PEOVINCIAL ACCOUNTS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3043, 27 April 1867, Page 5

PEOVINCIAL ACCOUNTS.

Ik the Provincial Gazette published last night, we find an estimate of the assets and liabilities of the province of Auckland on the 18th instant. The assets are set down at £70,064 ss. Id., and the liabilities at £54,643. But the assets must be greatly reduced. Those who collect money will agree with us in saying that this is not the time to enforce payment of the promissory notes and immigration bends. In short, we look upon these as a bad debt. This would reduce the assets by about £26,000, and nearly balance the account, assuming that the £699 of immigration bonds not yet due are recoverable. There appears to be a sum of £47,532 appropriated from the loan of 1863 still unexpended, and we would counsel the new Provincial Government to save as much of it as possible. For instance, £6,326 for immigration is not needed, whilst the working classes are leaving Auckland as fast as they oan. The proprietors along the Great South Road ought to build the required bridges, and thus save the province £1,000 of the loan appropriated for that purpose. A sum of £6,396 is set down for native land purchase ; and when we state that, of nearly 150,000 acres of Provincial Government land offered yesterday at 10s. per acre, only 3,000 odd acres were taken up by land-order holders, not a penny of cash being paid, we think we have said enough to show that this i item at least need not be expended in buying more land at present. These sums taken together amount to £13,722 ; and although it is a trifling amount it is best not to throw it away, and pay interest on it, if it can be avoided. There is also an unexpended item of 2£,639 for contingencies, which looks uncommonly large. We would suggest a considerable saving here also. Indeed, we think £1,000 would be a wide enough margin to allow for contingencies. We make these suggestions in the best spirit. If the Government can possibly stop the expenditure on the loan, they will make a proper beginning, and merit fair support.