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OTA GO. Miliar Triangulation.—"No work \v;is done under this Loading, but a revision of triangulation is necessary in several districts, and should be taken in hand when a surveyor is available. Topographical Survey for Selection. —Four staff surveyors were engaged on this work —one of them, however, for only three months —the total area returned for the year being 726,920 acres, divided, at a cost of 2-7 d. per acre, into 261 subdivisions as follows : 84 runs, total area 704,840 acres ; 177 sections, total area 22,080 acres. Most of the field-work of this area was done last year, and each of the surveyors was assisted by an unlicensed assistant owing to the scarcity of surveyors and the necessity for placing the runs on the market by a certain date. For this latter reason a considerable amount of compass traverse was allowed in the defining of the boundaries of small grazing-runs. Standard Survey. —The standard survey of the City of Dunedin was commenced this year by Mr. W. T. Neill, who reports that 36 miles of streets have been traversed to date. He will be assisted in this work during the coming year by Mr. S. T. Burton. Town Section Survey. —Ten plans of new towns were examined, and approved by His Excellency the Governor under section 16 of the Land Act, 1908. Mining Survey. —These surveys were all executed by private surveyors for fees paid by the applicants, the number of sections being 23 and the area 972 acres. Roads, &c. —Fifteen plans were received and approved, comprising thirteen surveys by private surveyors and two by the staff. Land Transfer Survey. —Eighty-six plans, representing an area of 7,000 acres, were examined, recorded, and approved. During the past year it has been noticeable that the surveyors have paid more attention to the requirements of the Survey Regulations, with the result that the plans sent in have been more readily checked, and fewer delays have occurred. Proposed Operations, 1911-12. —The principal work for the year will be the continuation of the standard survey of the City of Dunedin by District Surveyor Neill. He will from time to time be assisted by Assistant Surveyor Burton. District Surveyor Calder will be transferred from Naseby, which has been his headquarters for the last eighteen years, to Dunedin, where he will occupy the position of Office Surveyor and Computer. District Surveyor Barron will be occupied on the subdivision of part of Moutere Run, which will probably occupy him till called in for the winter. On resumption of field-work he will take up the subdivision of part of Turnbull's run at Wanaka. Other " spotting " surveys will be allocated between Surveyors Calder, Barron, and Burton, as expedience may direct. Office-work. —The plans examined, recorded, and approved are as follows : 86 Land Transfer, 15 road and railway, 16 mining, and 56 staff : total, 173. Plans for photo-lithography :43 sale-plan tracings for photo-lithography were made, and plans of Awamoko. Otepopo, and Moeraki Survey Districts. A map of Table Hill and Tokomairiro Survey District was revised and brought up to date for publication. Two maps of Wakefield Survey District and the settlement blocks in Bannockburn and Nevis Survey Districts were drawn and printed in this office. Additions were made to Grant's fourmile map of the Otago Land District, and a litho. of Block 11, Teviot Survey District, published. Diagrams were drawn on Crown titles-—239 duplicate, 314 triplicate ; total, 1,420. In the Land Transfer Branch diagrams were drawn on certificates of title—lB single, 972 duplicate, and 9 triplicate ; total, 1,989. About 1,100 deeds and other instruments were passed. Since October, 1910, one draughtsman has been almost continuously employed preparing a complete set of new maps for the Valuation Department. Eleven large maps of electoral districts were compiled for Public Works Department. The census maps occupied most of the staff for about three weeks. The surveys of Matakanui, Northburn, Morven Hills, and Kawarau Runs, comprising about 543,000 acres, were plotted by the office staff, there being 60 large plans and about 20 smaller ones. Miscellaneous work comprised the preparation of tracings for field surveyors, settlers, &c, and mounted lithos for Run Classification Commissioners. Work for other Departments is evidently on the increase, the total cost being £665. With the assistance of a draughtsman recently appointed, we expect to make good progress in the compilation of secondary record maps, showing all transactions since the issui' of the Crown grant. Twelve certificates of title were prepared for closed roads, 365 tracings for Valuation Department, 152 census maps. It is very desirable that one draughtsman should be employed continually preparing plans of blocks and districts for photo-lithography. The only lithographic draughtsman hitherto available foi this work will now have to be employed in preparing plans of the standard survey of Dunedis. In the lithographic office, 982 lithographs were printed, 1,023 maps were mounted, and 33 books repaired and rebound. I have pleasure in reporting that the office staff have worked in a very satisfactory manner during the y ear - ' E. H. Wilmot, Chief^Surveyor.

SOUTHLAND. Minor Triangulation. —The only item under this head is an area of 1,561 acres in New River Hundred by Mr. Macpherson. This was necessitated by one of the trig, stations having been shifted. Rural. —23,011 acres were executed during the year, in 119 sections, most of which consisted of hilly bush country. Of this area 1,131 acres represent sawmill areas, the surveys of which were paid for by fees deposited by applicants. Village and Suburban. —172 acres, in 13 sections, were surveyed by Mr. Drury in the Longwood District.