N.Z. INSTITUTE OF SURVEYORS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15486, 13 January 1916, Page 5

N.Z. INSTITUTE OF SURVEYORS.

1 ANNUAL MEETING. , The annual general meeting of the . New Zealand Institute of Surveyors t was held yesterday. Present: Mr Thomas Humphries (president), Messrs Preston , Chambers (Auckland), A. H. Bridge (Auckland), F. I. Ledger (Nelson), T. ( Learmont. (Westland), A. 3>. Dobsou (Christchurch), G. Mclntyre (Christchurch), G. Hanmer (Christchurch), A, ■ W. Newton (Christchurch), T. Mabeu (Christchurch), W. F. Robinson (Christ- > church), G. Slater (Christchurch), C. R Pollen (Christchurch), O. H. Bridge (Christchurch), and F. W. Freeman (Christchurch). The report of the Council stated thai in regard to a recommendation made a 1 the last annual general meeting, thai the Surveyors' Board be approached with a request that the ' examination 6hould in future be divided. into twe parts, elementary arid' !.a,uvariced, the matter had been gone ■ into, and the Surveyors' Board approached acoordingly. The Board had, however, made no pronouncement in the matter as yet. The losses to the Institute during the year amounted to three members bj death, and .one by resignation. Twentj i new members had "been-admitted-, making the roll at present 2G9 members, and seven students. The losses by death had been two very old members of the Institute—Messrs W. C. C. Spencei and G. A. Beere. The third death wa< that of one of the youngest members, Mr Wm. Do L. Willis, who was killed on the field of battle at Gallipoli. A 1 considerable amount of work had beer done during the year in the matter ol tenders for surveys for the Public Works Department. The Departmenl insisted upon calling for tenders for its work, a course of action strongly reprobated by the Council. Action in the matter was stimulated by a circu- | lar drawn up and distributed to all i local committees by the AucklancT com. I mittee. This circular, though growing in the first place out of tho grievance l aforesaid, went more into the general question of tho amelioration of conditions and the elevation of the status ol the' profession as a whole. Generally speaking, it had a favourable reception, and should result in good. So far as the original grievance was concerned, no redress had been obtained. In a 'verj plain and direct manner the position had been put before the Public Works Department by letter, and subsequentlj a deputation from the Council, strengthened by the addition of a representative of the Engineers' Institute, wait -ed upon the principal officials of the Department, but while courteously received, the deputation had been unable to effect a change in the procedure. The only concession that could be got waf a promise that the prices of the tenderers would be made known to anj tenderer who applied for them. Various small matters, such as the equalising of the price of protractor sheets and the request for more highly-trained officers as computers, had been successfully brought under the notice of the Department of Lands and Survey dur* ing the year. In accordance with Section 11 of the Surveyors' Institute and Board of Examiners Act, 1908, Messrs H- Sladden (Wellington) and J. C, Simmonds (Auckland) had been nominated by the Council to represent the Institute on the Board for the ensuing year., balance-sheet showed receipt® £557 10s 2d, a nd expenditure £289 lis 7d, leaving a balance of £26/ 18 s 7d. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Messrs H. Sladden and M. C. Smith, the retiring vice-president and hon treasurer, respectively, were re-elected, and Mr Hastings Bridge was elected to the Council. Mr T. Humphries moved: "That

Messrs James McKerrow and S. Percy | Smith. Fellows of the Institute, be granted life fellowships in recognition of their long and honourable connexion with the Institute, and' the many valuable services they have rendered to it and the profession generally." The motion was carried unanimously. A resolution, moved by Mr A. H. Bridges:—"That this annual meeting of members of the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors strongly urges the Council to, use every ondeavour to. further the improved' status for surveyors aimed at on the lines set forth in the circular sent out to the Council and local committees by the Auckland committee" — was provocative of some discussion, but was ultimately, carried unanimously.