POST AND TELEGRAPHS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17808, 6 July 1923, Page 6

POST AND TELEGRAPHS.

ANNUAL DEPARTMENTAL REPORT. (sjbciil to "tub raisa.") WELLINGTON, July 5. The annual report of the Post and Telegraph Department was presented to Parliament yesterday. It shows that the number of articles delivcrerd in the Dominion for last year and the year before were:—

The average number of letters posted per unit of population was:—l 922, 93.5; 1921, 99.5. Overseas Malls. The report on overseas mails states that the B.M.S. Niagara and E.M.S. Makura continue to be employed in the Vancouver service. ' The San Francisco service was performed during the early part of the year by the R.M.S. Tahiti and E.M.S. Marama, and during the latter portion by the R.M.S. Tahiti and E.M.S. Maunganui. A satisfactory service ha 3 been maintained over both routes during the year, the contract times rarely being exceeded. Notwithstanding this the average time taken in transit of mails to and from the United Kingdom over both routes continues to bo high, owing to delays in certain instances between Vancouver and London, and San Francisco and London, and vico versa. These delays indicato that close connexions aro not always possible. Efforts are still being mado to effect an improvement in the time taken for the transit of mails between Vancouver and London and San Francisco and London, and it is hoped that a satisfactory arrangement will shortly be reached. The average time taken during 1922 by mails from New Zealand to London via Vancouver was thirty-four days, and via San Francisco thirty-five days. From London to New Zealand via Vancouver the average time was thirty-six days, and via San Francisco thirty-seven days. The commencement of one contract trip via Vancouver was delayed eight days owing to industrial trouble in Australia. Both the Vancouver and San Francisco contracts have been further renewed until March, 1924. Correspondence for tho United Kingdom and Continent of Europe continues to be forwarded via Vancouver and via San Francisco, except when a vessel sailing via Cape Horn or via Panama offers a better despatch than I the next contract steamer, or when corI respondence is specially addressed for despatch by a particular vessel or route. Mails from the United Kingdom are still received via Vancouver, San Francisco, Panama, and Suez. Savings Bank. There was credited to depositors' accounts an amount of £1,605,525 for interest, and the total' amount at credit of depositors was increased during the period by £518,689. The total balance at credit of depositors on March 31st, 1923, was £44,360,393. These results are an indication of the unabated confidence reposed in the institution by the people of tho Dominion. Tho system of transfer of accounts I between tho Dominbr. and the United

Kingdom resulted in £81,523 being transferred to the United Kingdom, and £32,020 to New Zealand. A similar arrangement with the Austra lian Savings Banks resulted in £186,441 being transferred to Australia, and £102,000 to New Zealand. Telegraph Lines. The report states that in consequence of the carrying capacity of tne teiegraph lines having been, substantially increased by the adoption of the machine printing system, a number ot hues previously required for telegraph tratiic have been released, and are now being utilised for long distance telephones (toll) services. Telephone services obtained in this manner are as follow:—Continuous telephone service between Auckland and Wellington provinces, and between Taranaki and Auckland; telephone service between Taupo and Kotorua. Arrangements arc also being made to provide a metallic circuit between Christchurch, Marlborough, and Nelson by making use of a. Morse wire which has been released through the introduction of machine printing telegraph apparatus. At one time during the year no fewer than four of the seven submarine cables across Cook Strait were out of action simultaneously, but with the use of the multiplex circuit between Wellington and Christchurch, the telegraphic traffic was disposed of without suffering serious delay. The traffic handled on the two multiplex machine printing circuits (Wcllington-Christchurch and Wellington-Auckland) on Christmas Eve was as follows: —Forwarded messages, 10,027, received messages 9566, total 19,593. This is considered very satisfactory in view of the comparatively short time that the system has been in use in New Zealand. The machine printing system will shortly be extended from Christchurch to Dunedin. Apparatus is also under order for Jinking up Napier with Auckland, and Wellington respectively. These extensions when completed will release lines for telephone purposes between Wellington and Napier, Napier and Auckland, and Christchurch and the southern towns. Investigations are also being made regarding machine printing telegraph systems intonded for use on the less important circuits, with a view to forming a network that will provide more efficient methods of handling Press traffic than is possible with the Morso svstem.

Letters Post Cards .. Parcels All other articles Totals 1922. 1921. 122,949,819 132,038,162 3,435,489 3,679,519 3,-180,127 3,325,121 52,192,220 46,136,260 182,057,055 185,179,065