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the Carrington Estate, Tiffin Survey District, in hand : also the completing of the survey of the surplus lands around the Wairarapa Lakes, and necessary roads preparatory to allocation. Mr. Stevenson has the completion of the Morikau No. '2 Block, of about 14,0(10 acres, in hand, and then the subdivision of the Wnararangi Block, about 12,000 acres, under the Aotea District Maori Land Board. Messrs. Girdketone and Stewart have the completion of the Ruatiti Block, about 14,500 acres, in hand. Mr. Campbell, on completion <>f the Kawhatau Block, will continue the survey of the Kaitieke Block, about 9,000 acres, taken over from Mr. F. A. Thompson. Mr. Johnston will survey about 7 miles of the North Island Main Trunk Railway, necessary for the land plans, and will then be available for settlement-work. The other staff surveyors, when available, will be fully employed in the subdivision of land for settlement, Crown and Native lands, and other miscellaneous work. There are about 09,000 acres of Crown lands in the South Waimarino Block still available for settlement. Preliminary explorations have been made for continuing the principal roads already surveyed in the Ruatiti Block (the survey of which is nearly completed) into the Wanganui and Retaruke Valleys. It is desirable that the Wellington City standard survey should be extended to the suburbs, if possible, during the corning season, owing to the many subdivisions now taking place around the city; and I would strongly recommend that this work be put in hand as soon as possible, while the survey-pegs are still available. Mr. F. A. Thompson has been transferred to the Statutory Plans Branch of this office. I regret the departure of Mr. H. G. Price, who has been transferred to the Napier office as Chief Draughtsman, and who has creditably filled the position of Land Transfer Draughtsman in this office during the last seven years. Having received notice of transfer to Auckland, this is the last report I will send in for the Wellington District. __ John Strauchon, Chief Surveyor.

NELSON. Topographical. —An area of 45,992 acres was executed under this heading. 1,695 acres of this is simply topographical, costing 7'7d. per acre, the remainder, 44,297 acres, being "provisional " survey of lands for settlement, costing 54d. per acre; 18,063 acres of this area is the Braeburn Settlement, containing 2,721 acres of the Braeburn Estate, 770 acres stock reserves absorbed in the settlement, and the balance adjoining Crown lands. The other provisional surveys are of blocks situated in the Tutaki, Wangamoa, and Aorere Survey Districts; these surveys are governed by theodolite traverses of main road lines. Minor Trigonometrical anil 'topographical Survey. —The area of 37,300 acres returned under this heading, at a cost of l'oßd. per acre, is subsidiary triangulation broken down from the large triangles to check sectional surveys. The mapping of 409,488 acres completed by Mr. Sadd in the field five years ago is still incomplete, owing to the more urgent work of settlement surveys, but will be completed as soon as opportunity offers. Rural and Suburban. —The area of 42,736 acres, in 143 sections, at an average cost of 2425. per acre, consists of 18,000 acres in the Matiri and Maruia districts in large blocks; 6,168 acres, Wangapeka Settlement; and the remainder scattered applications in the Totaranui, Takaka, Aorere, Tutaki, Reefton, and Kongahu districts. The high rate per acre is caused by the time occupied in removing camp to make surveys of detached applications, and the bulk of the work being located in rough, hilly, heavy-bush country. Gold-mining Swveyt. —Only one survey of this class was made by a staff officer—3l acres; cost. £19 175.; rate, 12 - 81 d. per acre: also 5 surveys executed by private surveyors passed through the office, containing 315 acres. Roarls, d-c. —23 - 62 miles. Of this distance, 4"34 is a traverse of tramway, and the balance access "roads to selections, several of which required a great deal of exploration to get best location None of these roads form the boundaries of sections. Other Work.- -Under this heading are placed various duties which cannot be placed in the columns of the general return, and consist principally of general office-work, <fee, in district offices, Reefton and Westport, field inspections, small surveys, reports, and work for other departments. Field Inapeetioru. —During the year Mr. Montgomerie, District Surveyor, made inspections of ."S surveyors' work in the Matiri and Maruia districts, with satisfactory results, details and diagrams of which have been forwarded. Proposed Operations for 1908-9. —Mr. Montgomerie, District Surveyor, has the surveys of 2 applications, with an area of 280 acres, to complete, and other small surveys of roads, townships. &c, and current work to keep up. Mr. Carkeek, District Surveyor, has the Native Land Court survey of DTrville Island, about 40,000 acres, in hand. Mr. Sadd was promoted from the position of District Surveyor to that of Chief Draughtsman in this office on the Ist January; the surveys he had in hand —provisional of Braeburn Settlement and Mangles-Blackwater Blocks— were completed by Mr. Fairhall. Mr. Snodgrass, District Surveyor, has the surveys of 6 applications, 3,215 acres, in the Kongahu district, to execute. Mr. Thomson, District Surveyor, has an area of 8,570 acres in 18 applications in the Totaranui, Kaiteriteri, and Mount Arthur districts on his instructions. Mr. Maitland, -District Surveyor, is engaged upon rural selections in the Takaka district, 1,200 acres: and also has 4,910 acres of rural selections to survey in Waitapu, Aorere, and Mount Arthur districts. Mr. Cumine, staff surveyor, has an area of 5,000 acres completed in field and plans in progress; he has also an area of 2,785 acres to survey in the