C—la,

12

Town Section Survey. —It was found necessary, for purposes of Midland Railway Company's and other titles, which had been pending for a number of years, and settlement of which was urgently required, to resurvey parts of the Town of Ahaura and the Township of Hatters Terrace. These surveys have been carefully executed and titles have issued. These resurveys have also been satisfactory as clearing up doubts consequent upon very old survey work, and defining absolutely the rights of occupiers, some of whose boundaries, as held, were very erroneous, and were absolutely necessary before we could tack on new settlement work to the town boundaries. Gold-mining, &c, Survey. —The number of plans sent in under this heading was 5, comprising special claim and coal leases (490 acres), in some cases payment for which was by special private arrangement with the applicants for the areas. Roads. —The length of roads located and surveyed amounts to nearly 60 miles, and in all cases this roading is through rough forest country. The above roading is wholly with a view to giving access to settlement lands. Other Work. —Under this heading various surveys have been executed, such as road-deviation, coastal features definition, repairs to trig, stations, surveys chargeable to the Land Transfer Assurance Fund, reconnaissance work in approximately defining timber areas held in the Arnold Valley, special reports and surveys upon bridge-sites, special roadworks at Runanga, the pegging of several scenic reserves which were being encroached upon by adjacent sawmillers, the traversing of portions of the Main South Road which had not previously been defined, and plans, reports, and inspections connected with constructive works on behalf of the Departments of Roads and Mines, as well as compass-surveys and special reports on lands for the information of the Land Board. Referring to the above works, all costs are duly recouped if incurred for other Departments. The amount recovered during the year equals £880 19s. Field Inspections, &c. —I have made 18 inspections of surveyors' camps, equipage, and field-work during the past year in every part of the district, and the results in all cases were satisfactory. Reports and diagrams of these inspections were'duly forwarded to Head Office at the time. The various settlement blocks were also visited, and the areas proposed to be subdivided and road routes suggested by the sectional surveyors were also personally inspected. We have experienced an undue period of wet weather, which has, to a great extent, retarded survey work. 5 As, however, the winter months generally comprise some of the finest weather during the season, it is the custom on this coast for survey parties to be continuously employed. This office, as before, has charge of the maintenance and construction of all the Government roads in Westland. Attached to this report is a'statement by Mr. District Surveyor Wilson upon certain construction works which were paid for by appropriations of the Lands and Survey Department. To Mr. Wilson's ability and attention is largely due their successful operation and completion. New Chain Standard. —The establishment of a new standard having become necessary, a suitable site was selected, and the terminal and intermediate blocks and brasses have been laid down, but owing to the recent unsuitable weather the final marking of the plates has not yet been accomplished. Proposed Operations, 1905-6. —The proposed survey work for next year will comprise the sectionizing of blocks for new settlement and the location of areas selected before survey, this latter work including areas taken up under the Regulations for the Occupation of Pastoral Lands in Westland. It will also probably be necessary to survey and cut out many of the scenic reserves, descriptions of which have been forwarded for approval, should our recommendations be adopted. Office-ivork. —Mr. T. M. Grant, Chief Draughtsman, whose cordial and skilful co-operation I desire to acknowledge, supplies the following items under this heading : The number of plans received was 102; of these 73 were examined and passed. The number of tabulation sheets completely checked in course of above work was 174. The plans passed during the year included 16 town and 10 rural Land Transfer surveys, 5 special claim and coal leases, and 42 staff surveyors' plans. The map of Grey County, on a 40-chain scale, for photo-lithographing was completed, and a stock of lithographs of same, on the one-mile scale, has now been received from the Head Office. There have been 1,443 plans put upon deeds during the year, this work practically taking up the time of one draughtsman. Thirteen plans for photo-lithographing have been drawn. Seven new application plans have been compiled, and the new Land Transfer record plans of Hokitika and Cobden Towns have been added to. Plans and descriptions of 137 general reserves for proclamation in the Gazette were prepared and forwarded. As heretofore, the whole of one draughtsman's time is occupied in the keeping of application maps up to date and the supply of survey data for private and staff surveyors. This last item, as affecting the Grey Valley, requires much search and careful adjustment, in all cases a provisional plan, showing the location of existing old pegs, having in the first place to be supplied by the surveyor and then carefully compared in this office with Crown grant boundaries. The office duties have, as in the previous year, been exceptionally heavy, and while current work has been kept up to date, there are still arrears which can only be taken up during very infrequent periods of leisure from more pressing requirements. G. J. Roberts, Chief Surveyor.

Reports on Constructive Works oarrikd out by the Lands and Survey Department, Westland, 1905-6. Vote 81, Item 41.— Kokalahi, Hokitika River, and Main Road Protective Works. —Cost for year, £1,303 ss. 8d. —This work was commenced last year to protect the main Kokatahi Road and settlers' holdings from encroachment by the Hokitika River. Two pile groins were constructed last year and 8 this year, using about 190 rimu piles. The groins have been faced with heavy timbers and protected from scour with scrub and wire fascines. Owing to the river in flood-time rising over both bank and