The Public Accounts—How they are kept.

Manawatu Herald, 21 August 1897, Page 2

The Public Accounts — How they are kept.

TO THE KDITOR. Sir,— ln the Gazette of the 22nd of July last there is what professes to be a " Statement of the Receipts and Expenditure of the Consolidated Fund for the quarters ending 80th June, 1896 and 1897, respectively." The railway revenue and expenditure for last June quarter is stated thus (omitting shillings and pence :— SOth June— Railway receipts £802,641 80th June— Railway expenditure 97,782 Leaving a net revenue of £204,859 In the Gazette of the 29th July appears the " Railway Working Account " for the period ending 26th June, or four days less than the above period, in whioh this is said as to the receipts and expenditure :— 26th .Jane— Total reoeipti toflate £88,8355 26th June— Total expenditure 200,821 Net revenue £182,584 Which of these two statements arc we to believe, or can we believe either? There is just a trifling difference of £72,825 in the net revenue on this one item. If the other items are dealt with in similar fashion, what will it all amount to ? It will be noticed that the general revenue account shows the railway revenue to be £30,714 less than the railway account shows, but this is probably the amount with which the Railway Department has been ere* dited for services, real or imaginary, tendered to other departments, but fur which no cash has passed. The expenditure, however, mast be paid in cash, and the revenue account shows it to be £108,089 less than the railway account proves it to have been. This probably shows how the great '• surplus " • manufactory in Wellington is kept supplied with the raw material. The matter, howevor, is very serious. The revenue account shows that the expenditure exceeded revenue by £8961. If to this we add the error in the railway account, we shall see that the colony went to the bad during the last three months to the extent of £107,000. But this ia not all. The revenue account stows that the year . was started with a credit balanoe of £854,286 ; thi?, too, has gone ; and must be added to the £107,000, showing that during three months only the expenditure of the colony has exceeded its income by £461,286. Where is this to land us ? It is quite time the public finances were carefully looked into. — I am, &c. Samuel Vaile. Auckland, 10th August. 1897.