THE POSTAL REPORT.

Evening Star, Issue 7341, 13 October 1887, Page 2

THE POSTAL REPORT.

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.]

WELLINGTON, October 12.

The annual report of the Post and Tele* graph Department has been submitted, The returns of business for the year disclose satisfactory results, and the work performed was, proportionately, considerably greater than indicated by the actual increase of revenue. The cash receipts of the Depart* ment for the financial year amounted to Lfio6,4fio 13s 7d, compared with L289,7?l 14s 4d the previous year; being an increase 0fL2,5201953d,0r0.87 percent. The revenue was L14,16619s lid in excess of the expend}* ture; for the previous year the balance was L§,(|o3 16s sd. The value of the work performed gratuitously for ifie departments of the Government Service was—in respect of official free correspondence L7a,606 I Is lid, and for Government telegrams L2?,25l 4a 9d, a total of L 102,887 16s Bd. This, added to the cash receipts of L 306,460 13s 7d brought up thegrosa earnings of the Depart* ment for the year to L 409.348 10s 3d, or Ll 17,055 16s 7d more than the expenditure. The official correspondence was increased by L 4.776 ISs Bd, and the free telegrams by 11,682 in number, and L 2.420 15a 8d in value. It is believed that economy should be practicable in respect to both items. L 22,434 10s 7d was expended oit account of telegraph extension, and L 2.772 6s 3d on buildings, alterations, repairs, etc.', charged to the Public Works pond, 38,084,592 letters were ported and received, and 1,836,266 telegrams of all codes were transmitted, fifty-three addi ■ tional offices wete established, four reopened, and eleven closed. The total number of offices at the end of 188fi was 1,089. Twenty-four new mail' services were established, and the total number in operation at the end of the year was 577. The length of telegraph fines was increased by mues, and af the end of the year there were 5,456 miles of wire. The expansion of the business of the Telephone Exchange continues. There were at the end of the ’ year 2,042 subscribers, being an increase of 287. An Exchange was opened at Blenheim in April last with thirty-eight subscribers'.' Ll ,248,405 6s Id was deposited during the year by the Savings Bank depositors', and the sum standing to their credit on 31st pecemberlast was L 1,615,979 9s 6d. The amount of the Savings Bank funds invested DU the 31st December waa“Ll ,"586,331105. The interest received and aasrued for tfie year was L73,66f) 17a sd. ■The bead Letter Office.

I’be following rather* interesting record from the Dead Letter Office appears in the Post Office rep0rt29,340 book-packets and circulars (mostly Dt Baraardo’s and MotheV Seigel’s)" were returned to foreign countries, 5,921 were returned to the senders through the Dead Letter Office, and 8,110 were returned by the chief postmasters; making a total of 33,301 bookpackets and circulars, against 23,184 in 1885. The under-mentioned articles of Value Were found enclosed hi letters opened In the Dead' Letter 'Office and returned to the senders ' where practicable:—l 64 money orders, valaed at L 596 5 29 postal notes* representing lss; 38 bank drafts for‘Ll,3Bß, 92 cheques for L 827, 21 dividend warrants for L 2 4; 7 promissory notes, 285 stamps, 7 bank notes (colonial and foreign}, 2QO gold, 14 sHvdr, And 3 'tapper coins, representing L3,2Q4. In addition, 5 gold rings, 14 gold nuggets, I gold docket and geneva gold hunting watch, _ I lady’s silver watch and gold chain,' 1 gold, pin ryith pearl, 4 silver watches, 1 silver chain, 1 silver bracelet, 1 silver locket, 3 silver brooches, 3 pairs of silver ear-rings, 1 pair of greenstone and gold; ear-rings, I , greenstone brooch and ear-rings, 1 greenstone pehdant (silver mounted), 1 circular piece of greenstone, 1 aluminium albert chain', 1 steel chain and shark’s tooth and. silk ribbon, 1 silk necktie, and! New Zealand war medal were also in unclaimed letters. 4,132 unclaimed registered letters were dealt ! with; 29 letters detained for postage were received, 12 of which were subsequently forwarded 4 882 newspapers and 286 books and other articles without addresses were also received, C>f these,’3B were delivered and 59 to London and other countries for return to the senders; 77 letters, were posted without addresses ;45 letters'with libellous addressee were intercepted,; 191 Utters were imperfectly and wrongly-addressedletterswere refused by.rthe addressees; 12 letters were posted by previously-used stamps. ~The of nnolaiined property ofyearsisto be sold publicly, and the pro'. . coeds paid over to the revenue. ‘ ‘All