C.—lA.

(1) Printing Costs. Departmental map publication is restricted by two factors —first, the preparation of cadastral maps by district offices has been limited by the large increase in urgent routine work for other Departments ; and, second, the Printing Office, owing to the pressure of other work, cannot cope with any increased orders from the Department. Printing costs thus show a slight decrease on last year's figure of £1,234. The production of the Survey District map again shows a decrease, and, in this respect, owing to low stocks, it is essential that the production of this popular cadastral map be considerably increased. Taking into consideration the increased pressure of the work at the Printing Office, I wish to take this opportunity of thanking the Government Printer and his staff for their courtesy and assistance during the past year. (2) Map Sales and Credits. The sales and credits of lithographs as set out in Table 1b show an increase of £774 on last year's return which, set off against printing costs, gives a credit balance of £3,830. Royalty fees, which show an increase of £190, include the payment for the preparation of a special road map for a commercial firm. Table lc is an additional summarized return giving the details of the disposal of the various types of maps sold by the Department. Great use is made of the Survey District map as evidenced by the disposal of same. The handy size of the map makes it eminently suitable for illustration purposes. The 4-mile map series is becoming more popular, and with a revision, which is long overdue, could be adapted for other uses. (3) Lithographic Draughting. The map drawing in the Department has been practically at a standstill during the past year, due to the increase in land transactions of other Departments of State and the consequent need for increased staff, which has been recruited from the map-drawing staff. Bach year the Department is falling behind in this branch, the staff increases during the year being required to cope with the increased routine activity of the Department. Centennial Atlas.—ln June, 1937, the Department was approached by the National Historic Committee in respect to the preparation of an historic atlas of New Zealand to commemorate the Centennial of New Zealand in 1940. Definite instructions were received in September necessitating an increase in the Head Office draughting staff. For this purpose additional quarters were required to house the computing and aerial-mapping staff so that the atlas-draughting staff could be closely supervised. Quarters were obtained in Aitken Street, and the Head Office draughting-room reorganized to accommodate eight additional draughtsmen. The draughtsmen selected to undertake this work are as follows : Messrs. W. G. Harding (Head Office), C. T. Brown (Wellington), A. Jamieson (Auckland), J. R. Johansson (Dunedin), J. A. Hayward (Christchurch), C. R. Lyons (Christchurch), P. R. Malthus (Invercargill), C. R. Lane (Auckland), G. L. Redward (Napier). The Department is aiming to produce an atlas at least of as high standard as those produced by other countries, and as no such atlas of New Zealand has yet been published it is appropriate that such a publication should be a feature of the forthcoming Centennial celebrations. The contents of the atlas have been divided into two series, one containing historic and progress maps and the other a modern series. The historic section of the atlas will include maps showing South Pacific explorations, reproductions of Tasman's and Cook's charts, inland explorations, Antarctic explorations, and Maori maps. The progress of the Dominion will be illustrated in periods of approximately twenty-five years, depicting white settlement, population, changes in provincial and county divisions, communications, economic development, and vegetation. The modern series will include a map of New Zealand on a scale of 10 miles to an inch, covering eight sheets. This map, it is hoped, will be the main feature of the atlas. Other maps comprised in the modern section depict orography, geology, climatology, with a map of the world with New Zealand in the centre, and maps of New Zealand Dependencies. The whole work must be completed at as early a date as possible in order to allow the Printing Office time to complete the printing and binding before the opening of the Exhibition in November, 1939. Special Feature Maps. —For the year ending 31st March, 1938, the following special feature maps have been completed or are in the course of preparation by the Department. (1) Wellington City Street Map. —This map is almost completed, and will be useful to visitors to Wellington during the forthcoming Exhibition and celebrations. (2) Wellington City Area Motorist Street and One-day Tour Maps. —It is proposed to publish this map in two series, one of which has been completed. (3) Aviation Strip Maps. —The drawing of sheets 2 and 6 completed the series. Sheets 2 and 3 have been published, and it is anticipated that the complete series will be available for sale in the very near future. Pressure of work at the Printing Office has delayed the publication of the final sheets, which are now well in hand. (4) Soil Maps (Hawke's Bay). —The Napier District Office has supplied draughting assistance to the Soil Survey Division of the Scientific and Industrial Research Department for the preparation of map illustrating the soil surveys recently carried out in Hawke's Bay.

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