17

H.—27

aggregating 322,561 acres. You will therefore see that for the year under notice I have prepared 600 grants in excess of the preceding twelve months, and, as the plans and records are being brought into proper order, I hope soon to be able to report that the bulk of these arrears is worked oft". Land Teansfeb, Sueveys. Mr. C. W. Adams, geodesical surveyor, has been engaged in extending the standard traverse in the neighbourhood of Christchurch ; and the plans sent in show 39 miles 26 chains completed and 143 stone points fixed. The whole of the suburbs within a radius of three miles of Christchurch have been mapped ; and all new Land Transfer surveys of property can now, with little, if any, additional cost, be connected with permanent marks and surveyed on the true meridian. Mr. Maitland will shortly assist in this work, and I hope that, as the new circuits will not be so near town, I shall be able to report much better progress with these surveys, now urgently required if the Land Transfer work is to continue to be properly checked. Mr. Mouro, the officer in charge, reports that the Land Transfer surveys have been checked and the arrears not allowed to increase. As there has not been such a press of work as in the previous year, I, in September last, sent back one of the draughtsmen to Mr. (Shanks's room. The plans on the certificates have hitherto been placed on them by a contractor working outside the department; but as, owing to their diverse sizes, it is difficult to fix a regular price for the work ■ —about the quality of which the District Land Registrar has moreover lately complained—l think the time has arrived when it may be done within the office. The following is the work of this branch for the year: Plans deposited and checked, 103, equal to 3,696 allotments ; new subdivision plans made, 10 ; under " Public Works Act, 1876," railway plans checked, 18; certificates of title issued in duplicate, 2,095, equal to 4,190: and, in addition, 2,378 transfers received, 1,206 required checking; 286 applications, 286 required checking; 1,957 mortgages, 68 required checking; 82 leases, 21 required checking. Summary, 1879-80. Acres. Minor triangulation with topography ... ... ... ... 780,468 „ without „ ... ... ... ... 330,843 1,111,311 Sections or reserves surveyed ... ... ... ... ... 404,726 Old Canterbury surveys replotted ... ... ... ... 83,721 Office Woek. Plans received from staff and contractors ... ... ... ... 394 New block-sheets commenced ... ... ... ... ... 102 „ Crown-grant record-maps commenced ... ... ... 29 County maps prepared ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 District „ „ ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 „ tracings for Land Office ... ... ... ... ... 16 „ „ of triangulation for lithography ... ... ... 27 Crown grants prepared ... ... ... 1,918 Area ... 322,561 Land Transfer plans received ... ... 103 Allotments 3,696 „ certificates ... ... 2,095 Plans ... 4,190 PROPOSED OPERATIONS, 1880-81. Minor Teiangulation. Mr. Brodrick, who has nearly completed the Upper Ashley and Mount Thomas Districts, will' during the winter months, re-observe the Oxford' and part of the Mairaki Districts, so that the minor triaugulation may be connected throughout Canterbury; after which I purpose sending him to the Wilkin District to do as much of the Makaroa Valley triangulation as will be required to base the sectional work now to be done there. The only other minor triangulation urgently wanted is in the Coleridge and G-rasmere District, where I have sectional surveys to overtake. This I will probably try and get done by a staff surveyor if I can spare one from the sectional work. Sectional Stteyeys. The arrears of new work are now reduced to 252,034 acres, of which 45,384 are under contract, and if, say, 30,000 acres be let during the current year the staff will be able to overtake a large portion of the remainder. It must, however, be borne in mind that the most detached surveys have been left to the last, and much of the work remaining to be done is scattered about the most mountainous parts of the district, difficult of access, and entailing intricate road-traverses and trigonometrical connections. It will therefore take longer time to do, and will be proportionately more expensive than those I have returned during the past three years. I hope, however, during this year, to get a great portion of the estimated 30,000 acres of unplotted Canterbury surveys either completed from the existing field-notea or revised in the field when staff surveyors may be in the neighbourhood. Office Woek. 1 hope also that during the year I shall be able to record considerable progress in working up the arrears under this heading. It must, however, be remembered that lam not only reducing for. district, county, and other maps the work done since I took charge, but I am also reducing and compiling the plans of my predecessors' work, extending over a period of not less than twenty-six years, 4—H. 27.