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whilst 9 officers were transferred from other Departments. As against this increase of personnel 9 officers were transferred to other Departments, 5 officers died, and 58 officers retired on superannuation or resigned, leaving the staff of the Department at the Ist April last composed of 609 permanent officers and 51 temporary officers, or a total of 660, being an increase of 5 for the year. As usual, the officers have responded willingly to extra demands upon their services caused by pressure of work. Departmental Changes. Deaths. Reginald Palmer Greville, Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor for the North Auckland District, died very suddenly on the 6th September, 1923. He entered the Department in 1878, and for many years worked as a surveyor in the Wellington and other districts, and in addition he was for a few years on the staff of the Geological Survey. When the North Auckland Land. District was formed, in April, 1919, he was appointed to be the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor, and filled that position until his death. The hard, onerous work consequent upon the creation of a new office and new district, coupled with the great number of applications for land and advances from discharged soldiers in the district, gave Mr. Greville and his staff an unexpectedly great amount of work to deal with, and it speaks volumes for the energy and acumen displayed by him that the operations of that branch of the Department entrusted to his control were dealt with in a highly satisfactory, expeditious, and efficient manner. Mr. Greville never spared himself in the execution of his duties, and his business ability, coupled with his unceasing care, was reflected in the excellent manner in which matters were dealt with in his district. In addition to his arduous duties in connection with the administration of Crown lands and of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, Mr. Greville carried out those devolving on the Kauri-gum Superintendent, and directed the administration of the Kauri-gum Branch from its inception in 1914 ; whilst he was Chairman of the Royal Commissions on the kauri-gum industry in 1914 and 1921, and in 1916 was sent on a special mission to the United States and Canada in connection with the kauri-gum industry. Mr. Greville's untimely death caused the Government to lose the services of one of its most capable officers. Frederick James Harrop, draughtsman and computer in the Auckland Office, died suddenly on the, 25th April, 1923. He previously acted as Land Transfer Draughtsman in the New Plymouth Office, but owing to failing health had been transferred to Auckland. He had been in the service of the Department since 1892, and did good work on tho Land Transfer, Titles, and Native Branch of the Department, and showed himself a zealous and faithful officer. Arthur Leslie Lomas, a draughtsman in the Wellington Office, died on the 11th February, 1924, through illness originally caused through his war service. He was a good draughtsman with a thorough knowledge of Land Transfer work, and gave every attention to his duties. Daniel Joseph Corcoran, Crown Lands Ranger in the Otago District, died on the 27th November, 1923, after a short illness. He had formerly been an officer in the Government Life Insurance Department, and from there was transferred to the Valuation Department, being appointed a Crown Lands Ranger for the Southland District in January, 1917. He proved himself to be a conscientious and hardworking officer. Ronald Keith Charles Adams, a draughting cadet in tho North Auckland Office, died on the 2nd October, 1923, after a brief service of two and a half years, during which time he proved himself a steady and reliable officer. He showed promise of becoming a good officer. Retirements. Harry May Skeet, Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor for the Auckland District, retired on superannuation on the Ist November, 1923, after a career of about forty-nine years, commencing in 1874. In the early days of his service he carried out extensive explorations, triangulations, and other classes of surveys through dense forest in broken country in the South Auckland and Taranaki Districts, and after his transfer to administrative positions, first as Chief Draughtsman and then as Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor in the Southland and Auckland Districts, he displayed marked energy in promoting the interests of land-settlement, whilst his efforts to place discharged soldiers on the land were indefatigable. As Chairman of the Land Board, and as member of the many Commissions on which he sat from time to time, his views and sound judgment were of great value. Robert Thomas Sadd, Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor for the Otago District, retired on superannuation on the Ist November, 1923, after a service of forty-eight years of hard work as a surveyor and later as Chief Draughtsman, and Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands. Whilst, acting as Commissioner in the Nelson, Hawke's Bay, and Otago Districts he carried out his onerous duties in a highly satisfactory manner, and also whilst acting as Chairman of various Land Boards ; and when acting in a similar capacity on the Royal Commission set up to inspect and report upon the pastoral lands of the South Island in 1920 he performed the duties entrusted to him in a painstaking and thorough manner. Like many of the old officers who have recently retired, his period of service in the field in the early days of his career caused him to undergo many hardships that were unavoidable in those days. Henry Dugald McKclhir, Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor for the Nelson District, retired on superannuation on the Ist August, 1923, after forty-two years' service. As a field surveyor and. subsequently as Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands he carried out his duties (o the best of his ability, and showed himself a hardworking, conscientious, and painstaking officer. David Mcßeth Calder, Chief Draughtsman in the Dunedin Office, retired on superannuation on the Ut May 1923. after a service of forty-three years. He had formerly been a member of the field staff,