C.—lA.

Native-land Surveys.—An area of 794 acres of Native land was partitioned into two blocks at a cost of o'94s. per acre. The subdivision of a further area of 1,145 acres into sixteen blocks was carried out privately under the provisions of section 493 of the Native Land Act, 1931. The cost of this work is not available. Housing Surveys. —These surveys were confined to the pegging of house-sites at Gisborne and Opotiki and the layout of 58J chains of sewer line over the Gisborne housing block. Altogether an area of 9-5 acres was subdivided into forty-eight building-sites. Inspection Surveys. —One inspection survey was made during the year to adjust a reported inaccuracy in old work. No serious error could be established in the old work, and the reported inaccuracies appeared to be due to the unstable nature of the country. Office-work. The volume of office-work compares favourably with the previous year. Plans complied amounted to 40, and 97 diagrams were endorsed on Court orders and 47 on Crown leases. One hundred and seventeen valuation, 105 field data, and 208 general tracings were made. Fourteen record sheets were compiled. One survey-district map was drawn for photo-lithographic reproduction, and the original of the Auckland sheet 5 was revised. Thirty-eight plans, 21 tracings, and 72 lithos were mounted. Nine town-scheme plans covering an area of 15 acres 3 roods 37-06 perches subdivided into thirtythree allotments were examined and recommended for approval. No new roads were included in the proposals, as they were all resubdivisions of previous schemes. One plan set aside an area of 1 acre 2 roods 38 perches as a recreation reserve. Three sittings of the Native Land Court were attended. Staff. In June, Mr. P. B. Wright, Senior Draughtsman, was transferred to Auckland, and Mr. B. A. Anderson, of this office, was promoted to the position. The consequential vacancy was filled by the promotion and transfer in of Mr. N. J. Neal, of the Napier office. Mr. M. M. Bee was appointed to the staff as Draughting Cadet in April, and Mr. A. Boys as Draughting Assistant in September. I desire to place on record my appreciation of the manner in which all members of the staff have carried out their duties during the year.

HAWKE'S BAY LAND DISTRICT. (P. W. G. Barlow, Chief Surveyor.) Field Operations. The Survey field staff at present consists of two surveyors, Messrs. A. J. Wattie and D. B. Hopcroft. Mr. Elder, cadet, is attached to Mr. Wattie's party, and Mr. Eden, cadet, to Mr. Hopcroft's party. Triangulation Surveys. —Under this heading an area of approximately 100,000 acres was undertaken in the Pohui and Tarawera districts in order to control the road deviation surveys on the Napier-Taupo Main Highway. Standard Surveys. —No work under this heading has been carried out during the year other than maintenance of permanent marks. Rural Surveys. —The work returned under this heading comprises the resurvey of Forest Gate Settlement (6,680 acres), Lindsay Settlement (5,400 acres), Manga-a-toro Settlement (13,073 acres), part of Tangoio Settlement (2,637 acres), and Sections 4, 5, 6, and 7, Block XI, Waitara Survey District, containing 2,247 acres. The field-work of these blocks is completed, and the surveyors are proceeding with the balance of Hatuma (30,000 acres) and the balance of Argyll Settlement (19,795 acres). Town and Suburban Surveys. —The work under this heading comprises eleven sections of Mahora Settlement, totalling 389 acres, adjoining the Hastings Borough. This is a redefinition survey. Native-land Survey. —The work during the year under this heading consisted of the compilation of eight plans having twenty subdivisions and containing 988 acres. During the year six investigations were made in respect of appeals by Natives against the Crown. Three of these cases, Nuhaka No. 1, Mangaoparaka, and Mahia, have been heard. Fifty Court-order diagrams were drawn. Housing Surveys. —During the year under review small subdivisional surveys have been made by staff surveyors in the boroughs of Napier, Hastings, Dannevirke, Woodville, and Havelock North. In addition, subdivisional surveys were made by private surveyors in the boroughs of Waipawa and Wairoa. Field Inspections. —One statutory survey by a private surveyor was inspected and reported on by Mr. Hopcroft. The work was found to be satisfactory. Office-work. My office staff at present consists of a senior draughtsman, twelve draughtsmen, and two cadets. Of these, Mr. W. J. Burton is still on loan to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at Hastings. This staff has been fully employed during the past year on both reconstruction and routine work. There still remains a large amount of reconstruction work to be carried out.

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