107

E.—l

The question of maintenance is one of some difficulty on account of the smallness of the scheme, as the revenue from the water-rate would leave but little margin for the employment of a caretaker Assuming that a rate of 3d. per acre could be levied on 10,000 acres, the whole amount of the rate would only be £125, which, perhaps, might be increased to £150 by payment for extra water to orchards and gardens. As it would be impossible out of this to pay interest on the cost of the head race and the wages of a caretaker who would devote his whole time to the work, it would be necessary to arrange with some one resident on the estate for periodical inspections only, throwing the onus of keeping the distributing-races in repair upon the occupiers of the land, reserving only the maintenance of the head-race as the duty of the Commissioners. It will also be necessary in the leases to reserve ample power to the Commissioners to enter upon the lands leased by them for the purpose of making, maintaining, or altering any races, and of cutting drainage-outlets for the discharge of race-water I think I have now referred to all the points on which information is necessary to enable the Commissioners to decide on the advisability of inaugurating a scheme of water-races for the land now about to be leased on the Waikaia Plains, simply adding my opinion that Ido not consider the land can otherwise be profitably occupied. The cost of the head-race might be reduced by making it of smaller dimensions, but this would prevent its use for the partial irrigation which I would recommend, and which would be probably advantageous to the occupiers and remunerative to the Commissioners. I have placed in an appendix various details which are better collected together than scattered through the pages of this report, and have only to add in conclusion that I shall have pleasure in forwarding at any time any further information which tha Commissioners may desire in connection with the irrigation of the Waikaia Plains. I am, &c, E. Dobson, M.I.C.E. The Secretary, School Commissioners, Otago Provincial District.

General Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the Year ending 31st December, 1891. Receipts.

Primary i Secondary. Total. Do Credit balances on 1st January 1891— Bank of New Zealand Fixed deposit, Bank of New Zealand.. Fixed deposit, Colonial Bank of New Zealand Arrears of revenue for previous years — Bents, &c. of reserves £ s. 3,169 11 d. 6! £ s. d. 167 18 8 £ s. d. 10 6 7 5 358 14 8 375 0 0 3 337 10 2 Bevenues — Bents, &c. of reserves for current year Other receipts of current year— Net proceeds of land-sales Bepayment on account of loans Costs received for preparing leases Valuation for fencing, &c. Deposit on survey contract 11,061 15 * n 3 556 1 2 11,617 16 5 2,199 18 4 870 3 5 39 6 0 80 13 9 4 0 0 Total receipts 23,893 9 4 Expenditure. By Salaries and allowances to officers — Secretary, £300, clerk, £100 agent at Invercargill, £200 School Commissioners' travelling expenses attending meetings — J Green J W. Bain, train-fares, £21 7s. 9d., travelling expenses, £17 10s. T Denniston, train-fares, £23 2s. 5d., travelling expenses, £17 12s. 8d. Office-rent, fuel, cleaning, &c. Printing and stixtionery Incidentals, £12 4s. 6d. stamps, £28 12s. 3d. , telegrams, £3 15s. 5d. Legal expenses Expenses of leasing, &c.—■ Auctioneer's commission and expenses Advertising Inspection of reserves, £3 8s. 8d., railway-fares, £25 5s. Id. Expenditure on reserves — Protective work, road-making, and surveying Crown-grant fees Insurance premiums County, borough, river, and road rates £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 600 0 0 13 13 0 38 17 9 40 15 1 95 15 9 63 0 3 1,644 3 1 55 16 2 44 12 2 19 15 10 20 9 2 55 8 9 28 13 9 617 17 7 10 0 14 0 0 46 0 2