B.—l [PT. IY].

STATE FOREST SERVlCE—continued. Balance-sheet as at 31st March, 1926. Liabilities. Assets. Sundry creditors— £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. National Endowment Ac- Standing forests at 31st count .. .. 15,658 15 4 March, 1925 .. 34,185,384 1 4 On open account .. 7,520 6 1 Add purchases, 1925-26 10,499 8 0 Goldfields revenue .. 1,046 16 4 Add proclamations, 1925-26 250,761 12 0 Westport Harbour Account 749 10 1 34,446,645 1 4 Local authorities .. 4,903 11 2 Less reserve at 31st March, Interest accrued to 31st 1925 .. .. 402,933 9 0 March, 1926 .. .. 5,271 8 6 Transferred from National 35,150 7 6 Endowment Account .. 25,228 3 5 Sinking fund under Public Transferred from Income and Debt Extinction Act, 1910 .. 3,129 7 5 Expenditure Account .. 54,886 5 3 Assets Suspense Account 483,047 17 8 reserve .. .. .. 271 10 10 Liability for amounts held in 33,963,597 3 8 deposit .. .. .. 2,382 7 2 Forest improvements— Consolidated Fund—Grants Demarcation, tracks, and made .. .. .. .. 59,250 0 0 protection improvements .. 2,273 3 3 Loan Account —Debentures Nurseries and plantations— and stock issued .. .. 601,1.71 6 3 Nurseries .. .. 59,317 3 5 Forest Capital Account at Plantations .. .. 1,154,148 211 31st March, 1925 ..36,498,951 2 7 1,213,465 6 4 Less adjustment of value Land at 31st March, 1925 .. 1,871,872 5 0 of assets .. .. 2,944 17 8 Add purchases, 1925-26 17,926 15 4 Add value of lands pro--36,496,006 4 11 claimed .. .. 13,971 5 0 Add value of lands and 1,903,770 5 4 forests proclaimed pro- Akatarawa Reserve— visional State forests .. 264,732 17 0 Cost of half-interest .. 5,374 17 0 36,760,739 .1 11 Administration expenses 21 7 6 • 5,396 4 6 Experiment and research works — Sand-dune reclamation .. 9,042 0 3 Westland Forest Experimental Station . . 7,880 3 2 Aboretum and sample plots .. .. 710 1 8 17,632 5 1 Departmental property— Buildings .. .. 1,954 12 3 Field equipment .. 2,143 6 0 Office equipment .. 2,898 1 0 Motor-vehicles .. .. 1,206 14 1 Telephone-lines, field .. 309 15 5 Fire-fighting equipment .. 235 14 5 Photographic equipment 181 11 0 • Reference library and exhibits .. .. 816 11 1 Forest ecology equipment ' 177 19 10 Timber-testing equipment 620 17 0 Forest atlas .. .. 1,142 18 7 Stores .. .. 45 11 9 11,733 12 5 Cash in Public Debt Redemption Fund .. .. .. 3,129 7 5 Assets Suspense Account .. .. 271 10 10 Deposit Account, Amounts held in .. .. .. 2,382 7 2 Sundry debtorsState forests and nurseries 211,326 811 Eastbourne Borough Council Account, Akatarawa .. .. 75 17 10 Interest accrued on investments .. .. 1,602 6 6 213,004 13 3 Less reserve for bad and doubtful debts .. 2,500 0 0 210,504 13 3 Official stamps on hand at 31st March, 1926 .. .. 36 7 10 Cash balances at 31st March, 1926— In Treasury .. .. 213 4 In Post Office .. .. 37 16 11 In Public Account .. 2,358 3 11 Imprests outstanding in the Dominion .. .. 2 19 10 Investment Account .. 125,500 0 0 127,901 14 0 £37,462,094 1 1 £37,462,094 1 1 Not?es. —(1.) Ali lands other than lands purchased have been nominally valued at ss. per acre. (2.) The values of standing indigenous forests other than those purchased have been established by the Director of Forestry. (3.) Plantations have been valued at cost plus compound interest less returns compounded. E. Phillips Turner Secretary of Forestry. A. W. Gyles, A.1.A.N.Z., Accountant, I hereby certify that the Income and Expenditure Account and Balance-sheet have been duly examined and with the relative books and documents submitted for audit, and correctly state the position as disclosed ereby, subject to the above departmental notes.—G. F. C. Campbell, Controller and Auditor-G-eneral.

163