REPORT OF THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT.

Press, Volume XXX, Issue 4077, 21 August 1878, Page 3

REPORT OF THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT.

[BX XZLECHUPH.J

LfBOH OTTB OTRT COKKESPOITDKNT.I The nineteenth annual report of the Tost OSc» Department has to-day been sent up &oa the printer*. The general postal union **«mc was first hrouaht under the eonsideratweof the department as far back ac September, 1875, but ac the original eonditioue tmder-winch the British colonies would be permitted to join the onion were exceedingly ttnl&TOHrable, this colony, and indeed the ■whole of the Australasian colonies, decided to refrain from seeking admission into the General potUi union. Terme of* more liberal nature having subsequently been_ enb_fritted for our consideration, it ta nor pWBWe for any colony to enter the onion without suffering s> serious pecuniary loss. At the conference, held in Melbourne, in If sy last, Teepect ing the dupli; ealaon of the telegraph lines between Anstrslaeia sad Europe, the general postal anion Kneau'was also diacneeed, and the fallowing reeolntion unanimonsly agreed to—"That the adoption of the amended treaty agreed to by the Berce Postal Conventiov, be recommended j°r the fa-rourable coniideration of the GoTernmeEte of Aottraliaand New Zealand." Th* Po*maeter.Qeneral of New Bonth Weiee had occasion a few week* since to pay *n official Tbifc to th» end, 1229P8 -Otfeer qagetions . the terms of the Berne treaty ■ and amended proposal of the Imperial Goremmeat with Kapeot to the Auateelaean eoimitts entering the anion. H» following foeamn&m wst jenUy »kree«t *» 90 *>eJWf

