POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9859, 3 October 1893, Page 6

POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT.

(Fnosr Ode Special Cobbespondent.)

Wellington, September 20. The report of the Poßt Office and Telegraph department shows there has been a large increase of business in nearly every branch of the department in 1892. The returns of J the correspondence transmitted by post cover the first complete year's results under the regulation of the Postal Union. They disclose a very decided increase of all classes of mail matter except that of the parcels post. The revenue for the year was £318,758 10s 4d, the balance over expenditure being £40,364. The revenue was £1299 less than the previous year's receipts.

The receipts from.telegrams fell off £3190 compared with the 1891-2 receipt—probably due to qne of two causes. For several years past it was the practice to compute the revenue from telegrams on the results of periodical countings "As the figures for 1892-3 represent actual amounts it is probable that' the previous year's receipts were over-stated; and the changes made last year, by which' a telegram of 18 liwords is accepted at the initial rate in lieu of 10 words,. has had the effect of reducing receipts from telegrams by about £4200 for a year. Under the present tariff, as many as 14 and 15 words are frequently written in the text of telegrams, four and even three words sufficing fortheaddress and signature. The effect of this had been to bring down the average value of a telegram (ordinary or delayed) by about l*3od. The expenditure was £10,051, or 3 75 per cent, more than theexpenditure of the previous year. The combined post office and telegraph revenue was equal to 9s ll^d per head of population, and the expenditure 8s 8 03d. . •

There were 25,530,804 letters posted and 25,079,938 delivered, being an increase of 1,885,342 and 1,212,506 respectively. There were 143,513 inland parcels posted compared with 157,465 in 1891, a decrease of 13,952, due to numbers of the smaller-sized parcels having been sent by packet post, the rate from which was reduced from 8d to 4d per pound. There were 1,904,243 telegrams of all cedes forwarded—a decrease of 64,121, or 326 per cent. 199,438 money orders for £694,847 were issued, and 160,423 orders for £612,312 were paid. 240,019p05tal notes, representing £86,962, were sold, being a,n increase of 25,685 in number and £8153 in amount. Thirty-nine post offices were established, five reopened, and 12 closed.

•. The total number of post and telegraph or telephone offices open, at the end of 1892 was 1263. The number of telephone exchange connections (including bureaus) on the 31st March last was 3811, and the subscriptions received for the year amounted to £19,155, against £18,571 in 1891. The number of central telephone exchanges now open i 3 14-, and eignt subexchanges. The inland mail services in operation cumbered 683, costing £25,341. There were 130 miles of telegraph lines erected at tbe close of the year. The total mileage was 5*79 miles of line and 13,4-59 miles of wire.

The net expenditure out of loan and telegraph extension was £29,245, and £1073 out of the consolidated fund was also expended. The'deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank during the calendar year amounted to £1,878,270, and the withdrawals to £1,821,348. The total amount at the credit of depositors on the 31st of December 1892 was £2,863,670. The number of officers in 1892 was 2358, as against 2349 in 1891. Articles of value to the amount of 4740 were found in letters opened in the dead letter office. One thousand and three unclaimed registered letters were dealt with.

In consequence of the great reduction in cable rates there has been a very large increase in the number of messages received and forwardsd by New Zealand, as the following figures show : —ln August 1892 the international messages forwarded numbered 207, of the value of £796 7s 6d. The messages received numbered 213. The intercolonial messages forwarded numbered 1345, of the value of £1043 18s 3d, and the.messages received numbered 1594. In August 1893 thsf international messages forwarded numbered 503, of the value of £1763 10s Id, and the messages received numbered 456. The intercolonial messages forwarded numbered 1382, of the value of £6554 IDs 7d, and the messages received numbered 2358. Summarised, the messages forwarded show an increase of 8589 per cent, in number, and of 31-4-1 per cent, in v.alue, and messages received an increase of 55*73 in number. For eight months January-August 1892—the messages forwarded (international and intercolonial) numbered 13,134, of the value of £16,233 Oa 2d, andthesereceived numbered 15,230. For the same period this year the messages forwarded numbered 24 271 of the value of £20,089 15s sa, and those received numbered 24,128. The increase in those forwarded was in number 84*8 per cent., and in value 2375 per cent.; and in those received the increase was 58 "35 per cent.