The falling-off in the acreage returned is due lo (he smaller area of pastoral country included in this year's return. The area of Native land surveyed shows an increase from 122,248 acres to 266,890 acres. The average cost per acre of rural surveys bas advanced from 2s. to 2s. 2d., and the average cost per acre of Native-land surveys has decreased from 2s. 4d. to Is. 6d., as compared with the prices ruling last year. These figures show that the work is being done at a reasonable price. A second increase of 20 per cent, to the schedule of rates for the mrveys of Native and Crown lands, making a total of 40 per cent, on the 191.3 schedule, was authorized on the 10th March. The effect of this increase will make the cost of surveys done by the staff surveyors more in agreement with the cost of the work done by contract surveyors. The number of surveyors employed during the year under report was eighty, consisting of forty staff, four temporary, and thirty-six on contract, sixty-three of whom were employed in the North Island and seventeen in the South Island. .

Table A.

Table B.

Class of Work. Area, &c. Average Cost. Total Cost. [riangulation, by stafi surveyors .. Topographical, for selection, by stafi surveyors Rural .. Village and suburban, by staff surveyors Village and suburban, by licensed surveyors .. Ibwii, by staff surveyors .. Town, by licensed surveyors Native Land Court, by staff surveyors Native Land Court, by licensed surveyors Native Land Court (paid by applicants) Ooal- and gold-mining areas (paid by applicants) Sawmill areas (paid by applicants) Roads, by staff surveyors Roads, by licensed surveyors 38,100 acres 3,576 acres 438,925 acres 503'5 acres 69'1 acres 249 sec. 140 sec. 6,193 acres 246,452 acres 14,245 acres 2,669 acres 2-2d. per acre 0-42s. l-96s. 20s. 41-45s. 45-14s. per section 30-918. 3-36s. per acre 1-508. £ s. d. 356 17 11 75 13 0 43,087 14 7 503 9 11 142 15 0 562 0 0 216 7 3 1,041 10 6 18,540 3 7 1,523 acres 197-06 miles 13-38 miles £27-91 per mile £30-22 „ 5,499 7 6 405 0 3 *

Land District. Rural Surveys. Native Land Court Surveys. North Auckland Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington .. Marlborough Nelson Westland Canterbury Otago Southland Acres. 43,588 102,550 55,513 19,307 40,578 6,474 40,331 2,936 9,825 102,278 17,068 Acres. 17,490 110,839 42,702 5,574 88,770 3,038 107 344 1,026 Totals 440,448 266,890