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Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 644, 12 April 1870, Page 2

The Sub-Treasurer, or the Treasury representative on the South-AVest G-oldfields, Mr Harris, has concluded his book-keeping for the financial year of 18G9-70, and by his courtesy we have been enabled to cull from the duplicates of the returns some figures relating to the revenue and expenditure of the district. If not so complete as the accurate array to be laid on the Provincial Council table, they may be sufficiently so to be a source of some information additional to that which, for a specific purpose, was given by Mr Greenfield when lately waited upon by a deputation in Westport. We already know from the Customs returns that the amount of gold duty collected here for Provincial use was, for the year, £10,312 3s 3d, and to this amount must be added the considerable amount of Nelson duty collected at Greymouth, but not yet published, or, if published, not observed by us. But what Mr Harris has specifically to deal with is the so-called G-oldfields lie venue collections at the Wardens' offices, including business licenses, publicans' licenses, miners' rights, and registration fees. From all the districts Westport, Charleston, and the Grey—the total revenue for the year 1869-70 was £18,609 5s lid, being fifteen hundred pounds less than the revenue of the previous year, when it was £20,179 2s Bd. The following is a detailed comparative statement for the two years:—

IS6B-69. 1869-70. "Wesfcpovfc £6024 1 5 £4-487 11 9 Charleston 8297 5 4 6393 8 5 Grey ... 5557 15 11 7728 5 9

Total .£20,179 2 8 £18,609 5 11 And the following are some of the items from which these collections were made in the several districts : Wostport. Charleston. Grey. Miners' Eights £1283 £1220 .£2396 Pub. Licenses ... 1600 2369 2961 Business do ... 616 1065 1477 W.C. fees&sums. 83 285 155 Registration fees 175 534 329 Survey fees, &c. 305 488 197 Lease fees ... 93 314 108 Miscellaneous ... 96 126 103

At Westport the other items have been wharf collections £63, boat licenses £62, auction licenses £BO. The revenue from the Brunner mine, unlike the expenditure, is recorded separately, and for the year it was £6362 4s Bd.

The expenditure is divisible into Public Works and Departmental. The appropriations for public works for the year amounted to £35,370, or, deducting the Brunner coalmine, £30,370. The actual expenditure, including £6082 on the Brunner mine, was £17,634. In reality, the expenditure on public works over the entire Goldfields was only £11,552. For departmental expenditure £20,350 was voted

last year. There was spent £15,768, making a total expenditure of £36,402.' Of course, to meet this expenditure, there are, in addition to this nominal G-oldfields Revenue, the gold export duty, and.the district's proportion of the Consolidated Revenue, and it is to be regretted that we have not figures before us to illustrate how much the total revenue has exceeded the entire expenditure, as it seemingly must have done to a very large extent. The public works expenditure included—Buller Valley roads, £3661; G-rey Valley roads, £2368; Coast' roads, £1406 (£549 of which was the "Westport district) ; Branch roads, £1449 (£IO6O of which was in this district) ; Streets, £423 ; Harbors and Signals, £227; Buildings, £1393 (£942 of which was on the District gaol at Westport and other buildings) ; Charleston harbor, £496 ; Fire engines' £200; Dray road between Westport and Addison's, £33; Protection works, Buller river, £213 ; Track to Eochford Terrace, Brighton, £170; and, as before stated, £6082 on the Brunner coalmine.

The departmental expenditure included tho following items :—Wardens, Eesident Magistrates, Clerks, &c, £3317; clerical assistance, £202; witnesses in criminal cases, £133 • stationery, printing, advertising, and contingencies, £621. Police—salaries, £3674 ; accoutrements and travelling expenses, ,£513; conveyance of prisoners, £217 ; forage and saddlery, £732 ; contingencies, £133. Gaolsalaries, £921; rations, £609; blankets, clothing, medical attendance, &c, £357; maintenance of Hokitika prisonors, £2OO. Land and Public

Works—salaries, £1703; labor, tents, &c, £1383. Harbors—salaries, £901; boat's crew, Buller, £35-1. Hospitals, £2719. Maintenance of destitute poor, £lßl.