POLITICAL NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3591, 2 August 1912, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES.

THE YEAR’S SERYEY OPERATIONS. Bv Telegraph—Special Correspondent WELLINGTON, Aug. 1. The report on the survey operations of the Lands and Survey Department during the year ending March SI was presented to Parliament to-day. .Fifty staff surveyors, 11 temporary and 105 contract men, were employed, the total cost of the surveyors and their parties being £89,530. Under settlement survey a very |are-c area lias been completed during th-eTyear, the total being 495,200 acres, in addition to which 109,281 acres have been topographically surveyed. Of Native lands 452,219 acres were surveved. The field staff at tne beginning of the new year comprised 69 surveyors with 11 assistants and the extent of work actually on hand with them and with the contract surveyors comprised : Minor and secondary tnangnlatmn 4899 spunie miles, settlement survey 709,096 acres, Native land survey 813,121 acres, roads 31G miles.

STATE AFPOP.ESTATION, Owing to unfavorable climatic con. ditions there was a high death rate among newly-planted trees last year, but the growing of established trees in the State plantations was good. 'Hie annual report on State Reserves and Plantations Department states that no less than 8,563,650 trees were raised from seed in the four nurseries during the year ending Alarch 31 andnearly all that number were despatched for planting cut, leaving over sixteen million trees in the nurseries.

Since the establishment of the nurseries in 1896 a total of 71,904,231 trees have been raised and made available for the use of afforestation. A gross area of 18,870 acres has been planted and it is estimated that 44,568,505 trees are growing upon those •lands, . Prison labor continues to be a success, there having been a daily average of 28 men employed in tho North Island plantations and 43 men in the Soutli island. INVENTIONS IN NEW ZEALANDInteresting statistics regarding patents, designs and trade marks are given in the annual report which states that the applications during the year number 2622.

The Registrar Oil' P. C. Lev,-is) remarks that the applications in respect of dairying, fibre-dressing and fencing and other matters connected with the principal industries were well maintained. GUARANTEED ADVANCES.

The State Guaranteed Advancer, Office reports that during the year there, were 355 applications Ur loans, amounting to £2,593.084.

The loans actually granted amounted to £2,134.085. This is nearly a million more than was granted during the previous.year. 4133 applicants declined the grants offered them, amounting to £1,668,065. The total amount of advances actually paid over during the year for both the Advances to Settlers and Advances to Workers branches was £2,717,925, the total advances to date (18 years) amounting to £12,051,380.

The advances granted to workers during the year numbered 1624, and the amount was £543,840.

The total net advances to date are £2,002,375.