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short duration, as he succumbed to his injuries on the 7th December last, a few days after the acoident. Mr. Grant was a very efficient officer, and, owing to his expert knowledge, hib promotion to a Chief Draughtsmanship was an undoubted lorn to the Head Office, where be hn<l rendered such effective service for bo many veare. Hβ was equally successful in his new position, and had ;i promising career before him. /' rnmot tons. Consequent on the untimely death of the Chief Surveyor, Mr. E. H. Wilmot, Chief Draughtsman at Bokitika, was promoted to Chief Surveyor of Southland, and Mr. 11. M. Skeet, District Surveyor at Taranaki, to Chief Draughtsman at Hokitika. Mr. R. T. Sadd, District Surveyor, nas promoted to the vacancy of Chief Draughtsman at Nelson, occasioned In- the lamented death of Mr. Grant. Retirement and Transfers. There have been no less than seven officers who have retired on the grounds of ill-health. The first to be mentioned is Mr. W. G. Murray! t' K ' Chief Surveyor of Nelson, a most estimable and capable officer, who has done valuable service, and had in tlie past a number of years of strenuous work anil rough, experience in the West Coast, which will remain as a monument to his industry and thoroughness in his profession. His enforced retirement, after thirty-nine and a half years' service, has caused general regret, all the more so on account of its being brought about through failing health. The other retirements from the same regrettable cause are Messrs. James Hay, Chief Draughtsman at Xapier ; G. A. Martin, District Surveyor; and J. M. Kemp, J. Rowley, W. F. Burgess, and T. F. Gooch, draughtsmen. Two other draughtsmen retired —Messrs. R. S. Mitchell and J. Jarman : also three Assistant Surveyors—Messrs. W. C. Wall and G. H. Davis, lately appointed Assistant Surveyors, who had completed their cadetship and passed the Surveyors' Board Examination, and Mr. J. Gillett, temporary Assistant Surveyor j besides Mr. J. A. Craig, a field cadet. In addition to the foregoing, two of our surveyors, Messrs. W. and D. M. Wilson, both of whom had been under the Chief Surveyors, and had been undertaking the control and supervision of road-works for the Roads Department, were transferred to thai Department. These retirements, Ac, mean a loss of seventeen officers of all grades. Appointments. Messrs. A. D. Newton, W. M. Atkinson, and X. L. Falkiner were appointed temporary istant Surveyors; also five draughtsmen—X. M. Ballantyne, G. B. Carnie, G. H. King, W. Lindsay, and P. Proctor : and cadets (either as draughting or field) —A. W. Craig, D. Nelson, A. A. Otterson, R. Enting, and F. H. Waters. Mr. W. D. B. Murray, Chief Draughtsman at the Head Office, reports as follows: — •During the past year 141 proposed township schemes, both Government and private, were submitted for the approval of His Excellency the Governor and Minister of Lands, under sections 17 and 18 of " The Land Act, 1902," an increase on the former year of forty-three. A considerable amount of work is involved in connection with these, as they have to be carefully examined, and in many instances have to be returned to surveyors to bring them into accord with the requirements of the Act and regulations. The number of tracings and other maps drawn during the year was 675, an increase of 355 on the former year. Over 700 maps were mounted by the office staff for office and outside requirements. In the fire at the Parliament Buildings the authenticated maps of the new electoral districts were destroyed ; consequently a new set —sixty-five—had to be prepared, which has been completed, and the maps forwarded to the Chief Electoral Officer. Descriptions were prepared in connection with 21 Bills for Parliament, and also 99 descriptions for lands to be taken by Proclamation or otherwise. Through the creation of four additional counties in the North Island, new county maps for the North Island have been prepared and issued. Maps were prepared for office record showing the National Endowment lands in their respective land and survey districts and blocks on scales of 4, 8, and 16 miles to an inch.