G.—lA.

MARLBOROUGH LAND DISTRICT. (A. C. Haase, Chief Surveyor.) Field-work. Rural. —Returned under this heading are 9,572 acres, at a cost of 07s. per acre. Much of this work consisted in cutting off bush areas on the higher slopes of Crown leaseholds. An area of 3,560 acres is also returned under this heading in work administered by other Departments. This consisted of a periphery survey of Lake Grassmere, which has been reserved for Air firing and bombing purposes. Little survey work was required, and the cost worked out at 013s. per acre. Village and Suburban. —Three sections comprising 8-3 acres were surveyed at a cost of 44-455. per acre. These consisted of isolated areas in the Sounds laid out for seaside-residence purposes. An area of 51-4 acres divided into six sections was also surveyed for aviation purposes at a cost of 17-565. per acre. Housing Survey. —Sixteen sections were surveyed in the Borough of Blenheim for the Housing Department at a cost of £1-64 per section. Native land Surveys. —One block of 25 acres, comprising five subdivisions, was surveyed at a cost of 12-965. per acre. Rural Road Standard.—The survey of 8 miles of the Havelock-Canvastown Road was completed at a total cost of £42-36 per mile. Roads and Railways. —Five miles and a half of roads were surveyed for the Department at a cost of £17 • 33 per mile. A total of 5-65 miles of roads were surveyed for the Public Works Department at a total cost of £247 Os. 7d. This comprised a number of small surveys, some in outlying districts where travelling and location of old marks proved expensive, and the remainder a number of small deviations on the main highway made necessary by road-alignment improvement. The field-work of 10 miles of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, south end, was completed, and about 15 miles at the north end. The plans were not completed at the end of the year, and the survey costs will be carried forward to next year's returns. Other Work. —Nineteen items are included in this return, at a total cost of £140 ss. lid. The work comprises standard and survey maintenance, levelling-work, investigation surveys, surveys for police of sites of motor accidents, definition of boundaries, field inspections, and other miscellaneous surveys. Proposed Operations, 1939-40. —Additional subdivisional surveys of subdivision of Crown leases totalling 11,520 acres will be put in hand. It is estimated that approximately 23 miles of road surveys will be required by the Public Works Department before the end of the year, due to the realignment and deviation of main highways contingent on proposed sealing operations. About 40 miles of Railway land-plan survey may also be required, although this work will probably run into the 1940-41 period. A revision survey of the Picton standard survey may also be put in hand. About 13 miles of rural road standard survey of the Blenheim-Nelson Main Highway will be undertaken when opportunity permits, but work during the current year will probably be confined to offsetting old marks, and final survey will await completion of new alignment of permanent road construction. OFFICE-WORK. Thirty-three Crown plans were examined and passed and forty-one for other Departments. Twenty-seven plans were drawn in the office from field notes and sixty-seven plan copy tracings made. One photolithograph survey-district map was drawn. Ninety-six diagrams were placed on leases and eight on warrant certificate of title. Six hundred and thirty-six tracings were made, 39 lithographs and tracings mounted, 1,031 searches made, 59 deeds and other instruments passed, and 13 written . Land Transfer. —This work is carried out by the ordinary draughting staff in conjunction with other duties. Twenty-three plans were examined and passed, comprising 4,578 acres divided into sixty-two lots. Two hundred and forty-two diagrams were placed on certificate of title and twenty-four on miscellaneous documents. One hundred and six deeds and other instruments were passed. Twentyeight plans were traced for the Valuation Department. Miscellaneous services were rendered, including attendance on surveyors, searching, and compilation of plans for certificate-of-title purposes. The monthly examination of stamps was made for the Stamp Duties Department. Staff and General. During the year Draughting Cadet I. D. Maffey was transferred to the Ohristchurch office and Mr. W. H. .Forbes appointed in his stead. To cope with the demands for surveys both by this and other Departments, Mr. R. H. Clark was appointed as a temporary surveyor during the year. Mr. J. Gilbert was transferred from the Invercargill office to a field cadetship. Mr. A. C. Adamson joined the staff as temporary draughtsman. In conclusion, I have to record my appreciation of the loyal co-operation and close attention to duties of the technical staff. Increased demands for surveys has thrown much of the plan-work on the draughting staff, whose energies have been taxed to the utmost to deal with current work. During the coming year their time will be fully occupied in dealing with current work, and it will be practically impossible to deflect the services of the small trained staff of this office to the compilation of the new record plans proposed to be instituted for our official records.

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