DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. DRAINAGE OPERATIONS IN HAURAKI PLAINS. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1936, TOGETHER WITH STATEMENTS OF ACCOUNTS.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1936 Session I, C-08

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1936. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. DRAINAGE OPERATIONS IN HAURAKI PLAINS. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1936, TOGETHER WITH STATEMENTS OF ACCOUNTS.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 20 of the Hauraki Plains Act, 1926.

Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, Ist July, 1936. Sro, — I have the honour to present herewith the report of the Chief Drainage Engineer on operations carried out during the past year on the Hauraki Plains in accordance with the provisions of the Hauraki Plains Act, 1926. I have, &c., W. Robertson, The Hon. Frank Langstone, Minister of Lands. Under-Secretary for Lands.

* REPORT OF CHIEF DRAINAGE ENGINEER. Sib, — I have the honour to submit the twenty-eighth annual report on the land-drainage and development works carried out on the Hauraki Plains during the year ending 31st March, 1936. The year's rainfall has been excessive, particularly during the summer, when, with the exception of December, the fall each month has ranged between 3 in. and 6 in. Though the growth of grass has been abundant, most of the settlers have found that, owing to the vagaries of the season, production has been below normal, and the increase in dairy-produce will probably be below the average rate of increase for previous years,

C.—B.

The following particulars of stock and produce returns from the Hauraki Plains District have been compiled from figures kindly supplied by the dairy factories and other concerns handling most of the produce of the district. The figures in parentheses are last year's returns : — Tons. Tons. Butter .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,350 (2,975) Cheese .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,305 (2,698) Flax .. .. .. .. .. .. 566 i (139) No. " No. Pigs .. .. .. .. .. .. 9,846 (7,652) Calves .. .. .. .. .. .. 24,874 (23,262) Miscellaneous stock .. .. .. .. 8,205 (5,707) Cargo received and shipped from the Piako River and Waitakaruru amounted to 6,648 tons. These figures are by no means complete, as it is obviously impossible to get complete returns from a large district. They, however, serve as an approximate indication of the value of the annual production of the reclaimed swamp lands. Rainfall records for Kerepeehi since 1915 are as follows : —

Records of Daily Precipitation, Kerepeehi, Hauraki Plains.

Average annual rainfall over twenty years is 43-52 in. The rainfall for 1935 was considerably above the average, and it will be noticed that rain fell on 194 days. It is satisfactory to record that, with the exception of the overflow of the Waitakaruru Stream on Ist February, when extensive flood damage occurred all over the Auckland Province, no serious flooding occurred on the Hauraki Plains. The need for flood-control work on the Waitakaruru Stream has been apparent for many years, but the difficulty has been that the settlers have been unwilling to raise the small contribution required from them towards the cost of the work. For several years past the works connected with the Hauraki Plains Reclamation Scheme have, owing to the necessities of the economic situation, been carried out principally as relief undertakings. Although there is no doubt that much, permanently useful work has been accomplished, it has unfortunately been necessary to depart from the original plans for the progressive development of the scheme because the grants for construction work have been to a considerable degree conditional upon the use of unemployed labour. An assurance of regular appropriations over a period of years is required to enable a longer-range programme of balanced development to be undertaken and an efficient arrangement of equipment and working-forces' to be devised to provide the greatest possible return for the expenditure. I would particularly recommend for consideration plans for the development of 11,000 acres of Orown land, known as the Pouarua area, lying to the south of Waitakaruru and west of the settled lands on the western bank of the Piako River. A considerable amount of drainage and road-construction has already been carried out within this area. The Pouarua Canal, already constructed, and the Maukoro Canal, on which further work has been authorized, provide the necessary main drainage, and several miles of subsidiary drains were constructed some years'ago as a relief-of-unemployment undertaking. The land is peat, and as the result of subsidence brought about by drainage these drains require to be periodically deepened. This will cause further consolidation, and the land will then become suitable for grazing, which will hasten the process of development. A considerable portion of the area has already reached an advanced stage of development and could be prepared for permanent settlement in a few years time.

