THIRD REPORT ON THE POSTAL SERVICE OF NEW ZEALAND, 1861-2, BY THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1862 Session I, D-02

D—No. 2

THIRD REPORT ON THE POSTAL SERVICE OF NEW ZEALAND, 1861-2, BY THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL.

LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BY COMMAND OF HIS EXCELLENCY.

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to his excellency the s0vern0r. Sir,— I have the honor to present to your Excellency ray Report on the Postal Service of the Colony for the year 1861. EXTENSION OF INLAND SERVICE. The tabular statements which form the Appendix record the principal statistics of the department increase of department. for the past year. They enable a comparison with previous years to be readily formed, and indicate a large and rapid increase in the use made of the Post Office by the public. Generally throughout the Colony this increase, though large, has been steady in its rate of advancement; and it has been possible, therefore, to maintain the efficiency of the Postal arrangements in most of the Provinces at a point not far behind the requirements of the public. But the gold discoveries made during the year in Otago attracted to that Province, suddenly, so Effect of gtfld discoveries, large an increase of population, that the Postal establishment as previously organized there proved altogether insufficient to perform the duties demanded of it; and for some months, in spite of the exertions of the local head of the department, the public service continued seriously to suffer. As soon, however, as information reached the Government that the increase of population in Otago was likely to be more than temporary, the necessary steps were taken for strengthening the Postal staff, and for extending the mail communications where required ; and these arrangements were in due course carried into effect, At the present time the Postal Service is as efficiently performed and the public requirements supplied as satisfactorily in Otago, as in any other Province. The conduct of the Officers of the department during the year may be characterized, on the conduct of officers, whole, as praiseworthy. There has been an instance of defalcation, to a small amount, reported in the case of a Postmaster newly appointed to the charge of an office on the Gold-fields of Otago. The case was promptly dealt with, and the offender has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment. Since the date of my predecessor's last report, there have been thirty-five new Post Offices es- Number of Post offices, tablished within the Colony, raising the whole number to one hundred and fifty-two. This number is exclusive of Letter Receiving Houses in the Towns, of which, at the close of the year 1861, there were seven, increased at the present time to about eighteen, either open or nearly ready. This extension of Offices has rendered necessary a corresponding increase of paid Officers, the number of whom is now greater than lastyear by thirty-five. The majority of these Officers are Postmasters in Country Districts, whose remuneration is very small. There are others who give their services gratuitously. If it were not for this fact, it would be impossible to extend the advantages of a regular Post to distant and thinly populated districts. In the buildings used as Post Offices in the towns of the Colony, improvements and extensions improvement in offices. have been required, proportionate to the increase of the work and utility of the department. In Christchurch, the Provincial Government of Canterbury have provided and fitted a large and convenient building for the use of the Post Office. In Dunedin, a considerable enlargement and re-arrangement of the Post Office has been already effected; and this may satisfy the requirements of the service until a new building, which it is proposed to construct, can be erected. Buildings of a suitable character have been put up on the Gold-fields. It is not easy to say how soon any one of these structures may have to be replaced by a more permanent building, or, on the other hand, may have to be removed. In Invercargill, the separation of the Province of Southland has caused the Post Office to be raised to the rank of a Chief Office, and the Staff of the department has been separated from that of Her Majesty's Customs. A new building, of small size, has consequently been erected to accommodate the Post Office. It is proposed to take the same course and make similar arrangements in Napier, with the assistance of the Provincial Government of Hawkes Bay. In Wellington, the Provincial Government have provided an excellent site and make advanced preparations for building a Post Office of a size and character suitable to the town. In Auckland, preliminary steps have been taken by the Porvincial Government with the same very desirable object in view. Additional accommodation is much required for the Post Office in Lyttelton; and in Nelson, the high rent paid for the building now in use, and the approaching termination of its lease, render it desirable to make arrangements for the construction of a permanent Post Office. The additional accommodation provided for the convenience of the public during the past year private botes, includes the construction of private boxes in considerable numbers at several Post Offices. Those now in use number about 270 in all ; and the only Offices of importance without them are those in the Provinces of Hawkes Bay and Marlborough. . The Inland Postal communications have been extended and accelerated in a great variety of Extensions and acceiera directions. The most noticeable of these are the following:— tl(* ng ' A daily mail for letters is now established between Dunedin and the Gold-fields of Otago. A second daily mail now runs between the towns of Lyttelton and Christchurch.

