Westland Provincial Gazette – 1872 – No. 4

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✨ County Financial Reports

15

THE COUNTY OF

WESTLAND GAZETTE.

Published by Authority.

HOKITIKA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1872.

County Audit Office,
Hokitika, February 5, 1872.

H. H. LAHMAN, Esq.,
Chairman of the County Council, Westland.

SIR— I have the honor to forward herewith the following documents, viz. :

The County Treasurer’s Account of Revenue and Expenditure for the half-year ended the 31st December, 1871.
Balance Sheet for same period.
Comparative Return, showing the amount of Local Revenue received during the half-years ended respectively the 31st December, 1871, and 31st December, 1870.
Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

The Account of Revenue, Expenditure, and Balance Sheet, I have examined and certified to in the usual manner.

With reference to the above accounts, the first to which I beg to draw your attention is the Statement of Revenue. On reference to the Comparative Return, it will be observed, that although the Local Revenue for the past half-year has fallen short of the amount estimated by the sum of nearly £2500; on the other hand, it may be satisfactory to know, that compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, viz., the 31st December, 1870, an increase of nearly £500 appears. The Revenue for the half-year ended the 31st December, 1871, having amounted to £21,073, against £20,583 for 1870.

The first item which requires any comment from me, is that of Gold Export Duty. The amount brought to account is £8242 11s. 4d. The actual amount collected during the half-year was £8317 11s. 4d., the difference being £75. It appears, that in consequence of no provision having been made on the County Estimates for the salary of the Clerk to the Bench at Greymouth from 1st July, 1871 (which had always previously been done), instructions were received by the Collector of Customs, from the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer, to deduct that amount from the Gold Duty and pay it into the Public Account, in repayment of a similar amount advanced to Mr. Kenrick as salary from the 1st July to 30th September, 1871. In addition to this £75, a sum of £784, also Export Duty on Gold, was paid into the County of Westland Account on the 3rd January, 1872, and which clearly belonged to the Revenue of the previous half-year. These two amounts would have brought the Gold Duty up to £9101, instead of £8242 as shown in the account, and in fact £101 more than the amount estimated.

The next items viz., Miner’s Rights, Business Licenses, &c.,

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