15

C.—la

special searches, recording alterations to local bodies' boundaries, preparation of information for the issue of title to closed roads or other lands dealt with by Warrant, technical descriptions of lands to be reserved or exchanged or otherwise dealt with under the various statutes, the preparation of plans and documents, and the obtaining of consents in connection with legalizatios work undertaken by the Branch. Crown and Native. —50 Crown and 44 Native plans of 407 subdivisions, of a total area of 39,270 acres, were received, and 43 Crown and 56 Native plans of 437 subdivisions, of a total area of 48,270 acres, were approved. Office-work. —12 plans were compiled, 54 tracings prepared for photo-lithography, 852 diagrams were endorsed on Warrants, 700 diagrams on Crown leases, and 299 diagrams on Native Land Courtorders. In addition, the usual large amount of miscellaneous tracings, searching, recording, and general draughting was carried out. Marlborough Land District (P. R. Wilkinson, Chief Surveyor). Rural Surveys.—s74 acres are returned under this heading, surveyed at a cost of 2-13s. per acre. The area comprises several small surveys in various parts of the district. Village and Suburban. —30f acres are returned under this heading, comprising 7 small sections costing 19-ss. an acre to survey, the high price being due to heavy travelling-costs incurred in comparison with the small areas surveyed. Roads and Railways. —3| miles of road were surveyed, at a cost of £12 per mile. Rural Road Standard. —48| miles are returned under this heading, surveyed at a cost of £32-49 per mile. This amount includes the cost of carrying a line of levels connecting each standard block. Native Land Court Surveys. —A number of small surveys, comprising 16 subdivisions and 178 acres, were executed by staff and contract surveyors during the year, the average cost being at the rate of 8-635. per acre. With the exception of one area of 68 acres, these surveys comprise small areas of land within or adjacent to the Native villages. Other Work. —Under this heading are returned a number of miscellaneous survey operations, executed at a cost of £82 195., comprising 7 survey inspections, a road exploration, and other surveys of a like nature. Proposed Operations for 1929-30. —Mr. Clapperton will complete the standard road-surveys of the Nelson-Blenheim Main Highway, of which some 30 miles remain to be done. Several small Native-land surveys will be put in hand during the year, and there are some 5 miles of road-deviation surveys in the Inner Clarence Valley awaiting action. Some small scattered surveys will be executed by the office staff as circumstances permit. Office-work. —74 plans were received by the Survey Branch for check, of which 19 were Crown, 15 Native land, and 40 road and other Department surveys ; 21 diagrams were placed on leases, 22 on Native Land Court orders, and 11 on miscellaneous documents; 47 working-plans were prepared by the office staff, comprising a number of the standard road-survey plans ; 54 plans were copied, and 273 tracings made ; 1 sale plan was prepared and several original drawings brought up to date for photo-litho purposes ; and work was done in connection with the 20-chain road and Land Transfer record maps. Land Transfer Branch.—hi this district office this work is carried out in conjunction with the ordinary Survey Office work. During the year 42 plans, comprising 208 lots, aggregating 22,216 acres, were examined and approved, 1,204 diagrams were placed on certificates of title, and 441 deeds and other instruments examined and passed. Nelson Land District (A. F. Waters, Chief Surveyor). Rural Surveys.—The survey has been completed of a total area of 14,852 acres, which has been cut into 42 sections. The major work in this connection was that of the Brighton Block, to the south of Westport, the remainder being the cutting-out of odd areas to define applications in various parts of the land district. One small subdivisional survey of 15 acres was completed for the Native Land Court. Village and Suburban. —Only one section was marked off under this heading, and, as it was an isolated survey, involving fairly heavy travelling-expenses, the cost is rather high. It is impossible to avoid this under such circumstances, however. Town-section Survey. —An area of a little over 2 acres was cut into 6 building-lots in the City of Nelson. Roads. —A total length of 5-33 miles was completed under this heading. This work involved no new roads giving access to Crown lands, but comprised deviations required by the Public Works Department. Other Work. —Included under this heading are the laying-off of boat-shed sites on the shores of Lake Rotoiti, renewing old pegs, survey for the Police Department of the scene of a fatal collision on the main road, reference points for shifting of standard blocks, &c. Inspections. —Five inspections of Land Transfer surveys were carried out during the year. These showed that the general character of the work done by private surveyors was satisfactory, except that there was some laxity in regard to the ground-marking, to which the attention of the surveyors ■ concerned has been called. Office-work. —Land Transfer Branch : 105 plans, representing an aggregate area of 2,084 acres and showing 263 lots, were examined and approved ; 1,135 documents and titles were dealt with.