D
OP Y.
Pnclosure 1.
354
Hon. Colonial Secretary,
Owing to various unforeseen causes, the
survey work has fallen seriously into arrear notwithstanding
have
the arrangements which from time to time been made for coping
with it. The following is a brief statement of the causes
referred to.
A new Surveyor was requisitioned for in
December, 1904. One was appointed (Mr. Bird) and arrived in
May, 1905, but his services were dispensed with within a month
as he was found incapable of performing the duties required of
him. He was succeeded by Mr. Reed, who arrived in December,
1905, and still occupies the post, but it will be seen that one
year elapsed from the date of the requisition until a qualified
man arrived in the Colony.
Owing to the resignation of one of the
Staff, a requisition was despatched in March, 1906, for another
Surveyor. One was appointed (Mr. Bolton) and arrived in
September, 1906. As he found the pay inadequate, he was permit-
-ted to resign in March, 1907, (6 months' service). He was
succeeded by Mr. Mackintosh who arrived in June, 1907, and is
still in the office. Here again, there was a great loss of
time.
For reasons which will be explained present-
-ly, in addition to those already stated, the appointment of
another Surveyor became necessary and one was requisition for
in August, 1906. Mr. Moorsom was appointed and arrived in January, 1907, but it was found necessary to dispense with his
services in November of the same year. He was a man of consider-
-able attainments but was dissatisfied with his position and
adopted obstructive tactics, frequently absenting himself from duty on the plea of sickness and otherwise refraining from performing the work allotted to him. He was in hospital for a time but I have been informed that he held extraordinary ideas
on the subject of food. To put it briefly, he was somewhat of
a
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