C.—lA.

10

APPENDIX 11. SURVEYORS' BOARD. A principal event during the year was the completion and gazetting of new regulations for conduct of surveys, issued under the amendments to tho Surveyors' Institute and Board of Examiners Act, under which tho Board cannot issue regulations for scientific and fundamental surveys, but for land-transfer and ordinary surveys only. Draft regulations for the conduct of examinations were also forwarded to Australia for the consideration of the reciprocating Boards. Examinations were held as usual in September, 1923, and March, 1924. At the former forty-two candidates sat and seven passed.; at the latter thirty-one sat and eight passed. The Board has taken action during the year to obtain the amendment of the Matriculation Examination to render it more suitable to the needs of survey candidates. Mr. Preston Chambers, a member of the Board for a number of years, resigned at the end of the year for business reasons, and Mr. A. H. Bogle, on the nomination of the Institute, was appointed in his place. Otherwise the personnel of the Board remains as formerly. Tho business of the Board has noticeably increased in the last two years. W. T. Neill, Chairman. M. Crompton-Smith, Secretary.

APPENDIX 111. MAGNETIC OBSERVATORY, CHRISTCHURCH. Annual Report of the Director (Henry F. Skey, B.Sc). During tho year 1923 the work of the Observatory—magnetic, seismological, and meteorological— was continued as previously. The resulting moan values of the magnetic elements for Christchurch, determined from the hourly measurement of the magnetograms, are as follows : — Mean Value, Change since Change from 1923. 1922. 1921 to 1922. Magnetic declination (east) .. .. 17° 11-7' +3-4' +3-7' Magnetic horizontal force .. .. 0-22209 —08y —24y Magnetic inclination (south) .. .. 68° 12-0' +0-8' +0-9' Northerly component .. .. .. 0-21217 — 13y — 30? Easterly component .. .. .. 0-06566 +19y +16y Vertical component .. .. .. 0-55526 +19y —21y Total magnetic force .. .. .. 0-59803 -f-01y —14y These values are from measurements of the Eschenhagon magnetograms, standardized by observations at Christchurch Observatory Absolute house, as previously, observations of inclination being niado during the night—that is, at times when there is no tramway disturbance. Temperature-variation compensating-magnets arc in use on both the vertical- and horizontal-force Eschcnhagen variometers, and such comparison as has been possible with the Adie curves here has shown that temperature effects arc negligible, as the housing-chamber at Amberley is sufficiently insulated with sawdust to keep the temperature-range inside well within the degree centigrade. The usual diurnal vector diagram in the horizontal plane, and this year in the two principal vertical pianos (the latter of exceptional interest), and monthly and seasonal diurnal curves for D, H, and V are included in Volume I, Records of the Survey. Milne seismograph No. 16 has been kept in operation, A list of records and the usual meteorological observations at 9.30 a.m., N.Z.S.T., noon, and 5 p.m., have been made, as in previous years; these together with a few notes on peculiarities of the 24-hourly wave in the diurnal variation of D and of H for 1922 are included in Volume I, Records of the Survey. Acknowledgment is made of the receipt from numerous institutions throughout the world of their various publications. Acknowledgment is also due to my assistant, Mr. H. F. Baird, B.Sc, for valuable services during the year.

Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (775 copies, including maps), £33.

Authority :W.A. G. Skinner, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 924.

Price Is.]