C—l

X

Court. The work for the most part consisted of the subdivision of blocks which had previously passed the Court, and which had been the subject of division orders by the Court. During the year the Native surveys have made some advance in the East Cape country, north of the Waiapu Biver, where, hitherto, there has been for many years past a disinclination on the part of the Maoris to deal with their lands; but this appears to be changing, and there is, therefore, a probability of this country being available for settlement before very long. Connected with Native surveys is the subject of providing lands for landless Maoris in the South Island. Some progress has been made in the district of Marlborough by surveying blocks in the Sounds County, and providing small allotments on which the Maoris can settle. The total area surveyed is 2,837 acres, much of which is very rough forest country. A great deal remains to be done in this respect, but, so far, the arrangements have not advanced sufficiently to admit of starting the surveys, some of which, however, will come in during the ensuing season. In the meantime considerable areas are withheld from sale for this purpose. Gold and other Mining Surveys. This class of work, which consists in the definition of areas applied for under the Mines Act, shows a slight decrease on last year, and a large decrease on the figures of a few years ago. Nearly half the number of claims surveyed were in Otago, most of the others being in Auckland, or at Wilson's River, Southland. The totals are—9B claims, covering an area of 2,364 acres. Boad and Bailway Surveys, etc. Under this heading an increase is shown, the figures for 1892 being 333 miles, surveyed at a cost of £12 9s. 6d. a mile; 1893, 624 miles, at a cost of £13 9s. a mile ; and 1894, 662 miles, at a cost of £13 10s. a mile. This mileage is quite unconnected with the section surveys, in which the necessary roads are part of the work, but represents surveys made to exercise the rights reserved in grants or through Native territory where constructive works are going on, and includes in it engineering surveys made in order to furnish data for contracts. Allusion has already been made to the difficulty of providing roads in much of the country that is now being dealt with, which arises from the broken nature of the country. New Zealand, as a whole, may be termed a broken country, for it contains a larger proportion of such country than most of those colonised by the British nation, and hence the providing of road access to settlement lands is one of the greatest drawbacks to the rapid settlement of the country ; and proportionate to the area settled the expense is much larger, probably, than in any other of the colonies where similar operations are going on. Miscellaneous Work. The cost of the miscellaneous work performed by the Survey Department is £9,683. It includes all kinds of surveys, &c, which do not come under the headings in the tables, such as inspections of survey's in the field, various reports by the field officers, explorations, etc. In some cases during the last year inspection of surveys in the field has proved the necessity of it, for the work was found not to be up to the standard required, and necessitated revision. The time of the Chief Surveyors is now so much occupied by their other duties in connection with land matters, roadworks, &c, that personal inspection in the field by them is difficult of accomplishment, though the necessity for it occasionally is very obvious. In two of the larger districts officers are specially detailed for this work, which is done in connection with other duties they perform.

EOADS AND BEIDGES. When it is considered that there are 516 different constructive works, consisting of roads, bridges, clearing, &c, involving an expenditure for the past period of £176,370, under the charge of the Lands and Survey Department, it is obvious that there is a great deal of work connected with the same. The larger portion of this sum has been expended under the direct control of the departmental officers, whilst, in other cases, the aid of the local authorities has been availed of in carrying out the works; but in all these latter eases the plans and specifications have been passed by the Chief Surveyors prior to contracts being undertaken. The correspondence and account-keeping at the Head Office alone in connection with these works is enormous, and to it has to be added that conducted by the local officers, bringing up the total to a very considerable expenditure, and necessitating the employment of a number of officers. The tables appended hereto, and the reports of local officers, show in detail the expenditure and the work done, which is summarised in the statements below. During the year, a large proportion of the road-works have been executed by co-operative contracts, which have absorbed a considerable number of men, as illustrated by the following table, the numbers being the average for each month : — 1893. April ... ... ... 522 men. 1893. October ... ... 1,161 men. May ... ... ... .637 „ November ... 1,065 „ June ... ... ... 753 „ December ... 1,113 „ July ... ... ... 893 „ 1894. January ... ... 896 „ August ... ... 1,094 „ February ... 1,045 „ September ... ... 1,102 „ March ... ... 920 „ The works carried on are summarised as follows:— Dray-roads constructed ... ... ... ... ... 296 miles. Dray-roads improved ... ... ... ... ... 223 „ Dray-roads maintained ... ... ... ... ... 1,215 „ Bridle-roads constructed ... ... ... ... ... 238 „ Bridle-roads improved ... ... ... .... ... 155 „ Bridle-roads maintained ... ... ... ... ... 405 „