POST AND TELEGRAPHS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 858, 2 July 1910, Page 13

POST AND TELEGRAPHS

THE ANNUAL REPORT. FACTS AND FIGURES. Tho annual report of the Post and Telegraph Department for 1909, which was laid on the table of the, House yesterday, shows increased business compared with the previous year. Owing abnormal extensions, the increase in expenditure was larger than that in tho revenue by about three thousand. There was, however, a balance of £103,440, tho revenue being £961,500 odd, and the expenditure £853,059 odd.

In tho main branches 'of business, viz., telegraph and postal, there have been an advance of over five per cent. Parcels post and telephone exchanges show increases of nearly twenty-one and eleven per cent, respectively. Tho number of bureau (telephone)

messages show a very large increase. These 'hare so 'greatly interfered with ordinary telegraphic business that telegrams have barely held their own. Money order and postal note business shows a greater annual turnover of £500,000. The revenue has not quite recovered from the fifty per cent, reduction in rates of two years ago, but at the present rate of progress the shortage should disappear in two years. Savings Bank deposits have increased at a greater rate than the population, the amount at credit of depositors standing at 12,606,898. The receipts in the Postal Department were £566,990, and the expenditure £446,762. In the Telegraph Department the figures wore: Receipts £394,510, expenditure £411,296. During the year 538,740 money, orders for £2,307,592 were issued, and 418,764 for £1,984,978 were paid. Tie increase in the number of orders issued as compared with last year was 50,656. ' Postal matter delivered in New Zealand, including that received from abroad during the year, reached a total of 93,650,908 letters, 8,049,808 postcards, 48,195,407 other articles, and 1,122,029 parcels. The number of postal notes sold was 1,414,752, and the value £454,138, an increase of-15.75- per cent, in number and 16.7 in amount, as compared with tho preceding year. The Savings Bank deposits (£9,611,119) exceeded the withdrawals (£9,499,319) by £111,799. There has been added £395,804 as interest, making a total increase of £507,603, and bringing the whole amount at credit up to £1,266,897, a sum which equals £12 ss. lOd. per head of population. The number of old age pension payments was >177,839, as compared with 164,633 in -the previous year, the respective amounts being £362,495 ' and £336,813. The total number of tele-, grams forwarded was 7,846,890, an increase of 5.67 per cent. The number of telephone exchanges has now reached 29,681. On March 31, 1910, there were 10,901 miles of telegraph lino and '34,788 miles of wire. The length of submarine cables within the Dominion, was 368 knot^.

The abolition of back-stamping of lettors has much facilitated the handling of mails.

It is proposed to ask for a vote of Parliament to eiiable rural , deliveries to bo established, and it is hoped to have a supply of the necessary boxes by the end of August.' .•••• The boxes necessary for providing better facilities for the collection of letters will soon bo installed.

Deliveries are being accelerated and extended. It is hoped that before long it will be possible to introduce hourly deliveries in,the principal cities. It is estimated that from three to five minutes is saved, in the dispatch of each telegram owing to the simplicity of handling with the new form. It has not yet been possible to devise a suitable basis on which to pay telegraph message boys by results, owing to tho great diversity of the conditions in tho principal centres. The intention is to give tho. scheme a trial in Auckland concurrently with tho issue of the self-addressed telegram form. The average number of days for which each female officer of the Department was absent during. the year was 6.15, the average for males 1.92. During the year 81 post offices were established aaid 20 closed. ,

Tho average, number of letters and letter-cands posted per head of population was 95.98.

The number of telegrams of all codes forwarded during the last financial year was 7,846,890, an increase of 5.67 per cent, over 190S-09. Tho proportion of paid telegrams por head of population was 7.53.

When the wireless stations aro erected ships a.pproaohing New Zealand from any direction will he able to communicate with one or other.