THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

Southland Times, Issue 18834, 29 May 1920, Page 4

THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

In another column wc publish a Press

Association message giving some details of the 'Public Accounts for toe qua (or (nae.i

March 31, but these figures, though they ft late to the last term of the twelve months, will be of little value to the general public as they stand, because they give no idea of the results for the whole year. The details of the March quarter, added to those relating to the three previous quarters, however, give the following totals with the figures for the previous year also shown) :

The expenditure side, it will be seen, has risen by some £5,188,764 while the advance in the revenue has been only £3,790,566. A comparison with the figures for the previous year will reveal that in all the principal items of revenue there has been an increase

The Budget estimates of the revenue were exceeded in these items, but the expenditure, while it exceeded the estimates made in the Budget follows very closely the figures given by Sir James Allen in his amendment statment. The details on the revenue side are:—

The outgoings, as shown above, have increased by over £5,000,000. The permanent appropriations (expenditure of the civil list, interest payments, pensions and payments under special Acts' amounted to £11,380,060 and the annual appropriations (expenditure by departments) to £12,302,463. The comparison, with the preceding year is;— 1018-19 1019-20 £ £ Permanent appropriations 9,218,850 11,389,060 Annual appropriations 9,442,320 12,302,463 The increase in the expenditure may be criticised but the government’s operations have been affected by the high prices ruling and the necessity for higher pay to its employees and taken all in all the results of the year are much better than was generally expected.

1919-20 1918-19 £ £ Revenue . 26,148,938 22,352 372 Exj>cnditure . 23,862,363 18,073.599 Surplus 2,286,573 3,078.773

1919-20 1918-19 £ £ Customs .. .. .. 4,830,323 3,830 681 Stamp Duty .. Post and .. 3,344,932 2,124,772 Telegraph .. .. 2,09(5,73.5 1,964,811 Land Tax .. 1,557,901 1.512,693 Income Tax .. .. 6,309,763 6,219,335 Beer Duty .. 355,402 273,331 Railways . . . . 5,766,014 4,975,445

Estimated. Actual. £ £ Customs 4,400,000 4,830,323 Stamp Duty .. .. 2,460,000 3,344.932 Post and Telegraph . • . . 1,910,000 2,096.755 Land and Income Tax 7,360,000 7.927,664 Beer Duty . . . . 270,000 355,402 Railways 5,000,000 5,766,014