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Proposed, Operations for 1926-27.—Staff surveyors have been authorized to survey 21,190 acres of rural land, 12-75 acres of town surveys, and 10-55 miles of road. Contract surveys on hand include 3,160 acres of Native land. Office-work will include drawing of survey district and borough maps, with their attendant record maps and block-sheets ; standard survey plans, and all mapping and calculations incidental to current work. General.—At the beginning of the year four staff surveyors were employed. In November Mr. King was transferred from the Auckland Lands Department to assist in the subdivision of the Orakei Block. The technical staff numbered thirty-six at the beginning of the year. Few changes have taken place during the past twelve months. Three cadets and one temporary officer joined the staff, one officer was transferred from the Internal Affairs Department, and one from the staff of the Auckland Lands Office. Two cadets resigned during the year, and a further loss to the Department's staff was suffered through the death of Mr. Mitchell in November last. The staff now numbers thirty-nine. Among the draughtsmen the standard of draughting has improved very much, so much so that at the last Draughtsmen's Examination one candidate, Mr. T. J. Lowndes, obtained a complete firstclass, and Mr. R. P. Fletcher a partial first-class certificate, while Messrs. K. H. Melvin and A. 0. Woodall each obtained a second-class certificate. Miss E. M. Simmonds also obtained a second-class computer's certificate. Several draughtsmen have again entered for the examination,, and in consequence arc showing great interest in their work, the quality of which is rapidly improving. At the present time five draughtsmen are occupied in compiling and drawing for photolithographic reproduction, while the majority of the remainder as opportunity offers are engaged in assisting with the blocksheets and record maps. It is therefore hoped that this year will see an increase in the production of standard publications. It will be noted that scheme plans again show a slight increase, this year's number being a record. Auckland Land District (K. M. Graham, Chief Surveyor). Topographical Surveys.—-For the past year one surveyor and two assistants have had in hand the topographical survey of Rotorua County, an area of about 1,100 square miles. Returns at the 31st March, 1926, show an area of 497-71 square miles completed at a cost of £3,029 ss. 6d. Together with the topographical survey is included the work of determining the heights of the various lakes within the county. This work necessitated running about 160 miles of levels, at a cost of £870 13s. 5d., or £5-44 per mile. Permanent concrete bench-marks were set up at half-mile intervals along the lines of these levels. A topographical survey has also been completed over the reserves in Rotorua Borough, contour work being carried out at intervals of 20 ft. The cost of this work, which included an area of 600 acres, was 6'o2s. per acre. Rural. —Staff surveyors accounted for 3,428 acres at a cost of £898 Is. Bd., or 5-245. per acre. As most of the work was carried out in difficult country and consisted of more or less isolated sections, the cost would not appear to be excessive. Of the area surveyed most was located in the King-country and Tauranga districts, the remainder consisting (in the main) of areas to be set aside as scenic reserves, being in the Urewera district. Village and Suburban. —Very little work of this nature was undertaken during the year, the returns showing an area of 9 acres subdivided into sections at a cost of £2-56 per acre. Town Sections Survey.—Fourteen town sections were surveyed during the year at a cost of £111 12s. 5d., or £7-97 per section. In almost every instance these were isolated sections, and the cost of survey was considerably increased by reason of travelling and other expenses incidental to such jobs. Native Land Surveys.—Three staff surveyors accounted for 44,957 acres in fifty-four subdivisions, at a cost of £3,785 17s. 2d., or l'6Bs. per acre. Considering the difficult nature of the country this work compares very favourably with that carried out by contract surveyors, who accounted for 28,728 acres in 345 subdivisions at a cost of approximately £3,431, or 2-ss. per acre. Of the work carried out by staff surveyors, 26,031 acres was situated in the Urewera district, while the remainder, 18,926 acres, was in the Taumarunui County. Roads.—66f miles of roads, mostly Ahikereru, Ruatahuna, and Wharepapa Survey Districts, were surveyed by staff surveyors during the past year. Other work consisted mainly of small deviations, and in view of this the total average cost, which works out at £34-97 per mile, does not appear to be excessive. Work in Ahikereru Survey District was in connection with the main Ahikereru-Ruatahuna Road, and in Wharepapa Survey District to give access to Crown lands. Traverse Closures.—The mean traverse closures for the past year as supplied by staff surveyors on the annual return show an error of o'B2 links per mile on the perpendicular and 0-9 links per mile on the meridian. This would appear to be quite a satisfactory result for surveys of the nature of those carried out in the district during the year. Other Work. —A considerable expenditure is shown under this heading, chiefly by reason of the fact that part of the work carried out on the. Arapuni Lake contour survey and on Rotorua County topographical survey has been grouped under this heading. In connection with the Arapuni Lake survey, 20 miles of traverse and 20 miles of levels were run over exceedingly difficult country. The survey cost to date of this work is £731 17s. 10d., or £36-62 per mile. The survey was undertaken at the request of the Public Works Department, to determine the area of land to be submerged, and the total area of land to be taken in connection with the Arapuni hydro-electric scheme. In Rotorua County 160 miles of levels were run in order to fix the heights of the lakes within the country. Of this work the sum of £870 13s. sd. was expended, and the cost, £5-44 per mile,

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