c.—u

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APPENDIX 11. EXTRACTS FROM THE ANNUAL REPORTS OF CHIEF SURVEYORS, 1928-29. North Auckland Land District (0. N. Campbell, Chief Surveyor). Rural. —During the year 14,144 acres of rural land was surveyed by staff surveyors. Minor Triangidations.—ls,36o acres were surveyed in this section by a staff surveyor. Town-section Surveys. —An area of 34-56 acres was subdivided into 73 sections by staff surveyors, and one small survey by a private surveyor. Village and Suburban.—23s acres were surveyed in this section by staff surveyors. Roads.—ll-36 miles of road were surveyed by staff surveyors, and 0-4 miles by a private surveyor. Native. —With the exception of one small survey, the area of 790 acres, which is the year's total, was surveyed by private surveyors. Other Work. —Inspection surveys comprised the greater part of the work in this section. During the year Mr. Traill, the senior surveyor in the district, carried out 25 inspections in terms of Technical Circular No. 28 of the 22nd June, 1928. These inspections disclosed that, generally speaking, the work at present being carried out is of a reasonably good standard, although in a few cases the ground marking was not all that could be desired. Mr. Till carried out numerous inspections and investigations in connection with Land Transfer surveys. Work on the Orakei Block included engineering surveys, schemes of subdivision, and repegging after street-formation. The general work included levels, gum-washing areas, Waipu Cemetery grave-plots, compass surveys, levels of tide-gauge, Hokianga Harbour, &c. Office-work. —303 plans were received during the year, and 274 were examined and ajjproved ; 113 scheme plans were dealt with ; 93 plans were compiled in the office; 9 survey-district maps and 4 town-district maps for photo-lithographic reproduction were drawn, and 5 survey-district maps revised; 26 block-sheets were drawn, 119 revised, and 110 examined; 67 sale plans were drawn; 1,231 tracings prepared ; 498 leases and 374 certificates of title endorsed ; 1,195 plans recorded ; 247 Proclamations entered. General office-work comprised mounting and colouring lithos, searching, sun-prints, recording Gazette notices and Land Board transactions, reports, correspondence. Standard Surveys : 30 standard plans have been drawn during the year, additions made to 61, 12 examined ; 10 tracings made and 11 examined ; preparation of data, computations, &c. Native Land Branch : 16 survey plans have been received during the year, and 15 examined and approved ; 14 compiled plans were received, and 8 examined and approved ; 20 surveyors' bills of cost were apportioned over 116 subdivisions ; 1 caveat lodged, 1 Native Land Court attended ; 94 Court orders were endorsed in duplicate, 6 tracings made, and 10 ordinary compilations. Land Transfer Branch : 574 plans were received, and 618 examined and approved. Proposed Operations for 1929-30.—Staff surveyors have authority to survey 14,282 acres of rural land, 5,506 acres of Native land, 11 miles of road, and 2 acres of town surveys. Mr. Traill will continue the surveys in connection with the Orakei Garden Suburb as necessary, and in addition will carry out inspection surveys. Auckland Land District (K. M. Graham, Chief Surveyor). Topographical Survey.—For the past year one surveyor and one assistant surveyor have been engaged on this class of survey. The assistant surveyor has been employed wholly in the Rotor ua District, and has completed 60 square miles during the year, at a cost of £417 13s. 6d., being an average cost of £6-96 per square mile. The total area surveyed in the Rotorua County is now 679 square miles, costing £4,594 14s. 9d., at an average cost to date of £6-76 per square mile. The surveyor has completed the topographical survey at Ngaruawahia, the total area being 108-3 square miles, at a cost of £1,247 Is. Id., or an average cost of £8-43 per square mile. This survey shows contours at 25 ft. intervals, and was done for the Defence Department. Rural Surveys. —An area of 18,838 acres was completed by staff surveyors, at a cost of £1,455 Bs. 5d., being an average cost of l-545. per acre. Village and Suburban. —An area of 86 acres was subdivided during the year. This comprised 13 sections in different parts of the district. The total cost was £158 lis. 10d., being an average cost of 36-Bs. per acre. Town-section Surveys. —There were 79 town sections surveyed, comprising an area of 30 acres, at a. cost of £237 13s. 3d., being an average cost of £3 per section. Native-land Surveys.—An area of 43,043 acres was surveyed, comprising 239 subdivisions. These surveys were carried out by contract surveyors at schedule rates. The total cost was £3,564 25., being an average cost of l-665. per acre. Roads, &c. —A total length of 105 miles of roads, &c., was surveyed during the year, at a cost of £2,118 Bs. 3d., being at the rate of £20-17 per mile. Of this total, 44 miles were surveyed in connection with Ilauraki Plains for the Land Drainage Branch, 16 miles of a special traverse of the Tongariro River in connection with the Taupo fisheries for the Internal Affairs Department, and 8 miles in connection with various deviations carried out for the Public Works Department. Other Work.—A large proportion of this work comprises reports, investigations, and inspections of various surveys, principally Land Transfer, costing £592. The balance comprises miscellaneous engineering work on the Hauraki Plains for the Land Drainage Branch. The whole cost of other work was £661 2s. 9d.