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Number of Days, with given Daily Precipitation in Inches. oi -TjH Oi r* OS Tji oi OS OS OS <35 OS On,,,™., Voo- Total Total w .. , -, r ,, „ . ,,, A1 Year. Days. Fall. Wettest Month. Driest Month, o oooooooooooo O OlOOkOOOOOOOOO O iftt-0(NOt>0 :»« 0000 Ō Ô © rH tH iH ■ tH CSJ C\1 CO iÔ «5 1916 .. 109 12 9 7 2 3 .. 1 1 .. .. 1 .. .. 144 52-19 Nov. 6-65 Feb. 1-05 1917 .. 131 11 4 4 3 1 1 1 156 45-61 Feb. 6-26 Jan. 0-65 1918 .. 145 14 6 4 1 .. .. ! 1 171 44-06 Oct. 7-47 May 2-24 1919 .. 122 9 1 3 2 ! 137 27-36 July 4-52 Deo. 0-89 1920 .. 85 7 10 3 1 1 3 2 ' 112 43-16 Feb. 6-10 July 1-73 1921 .. 93 12 5 3 2 .. .. 1 116 34-41 Oct. 5-89 Feb. 0-72 1922 .. 101 17 9 3 1 1 .. 1 133 42-81 Feb. 6-62 April 1-73 1923 ..151 6 5 4 1 1 .. 1 169 47-04 April 9-76 Mar. 1-72 1924 ..132 8 10 5 2 5 1 1 .. 2 166 60-37 April 8-55 July 1-87 1925 .. 142 15 4 2 1 164 37-64 June 6-67 April 0-84 1926 .. 149 15 6 4 5 2 2 .. 183 55-53 May 8-86 Feb. 1-79 1927 .. 159 10 6 5 .. 4 184 45-33 July 6-29 April 2-01 1928 ..125 7 9 2-3 2 2 1 151 47-30 May 7-52 Jan. 0-01 1929 .. 124 19 8 3 1 155 41-05 April 5-09 Feb. 0-74 1930 ..131 4 2 2 3 2 2 146 37-72 Jan. 6-87 Dee. 0-80 1931 .. 144 10 7 4 2 167 43-23 July 7-80 Mar. 0-98 1932 ..126 7 5 4 .. 1 143 32-05 Feb. 4-95 Nov. 0-93 1933 .. 152 13 1 4 3 .. .. 1 .. .. 174 38-93 Feb. 6-54 Mar. 1-20 1934 .. 138 11 6 5 2 2 .. 1 .. 1 166 43-23 June 6-15 Oct. 2-05 1935 .. 163 15 6 4 2 2 .. 1 .. 1 j 194 53-42 July 9-56 Jan. 0-93 1936* .. 30 7 2 1 40 13-16 Feb. 5-83 ! Mar. 3-03 * First three months of year only.

C.—B.

