POST AND TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 15072, 2 January 1913, Page 5

POST AND TELEGRAPH.

CHRISTMAS FIGURES. The Postal Department's figures of the business transacted by the Postal and Telegraph Department during the Christmas rush have been ccmipleted, and establish new records in comparison with former years. The stamp sales for the 17 chief centres for the period between December 20 and December 24 in 1911 were £19,885; this year they rose to £22,325—an increase of 12.15 per cent. In the Postal Department the number of bags and hampers forwarded and received by the same centres was last year 37,964, and this year 39,044 —an increase of only 2.84 per cent. This is somewhat explained by the fact that last year's totals included an inward Vancouver and English parcel. The mnil_ work of the Telegraph Department for the same chief centres shows an increase of 7.17 per cent. The comparative figures are as follow: Telegrams forwarded—l9ll, 86.846: 1912, 95.971. Telegrams received—l9ll, 99,408; 1.912, 112.121. Telegrams transmitted—l9ll., 153,673: 1912, 156,228. The detailed returns of the business for the four chief centres are as follow (last year's figures being in parentheses) : Stamp sales • Auckland, £4,55S (£4.050): Christchurch. £3.413 (£3,201); Dunedin, £1,921. (£1,748); Wellington, £5,382 (£4,749). Bags and hampers forwarded and received—"Auckland, 7,405 (8.138); Christchurch, 5,765 (5.291); Dunedin, 4,237 (4,329); Wellington, 8,394 (8.266)-. Telegrams forwarded—Auckland, 18,823 (16,250); Christchurch. 10,164 (9.072); Dunedin, 5,560 (7,834); Wellington, 21.938 (20,297). Telegrams received—Auckland, 21.937 (20,256); Christchurch, 14,652 (13,292);' Dunedin, 12.324 (10,627): Wellington, 24,349 (18.594). Telegrams transmitted Auckland, 23,527 ((26,282): Christchurch, 20,759 (18,595); Dunedin, 15.753 (13.748) ; Wellington, 36,440 (34,1.70). The grand totals of the four centres were : Stamp sales—l9ll. £13,748 ; 1912. £15,274. Bags and hampers forwarded and received—l9ll, 26,024; 1912, 25.801. Telegrams forwarded—l9ll 53,453; 1912, 59,485. Telegrams received— 1911, 62,665: 1912" 73,262. Telegrams transmitted—l9ll. 92.'795 : 1912, 96,509. _ ' In commenting on the Christmas business done at the 17 chief offices, the Hon. R. Hcaton Rhodes, PostmasterGeneral, said that in the majority of cases the percentage of increase was very high, and that only in a few cases was there any evidence of a decrease. The total percentage of increase in stamp sales (12.25 per cent.) was very good, and the increase of 7.17 per cent, in telegraphic business was eminently satisfactory. The business had been got off with a minimum of delay, and as far as he knew there had been no complaints, which v.-as most creditable to the staff. Ho had desired, lie added, the secretary of the department to convey to the staff generally his sense of appreciation of the valuable work done in the discharge of their duty at a specially trying time.