13

C.—la.

Gisborne Land District (E. H. Farnie, Chief Surveyor). Triangulation.—Minor : There has been nothing undertaken in this class of work during the year, but on the completion of the secondary work the revision and extension of the minor should be put in hand, as it is urgently required to enable traverse work to be checked to accord with the limit of error now required. Subsidiary : 9 square miles were executed in connection with the RuakituriWaimana Road survey. Standard Traverses. —There has been nothing done under this heading, but the roads intersecting the Poverty Bay flats should be undertaken when there is a surveyor available for the work. Rural and Suburban. —During the year 12,395 acres of rural land were surveyed, comprising seven sections; re-subdivisions of Small Grazing-runs 37 and 38. Native Land Court Surveys. —Under the above heading 15,582 acres, comprising 363 subdivisions, were surveyed by staff and contract surveyors, at a cost of 2-16s. per acre. Work in Progress.—The subdivision of Small Grazing-runs 37 and 38, comprising 11,850 acres, has been completed. The Te Wera Estate, recently purchased by the Crown, comprising 10,000 acres, is at present being subdivided, and the field-work is expected to be completed about the middle of May. The subdivision of Tapuwaeroa 2al Block, comprising an area 2,402 acres, will be completed during the month, an area of approximately 800 acres being added to an adjoining holding. With regard to the Tuparoa consolidation, embracing (roughly) an area of 93,000 acres, in which the Crown has interests amounting to 7,000 acres, most of the exchanges have been completed, and an area of 3,647 acres has been surveyed and will be open for selection during the coming year. An area of 26,213 acres, including Native and Crown interests, have been dealt with under the consolidation scheme, and of which all field-work and most of the plans have been completed. Office-work. —Land Transfer Branch : During the year 61 new plans were received for examination, and 59 were approved, containing 236 lots, of an area of 10,972| acres ; 102 traverse sheets were examined, and 1,462 diagrams endorsed on certificates of title, and 68 leases and Proclamations were examined. Native Land Court plans ; During the year 41 plans were received and 51 approved, comprising 263 subdivisions, of a total area of 32,441. acres ; 10 plans were compiled in the office ; 71 traverse sheets were examined; 666 diagrams endorsed on Court orders; 26 authorities were issued to surveyors, 2 staff surveyors and 24 contract surveyors ; and 38 certificates of costs were issued. Statutory plans : During the year 27 plans were approved, representing 28 miles 16 chains of road, and 2 lots representing 4 acres ; 50 traverse sheets were examined. Three of the above plans were compiled in the office. Crown plans : Under this heading 7 plans were examined and approved, comprising 10 lots, with an area of 12,385 acres. Ten traverse sheets were examined and 2 plans were compiled in the office. Record maps : During the year 30 maps on 20-chain scale were prepared, and 7 on the 10-chain scale. Miscellaneous tracings : During the year 259 tracings were prepared for the Valuation Department, gazetting purposes, reports, surveyors' field data, and Native Land Court; 32 sun-prints were made, and 24 plans and 52 lithos mounted. Lithographic plans : A lithographic plan of the Borough of Opotiki was prepared and forwarded for printing. Lithographic plans for the Patutahi, Hangaroa, and Tuahu Survey Districts have been completed. Transfers, &c.—Mr. E. W. Pickford, of the draughting staff, exchanged positions with Mr. G. Raillton, of the Dunedin office. In conclusion, I desire to thank the staff, both field and office, for their able assistance, willingly rendered, in carrying out the work of the Department during the past year. Hawke's Bay Land District (J. D. Thomson, Chief Surveyor). Standard Surveys. —It was hoped that during the year it might have been possible to carrv out additional standard work in the Boroughs of Dannevirke and Hastings. Great care is being taken in watching the operations of the local bodies in raising street-levels, and the consequent effect on standard blocks. A number of blocks in the Borough of Napier have been raised and generally adjusted and reconditioned during the year. This work was carried out by Mr. Refardt, of Head Office. Standard Blocks 26 and 27 in the Borough of Wairoa were reinstated, and standard points on the Napier-Hastings Road were relocated prior to road-construction work being put in hand. Topographical Survey for Schemes of Subdivision. —Under this heading is an area of 7,850 acres, at a cost of 10-Bd. per acre. The work was very carefully done and plotted down, and will be found useful for future reference. The area is made up of the Waimarama, Pukekura, and Te Awa-o-Totara Blocks. Rural. —Under this heading is an area of 5,558 acres, at a cost of 0-9s. per acre. The principal block is the Herehcretau Block of Crown lands, between Wairoa and Waikokopu, and consists of about 2,784 acres. The remaining areas consists of a resubdivision on Beattie Settlement, and three sections in central Hawke's Bay. Native Land Court Surveys. —Under this heading there is an area of 2,917 acres, carried out at a cost of 4-2s. per acre. The areas are principally located in the more settled Native lands, and the subdivisions are of small blocks and of an intense nature. Roads. —There is only one item, of 82 chains, at a cost of £23 4s. per mile. This was an additional access road to the Hereheretau Block referred to under the heading of " Rural."