B. - 1 [PT. IY, Sup.]

20

LANDS AND SURVEY DEPARTMENT continued. GENERAL ACCOUNT—continued. Balance-sheet as at 31st Makch, 1925. Liabilities. [ Assets.. £ s. d. Capital— £ s. d. £ s. d. . Land .. .. .. .. .. 7,171,050 12 2 Interest-bearing, as at Ist Unpaid purchase price (not yet payable) of April, 1924 .. .. 38,871 12 6 buildings .. .. .. .. 5,402 14 8 Non-interest-bearing, as at • Unpaid purchase price (not yet payable) of other Ist April, 1924 .. 7,271,030 1 7 improvements .. .. .. .. 597 7 0 7,309,901 14 1 Buildings on Kapiti Island .. .. .. 530 0 0 Merged interests under section 20, Discharged Advances.. .. .. .. . 4,391 17 0 Soldiers Settlement Act, 1923 .. .. 13,853 0 4 Machinery and equipment on Kapiti Island .. 143 10 0 Sundry creditors — Machinery and instruments .. .. 19,47917 2 Payments to local bodies under section 318, Furniture and fittings . . . . .. 16,028 8 7 Land Act, 1924 .. .. .. 801 14 4 Motor-vehicles .. .. . . . . 720 15 0 Rotorua Borough Council—Proportion of Bicycle .. .. .. . . • . 20 0 0 rents under Thermal Springs District Act, Lithographs, &c., on hand . . .. .. 22,033 15 4 1910 .. .. .. .. 138 11 0 Outstanding Rents Suspense .. .. 3,801 1 7 Unpaid miscellaneous services .. .. 6,969 9 1 Departmental property written off Suspense .. 106 8 3 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. 1,192 411 Sundry debtors for— £ s. d. Principal instalments under section 20, Dis- Rents .. .. .. 86,528 4 0 charged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1923 .. 152 10 3 Less reserve for irrecoverInterest under section 20, Discharged Soldiers able rents .. .. 1,000 0 0 Settlement Act, 1923 .. .. .. 824 10 7 85,528 4 0 Payments in advance— Principal instalments on buildings .. .. 866 15 10 Rents .. .. .. .. .. 2,049 11 11 Royalties .. .. .. .. 5,823 10 2 Royalties .. .. .. .. 3,796 18 6 Interest on advances .. .. .. 73 15 0 Interest on sales of Crown lands . . . . 38 5 2 Miscellaneous office fees, &c. . . .. 664 0 4 Miscellaneous office fees, &c. .. .. 5 3 0 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. 5,377 10 7 Writings off Suspense .. .. .. 3,907 910 Postponed rent .. .. .. .. 11,334 5 8 Depreciation Reserve .. . . . . 7,493 911 Royalties accrued but not due .. . . 250 0 0 Rents, &c., charged in advance . . . . 62,305 10 4 Interest accrued but not due on sales of Crown Revenue Account balance — £ s. d. land .. .. .. .. .. 3,798 4 5 General Account .. 30,809 2 0 Unexpired season tickets .. .. .. 360 0 0 Mining Districts Land Occu- Revaluation Board determinapation Account .. 217 4 tions — £ s. d. Thermal Springs District Reductions in value of land 58,292 9 0 Act 1910 Account .. .8,805 16 10 Rents written off .. 6,554 15 6 39,636 6 2 Remissions of rent .. 5,995 19 6 Revaluation Committee expenses .. .. 4,806 9 2 75,649 13 2 Treasury Adjustment Account .. .. 9,400 4 8 Cash in Suspense . . .. .. .. 6 5 0 Cash in Public Account, 31st March, 1925— Mining Districts Land Occupation Account .. 803 3 3 Thermal Springs District Act 1910 Account .. 8,824 16 7 9,627 19 10 £7,453,066 15 5 £7,453,066 15 5 i Contingent liability, £2,000, being balance of purchase price of Stewart Island held by the Crown and on which interest at 8 per cent, is being paid in accordance with agreement entered into with the then Native owners in 1864. J. B. Thompson, Under-Secretary for Lands. Ist October, 1925. J. H. O'Donnell, Chief Accountant. I hereby certify that the Revenue Accounts and Balance-sheet have been duly examined and compared with the relative books and documents submitted for audit, and correctly state the position as disclosed thereby, subject to the above departmental notes, except that — (1.) The accounts have been compiled from unaudited copies of journal entries of the District Land Boards of North Auckland, Auckland, Poverty Bay, Taranaki, Canterbury, Southland, Wellington, and audited copies of the District Land Boards of Marlborough, Nelson, Otago, Hawke's Bay, and Westland. (2.) Expenditure under the New Plymouth Harbour Endowment Act, 1874, totalling £5,260 lis. 2d., should, in the opinion of the Audit Office, be included in the Revenue Account and shown as a charge against rents. (3.) Capital account is overstated (a) by the total amount of loading for roads, &c.; (b) by £2,000, balance of principal unpaid for the purchase of lands in Stewart Island. (4.) Instalments of principal included in loan repayments should not, in the opinion of the Audit Office, be a revenue charge. (5.) 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. (6.) Separate capital liability bearing interest and sinking-fund charges is not shown for expenditure on Crown lands under the Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905. (7.) 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. G. F. C. Campbell, Controller and Auditor-General.