E.—2

22

The bank balances of the Boards have increased from £31,618 to £51,502. The increase is accounted for to some extent by the fact that the Boards' income for maintenance of school buildings was £16,000 greater than in the previous year, while the expenditure on that account was only £2,000 greater. Likewise the income for general administration increased by £6,000, while the expenditure differed very little from that of the previous year. One Board had an overdraft as at the 31st December last, as compared with three for the previous year. 2. General Account. For convenience, the funds of Education Boards may be divided into two classes —those granted for building purposes and those granted for other purposes. The latter class may be regarded as the General Account, and includes all items in Table F, with the exception of Nos. 23-34, and also contractors' deposits. The following is a summary of the cash assets and liabilities of the Boards on the General Account, of which Table F 6 shows the particulars :■ — General Account, all Boards, 31st December, 1914. Liabilities. £ Assets. £ Overdrafts .. .. .. ..3,271 Cash .. .. .. .. 30,822 Other liabilities .. .. .. 14,803 Due from all sources .. .. 4-7,520 Balances .. .. .. .. 61,618 Deficits .. .. .. .. 1,350 £79,692 £79,692 With two exceptions, the General Account of every Education Board was in credit at the end of the year 1914. The total net credit balance on these accounts for the last four years is shown as follows:— Balances. Deficits. t, , Balances. £ £ £ 1911 .. .. .. .. .. 48,957 126 48,831 1912 .. .. .. .. .. 49,869 2,432 47,437 1913 .. .. .. .. ..55,657 305 55,352 1914 .. .. .. .. .. 61,618 1,350 60,268 3. Buildings Account. The Buildings Account refers to moneys granted for two purposes, which by parliamentary appropriation and by the terms of the grants made by the Depart'"Tnent are quite distinct, namely,— (a.) Moneys granted from the Consolidated Fund for the general maintenance and replacement of school buildings, furniture, fittings, &c, and additional sums paid for the rebuilding of schools destroyed by fire, and for the rent of temporary premises during such rebuilding ; (b.) Moneys granted from the Public Works Fund specially for the erection of new schools and the extension of existing schools rendered necessary by increased attendance, for the purchase of school-sites, and for building teachers' residences in certain cases where suitable houses cannot be rented. The moneys so granted in the year 1914 for the respective purposes named are shown in Tables F 7, F 8, and F 9. The total amount expended by Education Boards during the year 1914 on buildings, sites, furniture, &c, was £218,723. Table FlO shows the assets and liabilities of the Boards on the combined Buildings Accounts. The following is a summary: — Combined Buildings Account' (a) and (b), all Boards, 31st December, 1914. liabilities. £ Assets. £ Overdrafts .. .. .. 8,095 I Cash .. .. .. .. 32,046 Other liabilities .. .. .. 53,868 ' Due from all sources .. ' .. 74,435 Balances .. .. .. .. 47,256 \ Deficits .. .. .. .. 2,738 £109,219 £109,219 Net balances Ist January, 1915.. £44,518