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APPENDIX 11.

REPORT ON DRAUGHTING-WOHK AT HEAD OFFICE, WELLINGTON. [By H. T. McCardbll, Chief Draughtsman.] The routine work of the office has been carried on very satisfactorily throughout the year. The following plans were drawn, for photo-lithography : Pahiatua County; Sheet 5, Auckland Provincial District, is being redrawn. The maps of Wanganui, Wanganui East, and Wellington are approaching completion, and should be published in the forthcoming year. A thermograph sheet was drawn for the Magnetic Observatory, Christchurch, and was printed in two colours. Plans of the base-lines at Matamata and Waitemata were prepared for the annual report, as was also a plan of the Warawara State Forest. A compilation of New Plymouth Borough is also in hand and very nearly completed. Nineteen schedules for rhe Local Bills Committee of the House of Representatives were examined and certified to. Fourteen new county maps were prepared and tenure coloured, also nine boroughs and four road districts. Three hundred and sixty-four tracings were made, and no less than 1,001 plans were mounted. These comprise sale plans, county maps, tracings, townships, &c. This work absorbs nearly the whole of one officer's time throughout the year. Among other duties performed by draughtsmen, there were 163 descriptions made; measuringbands tested —two 10-chain, two 5-chain, and three 1-chain; seventeen licenses and seventeen certificates of competency, in duplicate,, under the Surveyors' Institute and Board of Examiners Act, 1908, were prepared, and eighteen licenses in duplicate were prepared under the Land Transfer Act, 1908. Twenty-eight plans were drawn on deeds. During the year 266 towns (Government and private) were examined, reported on, and when complying with the Act and. regulations were recommended to His Excellency the Governor for approval under section 3of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1912. The distribution of these towns in land districts was as follows: Auckland, 176; Hawke's Bay, 23; Taranaki, 1; Wellington, 13; Nelson, 2; Marlborough, 2; Westland, 1; Canterbury, 22; Otago, 13; Southland, 13. Thirty-eight plans were drawn on deeds. Twelve acclimatization districts for the Department of Internal Affairs, and ten registration districts were also compiled for the RegistrarGeneral. During the year I was absent on sick-leave for three months, and Mr. Farquhar fulfilled the duties. I have to thank all the officers for the assistance given me during the year.