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NEW ZEALAND SURVEY BOARD The Survey Board conducted two examinations for the qualification of land surveyors during the year, the results being :

The number of pupils registered during the year was — Lands and Survey Department .. .. .. 5 Private surveyors .. .. .. .. .. 31 Totals .. .. .. .. .. .. 36

There was a larger number of final passes (18) this year than there has been since 1930. The majority of the students that were absent with the Armed Forces have now completed their training. The shortage of surveyors in the Dominion accounts for the increase in the number of pupils registered for training. It is probable that this shortage will be reduced to normal within the next few years as candidates qualify. MILITARY MAPPING CONFERENCE AND COMMONWEALTH SURVEY OFFICERS' CONFERENCE, LONDON, 1947 In July, 1947, I was instructed to attend a conference of the military mapping authorities of British Commonwealth Nations and the United States of America, which was held in London in September, 1947, under the auspices of the Geographic Section of the General Staff of the War Office. At the same time arrangements were made for me to attend the British Commonwealth Survey Officers' Conference, held in London concurrently with the Military Mapping Conference. I left New Zealand at the beginning of August, arriving in London in time to attend the Civil Conference, which commenced on 18th August. COMMONWEALTH SURVEY OFFICERS' CONFERENCE This Conference was attended by 150 delegates from the survey organizations of the British Commonwealth, British colonies, and United States of America. The majority of the heads of these organizations were present, thus affording delegates the opportunity of personal contact and discussions on technical subjects and modern developments in survey and mapping practice. At the Conference some forty papers on survey and mapping subjects were read and discussed and opportunities made available for delegates to visit such famous survey organizations as Ordnance Survey, Geographic Section of the General Staff, and the Hydrographic Survey of the Admiralty, as well as other allied scientific institutions and scientific-instrument-making firms. Special interest was evinced in a proposal for a basis of reciprocity in the training and qualification of surveyors throughout the British Commonwealth, which would eventually lead to uniformity of examination and methods and the interchange of personnel between the countries concerned. Such proposal will probably be discussed at the next conference of. the New-Zealand and Australian Survey Boards, which representatives of the British Commonwealth Nations will be invited to attend.

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— September, 1947. March, 1948. Totals. Number of candidates 76 72 148 Passed full examination 6 12 18 Obtained credits in subjects 56 51 107