THE POSTAL SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 763, 11 March 1910, Page 3

THE POSTAL SERVICE.

. .-;,.- __ 6 _— '.'SOME STRIKING FIGURES. MANY IMPOETANT CHANGES. (By Telcßranh.—Special Corrcssonaem.* . Auckland, March 10. Speaking at tho opening of the Eolorua show, Sir Joseph Ward said that thebufjiness of the Postal • and Telegraph Department continued to increase rajiidl,r throughout the Dominion. In ten years, notwithstanding that practically every rate of postage was reduced.- by one-half or more during the period, the revenue rose from Mls,m to ,£920,021, more than doubling itself in the time. -The number of articles sent in the mails increased from 63,000,000 to H5,000,0f10, the number of telegrams rising in '■ the same time from 2,250,000 to. .7,000,000. .These, figures were easy to'speak about, but it was difficult to grasp what was meant by 145,000,000. Supposing all 'these articles had been laid end to end,' they would have covered, a distance";of- 13,700 miles.. When it was remembered that every letter posted had to pass through many hands before it reached its destination, 4 and that every telegram had. to be laboriously spelt out hitter bv letter troni two to six times, and that com-' were very-rare, -it was evident' ■that the' New Zealand Post' and Telegraph Service was, to say the least, an emcient one. Nearly every year he had hart the pleasure of ordering important', changes in postal, rates and in methods of working, yet; all these, involving as tliey did much/preparation, had been •earned out without the slightest di&organisation. He had now in contempla- • uVi aud hoped definitely to announce shortly, many important ohanges for the * ml the ' P* o ? l6 livin S in tt« M™try... These would include ,a. greatlvlniproved parcel-post service,' rural deliveries, and telephone extension: ' Although the. post and telegraph business ot, the country- had increased-so rapidly, it was very noticeable that Eotorua had done more than its share. In ten vears jH^i^fS 6 had increased from .£535 to let « rs increased from 107,000 to 550,000; -post-cards from 4500 ■' -to 109,000, and other nrtibles from 52,000't0 180,000, I lania g^ms had " increased from 9000. to 49,000. Money-orders increased threetold, savings-bank deposits more than fourfold.' These increases were very remarkable indeed, and indicated clearly. :the;progress of'Eotorua.-.The staff in 1 ' ten .years rose from five to twenty, a moderate increase .considering the workdone. Dealing with E'otonia's revenue, Sir Joseph Ward said-the direct revenue through the Department in Eotorua for *, eleven 'months, ended- Februarv 28, Uiq,- showed an increase over the 'samo period for last year of: a! 1560. "1 fullv anticipate,"-said he, "that the close cf th .e' month, which' also" closes the year will show an increase - : of over JE2OOO whereas the expenditure, will be less tnan the previous year."