PROVINCIAL FINANCES.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1149, 10 February 1874, Page 4

PROVINCIAL FINANCES.

[WESTTORT EARNING STAB.]

The account of receipts and expenditure presented by the Provincial Treasurer for the quarter ending 31st Dec. ultimo, shows a revenue from all sources of £18,153 only. Of this the General Government contributed £4372 as capitation allowance, the goldfields yielded £llOs, the B runner coalmine £2438, land fund £9350, and Miscellaneous items, ranging from publican's licenses to dog tax, £9lB. This moderate revenue has been all disbursed and liabilities incurred beyond, totalling up, in the aggregate, to £21,273. Of the items so expended the following are particularized:— Public Works departmental expenses, £lßl3 ; "Warden's salaries, police, and gaols, £2964 ; hospitals, £ll4O ; destitute poor, in and around Nelson, £426; lunatics, £359; education, £2182; purchase of Westport sections, £2600 ; works on goldfields, £ 1504 ; grants to Road Boards, £1375; and £5096 public -works on Southwest Goldfields. The balance may be conveniently classed under the heading of miscellaneous items. Taken generally so far as a meagre revenue has permitted, it has been equitably proportioned, and the only regret is, that with the administrative machinery the province maintains equal to ten-fold the expenditure, the means are not at command.