POST AND TELEGRAPH

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10898, 12 May 1921, Page 10

POST AND TELEGRAPH

INCREASED RATES AND INCREASED REVENUE. SIGNIFICANT FIGURES. The Hon. J. G. Coates. PostmasterGeneral, issued on Saturday a statement as to the Post and Telegraph Department’s revenue and expenditure far the year ending March 31st, 1921. Tho total revenue was £2,569,364, the total expenditure £2,554,087; and the excess of receipts over payments £35,277. Tho actual revenue was £60,636 less than the amount of the estimate. For all items, with the exception of telegraph miscellaneous, comprising fees for the registration of code addresses, and for the maintenance of private telephone lines (£12,745 against £14,967), the revenue for 1920-21 exceeded that for 1919-20. The increase of rates during the year is especially noticeable in the volume of telegraph traffic. The number of telegrams of all codes for the whole of the year was 1,073,149 less than the number dealt with the previous year. The telegram revenue for the year was, however, £87,263 in'excess of the revenue for the previous year. The telephone exchange revenue for 1920-21 was £533,535, against £419,318 for the previous year. The increase is accounted for largely by_ the abnormal number of new connections made during 1920-21. These numbered 8500. It has to be remembered that the department had the benefit of the increased rates for only eight months of the year. In regard to the expenditure; the amount voted was unexpended to the extent of £111,965. In regard to the vote Telegraph Extension, out of the Public Works Fund: the amount voted was £500,000, and the net expepditulre £335,696. The amount under-spent was thus £164,304. . The comparative returns of revenue for the March quarters of 1920 and 1921 are as under:—l92l £705,020; 1920, £564,330; increase £140,690. The number of ordinary telegrams shows a falling-off .of nearly 500,000 and the number of urgent telegrams of 100,000. The higher tariff as no doubt responsible for the decreases in number. There was, however, an increase in the telegram revenue of £20,000. The number of Press telegrams shows a slight increase. The raising of Press rates did not, however, take effect Until February 16th. The telephone exchange receipts show an imcrease of £31,000.