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Survey Regulations. —lt.is proposed to recast and issue a new edition of the Survey Regulations for the guidance of Surveyors under the Surveyors' Institute and Board of Examiners Act, 1908, and the Hlllcs and Directions for the guidance of the officers in the Department under the Land Act, 1908. General. Explorations between Milford Sound and the Hollyford River. During February Mr. D. Macpherson was allowed to join Mr. 8. Turner's expedition I" explore the country between the head of Milford Sound and the Hollyford River, the objects of the expedition being to climb Mount Tutoko and examine the Darran Mountain Range lor a pass Leading from the head of the Cleddan Valley to the Hollyford. An account of the trip, compiled from the reports supplied by Messrs. Turner and Macpherson, wii h illustrations, is given in Appendix 111 hereto. Extract from Report by H. M. Sheet, Chief Surveyor, Auckland.- " Another young Samoan, Mr. A. 8. Meredith, was sent by his home authorities to New Zealand to study our methods of office routine and field surveying. After a short period in the office he joined Mr. L. J. Poll's survey party in the Urewera country. Mr. J. Melei. who is being relieved by Mr. Meredith, left for his home early in January." Extract from He port by G. 11. .17. McClure, Chief Surveyor, Wellington. "Water-supplies to soldier settlements : The only work under this beading was the water-supply installed in the Awapuni Settlement, just beyond the Borough of Palmerston North. A bore was sunk here to a depth of 374ft., the result being verj successful, the pressure at the bore being sufficient to lift water in a pipe to a height of I.") It. above the level of the ground. The supply of water from the Awapuni well is more than sufficient for the requirements of the settlement, and negotiations are in progress for disposing of the surplus at a. fixed rate to neighbouring settlers and others." Full details of the personnel of the staff, both field and office, are given in the report by the Under-Secretary (or Lands. In conclusion I am pleased to place on record the appreciation by the various Chief Surveyors of the manner in which their officers, both permanent and temporary, have carried out their duties during the year, and 1 desire to convey my thanks to the whole of the Survey staff for their good work.

APPENDIX I. (a.) REPORT KV M. CROMPTON SMITH, CHIEF DRAUGHTSMAN!. Hicad Office Draughting Staff. Last year's report gave a rdsumd of the volume of work ahead of this office as a result of a consideration of the- state of the map publications of the Department. At the end of the year it is disappointing to find that no map on the newly projected series has achieved publication yet, though several are in hand as stock jobs. Present exigencies make it impossible to think of increasing staff, which remains below normal. Claims of other Departments for urgent work, such as census maps, have therefore pushed aside and stopped altogether the Department's own work, and finally such general maps as have been produced have been held up owing to difficulties created by pressure of work at the Printing Office. Two much-needed city maps Auckland and Christchurch —are being drawn by draughtsmen in these towns; four borough maps are in hand, and one draughtsman is engaged on cadastral twomile series. Provisional maps of seven counties have been prepared and sent to the Printer; four new cadastral t wo-niile maps are completed, and five in hand, but it is useless sending them for print ing under present conditions. The Auckland and Wellington topo. 1/12500 have been reprinted during the year, and altoget her 1 I 1 maps have been sent to the Printer during the year. Maps for the census of 1921 were prepared, and all those for New Zealand prepared by the district offices were checked and entered into sub-enumerators' books, and the maps lor the Representation Commission begun. Town schemes for the Minister's approval continued in numbers without any serious diminution till the end of the year. Descriptions, maps, &<-., for other Departments during the year amounted to £638, including census maps. Lithographs issued without charge were about 1,600 in number, estimated at about £250 in value. I ) 11A UGHTSMAN 'S EXA M IN A TIO X . Owing to pressure of work this examination was not held till November, when five candidates sat. A first-class certificate as computer was gained by Mr. E. .1. Williams; first-class certificates in draughting were granted to Messrs. C. E. Pfeifer and W. Bardsley, and a second-grade certificate to Mr. C. D. Maher.