15

8.—5

ACCOUNT for the Year ended 31st March, 1900, compared with the Financial Year ended 31st March, 1899.

OFFICE LOAN ACCOUNT for the Year ended 31st March, 1900, compared with the Financial Year ended 31st March, 1899.

JAMES B. HEYWOOD, Secretary to the Treasury. ROBERT J. COLLINS, • Acoountant to the Treasury.

The foregoing accounts have been examined and found correct, subject to the following remarks: — (1.) The " Customs," " Railways," and " Territorial Revenue " receipts are not now examined by the Audit Office. (2.) The Audit Office is unable satisfactorily to verify the receipts of gold revenue, through the failure of the Mines Department to comply with a requisition for a certified statement of the amounts collectible as such revenue. (3.) The " Advances in the hands of officers of the Government" include payments to the amount of £11,601 12s. 6d., though the accounts of the same were reoeived at the Treasury before the close of the quarter. J. K. VVARBURTON, Controller and Auditor-General. The accounts making up the sum of £11,601 12s. 6d. referred to above had not been received in the Treasury from departments at the time of the closing of the books for the past financial year, and therefore could not be included in the accounts of the quarter. It is, however, admitted by the Audit Office that " such a contingency has been of invariable occurrence, and may in some measure be unavoidable, notwithstanding the requirements of section 71 of 'The Public Revenues Act, 1891.'" See certificate of Audit Office to the Abstraot of Revenue and Expenditure for the Financial Year ended 31st March, 1899. R. J. SEDDON, Treasury, Wellington, 16th May, 1900. Colonial Treasurer,

1898-99. EXPENDITURE. 1899-1900. £ s. d. Balance at end of Year, — Cash in Deposit Account.. Investment Account £ s. d. £ s. d. 25 0 0 385,900 0 0 87 6 11 441,400 0 0 441,487 6 11 Totals 5385,925 0 0 £441,487 6 11

1898-99. EXPENDITURE. 1899-1900. £ s. d. 150,000 0 0 Amount paid over to Government Advances to Settlers Office Account £ s. d. £ s. d. 471,859 10 0 Repayment of advance made by Bank of England 150,000 0 0 Charges and expenses of raising loan 28,141 3 3 Total \ # . £150,000 0 0 \ # . £650,000 13 3