March; while in other Provinces the shipments of wool continued to a much later date.

In conclusion, I beg leave to draw your Honor’s attention again to the necessity of providing an Act regulating the width of tires, as I become daily more convinced of the destructiveness of the narrow wheels in general use at present. This subject is of more importance here than elsewhere, as almost the only material obtainable for road metal in the inland districts is limestone, which, although making excellent roads for light traffic, has the disadvantage of softening in wet weather to such a degree that the narrow tires of our heavy laden two-wheel drays are liable to cut through the crust, while during the dry season narrow wheels grind the metal into dust, which is carried away by the next windstorm.

I have noticed several portions of the Te Aute Road which have lost six inches of metal in one season from this cause.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your most obdt. Servant,

CHARLES WEBER,

Provincial Engineer.

His Honor the Superintendent,

Napier.

REPORT ON SURVEYS.

Napier, 1st June, 1865.

Sir,—In compliance with your Honor’s request, I have the honor to report now upon the surveys executed since the 1st July ultimo:—

The estimates for the present financial year have provided for two district surveyors, with the necessary labor, and for £500 to be expended upon contract surveys, but as Mr. Locke has been principally employed on the survey of the lately acquired blocks in the Wairoa and Mahia districts, and as, in spite of repeated attempts, the services of a second surveyor could not be procured, the greater portion of the surveys have been executed under contract, which naturally has caused an over-expenditure upon the amount set aside for contract surveys, while the greater portion of the vote for salaried surveyors with staff has remained unexpended.

The contract surveys have been executed upon a fixed scale of remuneration, and large blocks of land have been prepared for sale under that system at a moderate cost.

Mr. Locke has surveyed, independent of many smaller blocks, about 12,000 acres on the runs of Messrs. Tanner & Price, D. & K. Gollan, Curling, and M. Bell, and he is now engaged upon the Upper Wairoa block.

Mr. Fitzgerald has laid out a township at Te Mahia, has made a detail survey of the Lower Wairoa block, and is now laying out under contract a township at Te Wairoa.

Mr. Bousfield has marked out under contract about 20,000 acres of five-shilling land in the Ahuriri block, applied for principally by Messrs. Whitmore and McNeill, and he has just finished the cutting up of about 750 acres of bush land at Eparaima into small sections.

Mr. Ellison has staked out, besides several smaller blocks, about 10,000 acres, mostly five-shilling applications, on Capt. Carter’s and Ogilvie’s and Henton’s late runs, and he is now engaged upon the survey of 5,000 acres applied for by Mr. Purvis Russell on his run.

Mr. Williams has just commenced the survey of about 5,000 acres of unagricultural land on the run of Mr. J. N. Williams.

Mr. Koch has staked out about 11,000 acres of five-shilling applications on Col. Russell’s run.

During Mr. Koch’s absence from the survey office, Mr. Turley has taken his place, who has likewise been employed for some months as assistant draftsman, preparing Crown grants, which have to be furnished under present regulation in triplicate. Besides the increase of labor entailed upon the only draftsman by this system, a great deal of his time is constantly taken up by the preparation of detailed maps of the Province for the different departments of the General Government, six such maps having been furnished during the past year. Not only for this reason but principally on account of the constant applications made at the survey office for lithographed plans of the Province by intending land purchasers, I beg leave to recommend that the sum of £150 be placed upon the estimates for such purpose. From very recent correspondence upon the subject, I see that for the above amount about 600 well executed detailed copies of good size can be obtained from England, the sale of which in all probability would repay the original outlay.

Further, I beg to recommend that the sum of £50 be placed upon the estimates for lithographing about 1,000 copies of the township of Te Wairoa and Mahia prior to their sale, as this not only would greatly assist intending purchasers, but it would also save the loss of a good deal of time at the survey office, by making many calls for information there unnecessary.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your most obdt. Servant,

CHARLES WEBER,

Chief Provincial Surveyor.

His Honor the Superintendent,

Napier.