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A weekly mail has been established between Christchurch and Timaru, and a fortnightly service from Timaru to the Mackenzie Plains. The services in this district have been very much accelerated, and are efficiently performed. A monthly overland mail was established at the beginning of 1862 between Nelson and Blenheim, in the Province of Marlborough ; but, as the service is not satisfactory, and the want which it was intended to supply will be met in another way, notice has been given of the discontinuance of the contract from the 30th of June, 1862.

The completion of the link of communication between Castle Point and Porangahau connects Wellington and Napier by a fortnightly mail, and perfects the overland line from North to South by the East Coast.

The service between Auckland and Napier, carried by Maoris, was accelerated at the commencement of 1862; and a service was contracted for with the view of supplying the requirements of the inhabitants of the Bay of Plenty, but it has as yet imperfectly succeeded. The whole system of overland posts through the Native districts to the South of Auckland has been steadily improving under the management of the Rev. John Morgan, of Otawhao, to whom the thanks of the department are due for the energy and judgment which he has exerted for many years in establishing and controlling the difficult services in question. The last period of receiving tenders for the overland Postal Services through those Native districts in the North Island for which annual contracts are made was distinguished by an extraordinary eagerness on the part of a large number of competing tenderers of the Native race to undertake the required work. Further, the duty, when undertaken, has been performed with remarkable regularity and punctuality and in an excellent spirit, so far as the contractors themselves have been concerned. Nevertheless, the year's service through some districts has not been without its difficulties; and it has been found impracticable to reorganize the overland post between Wanganui and Taranaki.

Native Poits.

I ncrease in correspon lence and in revenue.

REVENUE, EXPENDITURE, AND CORRESPONDENCE.

The extensions and improvements which have been made in the Postal Service, and those now contemplated, though of some magnitude, are not disproportionate to the increase which has taken place in the services performed, or to the estimate which may reasonably be formed of their further increase. It will be seen from the Tables in the Appendix, that the number of letters carried in 1861, within the Colony, both by land and sea, was greater by one-half than the number similarly carried during the preceding year. The number of letters despatched to places out of the Colony increased during the same period by more than thirty-seven per cent. ; and the whole number despatched through the Post Office rose from 681,079 in 1860, to 973,596 in 1861, an increase of about fortythree per cent. During the same period, the Postal receipts rose, in like proportion, from £10,068 13s. lid. to £14,108 Bs. Od.—a revenue very nearly double that received from the same source in 1859. From the advance already apparent, at least an equal rate of increase may be calculated upon for the current twelve months. The distance over which mails were carried within the Colony, by land, during the year, is shown in a table in the Appendix to have been 245,306. The total cost of conveyance on overland services for the year was £5,749 18s. 9d. The mileage rate was, therefore, about s§d. per mile. The number of letters carried all distances by land, is shown by another table to have been upwards of 470,000, at an expense of nearly 3d. per letter, for conveyance alone. The whole number of letters carried by sea between different places in the Colony during the year was 246,297 ; and the whole expense of carriage, including subsidies paid by the Provinces for strictly Postal objects, is estimated at £12.000 : being at the rate of ll§d. per letter. But it must be remembered that the packets employed on this service performed also the duty of carrying all foreign correspondence from and to the first port of arrival and last of departure in New Zealand of the inter-colonial boats.

Land carriage.

Water carriage.

Foreign mails.

The total expenditure on the carriage of maita between New Zealand and places beyond seas for the year was about £25,000. Of this amount, £ 14,000 was contributed by the Imperial Government towards the service between Australia and New Zealand, and about £4,000 by the Provincial Governments of Canterbury and Otago. The remainder represents the sum for which the Colony is estimated to be liable, in the adjustment of the Colonial contributions to the trunk service between the United Kingdom and New iSouth Wales. The number of letters despatched to places beyond the Colony during the year was i' 57,000, at a cost of 23jd. per letter. The total number of letters which passed through the Post Office in the year was 1,236,768, and 1,400,000 newspapers; or, more than 12 letters and 14 newspapers per head of population. The total expense of management of the Post Office during 1861 was £8,429 Bs. 7d. ; and the gross expenditure of all kinds for Postal purposes, defrayed by the Colony, amounted to £30,066 14s. 3d.

Total correspondence.

Management.

FOREIGN AND SEA-BORNE POSTS.

In the Appendix annexed is printed the last statement furnished by the Imperial Post Office, showing the apportionment of the contributions of the Colonies to the expenses of the Australian trunk service according to the system proposed in the Treasury minute of 1855, and calculated on the returns of the year 1860. The system of apportionment adopted up to this period has been a calculation of the ratio which the number of letters passing between each Colony and the United Kingdom bears to the whole number of letters carried.

Contribution to trunk

service.

