B.—l [PT. IV].

LANDS AND SURVEY DEPARTMENT—continued. GENERAL ACCOUNT—continued. Balance-sheet as at 31st March, 1926. Liabilities. Assets. £ s. d. Capital— £ s. d. £ s. d. Land .. .. .. .. .. 7,086,720 16 6 Interest-bearing .. 41,314 7 9 Unpaid purchase price (not yet payable) of Non-interest-bearing .. 7,165,979 1 5 buildings .. .. .. .. 5,246 10 5 7,207,293 9 2 Unpaid purchase price (not yet payable) of imAppreciation in land-values .. .. 9,038 7 3 provements ... .. .. .. 753 18 6 Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account— Plant on Kapiti Island— £ s. d. Merged interests under section 20, Discharged Buildings .. .. .. 530 0 0 Soldiers Settlement Amendment Act, 1923 16,247 510 Machinery and equipment .. 143 10 0 Public Works Eund .. .. .. 308 1 9 673 10 0 Sundry creditors — Machinery and instruments .. . . 20,615 3 8 Rotorua Borough Council—Proportion of Motor-vehicles .. .. .. .. 209 16 9 rents under Thermal Springs District Act, Bicycle .. .. .. .. .. 20 0 0 1910 .. .. .. .. 57 6 7 Eurniture and fittings .. .. .. 16,727 7 0 Principal instalments under section 20, Dis- Lithographs .. . . .. .. 25,849 9 3 charged Soldiers Settlement Amendment Advances— Act, 1923 .. .. .. .. 271 19 8 Grass-seed and road access .. .. 4,285 15 4 Interest under section 20, Discharged Soldiers Kauri-gum .. .. .. .. 10,000 00 Settlement Amendment Act, 1923 .. 1,377 1 6 Payments out of Consolidated Eund on account Unpaid miscellaneous services .. .. 1,840 6 11 of compensation for improvements.. .. 2,749 15 8 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. 437 1 1 Suspense Account (cost of providing access) .. 17 2 6 Payments in advance— Sundry debtors— £ s. d. Rents .. .. .. .. .. 1,423 3 11 Rents, &c. .. .. 89,665 16 10 Royalties .. .. .. .. 1,217 2 11 Less reserve for irrecoverable Interest on sales of Crown lands .. .. 16 7 2 rents .. .. .. 1,000 0 0 Miscellaneous office fees, &c. .. .. 77 12 1 — 88,665 16 10 Rents, &c., charged in advance .. .. 62,102 19 5 Royalties .. .. .. .. 2,622 3 9 Depreciation Reserve .. .. .. 9,950 9 9 Principal instalments on buildings .. 898 11 1 Writings-off in Suspense .. .. .. 4,830 11 9 Interest on sales of land .. .. .. 3,317 10 5 Treasury Adjustment Account .. .. 56,743 4 6 Interest on advances .. .. .. 115 1 11 Revenue Account — £ s. d. Miscellaneous office fees .. .. .. 900 0 5 General Account .. .. 32,981 710 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. 3,335 16 4 Thermal Springs District Act, Postponements— 1910 .. .. .. 7,977 6 4 Rents .. .. .. .. .. 11,965 6 5 Mining Districts Land Occu- Interest on sales of land .. ./. .. 5 6 5 pation .. .. .. 1,798 5 7 Sundry debtors outstanding (amounts accrued 42,756 19 9 but not yet due) — Royalties .. .. .. .. 400 0 0 Unexpired railway season tickets .. .. 397 0 0 Interest on sales of land .. .. .. 3,284 8 4 Losses in suspense .. .. .. 4,830 11 9 Revaluation Board determinations — Reductions in capital value .. .. 83,949 17 0 Remissions of rent .. .. .. 12,295 0 3 Rent written off .. .. .. 10,251 1 7 Committee expenses .. .. .. 5,167210 Local Bodies' Deposit Accounts of sundry Receivers of Land Revenue — £ s. d. Mining district land occupation rents .. .. 1,722 4 0 Cash in Public Account— Thermal Springs District Act, 1910, Deposit Account .. .. 7,997 6 1 9,719 10 1 £7,415,989 11 0 £7,415,989 11 0 Contingent liability, £2,000, being balance purchase price of Stewart Island, held by the Crown, and on which interest at 8 per cent, per annum is being paid in accordance with the agreement entered into with the then owners in 1864. W. Robertson, Assistant Under-Secretary for Lands. 24th February, 1927. J. H. O'Donnell, Controller of Accounts. 1 hereby certify that the Statement of Receipts and Payments, Revenue Account, 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. The following comments are appended : — (1) In the case of the District Land Offices of North Auckland, Auckland, Taranaki, Poverty Bay, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, and Canterbury the departmental figures have been accepted pending the completion of the examination by the Audit Inspectors. (2) Expenditure under the New Plymouth Harbour Endowment Act, ] 874, totalling £5,555 I3s. Id., 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) Separate capital liability bearing interest and sinking-fund charges is not shown for expenditure on Crown lands under the Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905. G. F. C. Campbell, Controller and Auditor-General.

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