9

c.—i

and as District faurveyor in Naseby and whilst carrying out surveys in the Otago District he showed himself a good reliable officer. When transferred to the, office staff and as Chief Draughtsman his work was very satisfactory, and he was of great assistance to the Chief Surveyors under whom he worked. Charles Ernest Archibald, Chief Clerk and Receiver of Land Revenue, Dunedin, resigned from the 31st March last after a service of thirty-seven years. He had formerly been on the staff of the Wellington, Auckland, and New Plymouth Offices ; and also acted as Chief Clerk, Receiver of Land Revenue, and Secretary to the Land Board in the North Auckland Office. During his period of service he proved himself to be, a zealous, capable, and hardworking officer. He held a commission in the New Zealand Defence Forces, in which he showed marked energy and ability. William James Munro, Chief Clerk and Receiver of Land Revenue in the Christchurch Office, resigned on the 31st March last, after a service of thirty-five years. He had formerly been in the Auckland Office, and subsequently had been Chief Clerk in the Napier and New Plymouth Offices. The conscientious and hardworking manner in which he carried out the duties entrusted to him were always appreciated by the. Commissioners under whom he served, and he had also an excellent record as Secretary to the various Land Boards with which he had been connected. Maurice Crompton Smith, Chief Draughtsman, Head Office, resigned from the 31st March last, having been an officer of the Department since January, 1882. Mr. Smith was formerly a surveyor in the Auckland District, but was transferred to the Wellington Office in 1892. Ho was appointed Chief Draughtsman in the Wellington District Office in 1909, having previously acted for a year in a similar capacity at New Plymouth, and in 1914 was transferred to the Head Office. Mr. Smith showed himself a most excellent officer, and his intimate knowledge of old titles and the technical work of the Department was of very great value to the Government. With his exceptional ability he worthily continued the fine record of his family which had commenced in 1853, when his father (the late Stevenson Percy Smith, Secretary for Crown Lands and Surveyor-General) joined the staff of the Chief Surveyor at Taranaki ; whilst it may also be mentioned that his grandfather (the late J. S. Smith) was Commissioner of Crown Lands and Receiver of Land Revenue for Taranaki between 1865 and 1874. His quiet and unassuming manner and his great fund of technical knowledge will be much missed. He was also Secretary to the Surveyors' Board since 1914, and still retains that position. Hamilton McKellar Bannister, Chief Clerk and Receiver of Land Revenue in the Wellington District Office, resigned and retired on superannuation on the Ist August, 1923, after a service of forty-one years. Mr. Bannister first joined the Wellington Office, and was subsequently promoted to be Chief Clerk in the New Plymouth Office in 1902. He was transferred to the Wellington Office in 1912 in a similar capacity, and during his long and intimate, connection with the land work of the Department he proved himself to be a most capable and hardworking officer, who never spared himself in the exercise of his duties, whilst his quiet, obliging manner caused him to be highly esteemed by both the staffs and the public. His work as Secretary of the Taranaki and Wellington Land Boards was also very much appreciated by the members of those bodies. Archibald Douglas Burns, Ch;ci Draughtsman, Nelson, retired on superannuation on the 31st July, 1923, after forty-four years' service. He was a reliable and energetic officer. T. K. Thompson, Land Transfer Draughtsman, Auckland (31st July, 1923) ; J. R. Strachan, Land Transfer Draughtsman, Wellington (31st December, 1923) ; T. G. Sole, draughtsman and computer, New Plymouth. (31st October, 1923) ; Andrew Wilson, District Surveyor, Auckland (30th November, 1923) ; A. D. Newton, Surveyor, Auckland (30th November, 1923) ; H. A. Warner, draughtsman and computer, Auckland (31st October, 1923) ; Arthur Stretton, draughtsman and computer, Auckland (31st December, 1923) ; and Henry Townshend, draughtsman, Auckland (31st October, 1923) all retired on superannuation after faithful and conscientious service extending in most cases over a long period of years.

Senior Appointments, Promotions, and Transfers.

2—C. 1.

Officer appointed. Previous Position. Previous Position. Position to whioh appointed. Date. previous position. R. S. Galbraith .. W. P. Marsh . . H. J. Lowe Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands, Invercargill Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands, Napier Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands, New Plymouth Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands, Blenheim Chief Draughtsman, Napier Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands, Dunedin Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands, Auckland Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands, North Auckland Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands, New Plymouth Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands, Gisborne Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands, Invercargill Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands, Blenheim Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands, Napier Chief Surveyor and Commissioner of Crown Lands, Nelson 1/11/23 1/11/23 1/11/23 J. Cook 11/12/23 V. I. Blake 1/4/23 K. M. Graham .. Chief Draughtsman, Wellington.. 1/11/23 J. Stevenson Chief Draughtsman, Hokitika .. 1/12/23 J. D. Thomson .. Chief Draughtsman, Auckland .. 1/12/23 N. C. Kensington Chief Draughtsman, Blenheim . . 1/8/23