THE DEAD-LETTER OFFICE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 156, 2 July 1914, Page 9

THE DEAD-LETTER OFFICE.

INTERESTTNTr ITEM? ABOUT THE LOST AND FOUND. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.l WELLINGTON. Wednesday. The passage in t.he Postal and Telegraph report, relating to the dead letter branch usually contains some curious and interesting maiter. It is comforting to know, for instance, that of fi.OUO inquiries for nia.il packets gone astray l-**>t year, 3,5:52 were ultimately traced. \rhile among tie articles of value found in letters in the Dead Letter Office an,] returned fn senders were 751 P.O. orders for £2,639 2/11; 67 .bank drafts. ,C 3.97'"> S's: 577 ehciyup*, £8.173 fl/7; dividend %varrants. £(575/4; 15 promissory notes, £451 18/; postal notr*. £57S 17/: British postal order*, £-122 6/1; stamps. £52 12/04 : banknotes (including a •bill and a 15 rup&e banknote), Co, , 3/4; in gold, £79 10/; in silver and copper, £15 9/11 A. representing a total of £10.728 4/10. Amon"Kt other thinprs dealt -with wp.re 10 sold watches. 5 gold brooches, n gold chatns, 30 gold rings, 7 goM tif-pins. r< crold bangle?, 1 gold medal. 5 gold sleevofinfe, 5 p-old pendantts. 5 e-mail .col,] mig"■eto, 4S jrreenstone ornaments. 17 -ilvcr watches. 6 silver chains/in silver spoons. 35 metal watdhes, •_' tourii-t tickets. -J ra-ihvay tickets. 17 pawntickets. 33 sharo cortifiJatf*. 52 lottery ticket-, and 7:S Twttersall tickets. The. pro-portion of dead or uncl.umed Ifttter-eards and postcaTiis to the total number delivered within the Dominion vras 047 per cent as against 0.40 per cent in 1912. Fifty letter* addresses were intercepted.