SURVEY OPERATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 282, 21 August 1908, Page 8

SURVEY OPERATIONS.

ANNUAL REPORT.

The annual report on the survey, operations of the Department of Lands states that during tho year ended March last tho sectional survey of 279,547 acres of Crown lands had been completed, and mapped, the average area of sections being 185 acres. The cost, 2s. 2s. per acre, was considered reasonable. Nearly tho wholo of the land was in heavy forest country, and a considerable portion rough and outlying Tho Auckland district contributed 81,036 acros; Nelson, 42,736; Otago, Taranaki and Hawko's Bay, about 36,000 each; and the other five districts tho remainder. In addition, 4-1,297 acres in Nelson district and 25,G58 in Auckland district were prepared for selection as "unsurveyed land," in tho manner described in former reports.

"This method of throwing open land for settlement has advantages under special circumstances, but more generally it has its disadvantages," says tho report, "and apart from other reasons it is questionable whether the extra cost of from 10 to 20 per cent, in surveys is warranted; so, tho fact of tho amount of land prepared for selection under this system-being a yearly decreasing quantity—as instance, 244,093 acres in 1905-6, 200,515 acres in 1906-7, and 69,985 acros this year—is not to bo regretted. "Besides tho 279,547 acres of scctional work returned as completed during the year, an area of no less than 617,933 acros was, at its close, in tho hands of tho field staff for sectionising. Of this, tho field work is finished of 113,000 acres, and plans ivoll advanced; a further 115,500 acres of it is expected to bo comploted in two months' time, and an additional 101,500 acros in four months, thus reducing by more than one-half the largo area of'considerably over half a million acres now in tho hands of tho surveyors, and freeing a number of tbom to take up fresh work in tho spring. ACCUMULATION OP WORK.

"So much land had been thrown open for application as 'unsitrveyed' and selected during the past few years that, notwithstanding extra surveyors having boon put on to this particular work, it has been found impossible, until lately, to keep paco with it. The very largo accumulation of these selections. has been reduced during the past year, but at tho present time there aro still outstanding 321 applications, amounting to "0'i567 acres, though about two-thirds aro now under survey, and a considerablo number of them nearly completed. "A number of contracts wero given to hoensed surveyors, and it will be advisablo during the coming year to continuo this course to a greater extent, so that selectors may bo early put in possession. 1 Of town-section surveys, thcro havo been about 2000 acres in different districts subdivided into 1530 sections. Tho greater part some 1560 acres in 564 sections —was tho survey of the new townships of Rangitaua, Ohakuno, and Horopito, Extension, on tho Main North Trunk line, between Karioi and the Waimarino Plains.,

' NATIVE SURVEYS. "A total area of 220,061 acres has been surveyed into 570 blocks or subdivisions, the whole of which, with the exception of two " blocks of 4638 acres surveyed for the Maori Land Board, was Nativo Land Court survey. There is also in the hands of staff, in progress, an area of 98,189 acres of Native Land Court surveys, 102,028 acres for Maori Land Boards, 24,507 acres for tho Nativo Land Commission, and 20,000 acres for landless Natives in Southland: a grand total of 224,724 acres. SETTLEMENT SURVEYS IN HAND. "Tho principal classcs and extent of work actually in the hands of tho staff surveyors 3.11(1' ill progress at tho end of the year is summarised as follow: —Minor triangulation, 281 squaro miles; settlement, 617,933 acres: Nativo Land Court surveys, 95,189 acres; Maori Land Board, 102,028 acres: Nativo Commission, 24,500 acres. "Of the foregoing areas, tho Auckland staff has about 139,000 acres of settlement survej's in hand, besides Native surveys; and further work is anticipated in the openiii"--up of more lands for selection, both Crown purchases from Natives and others, also further requirements by tho Maori Land Boajds. ' In tho Napier district, in addition to tho work in progress—viz., somo 60,000 acres of settlement survey and a similar amount of Native ■ survey—tho principal new ,work will bo the subdivision for closer settlement of a_ number of small grazing-runs, tho leases of which will shortly bo expiring. ''The Taranaki staff has in hand nearly 100,000 acres of settlement, besides 20,000 acres of Native surveys', and will have, as new work, a largo area of Crown purchases from tho Natives in tho northern portion of tho district.

"111: tho Wellington District about 86,000 acres of settlement and 26,000 acres of Native survey aro in progress, and now settlement work will lie in tho South Waimarino Block,, where it is estimated there will eventually be nearly 100,000 acres available for settlement; so that there is mora than sufficient to keep tho present local staff fully engaged after the work at present in hand is completed." The Department is employing 'directly 73 surveyors, namely, 56 on tho staff, 13 temporary, and 4 on contract.

The Foxton Defence Rifle Club lias been disbanded. Another small fire occurred about 4 o'clock yesterday morning, two. semi-detached washhouses at tho rear of houses No. 230 and 232, Upper Willis Street, being damaged. Tho Federation of Labour, as approved by the recent Trades Councils' Confereuco held in Wellington, copies of the constitution of which have been submitted to tho trade unions of tho Dominion, is reports! to bo meeting with approval. Several letters from unions intimating the intention of joining the; Federation wero received at last night's meeting of tho Trades Council. At the meeting of tho Trades Council, held last evening, a letter was received from Mr. W. Forbes (who has announced himself as a candidate for Wellington South and an Independent Liberal in opposition to the Ward Government, asking tho Council, as tho body representing Labour, to refrain from putting forward any Labour candidate for that seat. Tho writer stated that ho had como from tho ranks, and had tho interests of Labour at heart. Tho letter was received without any action being taken.

The Christchurch Bootmakers' Federation has written to tho Wellington Trades Council drawing attention to tho enormous value of boots and shoos imported into tho Dominion, which tho letter stated amounted to £300,000 a year. The Federation asked tho Council to urge upon unionists tho necessity of purchasing New Zealand-made footwear only, and asked the Council to refer to a resolution passed by the recent Trades Council's Conference on tho matter, when tho resolutions were brought before tho Premier and tho Minister for Labour. Messrs. and Co., Ltd., havo an announcement, _in our advertising columns today, concerning a farm property of VDo acres near Pigeon Bush, Featherston, placed in their hands for private salo. Messrs. Snow and Co., of Palmerston North, state that they havo been authorised to dispose of some valuable property iu ono of the best towns in the Dominion. For details see advertisement in this issne. An entertainment in aid of tho Boys' Institute will tako placo in tho Concert Chamber, Town Hall, early next month. Vocal, instrumental,. humorous, and original items by leading amateurs will form tho first part. One of Mr. H. B. Bridgo's sketches, "The Women's Election Court Case of 2025, A.D.," complotiug the programme. An announcement of moro than ordinary interest to art collectors appears in our advertising columns to-day. Under instructions from an art collector, who is leaving Now Zealand, Messrs. T. Kennedy Macdonald, Ltd., will submit for salo 100 oil and water-colour paintings from tho brush of Mr. AV. G. Baker. Tho collection is said to includo some very striking subjects, and art connoisseurs will, no doubt, inspect tho various studies on Friday and .Saturday evenings, on which dates, between 7.30 and 9 p.m., special gaslight displays will bo nJ VoU i'o sa '° ' s for Slonday, August 21, at 2 E,m,