The following is a brief description of the principal works carried out during the year : — Dredges. Only three land dredges have been in commission during the year. All the floating dredges have been idle. The year's total quantity of machine-excavated material was 164,046 cubic yards. The following table shows the total quantities excavated each year by the dredges during the past sixteen years : — Year. Cubic Yards. Cost per Cubic Yard. 1920-21 .. .. .. .. .. 158,865 7-42 d. 1921-22 .. .. .. .. .. 246,022 7-29 d. 1922-23 .. .. .. .. .. 440,092 8-20 d. 1923-24 .. .. .. .. .. 508,654 7-27 d. 1924-25 .. .. .. .. .. 822,286 5-86 d. 1925-26 .. .. .. .. .. 856,653 6-32 d. 1926-27 .. .. .. .. .. 647,182 7-42 d. 1927-28 .. .. .. .. .. 652,413 7-32 d. 1928-29 .. .. .. .. .. 619,911 6-54 d. 1929-30 .. .. .. .. .. 595,565 6-25 d. 1930-31 .. .. .. .. •• 536,692 8-32 d. 1931-32 .. .. .. .. .. 390,611 7-99 d. 1932-33 .. .. .. .. .. 200,954 8-00 d. 1933-34 .. .. .. .. .. 116,224 5-96 d. 1934-35 .. .. .. .. .. 52,517 10-02 d. 1935-36 .. .. .. .. .. 164,046 8-26 d. No. 15 Bucyrus excavator, after completing tie construction of tie embankment roadway and back-filling around the site of the Kerepeehi Block pumping-station, has been engaged on the construction of the Reservoir Canal and subsidiary drains leading to the pump-suction chamber. This machine requires a tliorougi overhaul. Interruptions for tie purpose of carrying out running repairs have been frequent and have been the cause of the unusually high unit-cost. Using a half-yard Page bucket and operating with a 50 ft. boom, this machine handled 47,920 cubic yards in 197 working-days at a cost of ĪO-sd. per cubic yard. No. 16 Bucyrus excavator has been employed since November, 1934, in the Patetonga District widening and deepening the Waikaka Canal. Along the lower reaches of this canal the work was delayed by frequent floods, but when working above tie flood plain good progress was made. Tiis maciine has also been operating with half-yard bucket and 50 ft. boom, and the total output for 229 working-days was 61,844 cubic yards at unit cost of 6-92 d. No. 19 Dredge was laid up during the months of March, April, May, and June, 1935, when the 100 ft. timber boom and superstructure had to be renewed. During the nine months the machine was in commission it ias been engaged widening and deepening the Piako River Channel and building -stop-banks with the spoil. Material excavated from the river-bed has to be transported 200 ft. and built into a substantial stop-bank. These operations are carried out by the dredge with one handling of the material at a cost of 7-35 d. per cubic yard. The machine operates on the drag-line principle, using a 1-cubic-yard-capacity bucket. The total output for 173 working-days was 54,282 cubic yards. Kerepeehi District. The drainage-pumping station for the Kerepeehi Block, commenced in 1934, was practically completed in July, 1935. The erection of the steel-frame pump-house and pumping-machinery occupied the first four months of the fiscal year under review. Tie performance of the 33 in. centrifugal pump under acceptance tests carried out in June, 1935, are given hereunder : —

- -Before -tie pump had been connected witi tie drainage system, a rainfall of 3-02 in. in about luvivv hours ,m tie 20 th July, followed -by a fall of 1-07 in. during tie following day, caused some -flooding 1 on the-Kerepeehi Block.- 'No. 15 Bucyrus excavator, by working continuously for sixty hours, was able to Connect tie drainage system of tie 2,000 acre occupied block with tie pump. Twentyfour iours' pumping, assisted by some sluice-gate action, was then required to empty the drains.

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/.; Brake Discharge, Pump, Water, Electricity, Overall Horse- p ump Static Head, in-Feet. Gallons, Revolutions, Horse- Horse- Efficiency P ower at Efficiency per Minute. per Minute. power. power. • ' Pump- J ' shaft. Per Cent. Per Cent. 3-<)2 28,500 155-25 33-90 82-8 40-9 73-4 46-2 3-87 .. 28,800 156-00 33-77 82-5 40-9 73-2 16-1 3-77 .. 28,900 154-80 33-01 79-1 41-7 70-2 47-0 5-10 .. 25,900 155-20 39-98 74-2 53-9 65-8 60-7 5.9I .. 24,950 155-10 44-73 78-1 57-3 69-3 64-6

