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1920. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. SURVEYS (ANNUAL REPORT ON).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

CONTENTS. General Report:— i'agb PAaE Principal Survey-work performed during the Year, Appendix I.- —Report by W. T. Neill, Chief Inspecwith Tables A and B .. . . .. 1 tor of Surveys ■ — Minor Triangula! ion .. .. .. ..2 Tri angulation .. .. .. ..8 Topographical, for Selection .. .. .. 2 Standard Surveys (illustrated) .. .. 10 Settlement Surveys .. . . . . . . 2 Tidal Survey .. .. .. .. 12 Native Surveys .. . . .. .. 2 Magnetic Survey and Observatory .. .. 15 Gold-mining Surveys .. .. ..2 Topographical Survey .. .. ..16 Coal-mining Survoys .. .. .. .. 2 Office Appliances .. .. . . 16 Major Tri angulation .. .. .. . . 3 Appendix ll.—Report by H. F. Skey, B.Sc, Director Standard Surveys .. .. .. ..3 of Magnetic Observatory .. .. ..17 Topographical Survey .. .. . . 3 Vector Diagrams .. .. .. At end. Inspections .. .. . . .. . . 3 Monthly and Annual Curvos of the Magnetic DcclinaTidal Survey .. .. .. ..3 tion .. .. .. .. At end. Magnetic Observatory .. . . .. 3 Monthly and Annual Curves of the Horizontal Proposed Operations for 1920-21 .. .. 3 Magnetic Force .. .. .. At end. Head Office Draughting Branch .. . . 4 Table of Hourly Values of the Magnetic Declination Draughtsmen's Examination .. .. . . 5 and the Horizontal Force (bound separately). Surveyors' Board .. .. .. .. 5 General .. .. .. .. .. 5

The Surveyor-General to the Hon. Minister of Lands. Sir— Wellington, 14th July, 1920. I have the honour to present herewith the report on survey operations for the year ended 31st March, 1920. I have, &c, T. N. Brodrick, Surveyor-General. Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands.

REPORT. There has been a steady increase in the volume of work handled by the Department during the year under report, as shown in the attached tables, which give a concise summary of the work completed. Full details are contained in the reports supplied by the Chief Surveyors, which are filed as departmental records. Under the heading of " Rural Surveys," in Table B, an area of 613,810 acres is shown as completed work, consisting largely of land for soldier settlement. The area for last year was 302,369 acres, or less than one-half. The area of Native lands surveyed shows a decrease from 241,927 acres to 122,248 acres. The cost of rural surveys is Is. per acre for the current year, against Is. 6d. per acre last year. This apparent decrease is due to the large areas of pastoral land in Canterbury and Otago included in the total. Leaving out those pastoral areas, the average cost per acre of rural surveys has advanced from. Is. 6d. to 2s. per acre. The cost per acre of Native surveys has also advanced from Is. 7d. last year to 2s. 4d. These figures show that the work is being done at a reasonable and satisfactory price as compared with the increase in the cost of all classes of work at the present time.

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