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In conclusion, I have again to record my appreciation of the manner in which both the field and office si aIT bare carried out their duties, and ihe ready assistance they have rendered me at all times. Henky Thent, Chief Surveyor.

TARANAKI. The work done and returned by the staff represents a total of 331,901 acres covered by surveys, completed, together with 45J miles of road and railway surveys. These totals are separated into the following classes: — Triangula!ion. —Under this heading are included 2 areas —one of 200,000, major triangulation, and another of 49,400 acres, minor, respectively- of work done in former years, and mapped by Mr. 11. M. Skeel, who, baring now left the district, cannot undertake the extension contemplated. The. further area! by Messrs. Weir, Kensington, airl ('raw ford, totalling 4G,000 acres, have been carried out concurrently with settlement surveys for which they were required. Rural anil Suburban. —ln this class 36,486 aeies were pqmpleted, at an average cost of 2'4s. |ier acre. All of it practically was in rough forest count ry, and 1 it,ooo acres consist of the final survey of provisional magnetic work. Road* and Railwayt. —ln this class 43 J miles were completed, at an .average cost of £17 11s. pes mile. 1 inspections. —The staff have*all been visited in the field, and several inspections of private surveys have been made during the year, of which particulars were sent you at the time. The results do not call for any especial comment. • Other Work.- A large item— Lit.).)- in this class is ihe partially completed standard surve}' of llawera. done by Mr. 11. M. Skeet some years back, of which the maps are made and the work done is so far available: but the work having been in abeyance for the last two years, and Mr. Skeet having left the district, the work is now for the first time brought to credit. Remaining items are ;: multitude of small surveys, reports, boundary and road definitions and alterations, &c, together with inspections, &c, in connection with the supply of seed for resowing burnt pasture areas. The total expenditure under this head is £1,213 9s. 3d. Office-work. Plan-examination.- The total number of plans checked under all heads in the ordinary survey branch was 100, with 312 traverse sheets. These covered 175 sections, with an area of 129,152 acres 1 rood 30 perches, and 69 miles !) chains of roads taken or closed. Settlement surveys of Crown blocks were represented by 20 plans, of 48,474 acres •'! roods 28 perches, comprising 116 sections: accompanying triangujation, 2 plans, covering acres; 33 plans, of 63 miles 35 chains roads, ami 2 plans of 1 mile 54 chains railway; 7 Native Land Court plans, of 36,539 acres 3 roods 7 perches, in 12 subdivisions; 22 miscellaneous surveys, of 2,434 acres •i roods in 28 sections; 13 plans compiled in office, of 13,461 acres 3 roods 14 perches, in 14 sections; and one township plan of 21 acres and 21 perches, in 5 sections. Laml Transfer. There were 110 plans with 137 traverse sheets checked and approved during the year, covering 333 sections and subdivisions, of a total area of 8,452 acres 2 roods 12"6 perches. Native Land Court. Surveys executed dining the year by private surveyors comprised 9,547 acres 1 rood 9 perches, in 12 subdivisions. No work of this class was done by the staff, and no surveys were made for the Native Land Boards. Tit/ plans placed on instruments of title of all kinds, including Native Land Court orders, were 634, and 494 copies of leases and licenses were prepared. ' " Thirds " and " Fourths " to Local Bodies. —Twenty-nine proposals for the expenditure of a sum of £2,293 l>s. Id. were approved by the Land Board during the year. The amount standing to the credit of local bodie* in this district in the Receiver-General's and Receiver of Land Hi venue's Deposit Account is £7,643 Is. Miscellaneous. —There were IS new block sheets and I .'i tracings for photo-lithography compiled; 174 tracings were made for selectors: 10 authorities for survey of Native lands, and 8 applications for same, were dealt with: 8< v t racings were made for the Valuer-Oeneral; data were supplied to the field staff. The block sheets ami record-maps and all compilations were kept up to date, ami the public and local bodies were attended to and supplied with information. Mr. 11. M. Skeet. District Surveyor, was promoted to Chief Draughtsman at Sokitika in August. PrgpQted Operations for 1908-9. Settlement surveys almost exclusively are at present in hand and proposed: anil the stall' of seven surveyors has in front of it a very large area lying in the.Totoro, Mapara, Tangitu, Rangi, Ohura, Piopiotea West. Mimi. Waro, Pouatu, Heao, Mahoe. Taurakawa. and Tua districts, chiefly, on the northern ami eastern confines of the Land District, and impinging on the Main Trunk Railway and Wanganui River. There is, in addition, a block of about 9,200 acres of provisional work to he finally surveyed for leases to issue, which must be done as early as possible. This is, lam glad to say. the last block of this kind of survey: though apparently expeditious in placing a number of selectors on the land it has the disadvantage, besides its high cost owing to the double survey, of being the cause of some embarrassment and delay to the tor. who cannot know his exact Fence-lines nor obtain his title until the final survey is made. Again, this second survey itself also occupies an qfijeer who would otherwise be engaged upon opening