POST AND TELEGRAPH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19386, 22 July 1926, Page 12

POST AND TELEGRAPH.

LAST YEAR'S OPERATIONS.

EXPANSION OF BUSINESS. HIGHEST POINT ON RECORD. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The business of the department has reached the highest point on record, states the report of the Post and Telegraph Department for the year ended March 31 last. The excess of receipts over expenditure was £690,840. The income from postages exceeded that of the previous year by £89,214, while the telephone receipts showed an increase of £113,065. The abnormal increase in telephone revenue is due to two causes, firstly, to a change in the method of collection of telephone subscriptions, and, secondly, to the creation of the new postal district of Palmerston North, which led to the collection of certain revenue earlier than usual.

The expenditure has been very closely watched during the year and where possible economies have been effected. The result is decidedly satisfactory, the expenditure for the year being £6701 less than that for the previous year. That there has been a decrease in expenditure in spite of the marked increase in business indicates the extent to which business methods are applied in one of the largest organisations in the Government service. Telephone Progress. The remarkable expansion of the telephone exchange system which was referred to in last year's report continues. To provide for the 13,368 new subscribers joined up during the year extensive construction work was necessary. Last year mention was made of the fact' that the 3304 new connections made during the year ended March' 31, 1925, constituted a record. It will be seen that the figures for the year just past constitute a fresh record. The number of exchanges in existence in the Dominion is 341 and the number of miles of wire in use is 402,433. There are now in New Zealand 94.40 telephones per thousand of population. On March 31 the automatic telephone exchanges in operation throughout tho Dominion provided service for 32,583 subscribers, or over 30 per cent, of the total. Money order business continues to show a steady increase. The orders issued last year exceeded those of the previous year in number by approximately 25,000 * and in value by approximately £285,000. Tho savings bank withdrawals for the year exceeded tho deposits by £768,885. "The amount at credit of depositors at March 31 last was £47,911,322 an increase for the year of £962,694. The fact that the total amount standing at the credit of all open accounts has increased by such a largo amount affords a clear "indication of continued confidence in the peoples' bank. Statistical Comparisons. The principal statistics for the year are as follows the figures for the previous twelve months being given in parentheses : Total letters delivered 148,160,011 (135,795,141); postcards, ' 4,677,034 (3,909,557); parcels, 3,645,057 (3,644,506); all other articles, 80,134,655 (71,362,283); total, 236,616,757 (214,711,487). Average number of letters posted per unit of population 110.14 (103.7). Postal notes, £922,873 (£860,029). British postal orders, £78,030 (£75,554. Telegrams and toll..messages, 16,143,414. value, £782,680 (15,410,390, value, £749,100). Ordinary telegrams, 6,043,568. Letter telegrams, 317,484. Toil communications, 8,976,859. Ordinary telegrams per unit of population, 4.54 (4.43). Cable messages: Pacific, 204,586 (185,680); Eastern, 110,146 (98,571-).

I FRAUD BY A WIFE. i SAVINGS WRONGFULLY TAKEN HUSBAND SEEKS REDRESS. [by telegraph.—-special reporter.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. A recommendation that the petition be referred to the Government for favourable consideration was returned to-day by the Public Petitions Committee of the House of Representatives respecting the request of William James Elliott, of Auckland, for a compassionate allowance on account of money fraudulently taken from his Post Office Savings Bank account. The offence was committed by his wife who forged his signature, and on account of the relationship he has no legal remedy, although if the offence had been committed by a stranger the Postmaster-General would have had to make good the loss. "Several members of the committee spoke briefly in -the House in support of the petition, expressing regret that previous recommendations of the same nature had been disregarded by .tho GovernmentWORKERS' COMPENSATION. LABOUR MEMBER'S BILL. SECOND READING DEBATE. [by telegraph.—press association.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. In the House to-night Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) moved the second reading of the Workers' Compensation Amendment Bill, which he described as one of those "hardy annuals" which made its regular appearance, got to the committe stage and then disappeared. He asked the House to pass the bill and continue to lead the world in the matter of this class of humanitarian legislation. The Hon. G. J. Anderson said he might at that stage object to the bill proceeding further because it contained provisions which were in contravention of the Standing Orders, but he did not propose to take that step as he wished to see it get its second reading and go before the Labour Bills Committee. He thought the bill went too far in the matter of weekly payments. No country in the world paid 100 per cent, of the earnings, and Mr. Howard could not possibly hope to carry that provision. If he did we would indeed lead the world. He himsßlf would be introducing a Government bill on the same subject next week. He would reserve the right to challenge this bill when it reached the committee stage. Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) warmly commended the bill, particularly the provision which equalised compensation to women and men. He justified the proposal of making accident insurance a State monopoly. A long discussion took place before the bill was read a second time and referred to the Labour Bills Committee.

CROWN LEASEHOLDERS. REVALUATION ASKED FOR. [by telegraph.— special reporter.] "WELLIJCGTOJiT, Wednesday. A revaluation of the properties of which they have Crown leases is asked in a petition to Parliament by ten settlers in the Southern King Country. They state they are in a similar position to other Crown lessees in the King Country in that they are called upon to pay ground rents which are higher than are justified by the valuation of the land. They therefore ask that consideration sjhoidd be given in the direction of fixing new rentals based upon a revaluation of the land held under their leases.