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Rural and Suburban. —The operations in this class amount to 22,955 acres, in 69 sections, at an average cost of 3-255. per acre, all of which is in rough forest country. Of this, 5,300 acres consists of final survey of provisional work. Town Sectional Survey. —This consists of 95 allotments, of an area of 59-5 acres, in the Mangaroa and Matire Townships. Native Land Court. —Surveys executed during the year by staff surveyors comprised 2,260 acres, n 2 subdivisions, and by private surveyors 7,342 acres 2 roods 15 perches, in 3 subdivisions. An area of 6,119 acres has been subdivided into 8 sections by staff surveyors, at an average cost of 16-65 d.'per acre; also boundary surveys to the extent of 48-55 miles were completed. Roads and Railway. —ln this class, 12-17 miles were surveyed by staff surveyors at an average cost of £16-30 per mile, and 4-36 miles under contract at a cost of £22-51 per mile. Inspections. —The usual inspections have been made over staff and private surveyors' work, with most satisfactory results. Other Work. —The expenditure under this head amounts to £2,574 18s. 6d., made up of costs against boundary surveys of Whakaihuwaka Block—an extremely rough and difficult piece of work —and survey for Maori land settlement, cost of which will in part be recoverable from the Native owners ; also road exploration and grading in Tangitu and Omara Districts ; Mangaroa Town drainage ; general miscellaneous work in the field ; plans and reports on various subjects ; and a variety of other matters. Land Transfer. —There were 118 plans, with 197 traverse sheets, checked and approved, comprising 748 sections and subdivisions, of an area of 8,392 acres and 10-45 perches. Titles. —The plans placed on instruments of title of all kinds, including Native Land Court orders, were 1,444, and 441 copies of leases and licenses were prepared. Oppice-work. • Examination of Plans. —The total number of plans checked during the year in the ordinary Survey Branch was 91, with 425 traverse sheets, comprising 217 sections, of a total area of 137,496 acres and 12 perches, and 94 miles 46 chains of roads taken and closed, and railway-land plans. Of these, settlement survey represents 21 plans, containing 133 subdivisions, of a total area of 66,247 acres ; trigonometrical, 4 plans, containing 61,000 acres ; 31 plans, defining 87 miles 66 chains, of roads taken and closed ; 4 plans, of 6 miles 60 chains, of railway-land pans ; 5 Native Land Court plans, containing 5 subdivisions, of 9,6o2.acres 2 roods 15 perches ; 22 miscellaneous plans, of 14 subdivisions, and 426 acres and 4 perches ; 3 plans, compiled in office, of 205 acres 1 rood 28 perches ; and one township plan, of 15 acres and 5 perches, in 63 sections. Miscellaneous. —The usual demands made on the office staff were attended to. These comprise supplying information to the general public, data to the staff for execution of surveys, information for local bodies and other Departments, &c. Two hundred and five tracings were made for the ValuerGeneral, ninety-five for Crown selectors. Six block-sheets were compiled, and all recording on blocksheets, record, reserve, and other maps, has been kept up to date. Eight tracings for photo-lithography were compiled, and twenty-five authorities for survey of Native lands were dealt with. Proposed Operations for 1909-10. —A staff of one permanent surveyor (with cadet) and six temporary ones are at present engaged in different parts of the district on sectional work, covering an area of 81,000 acres, more or less, in Tangitu, Piopiotea West, Ohura, Mahoe, Omara, and Taurakawa Survey Districts. These lands lie in close proximity to the Main Trunk Railway, and in the valley of the Wanganui River. Three small grazing-runs in the Opaku District will require resurvey at an early date, before being reoffered for leasing. Francis Simpson, Chief Surveyor.

WELLINGTON. Triangulation. —Although no actual triangulation surveys in their usual acceptance have been undertaken this year, a most important start has been made at the reduction of the primary triangulation of the entire North Island by the selection of an excellent eight-mile base-line by Mr. Lowe, and is now under measurement by Messrs. Langmuir and Lowe preparatory to its subsequent extension by major triangulation as an accurate standard of length. Topographical. —The only work coming under this head is Mr. Strachan's survey of the Wairarapa Lakes at different levels, covering some 15,300 acres. Rural and Suburban. —The gross area under this heading, of which the field staff has sent in plans during the year, is about 67,940 acres, exclusive of small odd surveys. Of this area some 66,385 acres were intended for ordinary settlement purposes, and 1,555 acres represent scenery reserves. The principal items in the former area are Mr. Roberts's survey of Te Tuhi, Ahu Ahu, and Puketotara Blocks (Ngamatea District), and the survey of the Rautiti Block (Whirinaki and Manganui Districts) by Messrs. Girdlestone and Stewart. The survey of one land-for-settlements block, the Carrington Estate, was executed by Mr. Strachan, whose survey of the Wairarapa Lakes foreshore renders about 5,500 acres available for disposal by the Land Board in such manner as seems best in the interests of settlement. Mr. Stevenson surveyed 14,338 acres for selection purposes in the Morikau No. 2 Block; but this area is not Crown land, but Native under the administration of the Aotea Maori Council, and the cost of survey is recoverable as a lien. The Kaitieke Block, Crown lands selected before survey, has now been in great part surveyed by Messrs. Thompson and Campbell, so that leases may issue and selectors obtain possession by definite boundaries. Mr. District Surveyor Greville is making good headway with the Rangitatau Block in the Waitotara Valley, which will be the means of placing about 10,300 acres in the market in smaller farms than was originally intended.