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Board op Examiners for Surveyors. Owing to the changes which have been made in the positions of Chief Surveyors during the past year it was found necessary to reconstitute the Board. The following is now the personnel of the Board : The Surveyor-General, the Assistant SurveyorGeneral, the Chief Surveyor of Wellington, the Chief Surveyor of Nelson, the Chief Surveyor of Hawke's Bay, and the Chief Surveyor of Christchurch. Six Board meetings were held, and fifty-six applications for certificates without examination or for permission to come up for examination were considered and disposed of. Consideration of these applications involves what is practically an initial examination by the Board, and considerably increases the work. Three examinations have been held, and nine candidates have been examined, some of them presenting themselves subsequently for examination in subjects they were previously unsuccessful in passing. Six of the nine candidates have succeeded in obtaining certificates. Five certificates have been granted "without examination," upon satisfactory evidence being placed before the Board of the professional experience and good character of applicants. Many of the applications are for certificates " without examination " under Eegulation 21, section 1, (c), which reads as follows : " (c) That he has practised as a surveyor or a surveyor's assistant in New Zealand for not less than eight years, possesses adequate practical knowledge and skill, and is familiar with the Survey Begulations : Provided that no application under this subclause (c) shall be granted after the Ist day of March, 1898." So varied are the experiences and abilities of these applicants that the necessary scrutiny into their cases involves considerable preliminary correspondence and very thorough consideration by the Board. The last clause, as quoted above, fixes a date after which no applications under this head can be considered by the Board. The following are the names of candidates who have passed or have had new certificates issued to them:—Under section 9: (a), Nil; (b), F. Carrington, T. Brook, B. B. Couston, S. Orbell. Under section 21 : (a), P. E. Cheal, L. C. Sladden ; (&) (new certificates), P. Chambers, J. Causley, G. G. Sandison. H. P. Hanify ; (c), A. C. Koch. EOAD-CONSTRUCTION. Of main roads and roads intended for wheeled traffic there have been constructed 517 miles and maintained 1,397 miles. Of roads at first intended for horse-traffic only there have been formed 468 miles, and 647 miles have been maintained fit for service. Eighty bridges, all over 30 ft. span, were built on these roads. Engineering surveys for construction only have been made over 521 miles in anticipation partly of further operations. The total cost of these works for the year is £221,886. The work performed is somewhat less than in the previous year, the decrease being at bridge building, construction of new dray-roads, and in the length of main roads maintained, while there was increased work done in the construction and maintenance of bridle-roads. Provincially distributed, the mileage of roads constructed and maintained and the cost are as follow :— Cost. Cost. Auckland ... 1,106-24 miles; £55,821 Marlborough... 48-05 miles; £3,857 Hawke's Bay 108-72 „ 6,900 Westland ... 141-30 „ 9,454 Taranaki ... 309-24 „ 38,548 Canterbury ... 133-78 „ 3,821 Wellington 725-33 „ 62,053 Otago ... 153-6 „ 17,651 Nelson ... 228-56 „ 11,945 Southland ... 75-03 „ 13,125 Included in this are 34 miles constructed and 220 miles maintained, at a cost of £11,453, on behalf of the Mines Department. The new roads constructed are: — Auckland ... ... 210-50 miles. Marlborough ... 31-25 miles. Hawke's Bay ... ... 35-40 „ Westland ... ... 3-76 „ Taranaki ... ... 118-64 „ , Canterbury ... ... 12-14 „ Wellington ... ... 134-63 „ I Otago ... ... 43-74 Nelson ... ... 18-56 „ \ Southland ... ... 4657 „ The maintenance of the principal main roads through country not served by railways has cost £24,969, and the balance of the amount expended, £196,917, was chiefly on the improvement of Crown lands or lands recently disposed of on the understanding that some of the roads were to be constructed. As in previous years co-operative contracts were let generally to small parties of settlers, many of whom worked on the roads or on felling the bush on their sections for about eight months of the year. The average wages earned are 6s. 3id. per day, the highest average being 10s. 6fd. and the lowest 4s. Bd. per day. Considerable advance has been made on the Awakino-Te Kuiti Eoad, which at the Slst March last was completed as a cart-road to 17 miles from the coast. After another 4 miles now in hand has been made all the settlers near the road will have cart-road access. The continuation of this road on to Te Kuiti is a matter of importance, for it will open up some very excellent land ; indeed, there should be within a few years, and so soon as the Native title is extinguished, a continuous belt of settlement all through from Mokau to Te Kuiti, or over 70 miles, On the main road —now called Ohura, formerly Stratford-Ongaruhe —considerable progress has been made at the south end, though not much at the north. Starting from Stratford there was, shortly after the 31st March, a good cart-road open to the Whangamomona Village site at 42 miles, whilst the line has been opened as a bridle-track through the Whangamomona Settlement up to Tahora-parae, or 54 miles from Stratford. Beyond that place the lines have been properly graded and fixed all the way to the Mangaroa Stream, at 83 miles from Stratford. From Mangaroa the

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