POLITICAL NOTES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14524, 21 August 1911, Page 3

POLITICAL NOTES.

ELECTORATE BOUNDARIES. (From Our • Special Corr^poudcut.) "WELLINGTON, Aug. l f J. Sir W. J. bbtfv/ard wdl a.sk the Acting-Prime •Mm.ater whetuor, in view of the very unsatisfactory proposals of the Itcpreseutation Comm.abioncra in regard to many electoral districts, tho Government will introduce a Bill, tu bo passed a.s a biil of urgency, to extend the margin of difference as to the population quota, so as to enable the (Jonmi;fc.siow;rs to amend thfcir proposii Is, and adjust the proposed boundaries in such a manner as will preserve as fax as possible com* j munity of interests. i TO AVERT TEMPTATION. I Mr Massey is to ask tho Governj meut whether they intend this session to give eheet to the recommendation of the Committee on the allegations made by tho. Member for St rat lord as iollows The Committee is of opinion that legislation should bo oassed making it illegal for a Member of Parliament to act on his own behalf, or on behalf of any other- person, in negotiating the sale of an estate to the Crown. ' THE PUBLIC DEBT The Controlk"r and Auditor-General certifies that the. public debt fas delined by section 2 of the Public Debt Extinction Act) is £0.1,272.134. This of course is not the total public d«bt, but only the moneys borrowed against which there is no sinking fund-, in terms of the Act passed last session. STATE A.S MORTGAGEE. ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. Ihe annuiil jvix.rt .01 the Advances to Settler,s jluun suites that -U)oj jjppLie;itious jo;* loan*, amounting to £'2,122,749, were received during the last financial year. 'lhe advances actualiy granted numbered 31-S3, amounting to £1,204,310, wii.ch exceeds those of the previous yv;\r by J3S, .ind the j amount by £109,190. The i>oard had I from the commencement of its i up to the end of March last authorised I 32,300 advames, amounting to £ll,- j 523,145. Applicants to tho the nuni- I her of 3416 declined Use grants idler- , ed thom amoun*Jng to £1,347,910,.. making the adva:**>cs authorised to ; that date 28,091, anj fc»ie amount £lO,180.235. The total amount of advances : actually pu.xl over during the year, for both the advances to settlers and advances to workers branches, was £l,(512,070. The report on advances to workers branch that for the last financial year the applications received numbc-r* cxl 2125, amounting to £000,802, as against 2028 applications amounting to £550,651 for the previous year. The ; advances actually granted during the j year numbered 1296 for £407,760, be- j ing an increase in amount over the I previous year of £45,408. * j