THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1695, 24 August 1904, Page 21

THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

A statement of the receipts and expenditure of th© Consolidated Fund for th© June quarter is published in the “ Gazette,” Th© balance available on April Ist, after making provision for £700,€00 Treasury bills outstanding, was £649,740. The ordinary revenue during the quarter was £1,370,741 and territorial revenue £23,283. The expenditure on permanent appropriations was £918,036 and on annual appropriations £800,093. The balance at June 30th, after providing for Treasury bills outstanding; £700,000, was £325,635. The Public Works Fund at April Isthad a balance to credit of £398,802, and during tlio quarter received £709,000 under tho Aid to Public Works Act, 1900, and £89,775 on account of the million loan under the act of 1903. Th© expenditure from the fund under annual appropriations was £166,156, th© principal items being railways £53,620, roads £52,534, public buildings £24,706, telegraph extension £14,030. The repayment of temporary advances and the redemption of debentures absorbed £706,881. At the end of the quarter there was a balance to credit of £319.527. The statement of accounts has the following “ tags ” : The expenditure on old age pensions includes payments made by the Post-master-General for old age pension instalments to the amount of £3,601 11® 3d before the moneys necessary in order to enable such instalments to be paid had, by the Colonial Treasurer, been paid out of the Consolidated Fund into the Post Office account, by way of imprest, in accordance with the provisions of section 58 of the Old Age Pensions Act, 1898. J. K. WARBURTON, Controller and Auditor-Gen eral. Pay-day, the Ist of April last, for th© old age pensions fell upon a bank holiday. and payment upon that date to the Post Office of imprest moneys could not be made; while to have paid prior to that date would have caused a double charge for old age pensions in last year’s accounts. The Post Office, under section 10 of the Public Revenues Acta Amendment; Act, 1960, was quit© in order in making the payments, and was thus enabled to keep faith with our aged pensioners, and to avoid a considerable amount of hardship which would undoubtedly have arisen had payment not been made upon the day appointed. R, J. SEDDON, Colonial Treasurer. STATE COALMINES. ANNUAL STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS. The balance-sheet of the State coalmines for the year ended March 31st, 1904, was published in the “Gazette” last evening. The total receipts forth© year amounted to £69,898. Of this amount £12,576 is represented as cash in hand, debentures issued £55,000. sales of coal from the Seddonville colliery £IBOO, sales of timber and rails from the Point Elizabeth works £405, and! refund accounts £lls. On the credit side of the account a sum of £4032, cash in hand and in bank, less £2694. vouchers passed outstanding, leaves a balance of £1338 on the year’s working. This brings, the expenditure up t q £69,898. The largest amounts are de? bited to wages in each instance. In the case of the Point Elizabeth railway, the detailed expenditure waa as follows: —Wages, £15,859 ; material® and stores, £7078; freight and cartage, £200; travelling expenses, £47; instru, ment allowance, £l7; telephones, £l6j total, £23,219. A sum of £22,706 was expended on the Point Elizabeth colliery as follows: Wages, £12,356; materials and stores, £3288; machinery, plant, and rollingstock, £6447 ; freight and cartage, £600; compensation for accidents, £l4: total, £22,706. The Seddonville colliery was responsible for £17,708 of the total amount expended during the year. The detailed figures are: —Wages, £11,501; materials and- stores, £2598; machinery, plant, and rolling-stock, £2307; freight and cartage, £479; railway haulage, £4l9_; compensation for accidents, £4Ol. Other items of interest in the list of expenditure were: —Grey mouth office furniture £7O; management and office salaries, £1138; travelling expenses. £821; printing, stationery, and advertising £106; general expenses, £703; insurance, £l2; debenture interest, £2077