POSTAL BUSINESS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 9 June 1923, Page 6

POSTAL BUSINESS.

STATEMENTS BY THE MINISTER,

The increase in business following the reduction of postal and telegranhic rates was referred to by the Postmaster-Gen-eral, (the Hon. J. C. Coates) at Stratford yesterday. "It will be remembered that the letter rate of postage was reduced from 2d to li-ij, commercial papers, invoices, accounts, etc., from l£d to Id, and telegrams from Is to 9d for twelve words from February last, and 1 am pleased to say that the increase •of business has exceeded the estimate both for postal matter and telegrams. Having this fact in mind, and the improvement in trade generally, it is pro- ■ posed to further reduce the postagerates from a date to be announced. shortly. ' Mr Coates referred to the cheap telegram known as ''night' letter," and said that since the rate was reduced; from Is 6d for thirty-six words to 9d , for twenty-seven words, the increase of , business had been most marked. Judging by tlie number of letters, etc , posted during a recent week, when a count I of correspondence was taken, the increase for the twelve "months should be somethmg like twenty to twenty-five million articles. Although the Savings Bank with- , drawals still exceeded the deposits, the ■^ excess was far less than it was a few 7 ™P nth, s a £°- Tt was gratifying to find X that the amount at credit of depositors ; at March 31 last was £44,3G0,000 as <■ against £13,841,000 for the previous year. The average amount at credit of each depositor at present was £64 4s as > against £64 11s for the previous year - If the total at credit were divided equally among the whole of the people, j.man, woman and child, in the Dominion, the average amount at the credit - , of each depositor would be £32 4s 4d > as against £33 7s 3d for the previous -. year. lh c number of savings bank accounts m operation on March 31 last was 690,790, r.s against 678,930 for the • previoust year.