A change has, however, been effected in this system of apportionment, by authority of the Imperial Government, and with the consent, it is understood, of all the Colonies of the Australian group. The calculation is now based upon the compound ratios of the number of letters carried and of the distance over which they are carried. A further statement made out upon this basis will be found in the Appendix hereto annexed.

Change in apportionment.

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The alteration thus authorized by the Imperial Government and assented to by the Australian Colonies, or the majority of them, is injurious to New Zealand, in the proportion of its greater distance from Southampton by the route of the existing service. A correspondence has arisen upon this point and others of a similar character, but the questions at issue are not finally settled. During the year 1861 some changes occurred in the Steam Postal Service of the Colony ; and since the expiration of the year some further modifications and additions have been made. The Mail Service between Lyttelton, Port Chalmers and Melbourne, performed by the Intercolonial Royal Mail Steam Packet Company from the beginning of 1861, under contract with the Provinces of Canterbury and Otago, at a subsidy of £3500 per annum, was brought to a sudden close by the untimely loss of the steamer Victory in July of that year. As the discovery of a richly paying gold field in Otago was announced precisely at this time, and a large population consequently began to pour in from the Colony of Victoria, the demands of commerce alone caused constant steam communication between Port Chalmers and Melbourne. In order to secure the speedy arrival of the monthly European Mail, the Provincial Government of Otago, in the month of November, 1861, entered into a contract with steamship proprietors in Melbourne for the despatch of a packet from that port for Port Chalmers about the stated time of arrival of the P. and O. Company's contract boat from Point de Galle. By this means the inward Otago Mails have since that time been regularly transmitted. An extension of the service to Lyttelton was quickly contracted for by the Provincial Government of Canterbury and continues to be carried out. The united subsidy for one boat thus employed is at the rate of £400 per month. During this period, and until the month of April last, the arrangement of the service performed by the Inter-colonial Steam Packet Company received no modification of importance. Two boats were occupied in performing a monthly trip from Sydney to Nelson, Wellington, Lyttelton and Port Chalmers, and back; and a third boat was employed upon the coast of the ColoDy between Manukau and Port Chalmers. At one time, an attempt was made to convey the European monthly Mail to Auckland from Sydney by sailing vessels ; but though the experiment, so far as it was carried out, was not altogether unsuccessful, the risk of occasional delay was deemed too great, and the Mail continued to be carried both ways between Sydney and Auckland by steam by way of Nelson and Manukau. The position of the several Provinces of the Colony during the greater part of the year 1361, in relation to the means and time of receiving and despatching the European Mail, may best be understood from the following tabular statement: —

Inter-colonial Posts.

Comparative rosiliod of the Provinces.

INWARDS.

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PROVINCE. ROUTE OP MAIL. NO. OF DATS FROM MELBOURNE. Otago Southland Canterbury Nelson Wellington Marlborough Taranaki • Auckland Hawkes Bay From Melbourne direct By Branch Boat from Otago (about) From Melbourne via Otago " Sydney direct " " da Nelson 8 10 10 14 16 Ifl 16 17 18 By Branch Boat from Nelson II <£ Cl « " from Wellington HOMEWARDS. PROVINCE. ROUTE OF MAIL. NO. OF DATS TO MELBOURNE. Nelson Taranaki Auckland Marlborough Wellington Canterbury Otago Southland Hawkes Bay To Sydney direct By Branch Boat to Nelson 14 16 17 17 17 19 21 23 24 << it c< To Sydney via Nelson (i II N U a a By Branch Boat to Otago (about; " " Wellington The routes and dates assigr were arranged locally ; the Gc services, uad assumed no control led to the Provinces of Hawkes Eay, Marlbori svernment of the Colony did not contribute t< over them. iugh and Southland i tke expense of the

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Not unfrequently the Homeward European Mail from Otago was despatched to Melbourne direct by a steamer not under contract, in order to avoid the delay of the circuitous route by Nelson and Sydney. It may be necessary to explain that a satisfactory service for carrying both the Outward and Homeward Mails between Otago and Melbourne could not possibly be performed by one packet. It is evident on inspection of the statement that the establishment of a mail steamer from Otago to Melbourne to carry the homeward mail would relieve the four Provinces of Otago, Southland, Canterbury and Wellington from the delay, in some cases very prolonged, due to the Nelson and Sydney route.

Acceleration of Posts.

