SURVEYS IN HAWKE'S BAY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3486, 8 September 1882, Page 4

SURVEYS IN HAWKE'S BAY.

The annual report of the surveys of New Zealand has been laid on the table of the House of Eepresentatives. Mr Horace Baker reports, with reference to the Hawke's Bay district, as follows :—Trigonometrical Survey.—One party under Mr Hallett has been engaged for six months on minor triangulation and topographical survey of a tract of country on the coast line between "Kidnappers and Blackhead, and extending inland from 10 to 20 miles ; and so far very satisfactory progress has been made, the area finished and mapped being 99,170 acres, and the total area triangulated 162,210 acres; cost, £714 7s. Settlement or Section Surveys.—The areas which hare been marked off are completed at less cost than former years; the survey into sections of the Tikokino native reservo, on which Mr Rich was engaged, proved tiresome and difficult, the piece of work giving at least twice the surveying that a similar subdivision in a new country would occasion ; the total area of rural lands, section 77, is 191,441 acres, and the cost £1,475 6s 6d. Koads Surveys.— Here again Messrs Rich and Irvine complain that old surveys cause additional labor, and materially increase the cost of their work through the difficulty they experience in connection with traverses with boundaries of section and native blocks ; during the year 99 miles have been surveyed at a cost of £809 2s Gd. Land Transfer Survey.—A standard traverse of the town of Napier has been entrusted to Mr James Rochfort, in which satisfactory progress is being made ; the Borough Council contributes one-half the cost of survey. Bench marks have been laid down by Mr Hallett in the townships of Meanee, Taradale, Clivo, Hastings, and Havelock. Other inland places will be provided for as triangulations are ended. Tho area surveyed by licensed surveyors and examined by the draughtsmen is 10,406 acres, in 460 allotments, on 46 maps. Proposed Operations and Work on Hand, 1882-83.—Triangulation.—The trig. and topographical survey will bo continued by Mr Hallett over the Kidnappers, Oero, Waimarama, and Pourere districts, about 300,000 acres; Messrs Lang and Irvine, assistant surveyors, will carry on triangulations in connection with road surveys. Section Surveys.—The area in progress in the field is 19,321 acres, leaving 8033 acres on hand ; should tho upset price of Crown land be reduced to the market value there will probably be calls on the department for the survey of an additional 30,000 acres. Native Land Court Surveys.—The causes which were mentioned in last year's report as operating against the survey of native land 3 are still in existenco ; under those circumstances the only course to adopt is to leave them alone, as nothing the Survey Department can do is likely to move the opposing claimants into consenting to surveys. Roads.-* The mileage on hand for surreys is 145 miles, which covers pressing demands, but now cross or country roads are constantly being asked for by settlers.