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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5163, 27 August 1878, Page 2

The report of the Postmaster-General ,f or the past year contains a great deal of interesting information, though much of it is of necessity in a form'little suited to the general reader — tables of figures. A few of these having a local interest may, however, be deemed worthy of perusal. In a table showing the postal revenue and number of letters, post cards, books, and newspapers received at and despatched from the several postal districts, from 1871 to 1877, we find that in the former year the amount in Hawke's Bay was £1569 13s 2d, while in 187T it had increased to £5114 17s Od. "The number of letters received in 1871 was 85,003 ; in 1877 it reached 360,416. Letters despatched in 1871, 92,297; in 1877 the number was 270,552. Newspapers received in 1871, 63,339; in 1877 they reached 329,062. Newspapers despatched in 1871, 67,293 ; in 1877, 111,834. The numbers of post cards and books are only given for 1877, that being the first year of the use of the former, and of tho transmission of the latter through the post-office. The post cprds received numbered 4671 ; those despatched, 1501. Books received, 30,292 ; despatched, 9552. In this table, we may mention, Hawke's Bay stands fifth, those exceeding it in the business transacted being Wellington, Otago, Canterbury, and Auckland, in the order named. The report states that it is intended to establish an inland parcels post, by which merchandise — raw or manufactured— and many other articles may be forwarded through the post at a nominal rate of postage. The book regulations are also to be extended, so as to include documents which at present can only be transmitted through the post at letter rates of pontage. Tho PostmasterGeneral, in referring to the determination on the part of the colony to enter the General Postal Union, remarks that the step taken may be regarded as one of the more important events bearing on tho future administration of the postal service of New Zealand. " The General Postal Union Scheme," he remarks, " was brought under the consideration of the Department as far back as 1875 ; but, as the original conditions under which British colonies would bo permitted to join the Union were exceedingly unfavorable, this colony — indeed, the whole of the Australian Colonies — decided to refrain from seeking admission into the General Postal Union. Terms of a more liberal nature having subsequently been submitted for consideration, it is now possible for any colony to enter the Union without suffering a serious pecuniary loss." At the conference held in Melbourne last May the matter was recommended to the favorable consideration of the Australian and New Zealand Governments, and this recommendation was subsequently endorsed by tho Post-master-General of New South Wales when he was on an official visit to this colony. The papers relating to the scheme will be laid before Parliament, and though they will show that joining the Union will entail a small loss of revenue to the colony, the Government consider that in view of the many and highly important advantages to be secured under the scheme, the colony should be prepared to incur the loss.