THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S REPORT.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2568, 7 September 1867, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S REPORT.

Thk eighth report on the Postal Service of New Zealand, (for the year 1866) by the Hon. J. Hall, gives some valuable information respecting the working of the postal system in the colony. During the year 1866, 2,353,856 letters were despatched, against 2,235,188 in 1865 ; 2,404,788 were received, againßt 2,208,285 in 1865 ; the newspapers despatched were 2,413,511 against 1,923,544 in 1865 ; the newspapers received were 1,959,528, against 1,474,134 in 1865. The postal revenue (exclusive of money order commissions) of the year 1866 was £47,830 10s 6d, compared with £46,475 9s 3d received during the preceding year; tho expenditure (exclusive of steam subsidies), £62,927 4s 6d — including £7,300 expended in new buildings — compared with £55641 6a 3d in 1865. Twelve new offices were opened last year, and four offices closed. The j number of officers employed in the various post offices of the colony in 1886 was 412. Mr . Hall states that it has hitherto be'en found impossible to devise a plan whioh would act as an efficient substitute for the system of franking now in operation ; and the recommendation ef the Postal Committee of 1856, to abolish the franking system has not therefore been acted upon. During the year 46,172 letters, including 821 registered letters, were received at the Dead Letter Office. Of these 37,117, including 504 registered, were despatched from the office. Nearly 100 letters were delivered to personal applicants, and about 9,000 were destroyed, as neither the writers ' nor the persons to whom they were addressed, could be found. The property found in the dead letters was worth £7,822 12s lOd, and consisted of bills of exchange, bank notes, money orders, acceptances, promissory noteß, cheques, coin, postage stamps, orders, bank receipts, warrants, gold dust, and gold rings. A considerable increase in the number of registered letters took place during the year—the returns being — 1865, 27,985; 1866, 35,328. Money orders to the value of £108,779 4s 9d were issued nt the various offices in the colony ; while orders to the value of £52,547 9s 4d were paid } showingan iHcreaae of 20 per cent, over the transactions of the previous year. The Post Office Savings' Bank system has, it is satisfactory to find, proved .very successful. 'Although the system was only initiated in February last, by the end of May, 830 accounts had been oponod, and there remained in the Banks £20,974 8s 7d to the credit df the depositors. Throe tables appended to the report. bliow very .clearly tho comparative extent to which the Suez and Panama routes are used for the transmission of correspondence. Between July, 1866, and June, 1867, 134,963 letters, '3,253 book packets, and 271,800 newspapers were despatched from New Zealand to Europe by the former route ; and 1 191,147 leLters, 16,494 book packets, and 373,413 newspapers received from Kurope. Between the 24th June, 1866, and Bth June, i 867, there were 207,032 letters, 2,838 book packets, and 67,523 newspapers despatched to Europe from New Zealand by way of Panama; while during the same period, 148,757 letters, 15,444 book packets, and 182,936 newspapers were received from Europe by that mail. The amount accruing to New Zealand for tho carriage of mails via" Suez was £3,009 2s lOd j vid Panama, £8,511 5a 3d, inclusive of mtvilß to and from different parts of America and the West Indies. A comparative table shows that in 1865, the average number of letters to each person in the United Kingdom was 24 ; of newspapers and book packets, 8.25 ; to each person in Victoria, 12 letters and 9.45 newspapers and book packets ; to each person in New South Wales, 14 letters and 10.26 newspapers ; while in 1866, the average number of letters and newspapers to each person in New Zealand was 22.9 letters and 21 newspapers. A note to the return informs us, that as the figures for the United Kingdom only represent the letters and newspapers delivered, while those for the colonies, represent also those despatched, it is necessary to make a fair comparison, that the United Kingdom should be doubled. Another ret'irn shows, that the itch for scribbling is more irritating in Hawke's Bay than any other province. The averago number of letters and newspapers to eaoh person in the respective provinces stand thus : — Auckland, 18 53-18.73 j Taranaki, ' 19-18.9; Hawke's Bay, 80-32 ; Wellington, 24.4-23; Nelson, 16-19; Marlboroußh, 22-26; Canterbury, 25.27-20 j Otago, 24.8-21 ; Southland, 22.5-23.