C.—B

Operating from a camp, on the Awaiti Canal, a working-party of fourteen to twenty-seven men has been engaged throughout the year on land-development work on the Kerepeehi Extension Block, 368 chains of new drains have been constructed involving 7,740 cubic yards of excavation, also a considerable amount of drain cleaning and improvement, clearing approximately 400 acres of manuka, and grubbing about 120 acres of rushes. Another party of nine to twenty-two men camped at Kaihere Ferry have been engaged on the eradication of noxious weeds on the Kerepeehi Block and the flax area adjoining the Piako Biver. One hardwood bridge of 28 ft. span on pile abutments has been erected on the Kerepeehi Block Extension outlet. Difficulty experienced in obtaining adequate supplies of metal has delayed progress on road-metalling undertakings ; 150 cubic yards of surface metal has been spread on 13 chains of Finlay's Road, Kerepeehi Block, and a surface-course of 1,546 cubic yards of metal has been laid on Wanis Road over a base-course laid last year ; 176 chains of road-formation was completed on the Netherton-Tirohia Road, which has now been formed for a total distance of approximately three miles southwards from the Netherton Settlement. Maintenance-work carried out in this district includes seasonal drain-cleaning of 26 miles 74 chains of main drains. On account of the increasing volume of work being undertaken beyond the boundaries of the Hauraki Plains District, the staff in the workshops and store at Kerepeehi have had a particularly busy year. The control of 6 miles 57 chains of metalled roads and 1 mile 77 chains of unmetalled road was handed over to the Hauraki Plains County Council during the year. These roads were originally constructed, and have hitherto been maintained, by the Department in consequence of a provision of the Hauraki Plains Act giving exemption from general county rates to Hauraki Plains lands for a period of five years from date of occupation. Waitakaruru-Torehape District. Two camps for men recruited from relief-of-unemployment agencies established in the Waitakaruru District some three years ago for fifty and twenty-five men respectively have been considerably below strength throughout the year. Fourteen to forty-nine men from one camp at Waitakaruru Township have been employed raising the stop-banks on the Waitakaruru Stream ; 14,430 cubic yards of material have been placed by means of wheel-barrows, to raise 75 chains of stop-banks. Nine to twenty-five men from the other camp situated on the Maukoro Canal have been employed on drainage and development-work on Crown lands ; 11,066 cubic yards of spoil was excavated in improving 169 chains of drains. In the Torehape District a camp was established in February, 1932, for the purpose of continuing road-construction commenced some years previously within a block of 11,000 acres of Crown land. Owing to the number of men in this camp being reduced below that required to operate the tramway used for road-formation, this work had to be stopped in June, 1935, and the available men have since been employed on drain-improvements and noxious-weed eradication. The road-formation consists of clay ballast conveyed by light railway and laid on peat subgrade. During the many years that the work has been in progress intermittently, about eight miles of tramway has been laid. As the sleepers are of non-durable timber, every year's delay in the completion of the works necessitates the renewal of several thousands of sleepers, and the early resumption of work on at least the Torehape and Centre Roads now under construction cannot be too strongly urged. A total of 2,459 sleepers for the light railway were split at Patetonga, and 20 chains of line laid. Only 1,141 cubic yards of clay ballast was hauled on the tramway. In the construction of 19 chains of new drains and improvement of 373 chains of existing drains in this district, 18,549 cubic yards of material was excavated by manual labour and 40 miles 71 chains of drains were cleaned during the year. Patetonga District. Drain-improvement work was the principal undertaking carried out in this district during the past year. This work has been carried out by a working-party of nine to twenty-two men camped at Patetonga Township ; 7,320 cubic yards was excavated in the improvement of 394 chains of drains, and 35 miles 56 chains of main drains were cleaned. The ring-barking of the willows on the banks of the Piako and Waitoa Rivers, commenced last year, was continued duung the months of January, February, and March, 1936, when a party of six men ring-barked the willows on a 3 miles 13 chains reach of the Piako River above the Patetonga Canal and inspected and, where necessary, treated with poison the willows on a ten-mile reach of the Piako River that had been ring-barked last year. Another party of six men commenced work in January, 1936, with a log-hauler snagging and clearing the growth from the banks of the Piako River above the Tahuna Bridge, and the clearing of one bank for a distance of 1 mile 44 chains had been completed at the end of March. Fifty-six white-pine logs were cut in the bush on the Waitoa River and shipped to Kerepeehi for excavator pads and for general construction. Structural Works. ,' rsse chief structural undertaking completed during the year was the Kerepeehi Block pumpingstation. The steel-frame pump-house "building and pumpiing-machihery" were erected on foundations completed m 1934-35. The 33 in. centrifugal pump is operated by a9O h.p. motor. The equipment includes 85 kva. transformer switch-gear and electrically operated air-exhauster for priming-pump. Five small road bridges were constructed over drains and canals, and a number of road culverts installed, including a 4-ft.-diameter culvert and flood-gate on the Maukoro Canal at Waitakaruru. Two cottages were erected at Mill Road, near Paeroa.

