NEW ZEALAND SURVEYORS

Evening Star, Issue 20671, 19 December 1930, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND SURVEYORS

1H FAVOUR OVERSEAS [SPECIAL TO THE ■ STAR.’] WELLINGTON, December 19. The high favour with which New Zealanders are regarded abroad has never been more strikingly apparent than in the ease of the demand for New Zealand surveyors. Whcrqas a few years ago only a. few adventurous souls' gained positions abroad, there is now a steady and predictable demand for New Zealanders with surveying qualifications, and this demand is largo enough to take the entire graduation list from the University of New Zealand. . The demand which lias arisen for New Zealanders lias been helped by the higo standard set by tho regulations drawn up for survey work by the Survey Board. It is a post-war creation, and tho countries concerned are the Malav States, British North Borneo, and Fiji. The latest addition to the list lias been Kenya Colony, which requested the recommendation of four surveyors this year, and which is expected to swell tho demand for New Zealand men. Indeed, since Kenya has entered the held there may not bo enough to go round. Tho striking thing is that New Zealanders receive preference over Australia in appointment by all the States mentioned. Discussing the matter today, a member of tho Survey Board stated that this was partly due to the higher standard of 1 work of tho New Zealanders, partly to the fact that they are considered by the various Governments to possess qualities of steadiness, reliability, and adaptability in a more marked degree, to be able to, uphold tho prestige of the white man, and to stand the climate better than Australians. Whatever tho reason, stated this officer, tho Survey Board, which investigates the merits ,of each graduate and recommends names to the various Governments at their request, has this vear received invitations to pass on more names than it has been able to obtain. This is a line and increasing avenue lor the young man with mathematical ability and strength of constitution for tropical work. The fact that there is such an outlet for New Zealand surveyors has prevented the situation in the . dominion from becoming acute, as otherwise it would have done. This is duo to the fact that surveying, like other lines of professional occupation, has been overdone. Surveying linns have taken on too many cadets and there has been a threat of a glutted mtlrket. However, the fortunate development of this link with other dominions and the fact that Now Zealanders have done so well in the service of all countries to which they have gone have helped to solve tho problem. Tho conditions of service for the young appointees arc very attractive. The boys appointed to the _ Malay States, for instance, receive £560 per annum and avo also given allowances of 10 per cent, of their salary. This salary increases to £BIO in their eighth vear and £1,120 in their sixteenth year, the allowance for married men being 20 per cent. The appointments arc for four vears’ duration, and at the end of that time, if the young surveyor has allowed his annual leave to accumulate, he may take eight 'mouths’ leave on full pay ami then leave the service. -If he renews the agreement, it is for a period of another four years. In addition, he obtains a pension for long service. Ho may retire at fifty years of age, and must retire at fifty-five, when ho is given a pension of I-12th of his salary pins l-60th for each year of service, calculated on the salary ho is drawing at the time of retirement. Thus, if an officer has served for twenty-five years and is drawing £1,120 per annum, his pension is £SGO per annum. Provision is made for widows and orphans by a lew of 1 per cent, on his salary. Far from being unpleasant, the climate is reported to he good, the average maximum temperature being POdeg and the average minimum 72deg.