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States Patent Office revenue and expenditure of some time ago with that of this Office of recent, years is given below : — United Stales. Proportion of Receipts. Expenditure. Expenditure to Receipts. ,$ $ Per (.'cut. 1811 to 1850 .. .. .. 554,448 165,578 83 97 New Zealand. £ s. d. ,£ s. (I. 1909 to 191.8 .. .. .. 70,036 6 5 29,586 10 II 4224 Patents. During 1918, 1,386 applications were received, being 57 more than in 1917. The following figures, giving the number of applications received on the first six months of each of the years mentioned, are of interest as showing the effect of tin- war on the number of inventions recorded. For the purpose of comparison the applications in Great Britain for the corresponding period are added.

In 790 (789) cases provisional specifications were lodged with the applications, and complete specifications with 596 (540), while 261 (355) complete specifications were lodged in respect of applications with which provisional specifications bad been previously filed. The total number of applications received to the 31st December, 1918, was 11,011, and the number of patents then in force 1,352. £6,576 1 Is. (id. was paid last year in patent fees, an increase of £L,516 os. 3d. over the previous year, which was £781 6s. 9d. less than that received in 1917. The increase was chiefly in the number of patents sealed, £1,464 (£996), and sixth year's renewal fees, £918 (£14:4), such fees being payable only on comparatively few patents in 1917. The number of cognate cases i.e., in which the contents of more than one provisional are embodied in one complete was 20, involving 44 provisional specifications. The number of entries of dealings with patents was 52 (59). No patents were, sealed alter the prescribed time. The restoration of lapsed patents was effected in 3 cases, and the fees from that source, amounted to £102. In 1917 3 patents were restored and £44 paid in fees. Applications from women inventors numbered 35. Patents of addition were sealed in 8 cases. Countries from which Applications received. Of the 1,386 applications 885 were received from residents of New Zealand in 1918, while in the previous year out of 1,329 applications 889 were by persons residing in this country. From Australia 223 (Victoria 126, New South Wales 65) came to hand, a.s compared with 211 (Victoria 111, New South Wales 68) for the preceding year. Of others applying for New Zealand letters patent, .156 (117) lived in Great Britain, 91 (82) in the United States, and 9 (9) Canada,, the. figures in brackets being for the year 1917. Trend of Subject-matter of Inventions. With one or two exceptions there is nothing calling for any special mention hi this respect. Inventions relating to milking machinery still account for a fair number of applications, 51 having been received during the year, as compared with 37 in 1917. The development of the kauri gum industry has resulted in a, slight increase in the small number of applications on that subject — 25 (19) —tind the same remark applies to some extent to honey-production and other industries. Inventions relating to cultivating and tilling and fibre-dressing show a falling-off to 29 last year from 19 in the preceding year in one case, and to 19 from 24 in the other. The most marked increase is in the number of inventions under the heading of " Vehicles," chiefly on account of motor vehicles, fires, and other accessories, the total number being 91. last year, as compared with 57 in 1917. Designs. Registration of Designs. There were 53 applications received, and registration was effected in 50 oases, as compared with 83 applications and 80 registrations in the previous year. The, fees amounted to £19 55., being less than in 1917.

Notis. —The figures in parentheses are those for the previous year — i.e., 1917.

New Zealand Great Britain 1913. 1914. 1915. 869 951 647 15,105 15,690 9,587 * To the 7th .Line. L916. 565 9,265 1917. 665 9,495 1918. 1919. 741 897 10,774 14,561*