A.—4

4

The Expenditure for the year ending the 30th June has been £1,654 os. 3d., against £1,441 os. Bd. for 1895-96. The outstanding liabilities for 1895-96 were £218; those for this year are estimated at £110. Full accounts will, as usual, be laid before you when closed and audited for the year. Meanwhile we have elsewhere summarised the receipts and expenditure for your information. The Imports for the year were £24,628 155., against £25,665 for the previous year. Of the imports for this year, £5,975 were duty-free, being goods admitted free here or re-exported to other islands. Casks and fruit-cases, &c, are also duty-free. The Exports amounted for the year, in gross, to £16,196, against £20,720 for the previous year. Of the exports, only £14,766 were the produce of the Cook Islands, against £17,026 for the previous year. The balance in each year consisted of produce from other islands. The usual detailed return of imports and exports will be laid before you. The Estimates will be prepared with a view to keeping expenditure at the lowest suitable point, and with a due regard to the accumulation of savings from revenue which have enabled us to undertake improvements in the past, and on which we must largely depend for the future. Summarising the receipts and expenditure of the past year, they were as follows: — Receipts. & s. d. From import duty ... ... ... ... ... ... 919 9 8 „ hospital ... ... ... ~-. ... ... 183 17 10 „ Post Office ... ... ... ... ... ... 120 5 3 Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... ... . 6 10 0 1,230 2 9 To which must be added the balance in hand on Ist July, 1896, being the savings of previous years, but subject to liabilities then outstanding to the amount of £218 ... ... ... 481 711 Total ... ... ... ... ... ... £1,711 10 8 Expenditure. Fixed appropriations—• £ 8 , <j. Subsidies to the several island governments, in accordance with the Constitution Act, and for the maintenance of their Arikis'Courts, Judges, and police ... ... ... 309 0 0 Towards maintenance of children at Tereora School ... 121 5 0 Hospital ... ... ... :.. ... ... 180 0 0 Parliament and Executive Government— Including payment and passages of members and current expenses ... ... ... ... ... ... 117 10 0 Departmental — Salaries and contingencies, including stationery, current printing, and advertising ... ... ... ... 283 2 9 Carrying ocean-mails ... ... ... ... ... 34 14 8 Eent of post-office ... ... ... ... ... 900 Subsidy to wharf sheds ... ... ... ... ... 50 0 0 Caretaker (Ngatipa) ... ... ... ... ... 22 10 0 Interpreting and clerical assistance ... ... ... ... 40 6 5 Care of the insane ... ... ... ... ... ... 15150 Compiling and reprinting the laws to December, 1896, and printing material and paper for same ... ... ... ... 43 13 4 Buildings, fittings, roofing, painting, water-supply, fencing, and approaches to Ngatipa ... ... ... ... ... 165 2 8 Victoria Eoad, from Avarua to Old Eoad, and fencing ... ... 36 6 4 1,428 6 2 To which must be added school furniture and fittings—a liability from 1895-96 ... ... ... ... ' ... ... 167 5 9 £1,595 11 11 The balance of the £1,654 expended consisted of various similar liabilities of smaller separate sums carried to account this year.