8.—6

IV

On the 10th July the Prime Minister did me the honour to commit to my care the administration of the finance of the Dominion, and it would, no doubt, have been satisfactory to members of Parliament if a statement of the position of the public accounts at the above-mentioned date had been presented for their consideration. There would have been some difficulty in doing this ; it will suffice if the position on the 30th June be given instead and compared with the position on the 31st March, 1911, and on the 31st March, 1912. This is shown in the following statement: — CONSOLIDATED FUND. £ Balance on 31st March, 1911 .. .. .. .. .. 586,483 Liabilities on 31st March, 1911 .. .. .. .. .. 236,374 Balance on 31st March, 1912 .. .. .. .. .. 807,276 Liabilities on 31st March, 1912 .. .. .. . . .. 293,741 Balance on 30th June, 1912 .. .. .. .. .. 782,547 Liabilities on 30th June, 1912 .. .... .. .. .. 540,445 PUBLIC WORKS FUND. £ £ Balance on 31st March, 1911 .. .. .. 1,140,045 Loan-money, to receive .. .. .. .. 181,650 1,321,695 Liabilities on 31st March, 1911 .. .. .. .. 1,091,894 Balance on 31st March, 1912 .. .. .. 82,580 Loan-money, to receive .. .. .. .. 1,050,000 1,132,580 Liabilities on 31st March, 1912 .. .. .. .. 1,135,812 Balance on 30th June, 1912 .. .. .. .. 299,881* Loan-money, to receive .. .. .. .. 477,207 777,088 Liabilities on 30th June, 1912 .. .. .. .. 1,649,349f The Aid to Water-power Works Act, 1910. Unexhausted authority for raising loan .. .. 500,000 Liabilities on 31st March, 1911 .. .. .. 213 499,787 Unexhausted authority for raising loan .. .. 500,000 Liabilities on 31st March, 1912 .. .. .. 56,157 443,843 Unexhausted authorities for raising loan . . .. 500,000 Liabilities on 30th June, 1912 .. .. .. 95,459f 404,541 The Appropriation Act, 1911 (Section 17). Unexhausted authority for raising loan .. .. 100,000 Liabilities on 31st March, 1912 .. .. — 100,000 Unexhausted authority for raising loan .. .. 100,000 Liabilities on 30th June, 1912 . . .. .. 1,588 98,412 * Does not include £1,013,200 to pay off advances received for redemption of debentures. f Includes some liabilities (as, for instance, some on account of Midland Railway contract) which do not have to be met during the current year. STATE FORESTS ACCOUNT. £ Balance on 31st March, 1911 .. .. .. .. .. 14,200 Liabilities on 31st March, 1911 .. .. .. .. .. 559 Balance on 31st March, 1912 .. .. .. .. .. 31,587 Liabilities on 31st March, 1912 .. .. .. .. .. 601 Balance on 30th June, 1912 .. .. .. .. .. 29,408 Liabilities on 30th June, 1912 .. .. .. .. .. 1,218