✨ County Financial Reports
THE COUNTY OF
WESTLAND GAZETTE.
Published by Authority.
HOKITIKA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1873.
County Audit Office,
Hokitika, February 6, 1873.
H. L. ROBINSON, Esq., Chairman of the
County Council, Westland.
SIR, I have the honor to forward herewith the following documents, viz:—
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County Treasurer’s Statement of Revenue and Expenditure for the half-year ended 31st December, 1872.
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Balance Sheet for same period.
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Comparative Return of Local Revenue paid into the County of Westland Account during the half-years ended respectively 31st December, 1872, and the 31st December, 1871.
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Statement accounting for the deficiency in the Gold Export Duty during the half-year ended 31st December, 1872.
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Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
The Account of Revenue and Balance Sheet, I have examined and certified to in the usual manner.
With regard to the Statement of Expenditure in consequence of some of the accounts not having yet been paid, I cannot attach my final certificate. At the same time, I am satisfied that this statement includes all transactions for which expenditure has been incurred under the authority of the late County Chairman and votes of the County Council, but which, owing to the embarrassed state of the finances of the County could not be paid. The result has been, that a large number of unpaid vouchers accumulated in the Treasury for which cheques had been drawn, and which on the 31st December last, amounted to £5917 2s. I conclude, therefore, that this method was adopted by the late County Chairman and the Treasurer in order to prevent the re-voting of supplies for which provision had been made at the time the expenditure was incurred by the votes of the County Council for the service of the last half-year, although at the time there were not sufficient funds to the credit of the County of Westland Account to liquidate the same.
A great number have now been paid, and on this date the unpaid vouchers remaining in the Treasury for which cheques had been drawn, amount to £1415 11s. 10d. Although the course adopted was perhaps unavoidable in the present embarrassed state of the County, I beg respectfully to submit for your information, that, as a general rule, I consider that I am not justified in countersigning any cheques unless there are funds at the bank to meet the same.
With regard to the Revenue of the past half-year, on reference to the Comparative Return it will be found that the decrease is very considerable. The Gold Export Duty paid into the County of Westland Account amounted only to £4074 6s. 6d., showing a deficiency of £4168 4s. 10d., as compared with the corresponding period of 1871. This I can account for to a certain extent in the following manner:—1st. That the sum of £666 8s. 3d. was paid into the Public Account by the Collector of Customs to complete the debt of £3331 19s. 4d., due by the County.
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Westland Provincial Gazette 1873, No 6
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
🏘️ County Treasurer’s Financial Statements
🏘️ Provincial & Local Government6 February 1873
Revenue, Expenditure, Balance Sheet, Gold Export Duty, Assets, Liabilities
- H. L. Robinson, Esq., Chairman of the County Council, Westland