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OTAGO: Minor Triangulation and Topographical. —No work of this nature was done during the last year. Rural. —A. large amount of work has been carried out, consisting of the subdivision of the Omarama Runs, Waitahuna Settlements No. 1 and No. 2, and Bellamy Sell lenient, and a number of small spotting surveys. Mr. Burton has been engaged on this work during Ihe whole of the year, and Messrs. Richmond, Armit, and Waters, together with three unauthorized assistants, during part of the year. Mr. Burton returns 8,735 acres as completed, the work of the rest of the staff being carried forward to next year, as, owning to pressure of work, it lias been impossible to complete the plans. In addition to the foregoing, 600 acres for fruit farms was done under contract by Mr. It. S. Allan, and 24-8 acres carried out by private surveyors, the cost being defrayed by settlers. Village and Suburban. —Mr. W. T. Neil] returns an area of 13 acres at Balcluflia, being an area laid off as a rifle range. Standard Survey. —The Standard survey of the City of Dunedin has been continued during the year by Mr. W. T. Neill, District Surveyor, who reports 25 miles of traversing in the Northeast Valley, including permanent blocks as completed, and in Roslyn 15 miles is traversed and about half the blocks finished. The defective and faulty surveys originally made in these portions of the city require careful examination, and are a source of considerable expenditure, which was unforeseen and not allowed for in the estimated cost of this work. Town Surveys. —Mr, S. T. Burton returns one small area in the. Town of Lawrence, and 97 acres in the Town of Alexandra was subdivided into fruit farms under contract by Mr. R. S. Allan. Mining Surveys. —The area surveyed for gold-mining purposes was 237 acres, divided into 8 sections, the whole of the work being undertaken by private surveyors for the fees. Roads and, Railways, &c. — Under this heading 27 plans for various statutory purposes were examined and approved. Native. —An area of 534 acres, being a portion of the Waikouaiti Native Reserve, was subdivided into 25 allotments under contract by Mr. N. Paterson. Land Transfer. —One hundred plans were examined and approved, comprising an area of 11,1(57 acres, including 5 plans of towns approved by the Minister in accordance with the provisions of the Land Laws Amendment Acts; 639 deeds were examined and 1,315 diagrams were put on certificates of title. Proposed Operations for Ihe Year. —Mr. W. T. Neill, District Surveyor, will continue the standard survey of the City of Dunedin, also subdivision Maia Settlement for workers' homes and field inspections: and Mr. S. T. Burton has in hand a number of spotting surveys, and about 7,500 acres of fruit and settlement farms on Earnscleugh, also ihe subdivision of the Galloway Run, 1.20,000 acres; Mr. W. D. Armit, the completion of his work on Omarama Run and Bellamy Settlement, and the subdivision of 2,170 acres of Maraeweka Estate, acquired under the Land for Settlements Act; and Mr. F. H. Waters has the completion of his Omarama work, and the subdivision of the Benmore Runs, 374,000 acres in all. Office-work. —During the year the following plans were examined : Settlement, 42; mining. 5 . statutory, 27; Native, 2; Land Transfer, 100: making a total of 176. The number of diagrams placed on various instruments of title was 962 in the Survey Office and 1,315 in the Land Transfer Office, 2,277 in all. A. new 40-chain map of the Cromwell district was drawn for lithography, and similar maps of Skipper's Creek, Earnslaw, and Strath Taieri districts were revised and brought up to date. In all, 46 plans were prepared for photo-litho sale posters, including Waitahuna Settlements Nos. 1 and 2, Omarama Runs, and Bellamy Settlement. The Land Transfer record map of Port Chalmers was completed, and two new block maps prepared for the Land Office. The work of revision of the Valuation. Department's maps is still proceeding as opportunity occurs, and the major portion of one Draughtsman's time has been taken up on the Dunedin standard plans, several of which have been copied for the City Corporation. Tracings of various kinds to the number of 982 were made, and the usual diagrams put on Ranger's field-books as needed. The Printer reports the printing of 1,450 litho plans and forms; 1,158 maps were mounted, in addition to bookbinding and such work as is necessary to keep the various plan portfolios in a state of good repair. In conclusion, I have pleasure in reporting that during this busy year the surveyors in the field and the officers of (he draughting staff have carried out their duties in an efficient manner, and wish to record my appreciation of their hearty co-operation in the work of settlement. Robt. T. Sadd, Chief Surveyor. SOUTHLAND. Minor Triangulation. —No work of this nature has been done during the past year. Rural. —Of 39,173 acres returned under this heading, 36,689 acres in 54 sections were surveyed by the staff at an average cost of l p 26s. per acre, about 8,000 acres consisting of hilly bush country and the remainder of hilly open land. Contract surveyors completed an area of 2,110 acres in 14 sections at a cost of 2Tls. per acre, made up of 154 acres. Invercargill Rifle Range, surveyed for Defence Department, and 1,956 acres, sawmill areas in various parts of the land district. The balance. 374 acres, consists of 4 coal leases in Wairio Survey District, and 1 school-site in New River Hundred, surveyed by licensed surveyors and paid for by the applicants. Village and Suburban. —Under this heading 721 acres in 21 sections are returned by the staff at an average cost of 18345. per acre, situated in the Town of Woodend and in Waikawa, Hokonui, and Wakaia Survey Districts; and there are also 145 acres in 2 sections, paid for by applicants, which were surveyed by licensed surveyors.

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