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C.—B,

Farm-land Development and Buildings. For some time past a considerable amount of land-development and other works outside the Hauraki Plains District lias been controlled from the Kerepeehi headquarters. This year's undertakings include a small-farm land-development scheme near Cambridge, where a small working-party has been engaged stumping and ploughing and sowing in grass or other crops an area of 40 acres, also draining, fencing, cutting, and grubbing gorse and blackberry. At Hoe-o-Tainui a party of eleven men has been engaged since August, 1935, preparing a block of 1,400 acres of Crown land for settlement. Two hundred and eighty-six acres have been cleared, ploughed, and cultivated with the Department's teams, and at the end of March, 1936, 72 acres had been sown in grass and treated with lime and manure. A camp to accommodate twenty-four men was erected on Henderson's Block, near Otorohanga, in January, 1936, but only two men were employed attending to stock prior to the middle of March, when three more men were engaged by the Unemployment Relief agencies. The work carried out comprised repairs to fences and buildings and mowing ragwort. Surveys and Office Work. Engineering surveys carried out during the year required 29 miles 62 chains of traverses, 63 miles 41 chains of levels, and 779 cross-sections. By means of automatic gauges, continuous river-stage records have been kept throughout the winter months at four gauging-stations on the Piako River and one station on the Waitoa River. Stream-flow measurements were carried out to test the discharge curves for the Waitoa River station and the upper station of the Piako River. The work carried out by the field and office staff merits special mention. This work comprises preparation of plans and specifications, contract and wages vouchers, payment of wages, allocation of works expenditure, keeping of store accounts, and general office work. In addition to monthly payments to standard workers and contractors, one hundred and fifty to two hundred men are paid fortnightly, and as the works are spread over a large area this involves a considerable amount of extra travelling and long working-hours for the staff. Summary. The total length of subsidiary drains constructed on the Hauraki Plains since the inception of the scheme is now 773 miles 68 chains. The principal works carried out during the year under review are summarized in the following schedule :— Length. Excavation. ~n ■ i i i ~ , M. Ch. Cubic Yd. JJrams cleaned by manual labour .. .. .. .. 107 26 Drains widened and deepened by manual labour .. .. 11 71 25,868 Drains, new construction, by manual labour .. .. .. 6 4 91715 Stop-banks enlarged by manual labour .. .. .. 115 14^687 Total quantity of drainage excavation by manual labour .. .. 50,270 River and canal improvement, machine construction .. .. 374 164,046 is Metal. Koads metalled, top-course only .. .. .. .. 2 22 1 696 New roads formed .. .. .. .. .. ~ 2 16 Clay ballast delivered on peat road by light railway .. .. .. 1,141 No. Sleepers cut and delivered for tramway .. .. ... .. 2,459 Area cleared of scrub and rushes .. .. .. .. .. 520* Willows ring-barked on river-banks .. .. .. .. 313 Road bridges erected .. .. .. .. ~ _ _ *5' 35 ft. span rolled-steel joist, pile abutments, timber decking. 25 ft. span timber joists, pile abutments, timber decking. 25 ft. sill bridge, hardwood. 20 ft. sill bridge, hardwood. 14 ft. sill bridge, hardwood. Road culverts and floodgates constructed .. ~ .. .. 5 The works expenditure totalled £27,445 19s. lOd. Drainage rates for maintenance purposes were struck for £1,558 os. lid., whilst £1,889 14s. lid. were collected. I have, &c., • , R. G. Macmorran, Chief Drainage Engineer. The Under-Secretary for Lands, Wellington-

