Institute of Surveyors.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8364, 27 February 1896, Page 3

Institute of Surveyors.

The seventh auuual meeting of the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors was held at the Pacific Hotel last evening, whßn the following were sent '.—Messrs J, Baber, senr., (Chairman), E, JV Adams, N. P. J. Hazard, Mountain, Hosting, Drunnnond, Newton, Wylde, and Ward (Sepretary and Treasurer.) ,Tho minutes were read and confirmed. ■ President's -Address.—TJib address of the President .(Hon. G, P. Riohardson), for the ensuing year was read by the Secretary (Mr Ward), as follows :— "I regret being unable to address you in person. During the past year an endeavour lias been made to pass an Actio incorporate the Institute. The Bill was again passed by the Legislative Council early last session, but Sir Robert Stout, who kindly took charge; of it in the Lower House, was unable to bring, it to the front for consideration. The nctjontakei) has, kept : tho subject alive, aj]4 jjiq fdnt that some of t||C AMtraliap cqloiiiea |iaye now passetj jnfQ law similar .Acts, slfould strengthen our hjmds; in again approaching the Legislature. The| next matter; in iinportance-the es- ; tablislnnent pfan Examining Board for the colony, to conduct. examinations on the broad lines suggested by the Conference in Melbourne in .189?, ha*, you will be pleased to. learn, been practically reached. The proposed, lilies for examinations has been adopted' by the Government (after being submitted confidentially .to the Council ol the Institute) and: we'learn from the Surveyor.Generul that tho names of the members of the Examining Board, and HlO reipi. lationa connected with such examinations , will shortly be gazetted. 1 The Institute willbe represented on the Examining Board. ■■■Both the'above matters when successfully carried through, will do much to improve the state of the profession, 'at the same time there is room for, a good text book on sur- ■ veying written up to date. The use of the steel band has revolutionised field practice, as now lineal measurements are obtainable ,with a greater degree ef accuracy than arc angular, and it would also be a boon to all ii r an improved stylo of keeping U) booko fflr the -scvpral classes of work, was welt fought out , might lw well if ft substantial prize was pffered in this direction. Of reccnV works ft prijte essay by Mr C. H. Knibhs of Sydney, on Cadastraj Surveys i fi well worth 'attention. Generally rhe sag(iess qf the Institute must' depend on the interest taken by members find by their meeting together and diseasing professional matters, and it would, I think,'be very deKimble if periodical meetings of local members could be arranged for in the chief centres, who would forward their rageestions to the Council. The inadequate remuneration for first-class work is a serious obstacle to the advance of tho profession .The, Government pay on an average about ft per wpejttpits sijfre'yqri!, and lif Its con- ' t.5 «tfjepneepave fequallylow; this give's HiP Py " ot ? t0 Jl' B PF»Pt the result Seine that qjost surveyors 'arc poor men, who aro ■often compelled to conWcr "ways and mesas rather tlianpcrfeption in field and office, This is not as it should be, and for which it is difficult to suggest a remedy So long, however, as the members of the Institute arc loyal to it and true to them, selves no difficulties can'ariso to prevent them maintaining the high character which New Zealand surveyors havo gained and uow hold in Australasia."*

Report.—The report of the Council of the Institute wis as follows :~ Council bau again, much pleasure in

1 ' — '•>.... submitting for your consideration the report and balance-sheet for the year. You will notice that the Institute has been eight years in existence', and that this is the seventh annual meeting! The most important event to chronicle is the setting up of a Hoard of Examiners to hold examinations twice a year in of March and .Soptemher, upon the lines laid down by tlio Conference of Surveyors held, in Melbourne. Thin may truly be said to mark an epoch in the history of surveying, and is tho result of years of persistent effort on the part, of your Council, and shows at least one benefit gained by combination. Thero is no doubt that had iiot the Conference been held at Melbourne, and bad

not your Council taken up the matter that some years would luive Htill to elapse before tho Board was reached. Another matter of vital importance to our profusion is the Surveyor's Bill, which your Council has also used every endeavour to yet passed. You are no doubt aware that this measure passed the Legislative Council for the second time last session, and also that it lias been read a second time in the House of Representatives. There is every reason to believe that 'it will yet bo passed into law, and in this connection you are urged to assist by all the means in your power, and more especially by interviewing; tho members of your district and obtaining their support. It will bo certainly a reproach upon our unity of ell'ort if we are not successful seeing that the Institute of Journalists succeeded in getting their Bill through the House last session. The subject of tho arrears of subscriptions and fixing for the future the annual subscription lias occupied also tho attention of your .Council. You doubtless are also aware that certain resolu-

tions wore passed in the beginning of last year, which, however, on further consideration wero found not to bo to your interests, and so were not brought before you officially, Tho eonolhsion finally arrived at is in your possession for you to vote upon, In this connection there aro two things to hear in mind i

