E.—l.

HAWKE'S BAY. Sir, — Office of the School Commissioners, Napier, 20th March, 1903. 1 have the honour to forward herewith statement of the Commissioners' accounts for the year ended the 31st December, 1902, duly audited, and to report as follows : — A small section of rural land has been set aside and vested in the Commissioners for secondary education, and it has been let at an annual rental of £11. During the early part of the year a reserve, which was passed in at an auction sale in 1901, was leased at the upset rental of £3 45., increasing after five years to £9 125.; and the sum of £260 was received for the timber on the land. An auction sale of leases was held at the end of the year, when two rural, two suburban, and nine town lots were offered. The two rural sections were sold at the aggregate annual rental of £77 ; one of the suburban lots, containing 5 acres and 13 perches, was sold at an annual rental of £2 2s. 6d. per acre ; and one of the town lots was sold at an annual rental of £27. The other lots were passed in. A further sum of £88 Bs. Bd. has been expended in destroying rabbits on the block of 5,600 acres mentioned in last year's report. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. Eric C. Gold Smith, Chairman.

Genebal Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending the 31st December, 1902.

101

Primary. Secondary. Total. Receipts. To Credit balances on the 1st January, 1902 Arrears of revenue for previous years—viz., rents, issues, profits, or receipts from reserves Interest on overdue rents Revenues, viz.,— Rents, &c, of reserves for current year Other receipts for current year, viz.,— Rents collected by Receiver of Land Revenue Interest on fixed deposits Sale of timber ... £ s. 786 7 a. 7 £ s. 1,340 0 d. 6 £ s. '2,126 8 d. 1 240 11 19 17 6 2 158 16 0 3 3 5 399 7 20 0 9 7 2,493 1 1 527 11 2 3,020 12 3 325 1 15 3 8 7 325 1 48 3 260 0 8 7 0 33 0 260 0 0 0 Total receipts ... 3,880 2 7 2,319 11 4 6,199 13 11 Expenditure By Salaries and allowances to officers Printing, stationery, &c. Bates Insurance ... Law charges Valuation fee Eepairs to buildings ... Fencing (half-share) ... Destroying rabbits ... Payments to Hawke's Bay Education Board Fees, board, and rail fares of pupils attending Napier High Schools Credit balances at the 31st December, 1902 — Fixed deposits at Union Bank Current Account ... Cash in hand £ s. d. 76 15 1 6 5 10 31 10 1 2 17 6 8 5 5 110 21 17 3 £ s. d. 23 4 11 1 18 1 £ s. d. 100 0 0 8 3 11 31 10 1 2 17 6 10 9 4 110 21 17 3 3 11 0 88 8 8 2,900 0 0 2 3 11 3 11 0 8S'"8 8 2,900 0 0 626 12 9 626 12 9 506 6 0 167 4 10 69 10 11 1,100 0 0 562 0 8 1,606 6 0 729 5 6 69 10 11 Total expenditure 3,880 2 7 2,319 11 4 6,199 13 11 Assets. Balance of cash on the 31st December, 1902 Arrears due 31st December, 1902— Arrears of year 1899 ... Arrears of year 1900 ... Arrears of year 1901 ... Arrears of year 1902 ... Arrears, 1902, collectible by Eeeeiverof Land Eevenue £ s. d. & s. d. £ s. d. 2,405 2 5 12 3 5 30 18 0 33 13 0 288 14 2 14 3 10 12 3 5 30 18 0 33 13 0 327 2 2 14 3 10 38' 8 0 Total assets 379 12 5 38 8 0 2,823 2 10