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APPENDIX IV.

REPORT OF THE SURVEYORS' HOARD. The. Board, acting in conjunction with the Australian Surveyors' Boards, conducted examinations of candidates for surveyors' licenses in September, 1909 and March, 1910. At the September examination twenty candidates sat. and of these Mr. .lolin Norris, Public Works Department, Otira, and Mr. George Arthur Bridges, Timaru, passed the examination ; while Mr. John Cawte Young-. Lands and Survey Department, Christchurch : Mr. Robert Stanley Finch. Whangarei ; and Mr. Stanley Parkinson, Auckland, who had previously passed in some of the subjects, completed their examinations. At the March examination there were fourteen candidates, of whom the following completed their examinations : Mr. Robert Black. Wellington : Mr. Arthur Hastings Bridge, Christchurch ; Mr. John Berry Cuthbert, Napier; and Mr. Henry Godfrey. Port Levy. The Board issued certificates of competency and licenses to the successful candidates. Licenses were also issued to Mr. 11. Virkonuan. who had passed the September, 111(17). examination with credit, and to Mr. G. 11. A. Pun-has. .Mr. A. \Y. 1). lldl. Mr. C. B. R, Turner, and Mr. .1. Mouat, who held qualifications entitling them thereto. Letters of recommendation to the Australian Hoards were issued in favour of Mr. J. G. Mac Gibbon, Mr. D. A. Crawford, Mr. W. Loudon, Mr. T. G. Lilliecrona, and Mr. G. P. Middleton, to enable them to obtain licenses in Australia. The deaths of the following licensed surveyors were reported: .1. S. Browning, T. W. Downes, F. H. Qeisow, W. G. Murray, C. F. R. Neumann, G. F. Richardson, and W. Tole. The late Hon. G. F. Richardson, who died at Wellington on the 23rd October. 11)09. was an original member of the Board, and up to the last took an active interest in its work, and represented it at a number of conferences of Surveyors' Boards in Australia : at the first meeting of the Board held after his death appreciative references were made by the chairman and members, and the following resolution was carried : " That this Board respectfully desires to convey to Mrs. Richardson and family its deep sympathy with her and them in their recent sad bereavement, and it further directs that an entry shall be made in the minutes of the Board recording its sense of the irreparable loss it also litis sustained through the death of the late Hon. George Frederick Richardson, one of its oldest and most. respected members, a man of wide and varied experience, of deep thought and keen observation, a, most genial, considerate, and courteous gentleman, and one who took a deep interest in all matters connected with surveying and its cognate subjects, and who was generally looked up to anil revered throughout the Dominion as one of the Grand Old Men of the profession." To fill the extraordinary vacancy caused by the death of the Hon. (!. F. Richardson, the Board nominated Mr. Hubert Sladden, Wellington, to hold office until the end of the year. The Board for 1910 consists of Mr. J. Strauchon, Surveyor-General, ex officio • Mr. T. Humphries. Wellington, and Mr. E. C. Gold Smith. Chief Surveyor, Auckland, nominated by the Minister of Lands ; Mr. C. H. Bridge, Christchurch, and Mr. H. Sladden. Wellington, nominated by the Council of the Surveyors' Institute. At the first meeting of the Board Mr. J. Strauchon was unanimously elected Chairman. The list of licensed surveyors as at the Ist January, 1910. now numbering 146, was published in the (fazette on the 27th January, and copies were supplied to surveyors on application. During the year Survey Regulation No. <>7 was amended, and regulations providing for payment of fees and travelling-allowances of members of the Board were gazetted. The examination-paperß for the March examination were prepared by tliis Board, and copies were supplied to each of the six Australian Boards for use in their examinations. The Conference Recess Committee. Syduey, forwarded .suggestions as to the proposed Conference of Surveyors-General in London on Reciprocity in Survey Licenses and on other professional subjects. and invited the Board's views on the proposed representation thereat. The Board considered, and resolved that the proposal to send only two Australian representatives seemed inadequate to deal with the large and important questions involved, and that on this account it is desirable to defer the Conference in London in order to secure complete representation from Australia and New Zealand. One case of alleged breach of the Act by a licensed surveyor was reported to the Board, but upon investigation the evidence was not considered sufficient to enable the Board to take any action. An application for reinstatement from a surveyor whose license was suspended was fully reconsidered; but the Board did not see its way to depart from its original resolution. The Board held six meetings, and appointed a committee of three members to deal with routine mailers between Board meetings. The committee held six meetings during the year. J ohm Strauchon, Chairman. Wellington. 31st March, 1910. (7 K. Adams. Secretary.

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