It is equally obvious that to bring the Provinces of Wellington and Marlborough within the operation of the Melbourne and Otago line on the inward route would be to give them an advantage of about four days in the receipt of their European correspondence. A similar inspection will show that the adoption of the same route by Nelson and Taranaki for both inward and homeward mails would be attended with little disadvantage, if any, to these Provinces. The Province of Auckland would be best served by direct communication with Sydney. It appeared, then, that an improvement might be made on the mail service of the Colony if three things could be effected. 1. The extension of the existing service between Melbourne and Otago to as many other Provinces as could make use of it.

2. The establishment of a return service from Otago to Melbourne, similarly embracing the other Provinces.

3, The substitution of Auckland for Nelson as the port directly communicating with Sydney, i Several other questions presented themselves in considering the changes which might conveniently be effected in the Steam Postal Service of the Colony. Among them the most important were three:—

Contingent improvements

1. The duty of embracing in the general arrangement the Provinces of Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, and Southland, which had previously been excluded from the chain of Inter-Provincial communication. 2. The impoitauce of establishing frequent communication between all the Provinces, for governmental as well as postal purposes. 3. The desirability of maintaining and improving, if possible, the strictly commercial and passenger advantages rendered to the several parts of the Colony by the contract steamers. After a careful examination of all the points to be considered, it was determined to effect the contemplated changes at once. The principal reason for avoiding delay was a desire that the extended Inter-Provincial Service, which formed a necessary part of the whole, and yet possessed a separate utility, should be in full operation during the approaching Session of the General Assembly. The Provincial Governments of Otago and Canterbury agreed to render the arrangements which they had made for the carriage of the inward mail from Melbourne, above referred to, applicable to the service of other Provinces. The Provincial Government of Otago further undertook so t» construct a return service which had been arranged for by that Province as similarly to satisfy the requirements of the Colony at large. Upon the foundation thus secured it was easy to construct the new service arranged as had been determined on. This was done.

Alterations effected.

The only difficulty which occurred arose from the fact that the Provincial Government of Otago did not alter the conditions of their service from Melbourne to Port Chalmers, and did not construct a return service from Port Chalmers to Melbourne. A temporary contract for the latter service was therefore made by the Post Office with Messrs. McMeckan, Blackwood, & Co., of Melbourne, to allow the Provincial Government of Otago time for re-consideration. A fourth monthly Inter-Colonial service was also conditionally arranged for, designed to maintain, so far as possible, the existing communication between New South Wales and the central provinces of the Colony. The general nature of the Steam Postal Service of the Colony, as it is now constructed, is exhibited by the time table in the Appendix annexed. The features special to the new service, in addition to the Postal improvements which have been described, may be stated briefly as follows:— Passenger and mail communication is provided between the Provinces twice a month, and between the principal Provinces three times a month. A means of communication without transhipment is provided for each of the five considerable ports of the Colony with either Melbourne or Sydney, thus supplying an important commercial requirement. Of the seven steamers actively and constantly engaged in performing the whole service, each one is employed during part of the month in earring the inward or homeward European mail, either inter-colonially or inter-provincially; but none is so employed continuously. In no case is a boat whose duty it is to carry a foreign mail in one direction required as a mail packet on the return trip. Consequently ample latitude is allowed to each during the greater portion of the month, either for commercial operations or, if need be, for regaining lost time. Arrangements have been made for adjusting the time table in each month to the stated day of arrival of the P, and O. Co's packet at Melbourne and Sydney respectively, and to the length of the month; and care has been taken in all possible cases to avoid the departure of a packet from any port on a Sunday or holiday. The time table so adjusted it is intended to publish for each quarter in advance.

Special features.

