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Rural Surveys. —An area of 37,501 acres was completed by staff surveyors at a cost of £1,388 19s. 7d., or an average cost of 8 - Bd. per acre. This included an area of 26,990 acres of Crown land surveyed for State afforestation purposes. Village and Suburban. —An area of 262 acres was subdivided during the year, comprising 24 sections scattered in different parts of the district, at a cost of £268 14s. 2d., being an average cost of £1 os. 6d. per section. Town-section Surveys. —There were 221 town sections surveyed, including redefinition of absentee sections in Pirongia. This comprised an area of 204 acres, at a cost of £96! 4s. 6d., being an average cost of £4 14s. 2(1. per acre. Native-land Surveys,—An area of 75,528 acres was surveyed, comprising 333 subdivisions. With the exception of three surveys, containing ,3,826 acres, carried out by staff surveyors, the above surveys were carried, out by contract surveyors at schedule rates. The total cost was £6,663 Bs. lid., being an average cost of Is. 9-2 d. per acre. Roads. —A total length of 55 miles of roads was surveyed during the year at a cost of £1,161 Bs. Id., being at a rate of £21-1 per mile. Seventeen miles of this work were deviations carried out for the Public Works Department, and 11 miles in connection with the Hauraki Plains for the Drainage Branch. Other Work. —A large proportion of this comprises miscellaneous surveys and engineering-work on the Hauraki Plains for the Land Drainage. -Branch, costing £502 18s. 4d. The balance comprises various inspections, reports, and varied surveys that were necessary. The whole cost of other work was £1,109 9=t. 4d, Lake. Taupo Fisheries Reserves Surveys. —This survey, carried out for the Internal Affairs Department, was continued during the year, and is now nearing completion. The main work has been the traversing of rivers that flow into Lake Taupo, and marking the fishing reserves along these same rivers ; also a special survey of Tongariro River. The yearly cost of this work was £1,391 14s. 4d., and the total cost to date is" £1,773 Bs. 7d. Traverse Closures. ■■--The mean traverse closures for the past year as supplied by staff surveyors show an error of 0-22 links per mile on the meridian and (>33 links per mile on the perpendicular. Office and General Work. —Land Transfer Branch : A total of 216 plans were received for examination, and 224 were examined and approved ; 1,501 deeds and other instruments were prepared, and 2,233 diagrams from plans were placed, on certificates of title. The accumulation of unchecked, plans has been cleared off, and the plans on hand at present only represent a normal, number. An extra staff is put on to this work immediately it shows signs of becoming in arrears. Native Branch : A total of 119 plans were received for examination, and. 125 plans were examined and approved.; 36 plans were compiled, 361 survey accounts were checked, 812 Court orders endorsed, 142 tracings made, 43 sun-prints, 78 authorities issued for surveys, 15 caveats lodged, 18 ohargingorders obtained, and 6 Native Land Courts attended. Among the plans compiled were certified copies of the original Native Land Court plans of the towns of Otorohanga, Te Kutti. and Tauinarunui for the Land Transfer Department, as deposited plans. Crown Lands Branch : In this branch 150 plans were received for examination and approval, and 162 plans were examined and approved. Plans compiled total 58 ; 107 sale plans were prepared, 989 tracings made, 253 plans recorded, 137 Proclamations entered, 185 chain-lengths tested, 1,042 diagrams placed on titles, 14 scheme plans dealt with. Maps were completed of Rotorua and Hamilton for standard publication, and a map of Tauranga Borough was also sent forward for publication. The Waikato County map was revised and completed. Seventeen plane table sheets were prepared, comprised in the topographical surveys of Rotorua and Ngaruawahia ; 35 survey blocks were completed on the 20-chain record maps. Proposed Operations, 1928-29. —One surveyor and one assistant will be employed on topographical surveys in the Rotorua County, and the completion of the area for the Defence Department at Ngaruawahia. I anticipate that the open land in the Rotorua County will be completed during the coming year. One surveyor will be employed on the Hauraki Plains on miscellaneous and rural surveys, levels, and engineering work. One surveyor will be employed in Taupo District, in completing the Taupo fisheries, scenic reserves, roads, and township surveys that are necessary. Three surveyors will be employed on miscellaneous work, comprising school-sites, road-deviations, new roads, railway, land plan surveys, and rural settlement, and Land Transfer and inspectional surveys. There is a large amount of the above class of work required in this district. Contract surveyors have in hand the survey of 12,000 acres of Native land. There were no changes of any importance in the office staff to record. As referred to in my last year's report, it is noted that a large proportion of the expenditureincurred by the field staff in work for other Departments, local bodies, and the Board of Education is recoverable. In conclusion, I wish to place on record my appreciation of the manner in which the officers of this Department have carried out their duties during the past year. Gisbdbne Land District (B. H. Fabnie, Chief Surveyor). Minor Triangulation. —There has been nothing undertaken in this class of work during the year, but now that the secondary work in the district has been completed the minor should be put in hand, as it is urgently required to enable traverse-work to be checked to accord with the limit of error now required. Standard Traverse. —There has been nothing done under this heading, but the main roads in the Poverty Bay flats should be undertaken, as all the centre-marks are being disturbed through tarsealing the main roads.