P. AND T.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19365, 23 July 1925, Page 4

P. AND T.

DEPARTMENT’S ANNUAL REPORT A GOOD YEAR. (By Telegraph). (From. Our Parliamentary Reporter). WELLINGTON, July 22. The annual report of the Post and Telegraph Department states that the business of the Department continues to be satisfactory, the excess of receipts over expenditure being £473,193. As the work increases it is confidently expected that an increased volume of business will result, in the revenue from postages soon reaching the amount obtained in the previous year. The expansion of the telephone exchange system is one of the most distinctive features of the year’s operations, 21 new exchanges having been opened and 13,304 new connection’* made. The number of applicants on the waiting list is 3622. The development of country exchanges has boon greatly stimulated by the present rating system, which has many attractive features.

Regarding the inland mail services the report says that in a few cases the Department, owing to lack of competition. is paying unreasonable subsidies for the carriage of mails, and it may be necessary in the future to take steps which will enable the Department to economically perform its own services in such cases. The rural delivery scheme is spreading rapidly and the change over to this scheme is much appreciated by settlers. Tn February last, the London Post Office explained that, owing to a re-ar-rangement of services via Suez, enabling a regular fortnightly despatch to be mode, delays in mails would be fewer and slight, and in the circumstances Iho Suez route would be used for other than specially addressed correspondence from Britain.