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An objection lo the time table as now arranged may be taken on the ground that the three Inter-Provincial services divide the month unevenly, and that the inequality of the intervals is very marked t.t some p rrts. This is unavoidably the case; the time of departure of each boat from some terminus is fixed, not arbitrarily, but by the European mail dates; and in some cases a packet hurrying from port to port with the mail treads at last closely on tbe heels of the preceding one. Except perhaps in general outline the present service cannot be looked upon as final. A marked improvement might be effected by transferring the boat which leaves Manukau on the 10th of the month for the South, to the East Coast if the North Island; and adding a fourth monthly boat to leave the Manakau about the 17th. 1 his would be found to give Hawkes Bay the proper time for replying to English correspondence, and would also cause the Sydney and Cook Straits boat to work more in harmony with the Inter-Provincial service than is at present the case. The last special feature of importance in the service is one upon which the Post Office of the Colony must be content with making a suggestion. In the adjustment of the subsidies payable for the service an arrangement is submitted as harmonizing with tbe principles which have governed the consu'uction of the service itself. Its adoption would provide that, as som2 of the provinces are, while others are not, supplied with direct communication with Australia, those which eiyjoy the advantage should alone contribute to its expense, and the less wealthy provinces should be released from the burden. The arrangement proposed is described in the following table, which exhibits the whole cost of the seivice and its.proposed distribution. It will be necessary to exclude the Port Chalmers and Melbourne services, which the Province of Otago has undertaken to provide and pay for, and the permanent cost of which is not yet ascertained. Service Total Cost. Sydney and Auckland ----- £14,00.) •'' • Nelson and Wellington (conditional) - - 5,000 Inter-Provincial Service (I.C.R.M. Co.) - - 8,000 Two extra, do. do. 12,000 Canterbury and Melbourne - 3,000 Total ------ £42,000 This sum it is proposed to divide as follows :— Imperial contribution ----- £14,000 Province of Auckland ----- 3,000 " " Canterbury ----- 2,000 " - Wellington ----- 1,500 " " Nelson - 1,500 Colony ------- 20,000 £42,000 The Provinces of Taranaki, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, and Southland, which are not visited by direct steamers from an Australian port would pay no special contribution. THE INTER-COLONIAL STEAM PACKET COMPANY. The alteration of the route of the Inter-Colonial Steam Packet Company's principal contract steamer by the substitution of Auckland for Nelson, has been attended with a not unimportant effect upon the relations between the Company and the Colony. In place of taking full advantage of the clause in the contract which enables the Government to alter the ports of arrival and departure as they please, a provision which might be made to bear very harshly on the contractors, a mileage rate has been adopted as the basis for calculating the subsidy payable for the distance performed on the principal services. This rate is fixed for tbe present at 8s. per mile, the same which has virtually been paid since the alteration of the contract in 18D9. Should the Sydney and Cook Straits service fail to be carried out as proposed, the total amount of subsidy payable to the Company will be reduced to £22,000 per annum, which is the amount payable under the contract from the end of the current year. The postal service of the past year has been performed by the Inter-Colonial Steam Packet ' Company with very creditable punctuality upon the whole. The condition of tlie ships and of the accommodation afforded to passengers (though not within the control of this deparlment), at first gave rise to remonstrances and to lengthened correspondence with the Company, and it is gratifying to be able to report a marked improvement in this respect since last year. A practical step was taken towards remedying some of the defects complained of, by appointing an Inspector of Mail Steamers, to perform the duties of survey which had been contemplated in the contract. This step, which had been for some time in contemplation and arrangements for which had been previously made, was carried into effect in October 1861, and has been attended with marked success. The Company, through their representative and general manager in the Colonies, have on their part shown themselves anxious to meet the wishes of the Government and the requirements of the public, and have been actively engaged during several months in improving the steamers of their fleet in speed and accommodation, and in making them generally as fit for the service as the vessels are capable of becoming. Though the Company have not been able to extend their operations so as to perform all the work i at present required by the Post office, they have intimated their intention to increase the number of

Objections.

Adjustment of expense.

Mileage rate of Eubsidy.

Performance of service.

Inspection of steamers.

Improveme t in boats.

Increase of fleet.

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THE POSTAL SERVICE OF NEW ZEALAND.

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Arrangements to facilitate despatch.

Pre-payment by stamps, -

Franking letters on pub lie service.

Manufacture of labels.

