o.—B

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Statement of Accounts (as required by Section 10 ot the Haubaki Plains Act. 1908) for the Year ended 31st March, 1912. Receipt*. Expenditure. 1011. E s. ,1. 1912. £ s. (I. April 1. To Balance—Cash in Public Mar. 31. By Expenditure— Account .. .. 22,666 8 4 ! Salaries .. .. 238} 17 fi 1912. £ s. (1. Travelling allowances and Mar. 31. To Land-sales .. 52 18 0 expenses, camp allow - Rents . . 4.450 Iβ 7 ances, and general exMiscellaneous.. 150 2 :S penses of administration 151 18 ."> Sales of cattle. Purchase and equipment of &c. .. 280 18 10 dredges and launches. 4.U40 16 8 maintenance, and work Advances made by the New ing-expensee .. .. :i.:i44 7 7 Zealand State -'guaranteed Buildings, erection and Advances Office.. .. 20.000 0 0 maintenance of .. 181 13 11 Cattle, purchase of .. 356 8 (i Drainage-works: Clearing channels, building stopbanks, tramways, and all expenses incidental thereto .. .. 31.388 7 3 Compensation for lands acquired . . .. 1.761 8 0 Payments on loans— Interest .. .. 1,890 6 11 Repayment of principal 771 6 0 Balance—Cash in Public Account .. .. .. 7.445 1 9 Advances in hands of officers of the Government .. 76 9 2 £47,606 4 0 £47,606 4 0 Loan Account. 1912. £ b. d. 1911. I s. d. Mar. 31. To Balance .. .. 103,716 19 I April 1. By Balance due to Loan* to Local Bodies Account (on original loan of £31,000) .. 33.393 6 11 1912. Mar. 31. Year's interest at 4 per cent. per annum .. .. 1.335 14 8 Advances made by the New Zealand State-guaranteed Advances Office— No. 1 Loan—Balance .. 4,858 15 0 No. 2 „ „ .. 4,858 15 0 No. 3 „ „ .. 4,895 0 0 No. 4 „ „ .. 9,790 0 0 No. 5 ~ .. .. 24,653 2 6 No. 6 ~ .. .. 9,931 5 0 No. 7 „ ~ .. 10,000 0 0 £103,715 19 1 I £103,715 19 1

REPORT BY LAND DRAINAGE ENGINEER. 1 have the honour to report upon the various operations carried on during the past year. A great deal of varied work has been done by the several branches in connection with development and maintenance of the drainage system, and particular attention has been paid to improving in every reasonable way the existing works. A considerable area of really good land was systematically drained, surveyed, and thrown open for selection under the optional system. Further areas of good land will be made available in each succeeding year as circumstances permit, and, judging by the keen competition for the sections in the past and the general satisfaction of the successful applicants, there will always be hundreds anxiously looking for the opening-up of new areas. Swamp-drainage is necessarily a rather slow process, but notwithstanding this fact some 27,470 acres of previously useless swamp land have been reclaimed and are now occupied by some 176 settlers. It is a matter for congratulation that the settlers on Hauraki Plains are of a very good class and generally very progressive. In each particular class of work hereafter dealt with totals are given showing the position as at the 31st March, 1912, and details of all classes of work executed during the year under review are shown separately under the heading " Works performed." This form is convenient and necessary, as the existing stage of completeness of works is thus brought out. Priestman Dredges. Both dredger No. 1 and dredger No. 2 have been very fully employed during the year, having excavated a total of 131,902 cubic yards of clay, &c. Very little time has been lost in connection with repairs. The work done leaves little to be desired, and the dredgemasters are to be congratulated on their efficiency. The automatic steel " chutes attached to dredges have been an unqualified success. Cost of dredging, '!|d. per cubic yard.