C.-1a

12

Other Work. —The expenditure under this head amounts to £225 3s. 6d., including inspections, corrections to old Native surveys, small miscellaneous surveys, reports, explorations, &c. Chainage Closures. —The mean of all closures returned by the staff, comprised in 83 miles of traverses in rough bush country, gave an average of 0-87 of a link per mile. Office-work: Examination of Plans. —The total number of plans checked under all heads in the ordinary Survey Branch was 152, with 270 traverse sheets: these covered 252 sections, of a total area of 97,540 acres, and 28 miles 6 chains of roads and railways taken, and 5 miles 10 chains closed. Settlement surveys of Crown lands were represented by 7 plans, containing 10 subdivisions, of a total area of 1,135 acres; 30 plans defining 33 miles 16 chains of road and railways taken and closed; 81 Native Land Court plans of 74,402 acres in 167 sections ; 19 miscellaneous plans of 28 subdivisions, containing 2,633 acres ; 10 office compilations of 14,797 acres and 22 sections ; and 1 township plan of 4 acres in 12 sections. Land Transfer. —128 plans with 195 traverse sheets were checked and approved, covering 776 sections and subdivisions of an area of 11,407 acres. Titles. —The plans placed on instruments of title of all kinds were 2,006, and 273 copies of leases and licenses were prepared. Compilation. —For photo-lithography 12 drawings and tracings were prepared, and 9 new blocksheets and other record maps were made, besides special plans for the purpose of adding Fitzroy, the Hurworth Riding District, and St. Aubyn Town District to the Borough of New Plymouth. The return under the head of block-sheets is smaller than the previous years, and is getting into arrears owing to the want of draughtsmen to keep them up. Miscellaneous. —The usual demands made on the office staff were attended to, comprising the supplying of information to the general public ; tracings for Rangers (mostly improved-farm sections) and selectors ; data for staff and contract surveyors, Public Works and Railway Departments ; plans for Maori Land Boards and road proclamations ; information for local bodies and other Departments, &c. For the Valuer-General 142 tracings were prepared, and 211 for selectors, for Bangers, and for gazetting. All recording on block-sheets already made, road and Crown-grant record, reserve, index, land-tenure, and other maps has been kept well up to date. Native Land Court Work. —During the year 7 plans have been compiled and approved for Native Land Court purposes, covering an area of 10,637 acres ; 111 Court orders (in duplicate) were indorsed and forwarded, covering an area of 88,629 acres. The sum of £867 Bs. Id. has been collected from the owners and lessees of Native lands in payment for surveys, &c. The correspondence, greatlyowing to the fact that we have no resident Registrar or Judge, has resulted in over 920 letters being received and 1,500 sent out in this branch of the office. Other work of a routine nature has been carried out in the usual manner. Proposed Operations for 1912-13. —A staff of four permanent surveyors with one cadet and two temporary surveyors are at present engaged upon settlement work along the eastern and north-eastern boundaries of this district, and also upon the Mokau and Wanganui River scenic reserves. The total area to be covered by these operations amounts to 98,634 acres, of which 57,000 acres is almost completed in the field, leaving about 41,000 acres of new country, situated in the Mapara, Pahi, Rangi, Tangitu, Mahoe, Taurakawa, Omara, Momohaki, Taumatamahoe, Waro, and Mimi Survey Districts; while (in addition to the Native Land Court surveys) contracts are let for 2,482 acres in 50- and 25-acre lots for landless Natives in Upper Waitara Survey District; survey of scenic'reserves on Mokau and Wanganui Rivers (four contracts) and Wanganui River Trust lands, covering 5,000 acres. Transfers. —The late Mr. William Armstrong was appointed Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor here on the Ist April, 1911, and died on the 26th January, 1912, and I was promoted from Gisborne to succeed him in February. Mr. W. H. Skinner, Chief Draughtsman, was promoted to be Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor at Blenheim in September, 1911, and Mr. H. J. Lowe was promoted from Wellington to succeed him. In conclusion I desire to thank the officers generally, both field and office staff, for their active assistance and co-operation during the year. G. H. Bullard, Chief Surveyor. WELLINGTON. Surveys. —The close of this departmental year also marks the end of my personal connection with this district in various capacities which has extended over a period of forty years. 1 now leave it with a staff of six surveyors and an area of 40,000 acres for survey, which is all that remains of the several million acres surveyed during the above period under various Chief Surveyors. The total areas surveyed under all heads was 140,544 acres, and 26| miles of roads. Triangulation. —The areas under this heading are two only —the trigs governing the South Waimarino surveys of 40,000 acres above mentioned, and the chain of triangles governing the standard survey by Mr. Climie up the Hutt Valley to the Upper Hutt Township. Standard Surveys. —Mr. Climie's Hutt Valley work of 10 miles in length is the only finished work of this class, but Mr. Mountfort has been engaged throughout the year on the standard survey of Wanganui Borough, revising and extending it. Suburban extensions of the Wellington City standard through all the adjoining boroughs are much to be desired, and should be undertaken while the subdivisional ground marks are still available. Topographical Survey for Selection. —As it has been decided not to bring land into the market until fully surveyed, in order to avoid the difficulties encountered by earlier selectors in financing their clearings, and grassing operations, and in roading blocks, there is no new area returned, although some 5,000 acres might have been utilized in this way.