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1929. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. SURVEYS (ANNUAL REPORT ON).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

CONTENTS. General Report :— page Appendix ll—continued. page Summary .. .. .. .. 1 Extracts from Chief Surveyors' Reports—continued. Minor Triangulation .. .. .. 2 Hawke's Bay .. .. .. ..12 Settlement Surveys .. .. ..2 Taranaki .. .. .. .. ..13 Native Land Court Surveys .. .. 2 Wellington .. .. .. 14 Geodetic Triangulation .. .. .. 2 Marlborough .. .. . . 15 Standard Surveys .. .. .. 2 Nelson .. ... .. .. 15 Topographical Survey .. .. 2 Westland .. .. .. ~ 16 Field Inspections .. .. .. 3 Canterbury .. .. .. 16 Tidal Survey .. .. .. ..3 Otago .. ~ .. .. ..17 Magnetic Survey .. .. .. 4 Southland .. .. .. 18 Proposed Operations .. .. 5 General .. .. .. .. 5 Appendix III:— Staff— Survey Board .. .. .. 19 Retirements .. .. .. 6 Resignations .. .. .. 6 Tables : — Appreciation .. .. .. 6 Table A.—Field-work executed .. .. 2 „ B.—Rural Surveys Area .. .. 2 Appendix I: — „ C. —Tidal Harmonic Constants .. .. 3 Head Office, Draughting Branch .. 9 „ D. —Mean Values, Magnetic Elements .. 5 ~ 1. —Head Office Staff .. .. .. 6 Appendix II: — „ 2.—Areas surveyed for Lands and Survey Extracts from Chief Surveyors' Reports— Department .. .. 7 North Auckland .. .. .. 10 ~ 3. —Areas surveyed for other Departments 8 Auckland .. .. . . .. 10 „ 4.—Work on hand . . . . .. 8 Gisborne .. .. .. .. -.11 „ s.—Office-work .. .. .. 9

The Surveyor-General to the Hon. the Minister oe Lands, Sir, — Wellington, 3rd September, 1929. I have the honour to present herewith the report on survey operations for the year ended 31st March, 1929. I have, &c., H. E. Walshe, Hon. G. W. Forbes, Minister of Lands. Surveyor-General.

REPORT. The main parts of the report for the year ended the 31st March, 1929, comprise a summary of the operations of the field parties, grouped under appropriate headings, a brief account of the office-work performed, and extracts from the reports of the various Chief Surveyors. The attached tables, A and B, and 1 to 5 inclusive, contain a concise summary of the amount of work completed during the year under review. Further details are given in the reports of the Chief Surveyors appended hereto. The average costs as set out in Table A compare very favourably with previous years, the rural settlement surveys showing a small increase—of 3d. per acre —which is offset by a decrease of a similar amount in the Native Land Court surveys, while road survey costs are substantially lower at £27 per mile. Table B shows an increase of 31,575 acres in the total area of rural land surveyed over the figures of last year, and a decrease of 8,166 acres in the Native Land Court surveys.

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