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HAURAKI PLAINS SETTLEMENT SCHEME. Rate Account as at 31st March, 1936. r ' £ s. d. Cr. £ s (j To Maintenance of completed works .. .. 1,513 17 2By Balance brought forward .. .. ..2 154 3 6 Remission of rates .. .. ... .. 86 9 10 Rates levied .. . . .. .. 1500 18 0 Balance .. .. .. .. .. 2,111 17 5 Penalty, 10 per cent. .. .. .. '57 211 £3,712 4 5 £3,712 4 5 Receipts and Payments Account foe the Year ended 31st March, 1936. Receipts. PctyTYieTits Pul ī! i ,?jf orkB Co « Bol ' date| l ' Public Works Consolidated „ , Fund. Fund Fun[L £> s. a. t s. a. £ s. d. £ s d To Rates .. .. .. .. 1,881 12 8 By Drainage works: Stop-banks, Law-costs . .. .. 820 clearing channels, and other Sale of land .. .. .. 4,375 7 1 .. expenditure incidental to Rents and grazing fees .. .. 8,805 0 10 conducting drainage operaInterest on sales of land .. .. 668 18 3 tions (including formation Artesian-well boring ant j metalling of roads), Repayment of advances .. .. 51 0 9 materials supplied, &c. .. 17 783 19 9 Interest on advances .. .. 25 5 6 Material and stores .. . . 5 015 3 3 Instalments on buildings .. .. 38 14 10 Fuel '399 o 4 Ferry fares .. . . .. .. 180 19 9 Maintenance •of completed Credits 111 reduction of expendi- works j 399 13 g ~.t urf , •• ■■ 10,887 19 1 .. Management and engineering Miscellaneous receipts ... .. 433 6 8 expenses . 76 15 11 Transfer expenditure to Treasury Refund rent .. " .. 60' 5 10 Adjustment Account .. .. 1,513 7 6 Discharged Soldiers Settlement Iransfer expenditure to Public Account: Recoupment in Works Fund .. .. 23,268 1 3 .. respect of merged transactions .. .. .. 3 18 8 21 3 11 Kaihere Ferry expenses .. . . 210 14 1 Refund of rates . . . . . . 24 1 10 Transfer receipts to Treasury Adjustment Account .. .. 11,987 9 8 Transfer receipts to Public Works Fund .. .. 15,259 7 6 £38,531 7 5 £13,606 8 9 £38,531 7 5 £13,606 8 9 Revenue Account for the Year ended 31st March, 1936. Dr. £ s. d. Cr £ d To Interest on Public Works Fund capital .. 35,971 4 9 By Accrued'rents .. 9555 « 5 Kaihere Ferry expenses 229 6 1 ' Interest on sales of land .. . " '937 7 6 Administration expenses .. .. .. 438 19 0 Grazing fees . 184 15 1 Remissions of rent .. .. .. 497 11 5 Ferry fares " 207 18 6 Remissions of interest • ■ 50 19 2 Kaihere Ferry : Half-loss charged to County Rebates 622 15 5 Council , . •.. 10 13 10 Irrecoverable costs, &c. .. .. .. 25 11 4 Hire of plant .. 174 11 5 Premiums on conversion .. . . .. 14 10 0 Forfeited deposits .. .. 20 0 Royalties 1 10 0 Net loss carried down . . .. .7 26,776 14 5 . £35,850 17 2 £35,850 17 2 £ s. d. £ s d To Net loss brought down .. .. .. 26,776-.14 sBy Balance carried forward .. ... 255 578 311 Balance from previous year - 228,801 - 9 -6 ' £255,578 3 11 - '.v ?"£255,578 3 11

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C.—B.

