C.—lA

10

Town Plans. —The number of schemes submitted for approval shows a slight increase this year, 315 having been approved. Of these the greater part represent subdivisions in the North Auckland Land District, 64 per cent, being received from there, while Wellington, Auckland, and Canterbury Land Districts returned 13 per cent., 10 per cent., and 4 per cent, respectively. Draughtsmen's Examination. —As a number of candidates for this examination had to complete in one subject only (plans), a special examination was held for this purpose only. The candidates — Messrs. C. T. Brown and C. G. D. Maher—completed the first grade, and seven —Miss N. Earle, Messrs. J. Pegram, W. G. Neal, G. T. Stewart, H. M. Smith, E. W. Pickford, and W. Conway—completed second-grade passes. No candidates presented themselves for examination as computors. Standard of Length. —The comparison of surveyors' bands, both field and standard, is regularly carried out, though under difficulties. The standard comparator-bar obtained in 1913 is still unhoused, and consequently cannot be used. The level wooden curb which has been in use for running out the standard band, and that to be tested is now out of use owing to alterations to the buildings. In consequence of this a considerable amount of extra trouble is entailed in preparing a surface each time a band has to be tested.

APPENDIX 11. SURVEYORS BOARD. The personnel of the Board, 1924 - 25, remained unchanged at the end ol the Board's year (31st November, 1924), and is as follows : The Surveyor-General, Mr. W. T. Neill (ex officio, Chairman) ; Messrs. Thomas Brook and G. H. Bullard, Chief (Government nominees) ; and Messrs. S. T. Seddon and A. H. Bogle (Institute nominees). The Board held the usual examinations in September, 1924, and March, 1925, the papers for the former being set by Tasmania and for the latter by Victoria. For the September examination forty-seven candidates sat, being the largest number yet sitting at once. Seventeen of these passed. For the March examination a new rule of the Board's was in force to the effect that only those candidates partially failing at a previous examination would be allowed to sit in March, no new candidates being accepted for that examination. Twenty-one candidates sat under these conditions, of whom four passed. The new rule was intended to reduce the expenses of examination, and had that effect, the cost being less than half the usual full examination. The names of those passing these two examinations were as follows September, 1924 — Beattie, Stanley James, of Auckland. Lawn, Charles Arnold, of Christchurch. Borlase, William, of Dunedin. Lambourne, James Ernest Kerr, of Dunedin. Buckhurst, Wilfrid Henry Blyth, of Christ-f Mynott, William Lambert, of Auckland, church. Nelson, William George, of Wellington. Burrell, Vincent George Braithwaite, of Paxton, Marmaduke St. John, of Auckland. Auckland. Runciman, Thomas McKinlay, of Waikato. Crooks, Robert George Bell, of Auckland. Stewart, Ernest Victor, of Takaka. Greig, David Masson, of Waikiwi. Wattie, Angus John, of Auckland. Horner, Robert Brian, of Carterton. Watkin, Alan Keith, of Auckland. Hosking, James Dargaville, of Dargaville. March, 1925 — Adams, Alfgar Vivian, of Hokitika. Murphy, Vernon Alan, of Hamilton. Batty, Cyril Howard, of Auckland. Wilson, Raymond, of Auckland. Licenses have been issued to all these gentlemen. Forty-three pupils lodged indentures for registration during the year, which were approved ; and four existing registered indentures were cancelled. Four transfers were approved. During the year the Board considered the amendments to the Survey Regulations asked for by the Institute of Surveyors, and a considerable amount of time was spent upon them. A final decision was arrived at, and the amendments were approved, and have since been gazetted. The work of redrafting the examination regulations to embody various amendments made from time to time, and also to embody the results of the Melbourne Conference, is in hand, but is not completed. The request made by the Board to the University Senate for the inclusion of a paper in the Matriculation Examination suitable to the Board's requirements for a preliminary mathematical pass has not yet been decided. The matter of a degree in surveying has also been laid by the Board before the University. The work of the Board has shown a steady growth, chiefly, no doubt, owing to the increasing number of students, and also largely due to the large general questions which have required consideration as indicated above. W. T. Neill, Chairman. M. Crompton Smith, Secretary.

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