their vessels so as to be prepared for further extentions. It is gratifying, nevertheless, to observe that the Colony has now passed the period of being dependent on one source only for the supply of its steam communication. Ic will not be inopportune to remark in this place that the regularity of the' steam postal service of New Zealand is made to depend in a great measure upon the punctuality of the Peninsular and Oriental Company's vessels in performing the service from Southampton to Melbourne and Sydney. For several months after the new contract with that Company was entered into by the Imperial Government the utmost regularity of arrival was maintained by the employment of a class of vessels fully competent to perform the service which had been undertaken. But lately it is noticeable that some vessels of smaller size and inferior power have been substituted for those first used upon the line from Point de Galle to Sydney; and the consequence has been, in almost every case of such substitution, the detention of the mails beyond the appointed day of arrival. Should this practice be continued it will be almost impossible to introduce a system of regularity into the sea-borne mail service of this Colony. PRE-PAYMENT OP POSTAGE. s The great increase in the business of the Post Office has necessitated constant additions to the strength of the staff of officers, and consequently to the cost of management. Further, the extension of postal communications, adding materially to the number of mails received and despatched at the principal post offices, has been found to cause severe pressure upon those offices at certain times. Accuracy and quickness in the sorting, delivery, and despatch of mails are the two chief attributes of any well ordered office, and to attain these at certain times without adding more to the strength of the office th in is constantly required is a difficult problem. Tbe contemplated introduction of the money order system has added to the urgency of these considerations. Attention has therefore been directed to the removal of all impediments to the transaction of the special duties of tbe department; and with this view the postal system has in some respects been modified. The most important change introduced affecting the public has been to require the prepayment of letters in the case of inland correspondence, where previously prepayment was optional; and the payment of all postage by labels affixed to the letter or . packet. These changes have been in force since the first of April, 1862 ; and so far as the circumstances have been reported, the result is successful. The impediments to rapidity and accuracy of work thus avoided comprise the necessity of accounting for money, except under the single head of labels sold; the extra sorting and recording of correspondence while making up a mail; and the complicated and voluminous accounts, consequent on the transmission of paid and unpaid as well as stamped letters. The system of franking letters on the service of the General Government has also removed an inconvenience which has been much felt by some offices while the former practice prevailed of treating such letters as paid, and charging the amount as expenditure on one side and revenue on the other. The revenue from the Post Office will no doubt appear to be diminished on this account, but it will not in reality be affected by the change. Every provision has been made to secure a sufficient supply of postage labels throughout the country to meet the new demand. The labels are now manufactured within this office, the arrangements contemplated last year with that object having been carried into effect from February last. The number produced is at present at the rate of nearly two million labels per annum of all values, and about twice that number may be manufactured without increase of the staff. Arrangements are now being made for issuing a new threepenny label, which will be of use in payment of postage on single letters and newspapers addressed to the United Kingdom via Marseilles. And for the convenience of the public in separating the labels a machine for perforating the edges has been ordered. MONEY ORDERS. ,. In accordance with an agreement entered into with the Imperial Post Office it is purposed to d establish tbe money order system between this Colony and the United Kingdom commencing with the 15th of next July. It is calculated that the system will confer an appreciable benefit on a large class of the population of the Colony and will be a source of revenue rather than of expense to the public. . k. So soon as the system just initiated with the United Kingdom shall have been a short time in operation it is proposed to establish it also within the Colony ; and afterwards, should it prove to work without inconvenience or loss, to extend it to such of the neighbouring Colonies as may concur in itsestablishment. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your Excellency's obedient Servant, CROSBIE WARD,

Commencement of systern wiih the Uuited Kingdom.

1 inland and inter-CQlo-nially. t 1 i

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9

THE POSTAL SERVICE OF NEW ZEALAND.

Comparative Statement of Postal Revem te of the sevt ding 1858-5! •ral Province, 1-60-61. of New Zealand, for the years er March Qr. June Qr. September Qr. December Qr. Totals. £ s. d. 428 13 1 £ s. d. 523 19 3 £ s. d. 454 3 9 £ 8. d. 671 5 6 £ s. d. 1978 1 7 Auckland— 1858 1859 640 2 6 565 1 11 681 15 1 634 17 1 2521 16 7 l«60 766 18 5 704 8 9 763 17 5 843 16 10 3079 1 3 1861 932 9 11 848 0 4 974 0 7 925 5 6 3679 16 4 Taranaki—1858 62 0 0 75 1 i\ 63 18 3 73 18 0J 274 17 8 1859 71 0 8 88 13 10 69 5 3 71 O 5 300 0 2 1860 80 8 9 109 15 7 161 4 3 155 2 6 506 11 1 1861 197 12 9 147 14 0 96 14 1 86 15 2 528 16 0 Ha%Vkes Bat—1858 . 27 14 9 40 12 8 44 4 4 40 15 2 153 6 11 1859 . 44 15 4 54 17 0 92 19 6 103 14 9 296 6 7 1860 . 113 8 10 116 16 8 109 3 3 105 9 1 444 17 10 1861 . 101 4 0 128 1 7 140 5 4 135 17 0 505 7 11 Wbllington—1858 270 2 6 387 12 5 292 12 4 340 11 2 1290 11 5 1859 332 3 4 360 14 4 387 8 7 317 4 4 1397 10 7 1860 380 8 3 384 4 1 366 14 1 363 14 2 1501 0 7 1861 425 8 0 404 12 8 420 16 9 411 11 6 1662 8 11 &ELSON—1858] I Inclusive of 1859 }■ I Maryborough. I860) 159 5 1 189 1 6 194 10 2 188 4 4 731 1 1 171 9 7 191 7 9 238 7 3 221 18 8 831 8 1 229 3 0 245 19 3 251 6 G 208 14 9 995 3 6 1861 250 0 8 295 16 5 263 6 11 304 18 2 1114 2 2 Marlborougii—1861 30 9 7 54 9 2 63 17 3 57 16 7 206 12 7 Canterbury—1858 177 3 7 255 14 6 250 12 7 366 0 8 1049 11 4 1859 308 12 1 419 6 5\ 462 11 7J 373 1 4 1563 11 6 I860 513 16 10 517 17 5 490 3 3 530 18 2 2052 15 8 1861 730 1 9 670 4 9 654 18 10 734 16 1 2790 1 5 Otago—1858 103 9 6£ 131 18 1 139 8 5J 171 12 7 546 8 8 1859 184 12 1 208 10 2 260 8 Si 248 15 0J 902 5 7 I860 334 14 6 309 12 0 384 7 0 460 10 4 1489 3 10 1861 ■ 525 2 11 509 12 10 682 5 5 1791 10 3 3508 11 5 Southland—1361 Included in Otago. 45 17 11 30 18 2 35 17 2 112 11 3 Totals—1858 1228 8 6J 1603 19 9£ 1439 9 10J 1752 7 5J 6024 5 8 1859 1752 15 7 1897 1 3J 2192 15 7 1970 6 7J 7812 19 1 1860 • 2424 18 7 2388 13 9 2526 15 9 2728 5 10 10,068 13 11 1861 « 3192 9 7 3104 9 8 C327 1 4 4484 7 5 14,108 8 0

