C.—lA

It is proposed to bring down amending legislation in the near future to provide for a better control of subdivisional development and the setting-aside of suitable areas for public purposes. The selection and siting of reserves and open spaces to serve the requirements of residents is a problem that requires further enabling powers under the Act.

Office-work (Plan Examination) The depleted office staff has been called on to handle an increase in the amount of civil work as well as cope with the mapping and other requirements of the Services. The office-work carried out in connection with land survey plans and documents for the year ending 31st March, 1944, is scheduled hereunder:—

This summary reveals that, compared with the previous year, there has been approximately a 12-per-cent. increase in the amount of land title work. Indications are that this work will tend to increase, as the accumulated arrears at the end of the year were greater than those of the previous year. , i Other Office-work A large portion of the staff are continually employed on various classes of work consequent on survey plan examination, such as the maintenance of record maps, the preparation of land descriptions, investigations of title, tracings, photostats, &c. The following is a summary of the amount of miscellaneous office-work carried out by the staff:— Record maps .. .. ... .. .. 32 Cadastral maps .. .. . . .. .. Nil Tracings .. . . .. .. .. .. 3,209 Photostats and prints .. .. .. .. 53,644 Warrants During the year 156 warrants for certificates of title and 11 Proclamations of roadlines under the Native Land Act, 1931, were dealt with. Summarized, Expenditure A schedule of summarized salary expenditure is not included in the report this year. The total expenditure for all districts is shown as £103,406 6s. 6d., as compared with £96,843 15s. 3d. for last year. The expenditure under the various items is as follows:— General (Crown surveys, records, investigations, tracings, ~ »■ <1. diagrams, and general office-work) .. .. .. 31,172 811 Triangulation (computations only) .. .. .. 839 6 8 Topographical mapping (departmental staff —salaries only) 9,435 8 7 Standard traverse (office only) .. .. .. 7 8 6 Survey maintenance (standard blocks and trig signals) .. 24 19 11 Precise levelling .. .. .. .. .. 286 0 4 Inspection and investigation surveys .. .. .. 282 1 5 Town scheme plans . . .. .. .. .. 260 11 0 Land-development (topographical and schemes) .. .. 244 16 5 Tidal analysis (computations) .. .. .. 125 3 5 Work for— Native Department .. .. .. .. 1,735 2 4 Land and Deeds Department .. .. .. 8,425 10 3 Public Works Department .. .. .. 3,278 3 11 Housing Department .. .. .. .. 1,673 18 4 Other Departments .. .. .. .. 45,615 6 6 Total .. .. .. £103,406 6 6

3

j Survey Plans examined and approved. Plans placed I ; — District. I on Instruments j Other , , • of Title. j Crown. Depart- Native. rI1 an . 1 , iranster. ments. I I I I Auckland and North Auckland .. ! 10,048 J14 149 52 487 Gisborne .. .. i 461 '28 .. 7 31 Hawke's Bay .. .. .. 889 10 14 2 64 Taranaki . . . . .. 745 6 16 8 44 Wellington . . .. .. 3,009 16 103 4 178 Marlborough . . .. .. 237 4 12 1 17 Nelson .. .. .. ... 847 17 30 .. 67 Westland .. .. .. 519 27 1 .. 7 Canterbury . . ... . . 2,628 10 37 1 160 Otago .. .. 1,268 14 17 .. 79 Southland . . . . . . 708 . . 14 . . 42 Totals .. 21,359 246 393 75 1,176