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very largely, and what has been done is only a fraction of what would be wanted if the demands of the local bodies and settlers and others were complied with on all occasions. Survey Inspections. —On account of the Inspecting Surveyor, Mr. Langmuir, being employed on the standard survey of the City of Auckland, very few inspections have been made during the past year, the total number being only 20, and these were chiefly executed by Mr. H. D. M. llaszard, District Surveyor. Other inspections, however, . were made by Messrs. Blake, T. K. Thompson, Mitchell, and Davis. It is satisfactory to note that will) one or two exceptions flic work has been good and quite up to the standard of previous years. Closures of Traverses. —These, on the whole, are very satisfactory, and well within the limit of error allowed, arid are the work of 15 surveyors of over 331 miles of surveys, with a mean error per mile of 0835 of a link on meridian, 0716 on perpendicular. It is needles to say that our survey operations extend over all classes of country, varying from practically level to some of the very roughest in the Dominion, and on this account the result, to my mind, is highly creditable. Field Operations proposed for the Tear 1908—9. —The field-work will comprise about 126,081 acres of ordinary rural settlement work, 12,800 acres of lands-for-settlement surveys, 54,513 acres for the Tokerau Maori Land Board, 100,000 acres minor trig., 0,460 provisional, and 182 miles of road. There will also be areas in the Kawhia, Waitnnm. and Awakino Counties which will require to be subdivided this year, but I cannot vet give details, as the purchase of all the anas have not yet been finally completed. Office-work. —Mr. C. R. Pollen, Chief Draughtsman, reports that a total of 38.3 plans were examined. These include 119 settlement plans, covering an area of 158,380 acres in 624 sections; 38 Native Land Court plans of 143,856 acres, in 192 subdivisions; and 68 gold-mining leases, comprising 1,433 acres; also 91 residence sites and 7 prospecting licenses have been checked for the Warden ; 416 road-plans and tracings, covering a length of 10475 miles roads taken, and 36"5 miles closed have been examined : 188 tracings of roads prepared, and 55 mounted for officework ; 40 contract and gold-mining vouchers (trip.) were dealt with, and 159 certificates of costß for Native surveys were prepared; 1,397 tracings were prepared for selectors, surveyors, and others, averaging over 116 per month : 3,922 plans were placed on Crown grants and other instruments of title, including 380 quadruplicate, 756 triplicate, 62 duplicate, and 10 single copies; 256 Native Land Court orders were indorsed in duplicate: 5,300 lithos were printed, and an amount of £133 16s. sd. collected in search fees, sale of lithos, &c. : an amount of .£76 os. 6d. is debited against other Departments for Lithos supplied. Numerous poster tracings, for lands for settlement, &c., were prepared and forwarded for printing and publication at Head Office. The work, consequent on the claims of other Departments for plans and information, occupies a large amount of time, and the work of the past year has been very heavy in all branches. Measuring-bands totalling 98 chains in length have been tested for 15 surveyors, and certificates of comparison issued. The number of applications for Native surveys received and scheduled to Head Office was 129, and 96 authorities were issued to surveyors. Eleven Courts have been attended, and £1,036 6s. sd. collected, and 7,366 acres 1 rood 3 perches cut off in satisfaction of Crown liens. Twelve sketch-plans, oovering 14,068 acres, were compiled for the investigation of title by the Native Land Court, and 3 plans of 1,542 acres in addition were compiled by private surveyors. l.diid Transfer Surveys. —The Land Transfer Draughtsman reports that the total number of plans received was 354 : the number of plans approved amounted to 368, representing an area of 87,410 acres, as compared with 300 for 1906-7, and 381 for 1905-6; the number of plans recorded for the year was only 99 : miscellaneous plans compiled or drawn, 87 : 33 plans of towns sent for Governor's approval, and 7 for provisional approval. As a number of index and county lithos had become worn and dilapidated, 16 were renewed, and the Land Transfer surveys brought up to date on each. The improvement of work done by licensed surveyors has continued; the inspections of surveyors' work, with two exceptions, show that a good standard is maintained. Attention to office requisitions by private surveyors lias been prompt and satisfactory. In the Land"Transfer office, under Mr. Sarding's supervision (see Table 39), 1,660 pencil tracings have been prepared for the use of contract draughtsmen, besides attending t<> the work of the Registrar. Standard Survey, City of Auckland. —The Inspecting Surveyor, Mr. J. Langmuir, and Assistant Surveyor, Mr. H. M. Kensington, have been almost continuously employed during the past year on the standard survey of the City of Auckland. Both these officers have displayed great energy in this work, which is now, as far as the field-work is concerned, drawing towards completion, and it is estimated that the outdoor portion of the work will be finished about June next. No mapping whatever has been done, and, as the work is still in an unfinished state, I refrain from drawing special attention to it for this year. Government Loans to [.oral Bodies Blocks. —During the past twelve months applications have been made for loans on three new loan blocks, of an area of 17.420 acres. Accounts. —The number of vouchers passed through the hooks during the year amounted to 2,058, representing an expenditure of £44,224 2s. lOAd., and 47 transfer vouchers, showing credits amounting to £2,934 12s. Bd. On the Chief Draughtsman's imprest account 1.097 vouchers requiring payment were made by 1,671 cheques, totalling £15,441 55., and the amount imprested by the Paymaster-General was £10,750. On his official account 874 cheques were drawn, for a total sum of £12,077 13s. sd. On the Commissioner's imprest account 12 vouchers requiring payment were made by 17 cheques, amounting to £62 14s. 9d., and the amount imprested was £100. On his official account 10 cheques were drawn, for a total sum of £2,933 lls. 7d. The average number of men employed per month on survey parties was 74, for which wages amounting to £8,345 3s. was paid: and for timber-measuring, ka., the average was 13, for which £1,576