POST AND TELEGRAPH FINANCE. “CIVIS” AND PROHIBITION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3774, 13 July 1926, Page 69

POST AND TELEGRAPH FINANCE.

“CIVIS” AND PROHIBITION.

SAVINGS HANK RETURNS. At, IMPROVED POSITION. Referring to the Post and Telegraph Department, the Minister of Finance said in the Budget: The evenue of.the Post and Telegraph Department paid over to the Consolidated Fund amounted to £3,077,735. Of this amount the Postal Branch accounted for £1,414,081; telegrams, £371,250; toll messages, £312,120; and telephone-exchange receipts £980,283. The telephone-exchange receipts show an increase over those for the previous year of about £113,000. The net expenditure out of the vote Post and Telegraph Working-expenses amounted to £2,406,791. The. was thus a net excess of receipts over payments of £670,943, which is available to cover the interest on the loan capital of the Department. The presentation of the balance sheet, will, however, show the actual results on a commercial basis. The Post Office Savings Bank figures show improvement over those for the previoL year. There was in- 1924-25 an excess of withdrawals over deposits of £830,7*2, whereas in 1926-26 the deposits amounted to £31,833,621 and the withdrawals to £32,602,506, an excess of withdrawals over deposits of £768,885. The position is still improving, as since the end of the year the amount of deposi has exceeded the amount of withdrawals. On March 31 there were 758,188 depositors, and the total amount of their credit, exclusive of interest for the year, was £46,179,744. Monev orders and postal notes issued totalled in value £5,907,171, and those paid £-,628,814. The first issue of Post Office investment certificates, in November, 1920, matured in November, 1925, and the redemptions to the end of March totalled £175,254. I would have expected to find a greater use by the public of this excellent form of small investment.

EXPORT OF RABBITS. TO THJI EDITOR. Sir,—Some time ago “Roslyn” asked \vhen frozen rabbits were sent Home first. The first consignment 1 know of was shipped by your late townsman Mr Arthur M'Doiiald in the latter part of 1892. The rabbits were skinned, and did not turn out a success. The next lot was sent by myself and the late Mr T. R. Turner, of Riversdale. This was the first consignment tc be sent in skins that was a success. The following is a list of shipments: July 7, 1891, account Taylor, Ruahine, at Blutf, 45 - cases; July 7, 1894, account Tanner, Ruahine, at Bluff, 10 cases; July 23, 1894, account Taylor, Kaikoura, at Port Chalmers, 43 cases; August 22, 1894. ac count Taylor, Fifeshire, at Bluff, 66 cases: total, 164 cases. The freezing charges were |d per lb and the freight Is 8d per ft, plus 10 per cent, primage. It may interest some of your readers to know the quantity of rabbits shipped from Southland from 1896 to 1920 (inclusive). The figures are:

TO THE *D T TOR Sir,— There are in the world to-day various forms of evil, which merit constant and increasing warfare by all who profess a regard for the welfare of humanity, but “Civis” in his weekly notes singles out for special gibe, sneer, and reiterated condemnation that endeavour of prohibitionists to secure a cleaner and better world. If “Civis” gave the same attention to the real evil of to-day and devoted less attention to attempts to improve social conditions his words would possess a weight and be free from an unworthy prejudice which characterises them at present The improvement in the sobriety and public life of prominent politicians of which “Civis” speaks in last week’s “Passing Notes” is only the result of precisely that “Pussyfoot’’ sentiment which our scribe finds, so obnoxious. Left to “Civis” and the inebriated men he alludes to, no progress in sobriety would have eventuated at all. Militant antagonism against liquor and its social effects is solely responsible for the enlightened public opinion and public condemnation of drunkenness and drinking to-day. “Civis” is good enough to offer a fact for “Pussyfoot” digestion. May 1 nlace before him, and your readers as well, a statement from the liquor traffic journal, the Brewers’ Gazette, of February, 1922? It runs as follows:—“We mean to reiterate in these columns a factor which we believe to be at the bottom of all publicity in relation to alcohol. It is that yearly tens of thousands of alcohol-drinkers die. With the rising generation, and whether or not they take to alcohol, rests the future of the trade, commercially, politically, and economically.” I submit "do your loaders that such a candid statement coming from. the Beadquarters of liquordom is justification enough for the militant organisation of the prohibition forces and for the drastic remedy proposed by them. The evil is such that half-hearted attempts to curb it, and proposals which do not scan in practice, have no legitimate place. As with the farmer’s noxious' weeds, tfie only solution is the abolition root and branch of the whole vile traffic.—l am, etc.. Liberty.

Crates. Year. Crates. 1896 ... 10,550 1909 . .. 70,235 1897 62,768 1910 . .. 69,355 1*98 ... 108,051 1911 . . 82,812 1899 ... 122,957 1912 . .. 46,434 1900 ... 107,692 1913 . . 68,250 1901 ... 97,207 1914 ., .. 59,643 1902 ... 91,484 1915 .. .. 44,049 1908 ... 77,071 1916 .. . 23.470 1904 .. 61,002 1917 .. . 36,014 1905 ... 58,758 1918 . .. 7.339 19C6 ... 61,585 1919 .. . 9,756 1907 ... 79,582 1920 .. . 7,332 1908 ... 61,642 Jons Tatlob. Mataura.