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Statement of Accounts, showino the Amounts expended and the Purposes to which the Money so expended has been applied, for the Year ended 31st March, 1920. Scenery Preservation Account. Statement of Receipts and Payments for Year ended 31sl March, 1920. Receipts. £ s. d. Payments. £ 8. d. Cash in hand Ist April, 1919 .. .. 433 8 7 Salaries .. .. .. .. 40 8 4 Loan Account: Debentures issued .. 5,000 0 0 Administration of reserves, &c.— £ s. cl. Rents received .. .. .. 203 1.0 5 Salaries of caretakers and allowances .. .. ■ .. 70 3 0 Travelling-expenses .. ..4104 Eradication of weeds .. .. 116 0 Erection and upkeep of fences .. 12 0 0 Legal costs .. .. ..770 . 95 16 10 Compensation for lands acquired along the Wanganui River: Puketarata.. .. 118 0 0 Compensation for Native lands taken tor scenery purposes —- Pukaahu Thermal Resort .. .. 350 0 (I Ngatira Scenic Reserve .. .. 42 14 0 Orari Gorge Scenic Reserve : Contribution towards fencing and improvements .. 0 0 0 Surveys, valuations, and incidental expenses : Advertising intention to take lamia .. .. .. .. 12 3 9 Turuturumokai Pa Scenic Reserve : Cost of planting trees, &c. .. .. .. 87 7 0 Cash in hand, 31st March, 1920 .. .. 4,944 8 1 £5,090 19 0 £5,096 19 0 Loan Account, as at 31st March, 1920. £ s. d. By Debentures issued— £ s. d. £ s. Ib To Loan authority: Section 12, Scenery- 1905-1919 .. 89,000 I) 0 preservation Act, 1908 .. .. 100,000 0 0 1919-1920 .. 5,000 0 0 — —— 94,000 0 0 Balance of authority as at 31st March, 1920 .. .. .. .. 0,000 0 0 £100,000 0 0 £100,000 0 0 J. H. O'DoNNELL, 10th June, 1920. Chief Accountant.

APPENDIX B. Report of the Scenery Preservation Board. During the year under review the following meetings were held in the office of the Surveyor-General: On the 14th April and the Ist May, 1919, to deal with matters in tho Auckland Land District ; on tho 29th April, 1.919, to deal with matters in tho Marlborough Land District; on the 30th April, 1919, and the 23rd February, 1920, to deal with matters in the North Auckland Land District; on the Ist May, 19.19, to deal with matters in tho Taranaki Land District; and on the 31st March, 1920, to deal with matters in the Southland Land District. The Board submitted thirteen recommendations to His Excellency the Governor-General in regard to acquiring and reserving certain lands for scenic purposes, and several of these have already been carried out, while the remaining ones are being dealt with. Several other cases were also considered, but no recommendations were made. T. N. Brodrick, Chairman.

APPENDIX 0. Kapiti Island. A small portion of this island is still retained by the Native owners, and, so far, proposals to purchase tho interests of th» Natives have not been successful. During the year it was decided to set up an advisory committee to advise the Government on technical matters relating to the flora and fauna of the, island and the preservation of bird-life thereon, and the following gentlemen have agreed to accept appointment on the committee : E. Phillips Turner, Esq., E.R.G.S., Secretary, Forestry Department; Professor H. B. Kirk (nominated by the New Zealand Institute) ; Dr. J. Allen Thomson, Director of the Dominion Museum ; Arthur Seed, Esq. (nominated by the Wellington Acclimatization Society); Dr. Leonard Cockayne, F.R.S., &c. ; and W. H. Field, Esq., M.P. The Commissioner of Crown Lands, Wellington (ex officio), will act as Chairman of the committee.

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