of the two colonies:—"That the colonies o< Sew South Wales and New Zealand should, in view of the desirability of establishing uniform poet-si regulations of universal application, calculated to give the public the largest amount of accommodation possible without useless and vexatious restrictions, join the Beroe Postal Union, provided, however, that no reduction be made in the rate of postage for the ocean services ; that the cost of the transit of- the mails between San Francisco and New York of Boston b.e not charged on colonies, and that the restrictions which have already or which may hereafter be imposed by-local legislation in reference "to'■wholly unpaid correspondence are not interfered with. Although the decision to join the general postal union will entail a email lose of revenue to the colony, it-is held that in view of the many and highly important advantages secured under the union scheme, the colony should be prepared to incur the loss. The . inspection of post offices has been carried on vigorously with most encouraging resulte. He Inspector of Post Offices has travelled through the North and South Islands during the year, and the more important offices have been frequently inspected. The several reports speak favorably of the manner in which the post offices, or at least those ia charge of officers of the permanent staff, are carried on. The general conduct of the officers has been most satisfactory. The absence of any serious complaint against the department, is an unmistakable proof that the public interests are well cared for;--The method of dealing with and df accounting for the postal revenue and other receipt! has undergone a very important change since the l»t of January laet. The revenue accounts are npw dealt with at the Genera] Post Office-instead of in the Treasury. The Public Eevenue Act of 1877, which authorised this change, created an account called the "post office account," into which is paid all money received on account of : postal revenue, or for transmission by xaoney order, or for deposit in the Post Office Saving Bank. Thia account can only be operated upon by cheque of the Post-master-General, countersigned by tho Commissioner of Audit. Tho accrued postbl revenue is paid monthly to the consolidated fund. The advantages of the change are the«e—the revenue and other receipts are incorporated in one instead of two accounts The officers of the post office now deal in the first itistance with nil postal revenue account*, and a set of accounts formerly sent direct from the chief postmasters to the audit office has been abolished. The change has added considerably to the work of the department in the accountant's office. This new system has also made it practicable to discontinue chief postmasters' imprest accounts. Incidental and special payments of fixed amounts are now authorised to be paid out of revenue collections, and if this were extended to the payment of salaries of sub-postmsster, a saving of both labour and expense would follow. The collection of what is termed unpaid postage, together with the preparation of the necessary accounts, has always been a matter of perplexity to the department. A system recently adopted admits of these postages being collected by the agency of "unpaid docket.*," which has tfaisltwofold advantage—it ensures an almost absolute check against fraud, and enables the department to abolish the lengthy unpaid postage acconnts, which mean a saving of considerable importance. i It is the intention to establish an inland ! parcel* post by which merchandise, raw or manufactured, and many other artioleg, may be forwarded through the post at a nominal rate of postage. It is also intended to extend the book packet regulations, bo as to include documents which- at present can only bo transmitted through the post at letter ratee of posts ge. Arrangements of a satisfactory nature have been made with the Imperial Post Office authorities by the Agent-G-eneralj for the promptpaymentof the postages due the colony. Hitherto these payments have been irregular and considerably in arrears, for the future quarterly payments of a fixed amount will be made, and any balance in favor of the colony paid over annually. The immediate result of this arrangement has been the payment sines September last of no less than £35,968 Oβ 2d, on BC3ounfc of postages due to the colony by the Imperial Poet Office. The reference mado in a former report of the desire of the department to afford facilities for establishing Penny Savings Banks at schools and factories, is now being given practical effect to. The forms, &c., incidental to the inauguration of the system, are being printed, and will be ready for issue to school committees during the current year. The printing and postage stamps, hithorto under the immediate control of the Government printer, has' been placed in charge of the Stamp Department. With the rapidly increasing population in the large centres, it becomes necessary to provide extended deliveries, and the question of establishing "suburban deliveries" is now under consideration. Such deliveries would admit of correspondence being delivered over those suburbs which have a population sufficiently large to warrant the expense. Where it may not be practicable to - carry out this scheme} in the ordinary way, deliveries by mounted carriers would be made. .. The gross revenue from'all sources for the ' financial year, ended the 30th ultimo, was £114,19112 a 9d, an increase of 11-43 percent. over the receipts of the previous year. The expenditure, inclusive of a sum. of £9000 on account of liabilities, is estimated at £135,889 11s 10d. This is £4316 12s 9d lees than the expenditure for the year preceding. : The number of letters, newspapers, &c, received and dispatched during the.year shows a satisfactory increase, the inereaeo of letters being 10.91 per cent., and of newspapers 10.62 per cent. To ascertain, however, the exact increase of letters 81,274 post; -cards nhould be taken into account. This gives 1,365,407 letters as the actual increase for the year, equal to 11.60 per cent. The numerical increase of letters in 1876 over the previous year was 1,342,886, which number, however, - includes the poet cards. Comparing the num-: ber of letters despatched with the population, the average is 14.51 letters to each head of population. In 1875 the average was 14 29, andinlß74,l2 08. . The newspapers show a decrease of over 5| percent, owing principally, it i* believed, to the publication of the late Otago " Provincial! Government Gra?ette M -having baen discontinued, over 260,000 copies of which, it is: stated, passed through the post aunually. Sixty-three new, offices' have been opened, three re opened, and nineteen closed. Thir teen offices have been constituted offices for the transaction of money order and savings bank bueineis. Judging from results, tKe circulation of post cards has not diminished the revenue. The receipts on account of local collections for the past year show a larger inorease than ■ in any former year. Treating' post cards as letters for the purpose of comparison; it is found that the increase of local letters for, 1877 was 22,521 over the inereaeo for the previous year. Although the post cards are "not extensively used, it may be accepted as a fact that they are regarded by the public with favor, as a ready and cheap medium of communication. BBVBHTTB AKD BXPENDmiBH. 3?he gross revenue collections for the financial year ended SOth June ult-, and, the estimated expenditure for the same period are given in the statement underneath : — £ a. A. Revenue collected •within the colony 96,664 18 8 On account of imperial post- ; - ages .... 15,000 0 0 San Francisco service, paymental by non-contracting colonies ... 2,526 14 1 Balance of expenditure over revenue ... ... 21,927 1,0 Total ..: ...° ... 136,118 13 9 KXPRJTDITUBE. , -, Salaries ... ...;'; ... 38.010 8 8 Conveyance of mails by sea... -57,184 15 3 Conveyance of inland mails... 27.612 19 9 Cont4ngencks..-*£.;.-. ... 4.310 30 1 Estimated liabilities 9,000 9 0 Total e :.£ '„ :--;;♦«.''.. i- U36,118 13 9