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THIRD REPORT ON

nm <er o 'ers >M, J, to p (ICi ■S OU, \ony, Destination. Auckland. New Plymouth. Napier. (3Qis) Wellington Nelson. (3 Qr>.) Lyttelton. Dunedin. Totah. Aden - 3 6 1 1 5 16 Batavia ... 8 1 1 10 Bombay ... 248 439 76 26 43 81 918 Borneo ... 1 1 Calcutta 734 161 108 22S 178 1,406 Callao- ... 8 1 9 Cape of Good Hopo 263 17 61 25 76 36 483 Ceylon ... 136 7 19 39 16 42 259 Chatham Islands - 111 111 Corfu .... 3 1 4 Egypt- - - - 39 1 7 2 17 66 Figi .... 81 10 91 France ... 259. 38 297 Friendly Islands - 4 4 Gibraltar - 37 3 3 10 53 Hongkong - - - 142 37 19 56 50 304 Honolulu - 8 8 India - . - - 5 5. Japan .... 3 3 London via Southampton 48,510 7,994 3,819 14,611 11,148 30,525 28,535 145,142 " " Marseilles - 7,156 1,021 499 3,294 3,601 3,474 19,045 " by other routes 54 43 69 12 178 Madras . . - 124 3 63 47 36 27 305. Malta - - - - 79 29 17 3 9 8 145 Manilla - 1 1 1 3 Marseilles - 39 39 Mauritius ... 74 5 14 6 2 30 131 New Caledonia - 6 6 New South Wales 9,946 1,667 349 2,580 1,416 2,733 3,364 22,055 Norfolk Island - 13 13 fenang ... 10 9 11 SO Queensland - 330 74 69 158 106 735 Sandwich Islands - 8 8 San Francisco 172 17 189 Shanghae - 1 1 Singapore - 19 4 8 5 10 46 South Australia - 503 87 2 211 178 489 535 2,005 St. Helena - 10 14 24 Suez .... 1 1 Tahiti - 10 4 1 15 Carried over 68,723 11,279 4,669 21,177 13,137 38,1S6 36,593 194,184

D—No. 2

11

THE POSTAL SERVICE OF NEW ZEALAND.

Number of Letters Despatc, \ed, SfC, out of the Colo: iy, 1861— conti, ued. Destination. Auckland. New Plymouth. Napier. (3 Qrf.) Wellington Nelson. (3 Qrs.) Lyttelton. Dutiedin. Toials. Brought forward 68,723 11,279 4,669 21,177 13,137 38,186 36,593 194,184 Tasmania - 1,066 474 2 322 111 736 2,792 5,503 Tonga Islands ... 1 1 Travelling Post Office - 593 41 94 728 Trieste - 47 1 4 52 Valparaiso - 9 1 10 Vancouver's Island 18 18 Victoria .... 5,922 1,696 221 2,346 1,158 3,379 36,177 508 99 Western Australia 67 18 68 68 17 170 Totals, 1861 - 74,446 13,450 4,892 24,40ft 14,410 42,269 75,673 251,545 Ditto 1860 - - - - 66,618 19,893 4,812 24,623 17,202 35,255 29,426 187,829 The returns from Nelson for the strutted. The number of letters des; number of letters despatched during tl last quarter of th Hitched in that quai le year 1861, to placi ic year ha rter was 4 es out of tl ive been ,.298. Fi he Colom famished jr the pur] -, is taken since the loses of ci at 257,00( above tabli imputation t a was coni, the total I.

