C. -1A

14

The total area of Native Land Court surveys completed during the year amounts to 2,127 acres. The number of plans endorsed to comply with Judge's instructions was 104 ; of these, 88 have been forwarded to the Registrar, Native Land Court, for attachment to partition orders. The area of Native land placed on diagrams amounts to 3,386 acres. 368 plans have been forwarded for use at Native Land Courts. The survey costs (including cost of examination of plans and interest due) collected for ordinary Native Land Court a-nd West Coast Settlement surveys amounted to £357 3s. 3d. The outward correspondence entailed the writing of 470 letters. Eight vouchers, amounting to £221 10s. 9d., covering 23 subdivisions and totalling 1,882 acres, have been prepared in this branch and sent on to the Accountant for payment to contract surveyors. When necessary, an officer has attended the sittings of the Native Land Court for the purpose of obtaining charging-orders, giving assistance to the Court, and carrying out usual detail work. Twenty-five applications for charging-orders and 25 certificates of cost, amounting to £213 12s. 9d., were forwarded to the Native Land Court, and 39 Liens, amounting to £279 ss. 10d., covering 39 subdivisions, were released. Five plans covering an area of 671 acres were compiled for Native Land Court use. Two plans for office record have also been made in this branch during the year. General Draughting Branch : 7 index maps, on a scale of 20 chains to an inch, were drawn of 27 survey blocks in Ngaere and Hawera Survey Districts, and these districts are now nearly completed, the plan of the remaining 4 blocks in Hawera Survey District being well under way. In addition, an index plan of Toko Township was also drawn. New drawings of Heao and Cape and Wairau districts, on a 40-chain scale, were completed, while a new road record and 20-chain index map of Paritutu Survey District is now well forward. 20 sheets of the New Plymouth standard survey were completed, 830 tracings for office and departmental use were prepared, while 6 compilations were executed. The usual recording and other routine work has been kept up to date. Proposed Operations in Field for 1929- 30. —Mr. Mclntyre will continue the rural standard survey from Opunake to New Plymouth, while Mr. Haase will continue from New Plymouth to Hawera. Mr. Adams will continue the topographical survey w T ith two assistants, and will also execute any settlement surveys as required. Wellington Land District (F. H. Waters, Chief Surveyor). Trial initiation. —No work under this heading was undertaken during the year. Rural. —Subdivisions of Mataikona, Moroa, and Westella Settlements; surveys of Sections 11, 44, 45, and 46, Block VIII, Kaitieke Survey District; Sections 8, Block VI, and 102, Block IX, Waiohine Survey District; subdivisions, Chatham Islands ; surveys old bed of Ruamahanga River; Section 14, Block VIII, Tiffin Survey District ; and at Tongariro National Park—a total of 32 sections, of an area of 14,995 acres. Village and Suburban. —Subdivisions, Town of Owenga (Chatham Islands) and Town of Castlepoint No. 1, a total of 31 sections, of an area of 109 acres, were completed during the year. Town.—Surveys of Lansdowne School site, two sections of Town of Otaki, and subdivisions of Hutt Valley Settlement —234 sections, of an area of 53 acres. Native Land Court. —16 chains of road in Section 19, Hutt District, were surveyed by Mr. Strawbridge. Native.—sl authorities for 146 partitions, representing an area of 23,680 acres (approximately), at an estimated cost of £3,045 ; 48 plans and duplicate tracings have been received from surveyors for 163 partitions, an area of 21,519 acres, at a cost of £1,899 Bs. 2d. ; 1,043 diagrams have been endorsed and forwarded to Native Land Courts ; 342 applications for charging-orders have been prepared and forwarded to Courts; 68 vouchers prepared, checked, and passed for payment, amounting to £1,779 6s. 9d. ; liens totalling £1,619 17s. 6d. have been received, and notices of release have been forwarded to Native Land Courts ; plans have been forwarded to the various Courts sitting in this district. Roads and Railways.—Comprise surveys of tram-line Raketapauma Block ; deviation, Tauherenikau Valley Road ; road reserve, Waiwhetu River ; and road-deviation, Taita Gorge—a total of 4-2 miles. Other Worlc. —Includes survey, Kairanga Settlement drainage ; taking land for road purposes, Porirua, Paremata, and Hutt districts ; report on road-deviations, Chatham Islands ; accretion, Hutt River; repegging sections Hutt Valley Settlement and Heretaunga Settlement; Bell Road extension, Hutt Valley Settlement; location of pegs, D.P. 1987 and D.P. 3916 ; investigation of boundary between Taraketi and Rangitikei Blocks ; report on river erosion, Section Is, Nesdale Settlement ; revision survey, Trentham Manoeuvre Area ; Tongariro National Park surveys ; investigation of boundaries, Section 20, Harbour District, and of boundaries D.P. 1771 ; compass surveys 20 chains road between Porirua and Paremata for State Fire Insurance Department, bush area, Sections 8 and 12, Block XIII, Akatarawa Survey District; and part Hutt River Bank, Melling Estate ; survey of old post-office site, Marton ; various minor surveys, Hutt Valley Settlement; compass survey, Central Development Farm, Weraroa. Inspections.—Messrs. W. G. Nelson and G. I. Martin carried out 9 inspections of Land Transfer and Native-land surveys during the year. Land Transfer Branch. —485 plans were received, 536 plans examined, 500 plans approved, 1 plan compiled, 22 applications were examined, 3,316 transfers and other dealings were examined and passed, 8,597 diagrams were endorsed on new certificates of title, whilst the usual indexing, recording, and dispatching have been undertaken. Statutory Branch. —128 plans were received, 134 plans examined, 45 plans sent to surveyors for amendment, 133 plans were approved, 126 plans were sent forward for Proclamation purposes, 132 plans were recorded, 139 Proclamations were gazetted and received, action was completed on 92 plans, and 13 plans were compiled for Proclamation purposes. Other work includes general and