therefore the survey of it should be undertaken with as little delay as possible.

The extent of useless roads laid out by cutting up land into blocks and sections where the country is likely to pass into the hands of large proprietors. I would therefore most strongly urge the Government to represent to the Government of Otago the desirability of getting many of the old road lines in the Hundreds closed, and, where necessary, to have new ones laid off in lieu thereof. The large amount of land being fenced in the Hundreds, renders it daily more difficult for the settlers to get either to or from their homesteads, as they are in many cases entirely cut off from the old and natural tracks on the dry and leading ridges.

I estimate that it will take a surveyor and field party at least a year to make the necessary surveys for the purpose.

Many of the old trigonometrical stations, which have now been erected from 10 to 12 years, are fast falling into decay, a number of them having entirely disappeared; the remaining ones, where decayed, ought to be replaced with iron standards, so that their positions should not be lost, as they are the only reliable land marks for future reference in cases of disputed boundaries.

The township of Winton requires to be cut up into town and suburban allotments; only a few blocks of it have been surveyed up to the present time. Tenders were called for this work a year ago, but I suppose the want of funds has prevented the Government giving me instructions to proceed with the execution thereof. The best sales of town land would probably be effected at the completion of the line of railway;

Therefore the survey of it should be undertaken with as little delay as possible.

The office work of the Department has, I am sorry to say, fallen considerably in arrear. Mr Stevens is the only draughtsman, and his time has been so completely taken up in checking the acreage, &c., of the district surveyors’ maps, drawing out and registering applications for land, showing the selection maps, and giving general information to the public from the records of the office, that he has never been able to make any considerable progress in getting the district maps completed, or compiling a general map of the Province showing the purchased land, which is now urgently required. The selection maps, worn that new ones will soon become a matter of absolute necessity.

Some assistance in the draughtsman’s office is therefore urgently required, if the records of the office are to be kept in an efficient state.

I cannot complete my last report as Chief Surveyor of the Province of Southland without complimenting the district surveyors for the pains they have generally bestowed on the surveys under their charge, and without recognising their efforts to fairly carry out the spirit of the instructions under which they have acted.

I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your most obedient servant,

JOHN H. BAKER,
Chief Surveyor.

RETURN OF FIELD WORK FOR TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 31st DECEMBER, 1869.

ABSTRACT FOR 1869.

| Section Survey | ... | 18,508 0 0 |
| Reserves | ... | 2,050 0 0 |
| Reserves in Section Survey | ... | 88 2 15 |
| Area of Roads Surveyed | ... | 840 1 7 |
| Roads Surveyed | ... | 47 miles, 30 chains |
| River Traverses | ... | 11 70 |

Chief Surveyor’s Office,

Southland, October 4th, 1870.