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LANDS AND SURVEY DEPARTMENT—9ENERAL ACCOUNT.—continued. Balance-sheet as at 31st March, 1924. Liabilities. Assets. £ s. d. Capital as at Ist April, 1923 — £ s. d. £ s. d. Land .. .. .. .. .. 7,283,681 8 0 Interest-bearing.. .. 38,552 12 0 Unpaid purchase price (not yet payable) of Non-interest-bearing .. 7,228,396 18 2 buildings .. .. .. .. 7,093 11 0 7,266,949 10 2 Unpaid purchase price (not yet payable) of other Merged interests under section 20, Discharged improvements .. .. .. .. 557 17 1 Soldiers Settlement Act, 1923 .. .. 4,890 16 7 Buildings on Kapiti Island .. .. .. 530 0 0 Sundry creditors — Advances.. .. .. .. .. 4,371 12 1 Payments to local bodies under Machinery and equipment on Kapiti Island .. 143 10 0 section 280, Land Act, 1908 802 17 5 Machinery and instruments .. .. 18,093 0 2 Rotorua Borough Council—-Pro- and fittings .. .. .. 14,814 8 4 portion of rents under Ther- Motor-vehicles .. .. .. .. 816 15 0 mal Springs District Act, Bicycle .. .. .. .. .. 20 0 0 1910 .. .. .. 536 .0 8 Rents, &c., written off Suspense .. .. 4,107 4 9 Miscellaneous .. .. 293 5 0 Departmental property written off Suspense .. 122 11 1 Unpaid miscellaneous services 6,185 8 6 Sundry debtors for— £ s. d. 7,817 11 7 Rents .. .. .. 92,970 3 1 Payments in advance — Less reserve for irrecoverable Rents .. .. .. 2,505 7 9 rents .. .. .. 1,500 0 0 Royalties .. .. .. 2,909 13 8 Principal instalments on build- 91,470 3 1 ings .. .. .. 33 4 1 Principal instalments on build5,448 5 6 ings .. .. .. 768 13 2 Rents, &c., written off Suspense .. .. 4,107 4 9 Insurance premiums .. 5 9 4 Departmental property written off Suspense .. 122 11 1 Rates .. .. .. 219 9 6 Depreciation reserve .. .. .. 4,801 2 6 Miscellaneous office fees .. 665 13 10 Treasury Adjustment Account .. .. 124,799 6 4 Royalties .. .. .. 5,997 12 10 Revenue Account Balance — Interest on advances .. 72 0 8 General Account .. .. 25,946 9 7 Miscellaneous services for other Mining Districts Land Occupa- Departments, &c. .. 2,720 2 0 tion Account .. .. 15,074 1 4 Miscellaneous .. ■•. 5,079 10 6 Thermal Springs District Act Administration expenses .. 18 1 4 1910 Account .. .. 8,847 15 7 107,016 16 3 — 49,868 6 6 Postponed rent .. .. .. .. 2,236 4 0 Unexpired season tickets .. .. .. 466 4 2 Reductions in capital value of land by Dominion Revaluation Board 100 0 0 Rents written off by Dominion Revaluation Board .. .. 13 10 0 Revaluation Committee expenses .. 312 6 11 — 425 16 11 Imprests outstanding .. .. .. 22 11 0 Cash in Public Account, 31st March, 1924 — Mining District Land Occupation Account •. ■• 15,507 10 4 Thermal Springs District Act 1910 Account .. .. 8,777 14 4 — 24,285 4 8 £7,468,804 15 0 £7,468,804 15 0 J. B. Thompson, Under-Secretary for Lands. 24th October, 1924. J. H. O'Donnell, Chief Accountant. I hereby certify that the Revenue Accounts and balance-sheet have been duly examined and compared with the copies of journal entries of the District Land Boards submitted for audit, and correctly state the position as disclosed thereby, except that — (1) The accounts include charges for rent, interest, furniture, and the value of assets transferred from the Marine Department for which the Department possesses no parliamentary appropriation; (2) the Revenue Accounts include rents due for the period Ist July, 1923, to 30th June, 1924; (3) expenditure under the New Plymouth Harbour Endowment Act, 1874, totalling £4,831 17s. 2d., should in the opinion of the Audit Office be included in the Revenue Account and shown as a charge on rents ; (4) Capital Account is overstated (a) by the total amount of loading for roads, &c., and (b) by £2,000 balance of principal unpaid for the purchase of lands in Stewart Island ; (5) instalments of principal included in loan repayments should not in the opinion of the Audit Office be a revenue charge ; (6) expenditure from the Lands Improvement vote (Public Works Fund) absorbed in the Public Works Department accounts should be analysed and portion allocated to Crown lands ; (7) in the opinion of the Audit Office cash balances in the Deposit Accounts of the Receivers of Land Revenue should be shown in the balance-sheet; (8) separate capital liability bearing interest and sinking-fund charges is not shown for expenditure on Crown lands under the Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905. —J. H. Fowler, Deputy Controller and Auditor-General.

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