5

H.—lB

The following table shows the gross amount paid since the Act came into force, together with the cost per head of the population (exclusive of Maoiis) in each, year : — Gross Payments Population Cost per on Account of at End of Head of Pensions. Year. Population. £ s. a. Three months ended 31st March, 1899 (at £18) 3,124 746,676 0 1 Year ended 31st March, 1900 (at £18) ... 157,342 758,617 4 1 J 901 „ ... 197,292 772,719 5 1 1902 „ ... 207,468 789,994 5 3 1903 „ ... 210,140 814,842 5 2 1904 „ ... 203,164 838,954 4 10 1905 „ ... 195,475 864,971 4 6 1906* „ ... 254,367 889,968 5 8 1907 (at £26) ... 314,184 913,873 6 10 1908 „ : .. 325,199 937,587 6 11 Total ... ... ... 2,067,755 * Five months at £18; seven months at £26. Recoveries. The amount recovered and paid to the credit of the Public Account during the year was £163 os. Bd., being for the most part instalments collected by pensioners to which they were not by law entitled. The following table shows the amounts recovered in each year since the Act came into operation :— £ s. d. Three months ended 31st March, 1899 Year ended 31st March, 1900 .. .. .. .. . . 25 15 0 1901 .. .. .;' .. .. 63 18 4 1902 .. .. .. .. ... 127 1 11 1903 .. .. .. .. .. 1,039 11 1 1904 .. .. .. .. .. 2,349 14 7 1905 .. .. .. .. .. 1,526 10 9 1906 .. .. .. .. .. 405 11 0 1907 .. .. .. .. .. 357 16 8 1908 .. .. .. .. .. 163 0 8 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. £6,059 0 0 Cost of Administration. The cost of administration for the past year was £5,765 15s. 3d., the details of the expenditure being as follows : — £ s. d. Salaries 3,618 11 1 Other charges, — Clerical assistance.. .. .. .. .. .. 336 7 1 Contribution to Post Office for paying pensions .. .. 1,010 0 0 Travelling - expenses of Registrar, Stipendiary Magistrates, Deputy Registrars, and police constables .. .. .. 143 9 0 Interpreters' fees .. .. ... .. .. .. 38 2 6 Postage and telegrams .. .. .. .. .. 468 6 9 Contingencies .. .. .. .. .. .. 150 18 10 £5,765 15 3 The difference in the amount disbursed under this head and the amount voted by Parliament is accounted for by the fact that of the total vote of £2,500 appropriated for the purpose of paying pensions the sum of £1,010 only was claimed by the General Post Office. The balance of £1,450 has, however, been claimed since the close of the financial year and paid, and the appropriations for the current financial year will therefore require to exceed the actual amount required for the year's disbursements by this amount, which was short-collected last year. The amount paid for administering the Act in each year since the Act was passed is as follows :— £ Three months ended 31st March, 1899 ... ... ... ... 510 Year ended 31st March, 1900 ... ... ... ... ... 2,360 1901 ... ... ... ... ... 2,415 1902 ... ... ... ... ... 2,535 1903 ... ... ... ... ... 3,805 1904 ... ... ... ... ... 3,655 1905 ... ... ... ... ... 3,936 1906 ... ... ... ... ... 4,758 1907 ... 5,250 1908 ... ... ... ... ... 5,766 Total ... ... ... ... £34,990