(Ist.) To obtain enough subscriptions for tho year to pay tho expenses of tho year; ('Jnd) iiot to press unduly upou the resources of members by Axing a too high rate of subscription. Tlic amount of subscription of courso

largely depends upon the number of members. The moro members the less subscription. It is therefore directly to the interest of all members to increase the membership quite apart from tho general good thereby resulting. Council meetings (luring tho past year havo not been held so frequently as is desirable. This is largely due to the fu.fit.tHai surveyors nro, by the iiajureftf their business, compelled to, absent themselves from centres of pqpuliition and.so make periodical meetings difficult to bring about. Another effort will, however, he made during next year to hold more regular meetings. The editor of the .lovirunl reports tho difficulty, he ht\s. If, obtain papers froui members. This most useful publication «l|(\u]d not fail for want of support mid you aro asked to express an opiuion upon this matter. Endeavor to assist in making it moro popular. Perhaps if more space were allotted to correspondence more contributors would be uid\iped to. come for: ward, Over oO certificates qf members.hip huvo been issued duruig tho year, fli\d it is wel} that you should knqw ulltlie members who luivb paid lip their arrears are entitled fa have quo sent to them, failing which they should write tq the Secretary. The rate (if remuneration that i\qwobta|us fvu\(tt\YW<trij demands your most serjon,s nfinsldprqttou.. }'£, is a lamentable fact thai' notwithstanding the rough work and long.hours fow surveyors aclueyo competence by tho practice of their profession. Is this not a fact to bo deplored \ and can no remedy be applied P Is tho calling (profession it can hardly bo termed) o,f ft surveyor to bear no more results than u. baro subsistence and no provision for old ago? The low rate of pay in the Government service is partly fho causo of this. It is, however, more due to the want of cohesion amongst surveyors and to tho absence o| tsml da corps. Obviously, therefore, 'tho H.M step, to he taken is t{| luore closely combine for the common fjopd' without unduly interfering with individual liberty of action, to fix a minimum rate of pay for the dray's work belqw which no surveyor wUh any sejf respect pould step; fa make it thoroughly Understood from ouo end of the cqimtry to (he other, that where the services of a surveyop are Required this rato is to bo paid, u\\d so entirely abolish tho present cheapening, of surveyors by tho pi\bUQ. It entirely rests upon Qiirsclves to nso to tho occasion and for? ever take away the reproach east upon, our calling, yiz„ that a surveyor can be hived like a l|orse, ai)d worked like cjiic fov fodder, Without unity of purpose nothing can hedone. The first step in tins direction will ho made when you take into y«\\p most earnest consideration the best means of Improving tho existing Institute, The machlu* ery is ready for you, a little rusty perhaps for want of use. No one else but yourselves can lnuko it work. To work it to its full power requires the effort of all surveyors, all pulling tho samo way. The basis of this unity must he the loyal y of members towards each other; this implies also some self sacrifice for the common good."

$ CQRnRB.I'O^KNCE. —rThe balance-.sheet, cqpjes of which have been distributee! members was read, arid scpo routine correspondence was also put before the meeting,

New Members.—Messrs Malcolm MpNicpl and Wndsay Jackson, were elected members, and \fr Stuart 1%hijj an aasopiate member,

Officers.—The following officers were elected for the ensuing yoav;— Presidont, Hon. G. F, Riohardson j VicePresidents, Messrs H, A. Gordon, (Government Inspector of Mines), Messrs James Fulton, (Muiawatu Railway Company); members of Council: Messrs O'Donahoo, Bridge-, McKerros, Lord, Mason, Seaton; auditors, Messrs Carringfcon and Richmond. This was all the business of importance.