PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 423, 23 May 1902, Page 2

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, last night. The public accounts show that the revenue for the year on the consolidated fund was £6,685,403, compared with £6,514,048 in the previous year. The expenditure totalled £6,685,403, compared with £6,514,048 in the previous year. The receipts of the public works fund amounted to £2,997,312, as against £2,041,536 last year, and the expenditure £2,137,632, as against £1,307,511. The defence expenditure increased from £244,215 to £340,059, lunacy and charitable aid from £64,512 to £65,843, old age pensions from £196,607 to £207,468. The railway revenue increased from £1,720,641 to £1,869,489, and the expenditure from £1,144,832 to £1,280,772. SPLENDID STATEMENT.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, last night. Later. Tho public accounts for the year are gazetted to-night. These show that the ordinary revenue has increased by £220,949. Increases are shown in every branch contributing to ordinary revenue. The Customs show an increase of £20,255, Land Tax £18,252, Income Tax £5588, beer duty £5063, registration £8955, and miscellaneous £7349. Territorial revenue shows a decrease of £20,584 as compared with the provious year. As regards public works, expenditure increased from £1,807,511 to £2,137,632. The defence expenditure was £340,059, as against £244,215 in 1901; lunacy and charitable aid £65,343, against £64,512 : old ago pensions cost £207,468, against £196,607 in the previous year, and £157,095 in 1900.

The departmental expenditure increased from £3,144,480 to 413,498,246 ; permanent appropriations from 412,335,223 to £2, 397,669; railway revenue from 411,720,641 to 411,869,489 ; railway expen-, diture from i 11,144,832 to 411,280,772 ; railway loan expenditure from £717,722 to £1,333,940.

Debentures issued for increases of Sinking Fund totalled £57,000 ; last year they were £52,800. The expenditure in the Colonial Secretary’s Department increased from £110,555 to £229,717.

The net loan money received by the public works fund totalled £1,863,180. In addition it received £500,000 from the consolidated fund.

The expenditure from tho public works fund on public buildings increased from £121,364 to £145,599; on roads from £315,741 to £402,260 ; on railways from £717,722 to £1,333,940.

The Cheviot estate account has a balance in hand of £16,860. At the beginning of the year there was a balance of £11,680, and the receipts totalled £14,061, including £14,007 for rents. Of the expenditure £8866 was for interest.

The net sum borrowed on land for settlements account was £697,151. Rents and lease fees amounted to £90,053. At the end of the year there was a balance of £382,692, as against £93,349 in the previous year. Payments were made during the year in connection with the acquisition of 78 estates, amounting to £427,191, of which £406,576 represented purchase money, and ‘£20,615 expenses.' The estates dealt with included Mangatoro (Assets Realisation Board) £88,759; Langdale, Wairarapa (A. A. Elder), £31,291 ; Lyndon No. 2 (Duncan and McFarlane), £43,868. Tho conversion account shows that the 3 per cent, inscribed stock issued during the year amounted to £3,841,047. The debentures redeemed aggregated £51,330, and £327,147 worth or debentures were converted into 3 per cent, inscribed stock_ The expenses account amounted to £4853 i