a—4.

VIII

on this scale. Taken as a groundwork, and joined together as may be required, any of the numerous boundaries of Road Boards, property-tax, census, educational, electoral, or other administrative districts, can be shown on these sheets in a few minutes by a tint of colour. At first sight it might appear as though it Avould be better to print these boundaries—this is done in some instances—but, in the progress of a colony, boundaries are so subject to change that, as already stated, the important thing is to have an accurate groundwork on which to colour these changes as they arise. A beginning has been made in reducing the large amount of topographical information in possession of the department for the issue of a map of the colony brought up to date. Miscellaneous. During the past year the expenditure on work for other Departments of the Service has amounted to £10,522, consisting chiefly of Land Purchase blocks, Native Land Court surveys, Education surveys of reserves, Land Transfer checks, maps and surveys for Road Boards and County Councils, West Coast Commission surveys, census maps, railway surveys and road surveys, and explorations to open land for sale, property-tax plans, and other requisitions in connection with the administration of Government departments. ... . Future Operations—Departmental. The season begins with 600,000 acres of settlement survey, of which 281,000 acres are arrear surveys, and 319,000 acres preparatory to being offered for selection and sale. The requisitions for survey from Native Land Court and Native Land Purchase aggregate a total area of 1,000,000 acres. Of trigonometrical and topographical survey there is on hand, or about to be, an aggregate area of 2,052,480 acres. This work should be pushed on if for no other reason than to supply topographical maps of the country on a scale of 2 inches to 1 mile. The average cost is l|d. per acre. On these maps the main features of the country are delineated —the ridges, plains, river-systems, bush or clear lands, tracks in use, the best natural lines of future main roads, the altitudes of hills, valleys, passes, and other important points. The information thus brought together is invaluable in locating future settlements. Without it there really can be no intelligent administration of the Crown lands, for unsurveyed, unmapped territory is so much blank space. There are many millions of acres in the colony awaiting topographical survey. In the increased demand for Native surveys, there is the hope and the opportunity of adding largely to a correct knowledge of the topography of the North Island. In the Middle Island there is an extensive area in the south-west, between the Sounds and the Waiau River, a terra incognita, over which it has long been felt desirable to extend a reconnaissance survey. It may not be possible to do so this season, seeing that there will be unusual demands on the survey branches in Otago and Southland in the subdivision of Runs, but it should not be much longer delayed. The demands on the department through the various classes of survey are more than the present field-staff can meet within the time that the surveys should be completed. It will therefore be necessary, as heretofore, to call in assistance from the private authorized surveyors. The departmental staff within the last twelve months has been reduced by eleven surveyors and twelve draughtsmen. In view of the large amount of work awaiting disposal, and of road and other surveys which must, in terms of Acts, be done within given times, it will not be wise to proceed further in reduction of an efficient staff of trained surveyors, who, if once dispersed, it would be a work of much time and expense to gather together the like again. I havej &c, James McKehrow, The Hon. W. Rolleston, Minister of Lands. Surveyor-General,