C.-1.

NELSON. Triangulation and Topography.—The work done this year was executed by Messrs Muir and Wilson and was for the special purpose of commanding sectional surveys made by them in the Motupiko and Buller Valleys. J Rural and. Suburban:—With the exception of the area returned by Mr. J. D. Thomson which was land applied for under Part 111. of "The Land Act, 1892" (situate chiefly in the Pelorus Sound), the surveys were executed for persons who had occupied areas within the Midland authoT_S T% . 4 T .£ST. ICenB6 ' and Wh ° W6re entitled " The Midland Authorised Area Band Settlement Act, 1900," to a more permanent tenure. Towns.— Thj j workof this class which has been done during the year consists in the survey of 133 sections on the reclaimed land at Westport, forty-nine sections at Omau Township, near Cape Foul wind and fifteen sections at Township of Birchfield, all done by Mr. Snodgrass, the whole of which will be put up to auction shortly. There were resurveys of portions of the Towns of Beefton Uulwer, and Hampden (now known by postal authorities as Murchison) respectively which had not been defined since the original magnetic surveys made years ago Mining Survey s.-T)mmg the past year there "has been very little of this class of work done in the district. The work during the past twelve months has been the survey of twenty-seven sections or claims and, with the exception of two which were done by staff surveyors, were executed by authorised surveyors they receiving the fees lodged in the Warden's Court. There are now a good many dredges at work in the district and the mean average produce of gold per week is about 26 oz which allows a margin of profit to be distributed amongst the shareholders to assist in repaying their outlay. The outlay upon a dredge is between £8,000 and £10 000 Road Surveys.-The roads traversed comprise chiefly portions of the main coach-road Belgrove to Eeefton, &c, situate in the Clarke, Hope, and Upper Buller Valleys, which had not formerly been surveyed. It was therefore found necessary to do so, in order to locate selections which have recently been taken up, and also to make our office maps complete Other Wor *--Under this heading the principal items are surveys in hand at the close of the year notably the Sherry and Slippery Valleys, in the Tadmor Survey District, whereabout 6 000 acres may be sectioned, the land being all fairly good. At the present time Mr. Sadd and staff are prospecting for a road through the block, so when that is fixed upon sections will be laid off to the best advantage, having the road as a frontage. Trigonometrical and to_nc.r_nl.jVal extension up the Matakitaki Valley Eoad, in Central Bullfr District, Z 1 the ectionizTng^fc ock between Mokihmui and Little Wanganui Elvers, are also in hand ; other items being the various inspections and reports for Land Board, inspection of surveys, roads, &c; also general expenditure connected with the district offices at Eeefton and Westport eapennicure Proposed Operations, 1902-3.-The completion of trigonometrical and topographical survey to connect between Murchison and the Maruia Plains, vid Matakitaki Valley, and also of road surveys whicn I estimated, say, forty miles. Of rural lands there are about 48,000 acres wh°ch it is proposed to cut up into suitable allotments for selection under the optional system' It is also proposed to open up a block of Crown lands of about 40,000 acres in the Totaranui'Survey District on the selection-before-survey system, and from what information I have been able to gather most of it is only suitable for sheep-farms, so would have to be taken up in large areas It will therefore be requisite to have the country classified, reserves made for forest conservation' and reserves for other public purposes, &c, and roads. ana Office-work-There has been a good deal of extra work thrown upon the office staff during the year in connection with the opening up of the Midland authorised area and the disposal.ofriands within same ; also searching titles and preparing plans, &_., for E.vers Commission, and the transfer o the Nelson portion of the Grey County to Westland, which entailed a great deal of copying of plans and documents; work o preparing index-maps for Valuation Department, tracings in con nection with the Ne son Harbour endowment, calculations of trig, stations to determine correct coast-line ; the collection of data for Year-book ; returns of timber lands, and other similar work tracings for sale-maps, besides about 430 miscellaneous tracings. ' W. G. Murray, Chief Surveyor.

MAELBOEOUGH. Minor Triangulation and Topography. -Under this heading Mr. Buckeridge has returned 511,400 acres of the Clarence Valley and Seaward Kaikouras. Mr. Carkeek 36 400 acres of the north-western portion of the district. The average cost of the whole was 142 dl.'per Rural and Suburban.—Seventy rural sections, embracing 75,873 acres, have been surveyed this year at an average cost of a little over lOd. per acre. This comparatively smTll price "s explained by the fact of the Waipapa Block being included. This block contains 54 542 acres and is subdivided into only nine runs. o_,o__ acres, Town Sections.-The only town sections surveyed this year are a few in the town of Kaikoura Native Land Court Surveys.-There was no work under this heading rvaujoura. Gold-mming Surveys.-Eleven claims, containing 844 acres, were surveyed during the year o_tTd?ptfr eyorS ' aQ C ° St ° f ab ° Ut ss ' 9d ' this ' however wfs paid" for Road Surveys.-Altogethex 32 miles of road surveys were returned in various parts of the district. The average cost was a little over £13 a mile. various parts oi tne Other Work.—The principal expenditure under this head was incurred in connection with the district office at Kaikoura, which was the headquarters of the surveys in that locality

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