C.-4.

acres, that have to be pegged on the ground to enable purchasers to get their boundaries for fencing purposes; but, in addition to these, there are 531 sections, equal to 34,627 acres, surveyed under the auspices of the late Provincial Government, and which from various causes have still to be plotted, and probably a great portion revised in the field; and there are in the Timaru District 30 sections, containing 4,155 acres, that have been returned by Mr. Wright as requiring revision. The preceding work must be done before certificates of title can be issued. I also estimate that there are on the Peninsula about 75,000 acres of old surveys that, sooner or later, will require revision to make the holdings agree with the titles; and, of the new work remaining to be done there, I hope to get a great portion completed this year, and I shall then be better able to report on the extent and nature of the revisions that I foresee will have to be undertaken. In the rest of the Canterbury District I think the old surveys will not require revision, except such as will take place from time to time as new surveys are put in hand, i.e., the subdivision of land under the Land Transfer Act. During the current year I purpose extending the minor triangulation into the back Waimakariri country, where there is some sectional work to be done, which, in the absence of the triangulation, cannot yet be undertaken. I also purpose surveying the sections purchased in the Mackenzie country, over which the triangulation was carried last season, and to survey other sectional work in various parts of the provincial district. The unsurveyed portion of Waimate Township will be subdivided into sections, and several reserves which it is in contemplation to subdivide into small allotments under the Village Settlement Act will also be surveyed. Retrospective. —The following is a summary of the work done during the four and a half years I have been in charge of the Canterbury branch : — Acres. Acres. Area over which standard-bearings have been established .. 4,967,000 ■ Minor triangulation, with topography .. .. 2,404,135 „ without „ .. .. 1,585,742 3,989,877 Sections. Acres Sections. Acres. New sectional surveys ..11,568 .. 1,378,497 Incorrect „ revised 873 .. 79,205 == 12,441 — 1,457,702 Old Canterbury surveys replotted from field notes, 3,153 sections, 324,457 acres; town allotments, 3,192; standard survey under the Land Transfer Act, 110 miles. As you must be aware, such large areas of survey necessitated a great deal of office-work and supervision to thoroughly check and record so many sections, prepare duplicate plans, and reduce to the various district and county maps. In preparing these under the present system, I have also had to reduce anew, from the large 10-chain roll-plans that were in the office when I took charge, about 1,572,000 acres plotted during the previous twenty years. The following is a resume of the office-work for the period under review : — Plans received from staff and contract surveyors, 755 large, 668 small 1,423 New block plans prepared in the Christchurch office .. .. 384 „ j, Timaru office .. .. .. 91 Crown-grant record plans constructed in Christchurch office .. 63 New county maps prepared .. .. ~ .. .. 3 Ditto, 3 duplicates traced for Wellington and 2 for Christchurch. New district plans compiled .. .. . . .. .. 38 Ditto, 11 traced for publication, and 39 for public office, Christchurch. District triangulation plans compiled .. .. .. .. 67 „ „ lithographed .. .. .. 48 Crown grants or certificates of title issued .. .. .. 6,469 Land Transfer Work. Plans received from licensed surveyors and checked, 446 = 15,242 allotments. Certificates of title issued, 8,437; plans, 16,874. John H. Baker, Chief Surveyor.

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