8.—6.

Of the revenue of £3,920,026, the sum of £416,335 was received from the general unemployment levy, £2,468,019 was received from the wages-tax, and £1,035,672 from the special charge on " other income Allowing for the reduction in the tax to Bd. in the £1 for the second half of the year, the revenue proved to be buoyant and well up to expectations. In fact, the actual collections of wages-tax indicate that the aggregate amount of wages and salaries paid in the Dominion during the year was increased by at least £5,000,000. Disbursements from the Fund for last year totalled £4,882,852, made up as follows: — £ Relief payments under various schemes . . . . 3,464,104 Food, clothing, and other necessities . . . . 98,445 Sustenance payments . . . . . . . . 807,095 Sundry loans and grants . . . . . . . . 145,761 Christmas bonus and other miscellaneous payments 166,603 Administration expenses . . . . . . . . 200,844 £4,882,852 The year closed with a credit balance of £406,711 in the Fund, against which there were considerable commitments. For the current financial year it is estimated, on the present basis of taxation, that the revenue will amount to £4,210,000, and this, with the balance carried forward, will provide a total of £4,616,711. With the acceleration of full-time employment at standard rates of pay by the Government, local bodies, and in industry generally, it is now estimated that this sum will be sufficient to meet the estimated expenditure for work-relief, sustenance, and other charges on the Employment Promotion Fund. At one stage it appeared likely that there would be a temporary shortage in the Employment Fund, and provision was made in the Imprest Supply Act to transfer up to £300,000 from the Consolidated Fund. As it turned out it was not necessary to make use of this provision. PUBLIC ACCOUNTS. As the Public Accounts for last financial year have already been published, it is hardly necessary for me to do more than make passing reference to them. Honourable members will find attached hereto comparative statements of the revenue and the expenditure both with the Budget figures and with the figures for the previous financial year. The outcome of the year's transactions may be summarized as follows: — Revenue. £ £ Taxation . . . . . . . . .. 21,556,415 Interest receipts . . . . . . . . . . 2,721,446 Other receipts . . . . . . . . . . 1,894,506 26,172,367 Expenditure. Permanent appropriations— Debt services .. .. .. .. 9,345,954 Exchange . . . . . . . . . . 1,593,536 Highways . . . . . . . . . . 2,107,406 Other services . . .. . . .. 701,552 Annual appropriations— Social services . . . . . . . . 7,756,212 Other services . . . . . . . . 4,385,907 —25,890,567 Surplus , . ~ ~ ~ . , £281,800

Revenue.

Expenditure.

Estimated resources.

Public Accounts,

Summary of transactions.

Surplus, 1935-36.

7