8.—24

2

A. Sinking Fund Commissionees' Account. Office of the New Plymouth Harbour Board, Brougham Street, 11th August, 1894. £ d Face-value of bonds held ... ... ... ... 28,050 0 0 Cash in Bank of New Zealand ... ... ... ... 413 14 H Ist May, 1894, coupons owing ... ... ... ... 841 10 0 Ist November, 1894, coupons when due ... ... ... 841 10 0 £30,146 1411 * Trust Account in hand ... ... ... ... £6,573 2 0 * This will pay the May, 1894, coupons in full ana costs of remitting to Lonaon. C. Eennell, Secretary.

B. New Plymouth Haeboue Boaed.—Memoeandum foe Chaieman. Eateable Value, New Plymouth Harbour Rate proaucea. Bating District. £ £ s. d. Valuation roll, 1886 ... 1,355,092 ... 4,234 13 3* Valuation roll, 1889 ... 1,997,320 ... 6,24112 6* Valuation roll, 1891 ... 2,336,556 7,30114 9f * Incluaing Crown ana Native lanas rates. t Without Crown ana Native lanas rates (since witharawn).

Land Revenue.

C. Eennell, 13th August, 1894. Secretary, New Plymouth Harbour Board.

The Seceetaey to the Teeasuey to the Chaieman, New Plymouth Harbour Board. SIE — Wellington, 31st August, 1894. I have the honour, by direction of the Colonial Treasurer, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th instant, representing the financial difficulties under which your Board is labouring, and applying to the Government to assist them to reduce the annual charge for interest, either by guaranteeing a 4-per-cent. conversion loan, or by lending trust funds to effect the same operation, purchasing the outstanding bonds not held by the Sinking Fund Commissioners. In reply I am to inform you that your representations have been carefully considered by the Government, who, it must be remembered, are placed in a very responsible position in connection with local authorities who ask for assistance, inasmuch as it is manifestly impossible for the Government to take upon itself the enormous existing liabilities of many kindred Boards, and it would be invidious to assist any particular body while refusing assistance to other bodies having equally strong claims upon the Government. While, therefore, fully recognising the earnest endeavours made by your Board to provide remittances of interest for the London bondholders, the Government regret they cannot see their vay to give effect to the proposals of the New Plymouth Harbour Board. I have, &c, The Chairman, New Plymouth Harbour Board, Jas. B. Heywood, New Plymouth. Secretary to the Treasury. Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given; printing (1,350 copies), £1 lis.

By Authority : Samuel Costall, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB94.

Price 3d.]

Year. Bates collectea. March Quarter. June Quarter. September Quarter. December Quarter. Totals. 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 £ S. d. 2,759 7 2 7,485 4 8* 7,285 12 2[5,129 9 6 5,912 19 8] 6,202 14 6 j 7,078 1 6 | £ s. d. 1,498 13 9 1,675 16 5 995 12 10 989 16 6 1,237 19 8 2,196 15 1 1,943 18 9 2,600 14 7 £ s. d. 451 4 0 520 15 11 436 14 10 767 14 9 1,179 1 10 1,213 3 11 853 19 4 1,343 6 7 £ s. d. 1,288 10 4 994 13 5 1,381 6 8 1,074 12 6 1,776 18 9 2,591 1 7 2,136 19 10 £ s. d. 810 9 9 640 5 3 397 0 11 894 4 8 1,124 7 7 1,179 4 0 1,432 13 4 £ s. d. 4,048 17 10 3,831 11 0 3,180 15 3 3,726 8 5 5,318 7 10 7,180 4 7 6,367 11 3 3,944 1 2 13,109 7 7 6,736 1 2 11,244 3 1 6,478 5 6 37,597 17 4 •Incluaing £2,230 ll rates. J Incluain; is. 5d., Crown ana Native lands rates £746 18s! 4a., Crown and Native Ian As rates. t Incluaing £2,200, Crow: ana Native lanas