YEAR’S WORK

Southland Times, Issue 20770, 10 May 1929, Page 7

YEAR’S WORK

P. AND T. DEPARTMENT

REVIEW BY PRIME MINISTER

MARKED GROWTH IN SEVERAL BRANCHES (Per United Press Association.) Napier, May 9. The results of the year's work of the Post and Telegraph Department were made known by the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, in the course of his address at the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone of Napier's new post office. “It Is fitting on an occasion such as this that I should make reference to the results of the year's working of the Department,” he said, “and I am pleased to say that several of the branches of the Department's activities show marked growth. “The figures for the twelve months ended March 31, 1929, indicate that there has been a satisfactory increase in the revenue earned by the Department, the increase being £168,309 2/10. The main increases in the year's transactions are postages £49,147 14/6; tolls £45,661 16/-; telephones £78,618 6/4 and miscellaneous telegraph £4,551 2/-. The Savings Bank business indicates that there has been a substantial improvement since last year. The total amount of deposits for the year was £27,252,381 9/-, being only £358,684 16/1 less than last vear. The withdrawals were £28,111,940'16/9 this being £2,473,056 17/7 less than last year. The excess of withdrawals for the year ended March 31, 1928, w>as £2,973,931 9/3. The position has improved to the extent that this year the excess of withdrawals has decreased to £859,559 7/9. As a set off against the excess of withdrawals, the amount credited to savings banks depositors for interest as at March 31 must be taken into consideration. Last year the amount shown credited was £1,747,155 13/9. It will, therefore, be seen that notwithstanding that there is an excess of withdrawals, the accumulated fund will increase by close on £900,000. Since the end of the financial year, there has been a further improvement in the savings bank figures. For the month of April the excess of deposits over withdrawals amounted to £309,340 compared with an excess of withdrawals over deposits of £155,366 for the month of April last year. The increase in the money order business for the year has not been marked, the increase in number amounted to 11,685 and the increase in amount £43,339 3/6. The increase in the number of orders paid was 4,455 and the amount £32,859 14/7. The increase in the number of ordinary telegrams for the year was 105,742 and the amount £6,314 6/7. Toll communications show an increase of 922,300 in number and £45,661 16/- in amount. The increase for all codes of telegrams was 993,339 in number and £45,515 2/31 in amount. The number of radio receiving licenses in force throughout the Dominion on March 31 last was 44,810. By the end of April 35,880 licenses had been renewed and it is anticipated that within a month or two, the number of receiving licenses in force will be as great as at the end of the year.”