THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 260, 2 November 1928, Page 7

THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

SIX MONTHS’ FIGURES Revenue Shows Decrease, While Expenditure Rise* (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 1. The public accounts for six monthly ended September 30 appear ui a special Gazette. The fol owing summary of transactions in the ordinary revenue account (Consolidated Fund) has been issued by the Alinister af Finance:— T'nc gross receipts for six month! amounted to £9,183,309. Owing to alterations in the accounting method! of the Post Office and the collection of the petrol tax, a comparison •£ total revenue with that of the corresponding period for last year cannot oe mui a?, except by eliminating itenu which do not appear in both of the periods. The net revenue amounts to £8,186,64.9, as against £8,702,258 last year, a decrease of £515,618. The principal decreases are: Customs £481,187 and stamp and death duties £162,082, while the principal increase is one of £67,859 in interest on the capital liability of working railways. Expenditure under permanent appropriations for the six months was £6,931,705, but this figure also includes new items for motor and petrol taxes on account of main highways amounting to £443,951. Excluding this amount and the amount of £lOO,000 for an ear.ier payment under tho Repayment of Public Debt Act. 1925, the expenditure amounts to £6,387,754 as against £6,336,020 last year, an incicase of £51,734. The principal increases are in subsidies to local bodies and hospital boards £23,943, old age pensions £19,121, and family allowances £13,880.

Expenditure under annual appropriations amounts to £3,665,274, as compared with £3,608,766. an increase of £56,508, due to the coining elections and to the normal increase in education expenditure. The total increase in expenditure is thus £108,242.

CUSTOMS REVENUE RETURNS FROM THE MAIN CENTRES FALL RECORDED AT AUCKLAND [ Per Press Association ] AUCKLAND, Nov. 1. The net Customs and tyre tax for October was £224,470, compared wAlk £147,596 in 1927, and £224,897 in 1926. The ten months’ figures are £154,760 less than 1927 and £201,401 below 1920 WELLINGTON RETURNS [ Per Presa Association ] WELLINGTON, Oct. 31. Customs figures for October, 1928, the •927 figures being in parentheses, are: Net Customs £220,992 19s 2d (£208,062 Is sd); beer, £5217 12s Sd (£4179 19s 7d;. The motor spirit tax yielded £BB2’ 12s ami the tyre tax £566 7s. ANOTHER DROP [ Per Press Association. I CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 1. 7he total net Customs receipts for Christchurch for the ten months of this yvpr were £112,000 less than for the corresponding ten months of 1927, and the decrease in beer duty for ten months was £2500. Customs revenue for October, 1928, was £87,068; October,l927, £74,622. INCREASE IN OTAGO DUNEDIN, Nov. 1. The Customs returns for the month ended to-day were £72,081 19s 7d, against £58,321 J3s for the corresponding period of last year. The beer.duty amounted to £15,069 12s 6.1, against, £25,691 13s Id. The tvre tax was £1453 14s and tho petrol tax £4154 11s Bd.