HAURAKI PLAINS SETTLEMENT SCHEME—continued. Balance-sheet as at 31st March, 1936. Liabilities. Assets. Capital Account— £ s. d. £ s. d. Improved lands handed over to Public Works Fund .. .. 850,482 1 2 Land Board for settlement — £ s. d. £ s. d. Value of Crown land set apart Leased .. .. .. 179,934 19 11 under Act .. .. 45,000 0 0 Unleased .. .. .. 11,709 1 6 895,482 1 2 Unpaid purchase-money for Employment Promotion Fund capital .. .. 8,593 15 5 land sold on deferred payDischarged Soldiers Settlement Account: Merged ment .. .. .. 17,442 0 0 transactions under section 20, Discharged 209,086 1 5 Soldiers Settlement Act, 1923 .. .. 411 14 0 Unimproved-value land not disposed of .. 41,908 3 11 Sundry creditors — £ s. d. Improvements on adjoining Crown lands .. 7,710 0 0 Miscellaneous .. .. 363 210 Permanent reserves .. .. .. .. 8,851 0 0 Departmental . . .. 210 7 Works in progress: Expenditure on land in course 365 13 5 of reclamation, including formation and metalling Rent charged in advance .. .. .. 2,297 19 5 of roads .. .. .. .. .. 572,127 611 Rate Account .. .. .. .. 2,111175 Capital expenditure: Employment Promotion Payments in advance — £ s. d. Fund .. .. .. .. .. 8,593 15 5 Rent .. .. .. 48 15 3 Artesian wells— £ s. d. Rates .. .. .. 12 4 0 Crown tenants, Hauraki Plains 351 4 0 Instalment of principal on de- Permanent reserves and Crown ferred-payment sales .. 36 10 3 lands .. .. .. 216 10 9 Instalment of interest on de- 567 14 9 ferred-payment sales .. 22 5 7 Buildings .. .. . . .. .. 4,079 711 119 15 1 Wharves .. .. .. .. .. 3,200 0 0 Suspense Account .. .. .. .. 59 19 8 Machinery and plant .. .. .. .. 33,508 15 11 Writings-off in Suspense .. . . .. 198 15 10 Live-stock ... .. .. .. . . 24 17 6 Deposits by lessees : Surety against drain-damage 10 0 0 Loose tools .. .. .. .. .. 901 15 1 Treasury Adjustment Account .. .. 257,037 5 9 Stores .. .. .. .. .. 4,747 7 1 Stamps on hand .. .. .. .. 0 10 Sundry debtors — £ s. d. Rent .. .. .. 3,766 19 7 Rates .. .. .. 3,315 6 4 Instalment of principal on de-ferred-payment sales .. 125 6 0 Instalment of principal on buildings . . .. 1 17 0 Interest on well-boring .. 11l 17 8 Interest on deferred - payment sales .. .. .. 455 17 7 Law-costs .. .. 119 13 5 Tram freights and ferry fares.. 29 17 6 Grazing .. . . .. 119 10 0 Miscellaneous .. .. 5,185 16 7 Departmental .. .. 553 18 10 13,786 0 6 Postponed rent .. .. .. .. 1,406 10 10 Postponed instalments of principal . . . . 1110 0 Postponed interest .. .. .. .. 55 9 2 Losses in Suspense .. .. .. .. 198 15 10 Interest accrued but not due .. .. .. 234 10 0 Premiums on conversion .. .. .. 101 10 0 Cash in Deposits Account .. . . .. 10 0 0 Revenue Account : Balance forward . . .. 255,578 3 11 £1,166,688 17 2 £1,166,688 17 2 W. Robebtson, Under-Secretary for Lands. Wm. E. Shaw, Chief Accountant. I hereby certify that the Rate and Revenue Accounts and Balance-sheet have been duly examined and compared with the relative books and documents submitted for audit, and correctly state the position as disclosed thereby. The following comments are appended: (1) In the opinion of the Audit Office, interest charged on works in progress should be capitalized. (2) A Bad Debts Reserve should be created. (3) Suggestions in reference to the treatment of expenditure on lands already handed over for settlement were made to and are at present under consideration by the Department. (4) No charge for the cost of exchange on payments made in London is included in the Account.—J. H. Fowler, Deputy-Controller and Auditor-General.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (674 copies), £9 10s.

By Authority: G. H. Loney, Government Printer, Wellington. —1936.

Price 6d.]

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