11

C— ■Iα

ss. lOd. was paid. The sum of £1,925 3s. Id. was collected for survey liens, and releases in triplicate numbering 234 were issued. Resignation*. —Mr. A. Jarman, temporary draughtsman, resigned his position in the Department on the 17th August, 1907. Retirements. —Mr. G. A. Martin, District Surveyor, retired after thirty-three years' service, owing to ill health, on the 31st December, 1907. Deaths. —Mr. T. F. Gooch, after a very short illness, died on the 2-'ird August, 1907. Mr. Gooch had been in failing health for some time, although his end was not expected so suddenly. He was employed as a temporary computing draughtsman, and was a careful and painstaking officer. Transfers. —The following transfers have taken place during this year : Mr. 0. N. Campbell, Assistant Surveyor, to Wellington; Mr. Lindsay Jackson, Assistant Surveyor, to New Plymouth; Mr. P. Mitchell, from New Plymouth to Auckland. During the year Missis. A. D. Newton and \\ . M. Atkinson, licensed surveyors, joined the staff as temporary surveyors. In conclusion, 1 wish to place on record the assistance given me by the Chief Draughtsman and inside officers of this branch of the Department, as well as by the staff of surveyors and officers employed in the field. James Mackenzie, Chief Surveyor.

HAWKE'S BAY. L'opoijraphical Surveys. —There, has been nothing done under this heading. Minor Triangttlation. —There has been nothing completed in this class, but Mr. E. H. Farnie baa in hand a portion of the Tuahu and Hangaroa Survey Districts, which is necessary to govern his survey of the Waipaoa Block. A plan has been made of the portion revised by Mr. F. Stephenson Smith in 1905-6, but which he was unable to calculate on map owing to his removal from the district. With regard to the triangulation of the country in the northern portion of this district, I would call attention to the advisability of obtaining additional checks thereon, as it is at present felt that, while the work already done appears to have been executed in a careful manner, weak points exist which are difficult to locate, owing to the manner in which the system has been carried out, there being only the one measured base-line near Gisborne from which the work extends over the whole of the northern portion of the district. I would suggest that check-bases be laid down—say, at Waiapu (or Te Araroa), Tolago Bay, and Wairoa —and with the presentday appliances this could be done without much expense; but to carry out this work the services of a thoroughly competent surveyor would be needed for about two years, and he could also take up the much-needed revision of the standard surveys of the various towns. At the present time, owing to the very unfinished and imperfect state of the latter, a great many differences arise, which can only be settled by calling in the services of some staff surveyor, who has to make special arrangements for such work, which not only greatly interferes with his current duties, but it is at the same time costly. It is earnestly hoped that these suggestions may receive favourable consideration, and that the necessary steps may be taken at the earliest opportunity to carry them out. Standard Surveys. —The systematic revision and extension of these, especially in the Towns of Gisborne, Hastings, Dannevirke, Waipukurau, and Waipawa, are most urgently needed, and the only possible way in which this can be. properly carried out would be by the employment of an officer, as suggested in the remarks upon trigonometrical surveys. The 1-chain standards at Napier and Gisborne should be replaced by new 5-chain standards, laid down by the most approved methods, for although the new Imperial measure has been recorded on the existing standards, it is considered they are liable to variation due to thoir construction —they are laid down in concrete for the full length, and evidences of disturbances exist as shown by many cracks in the surface. Another necessary work is the fixing of existing standard marks, which are mostly iron tubes, by encasing them with concrete to protect and render them immovable. Rural and Suburban. —The work returned under this heading during the year amounts to 34,360 acres, divided into 179 sections, at an average cost of l'47s. per acre, of which Mr. T. Brook returns 10,518 acres, comprising the new settlement Blocks of Mangatahi, Aorangi, and Raumati respectively; 5,936 acres, portion of the Te Arai Settlement, surveyed by Mr. J. Roddick; 4,251 acres, by Mr. W. C. Wall, representing the Pourerere Block and part of the Raumati; 10,287 acres, by Mr. G. H. Davis, being the other portion of Te Arai and the Kanakanaia Settlement respectively. Mr. E. H. Farnie returns 2,959 acres in the Waitahaia Block, being Small (irazing-run No. 96; and Messrs. Wilson and Walshe have laid off small areas, as shown in Table No. I. Town Surveys. —The only work done in this class were 2 allotments in Te Araroa and 2 at Auanui laid off by Mr. Wilson; and the 46 allotments returned by Mr. Wall represent areas adjacent to the Town of Napier, which were to be disposed of at auction. Native Land Surveys. —The only work returned as completed under this heading is the survey of the Wliareraui akau Block, of 3,533 acres, executed by Mr. I!. C. L. Reay, by the direction of the Xative Commission, and a tracing and report have been sent to the Commissioners; and 1,638 acres sketch survey of 2 Native blocks for Maori Land Board. Hdiiil Surveys. —Under this class Mr. Wilson has laid off 11 miles in the Waiapu District and 8 miles have been surveyed by Mr. Hughes in various localities for exchanges, and the remaining portion represents a deviation laid out by Mr. W. C. Wall in the Tautane district, making the total of 20J miles.