B.—l [PT. IV, SUP.]

LANDS AND SURVEY DEPARTMENT—continued. SCENIC RESERVES. Receipts and Payments Account foe the Year ended 31st March, 1927. Receipts. Payments. £ s. d. £ s. d. By Refunds of rent, &c. .. .. 710 0 To Rents, royalties, &c. .. .. 1,329 4 2 Refunds, timber royalties .. .. 141 ( J 13 Miscellaneous .. .. .. 102 13 9 I Scenery-preservation vote— £ s. d. Balance transferred to Treasury Adjust- Purchase of new reserves 2,681 8 1 meiit Account .. .. .. 2,608 9 7 Compensation for Native land taken .. 9 11 Expenditure on Trounson Kauri Forest .. 737 13 2 Expenditure on reserves 370 18 5 Board expenses . . 17 16 2 Miscellaneous expenditure .. .. 74 11 4 3,891 8 3 £4,040 7 6 £4,040 7 6 Revenue Account fob the Year ended 31st March, 1927. Dr. £ s. d. Or. £ s. d. To Loan repayments (principal and interest) By Accrued rent .. .. .. 845 9 4 under section 47, Land for Settle- Accrued royalties .. .. .. 652 15 10 ments Act, 1925 .. .. 36 6 I Balance carried down .. .. 8,401 9 1 "Thirds" and "halves" .. .. 829 8 11 Rebates of rent .. .. .. 15 8 4 Irrecoverable rents .. .. 0 16 3 Administration of reserves, &c. . . 261 8 5 Expenditure in connection with Trounson Kauri Forest .. .. 484 0 7 Expenses of Scenery Preservation Board 17 16 2 Interest on capital invested in scenic reserves .. .. 8,254 9 6 £9,899 14 3 £9,899 14 3 £ s. d. £ s. d. To Balance brought down .. .. 8,401 9 1 By Balance, accumulated excess of charges Balance from previous year .. .. 12,228 15 4 over revenue .. .. .. 20,630 4 5 £20,630 .4 5 £20,630 4 5 Balance-sheet as at 31st March, 1927. Liabilities. £ s. d. £ s. d. Assets. £ s. d. Capital at Ist April, 1926 183,432 16 10 Land—Scenic reserves .. .. 217,997 8 3 Capital expenditure dur- Buildings Account .. .. .. 180 0 0 ing year .. .. 3,017 0 6 Native Land Settlement Account—Land Reserve Account—Value purchased for exchange purposes .. 5,094 8 4 of Crown land set aside 38,700 10 11 Sundry debtors — 225,150 14 3 Rents .. .. .. .. 592 5 0 Treasury Adjustment Account .. 18,804 510 Royalties .. .. .. 10 6 Payments in advance— £ s. d. Miscellaneous .. . . .. 1 15 6 Rents .. .. .. 15 114 Postponed rent . . .. .. 208 3 6 Royalties .. . . 419 6 Remissions of rent by Revaluation Board 174 0 0 20 10 10 Outstanding Rent Suspense Account .. 216 3 Sundry creditors .. .. .. 50 0 0 Revenue Account —Accumulated excess of Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account — charges over revenue .. .. 20,630 4 5 Section 20, Discharged Soldiers Settlement Amendment Act, 1923 .. 635 0 0 Rents charged in advance .. .. 218 14 7 Writings-off in suspense .. .. 2 16 3 £244,882 1 9 £244,882 1 9 J. B. Thompson, Under-Secretary for Lands. J. H. O'Donnell, Controller of Accounts. I hereby certify that the Receipts and Payments Account, Revenue Account, and Balance-sheet Lave been duly examined and compared with the relative books and documents submitted for audit and correctly state the position as disclosed thereby. The following comments are appended:— 1. In the case of the District Land Offices of North Auckland, Auckland, Taranaki, G-isborne, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, and Westland the departmental figures have been accepted pending the completion of the local examination by the Audit Inspectors. 2. There is no statutory authority for recouping the account for the land purchased for exchange purposes which under section 25 of the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Act, 1925, is available for disposal as Crown lands, the proceeds to be paid to the Native Land Settlement Account. J. H. Fowler, Deputy Controller and Auditor-General.

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