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REPORT The returns for the year reveal that there has been a still greater output of work than in any previous year. It is encouraging to note that arrears in certain classes of work are gradually being overtaken while at the same time staff are being diverted to other urgent and essential tasks Although there has been no numerical increase in the office staff, the Department is reaping the benefit of the training of ex-servicemen, who are in most cases now fully competent to undertake more responsible work. Reference will be made later in the report to the very successful system, of staff training adopted by the Department which is equipping trainees to efficiently carry out the many specialized duties of a survey office. There has also been an increase in the output of field survey work. A slight increase in the field survey staff, the. wider experience of survey cadets in training, and the extended employment of contract surveyors has enabled the Department to undertake other vital and urgent survey works such as topographical mapping and precise levelling. The position in regard to field staff is, however, far from satisfactory. Many urgent survey requirements are still held in abeyance, to the future detriment of national development and production. Attention is drawn to a summary of these needs at the end of this report, BOUTINE ACTIVITIES The following schedule summarizes the field-work carried out by staff and contract surveyors for the year ended 31st March, 1949:

Summary of Field-work

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Class of Survey. Area or Mileage, &c. Average Cost. Total Cost. Geodetic triangulation Second and third order triangulation .. Topographical mapping (1 : 63360) Topographical survey for settlement Topographical survey for housing Rural and settlement surveys Village and suburban surveys Town and housing section surveys Maori land surveys Road and railway surveys Standard traverse surveys .. Precise levelling (first order) Maintenance of survey marks Inspection and investigation surveys Location of boundaries and compass surveys Police surveys and Court attendance .. Town and extra-urban planning Miscellaneous (reports, &c.) Total cost (Longitude 573 square miles 196,698 acres 28 acres 172,461 acres 387 acres 3,506 lots 2,140 acres 83-8 miles observations) 25s. per square mile 5-68d. per acre 24-28s. per acre 2-45s. per acre 104-39s. per acre £4-29 per lot 14-09s. per acre £65-23 per mile £ 1,424 3,447 716 4,656 34 .21,140 2,020 15,035 1,508 5,466 2,537 760 1,733 914 - 166 786 4,203 66,545