19

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Otago Land District (R. S. Galbraith, Chief Surveyor). Triangulation. —No further field-work has been done during the year. In 1924, Mr. A. L. H. Hay re-established some stations in Hawksbury and Moeraki which had been destroyed, but owing to his illness he was not able to complete his plans until last December. There is urgent need for the systematic revision of the triangulation throughout Otago. All the work with one or two exceptions is very old and not up to the present standard, and many stations have disappeared completely. Native Surveys. —The area under this head was 302 acres, consisting of Court partition orders for areas in Otakou and Waikouaiti Native Reserves. Settlement Surveys.—The total area dealt with was 12,094 acres. Mr. Phillipps has been engaged on the completion of the subdivision of the Bannockburn and Manuherikia Settlements, work left unfinished by the late Mr. Burton. Both these surveys were of an exceptionally intricate nature, and were correspondingly costly. Mr. Greig has completed the resubdivision of Wairuna and Clifton settlements, and is now completing the subdivision of the Tuapeka Commonage. Mr. Phillipps has been engaged upon the subdivision of 4,430 acres governed by the Last Chance irrigation scheme, in Fraser Survey District. Both surveyors have also dealt with a quantity of small spotting surveys. Mining. —All surveys of this class have been done by private surveyors under arrangement with the applicants. Roads. —Small road-deviation surveys were done by the staff to the extent of 10 miles. All other roadwork has been carried out by the various local bodies. Field Inspection. —Mr. Phillipps inspected Mr. Lilly's subdivision of an area in Block I, Leaning Rock. Office-work. —The members of the draughting staff have been steadily engaged during the year with their various duties, and the volume of work handled has been well up to the average. A total of 214 plans was examined and approved, of which 121 were Land Transfer ; 714 diagrams were placed on various instruments of title in addition to certificates of title; 3,114 diagrams made by the Land Transfer draughtsman's staff. The preparation of plans for plioto-litho has gone on steadily, 5 new plans being drawn, in addition to 6 revised ; 35 sale-poster plans were also made. The revision of the Land Transfer record maps, which were much out of date, is going on steadily, 15 being dealt with during the year ; and 2 new Crown-grant record maps were drawn to replace those worn out. The renewal of the Land Office maps is constantly going on, 8 fresh ones being prepared. A total of 1,105 working and other tracings were made, also 319 diagrams of land transactions for the Valuation Department, and 92 Land Transfer plans were traced for the same Department. The tracing of the Dunedin standard survey plans for counter use has been done as opportunity offered, 17 having been dealt with ; 2.1 Proclamation tracings and schedules in duplicate or triplicate also were made, as well as 30 working-plans. Maps mounted numbered 874, books bound 199, and forms printed 6,906. Proposed Operations for 1927-28.—Mr. T. G. Phillipps is at present engaged upon the repegging of the areas under the control of the Wanaka Domain Board at Pembroke. Upon the completion of this he will resume the First Chance irrigation scheme, and the subdivision of Runs 325 C and D, Bannockburn. Mr. D. M. Greig has in hand the subdivision of Tuapeka Commonage and the survey of Run 51 B. In the spring he will proceed with the survey of Run 17, Maruwenua, and some Native and spotting surveys. Personal. —Mr. A. J. Morrison, Senior Draughtsman, retired after forty years' service. He was a very good lithographic draughtsman of recognized ability, and most industrious and conscientious. He was always very willing to instruct the younger officers, and there are many of these in the service who owe their artistic style to the time and trouble Mr. Morrison expended on their instruction. Southland Land District (N. C. Kensington, Chief Surveyor). Rural. —452-91 acres were subdivided into 8 sections at a total cost of £158 19s. 6d., or 7-02s. per acre. Native Land Court Surveys.—Two Native Land Court surveys, having 13 allotments in all, and containing 436-63 acres, were carried out by private surveyors at an average cost of 4-18s. per acre. One of these was really suburban, the sections ranging up to 1-5 acres in area. Village and Suburban. —551-83 acres were subdivided into 35 sections at a total cost of £132 13s. 2d. or 4.815. per acre. In addition to the above, the Chief Draughtsman made a survey of a school reserve of 5 acres into 2 sections, no staff surveyor being available at the time. Town-section Surveys. —Seven sections were laid off in three surveys comprising ]-71 acres in the Towns of Invercargill, Gore, and Oraka. Roads and Railways.—4-27 miles of access roads and road-deviations were surveyed at an average cost of £28-1 per mile. Inspection Surveys. —The Chief Draughtsman made two inspections of private surveyors' work during the year. In one case the work was very satisfactory ; in the other the surveyor was called upon to do some repegging and make some small adjustments in his field-work. Traverse Closures. —A summary of some of the staff surveys carried out by Mr. Preston shows that 10-29 miles, controlled by 97 stations, closed on an average to 0-16 and 0-18 links per mile. The plans sent in by private surveyors also show closures well within the limit of error. Proposed, Operations in Field.—Messrs. Otwav and Preston to complete work scheduled as in hand. Office-work. —During the year ending 31st March, 1927, 99 Land Transfer plans, with a total area of 2,174 acres, and 43 Survey Office plans of various descriptions, totalling 15,769 acres, were examined and approved ; 255 diagrams were placed on Crown leases and other various documents ; 2,088