Shewing the total number of letters Offices, and between each Ilet and by sea during the twelve mi conveyed betrceen each Head Office and its several District <d Office and other Head Offices in New Zealand by land tnths ended 31st December, 1861. Letters conveyed to and from several sub-Offices. Letters con 1 C reyed to and lief Offices, (t from other .) Chief Post OfBces. By Land. By Sea. Total. By Land. By Sea. Total. Auckland - 95,930 22,664 118,594 420 79,009 79,429 New Plymouth 100 400 500 92 51,357 51,449 Napier 36,235 67 36,362 1,153 25,143 26,296 Wellington 62,577 6,000 68,577 713 60,961 61,674 Nelson 23,228 5,713 28,941 67,846 67,846 Picton (a) - 9,435 1,691 11,126 17,041 17,041 Lyttclton - 129,941 11,269 141,210 39,323 39,323 Dunedin (6) 105,239 1,158 106,397 4,255 41,734 45,989 Invercargill (6) 425 425 7,276 12,255 19,531 Totals - 463,110 48,962 512,072 13,909 394,669 408,578 Totals in 1860 - 306,225 55,049 361,274 258,765 5,186 263,951 (a.) This includes some letters forwardec (6.) Inrercargill was a Sub-Office to Du i out of the i Colony, entered in the Letter Bills with the Nelsoi i Office. inedin until t he 1st October, 1861. I despatched :evs passing 160. (c.) As these figures are compiled from to other Head Offices, the totals are necessari be.*w«en the several Head Offices of the Colon Returns of ei ily double t!: ly in 1861 is ach Head Office, shewing letters received from ant le real number carried. The gross total of-leti therefore 204,2S9, as compared with 131,976 in It

D—No. 2

12

THIRD REPORT ON

STATEMENT of the / mount due torn trie, I o, he 'onics in Australia and ISew Zealand on account Ml 'ra, lan at, •ac, \et <ervice, rom January, 1857, to 31st March, 1861. Colonies. No. of letters in the year 1857. Per c«ntage for each Colony, Amount due from 1st Jan., 18*7. to 30th June 1858, being Half-cost. Due from 1st July 1858, to 30lh Sept. 1858, being Half-cost. Due from 1st Oct. 1858 to 28lh Feb. 1859, being Half-cost. Half guarantee of irJOOO per month against loss from 1st July 1858, to 28th Feb. 1859, (8 months.) Due from 1st March 18. r.9, to 31 it Dec. 1859, at £180,000 per annum (P. & O. contract). Halfcost. No. of letters in the year 18(iO. Per centage for each Oleny. Due from 1st Jan. to 30th June nifio, at £i 80,000 per annum (P. & O. contract), Halfcost. Due from 1st July I860, to 31st March 1861, at £134.072 per| annum, (P. A O. new contract), ! Half-cost. Total amount .due from t!n | Colonies from 1st Jan. 1857, tc 31st March, 1IKJ1 Victoria- - 798,000 58.333 £ s. d. 60,544 8 2 £ s. d. 13,489 10 2 £ 6. d. 22,482 10 3 £ B. d. 14,000 0 0 £ t. d. 43,749 15 0 1,257,400 54.622 £ 8. d. 24,579 18 0 £ 8. d. 27,585 4 2 £ s. d. 206.431 3 9 New South Wales 311,400 22.763 23,625 18 2 S263 18 10 8773 4 10 5463 2 0 17,072 5 0 438,600 19.053 *8955 18 0 9622 2 10 78,776 9 8 South Australia - 99,400 7.2B6 7541 8 10 1680 5 3 2800 8 9 1743 16 8 5449 10 0 178,300 7.745 3485 5 0 3911 7 8 26,612 2 2 New Zealand - 77,900 5.694 5909 17 0 1316 14 9 2194 11 3 1366 11 0 4270 10 0 266,700 11.586 5213 14 0 5851 3 3 26,123 1 3 Tasmania - 68,900 5.037 : 5227 18 10 1164 16 2 1941 6 11 1208 17 4 3777 15 0 . 93,400 4.058 1826 2 0 2049 7 4 17,196 3 7 Western Australia , 12,400 .907 I 941 7 8 209 14 10 349 11 4 217 13 0 680 5 0 28,500 1.238 557 2 0 625 4 3 3580 18 1 Queensland from 1st April, 186039,100 1.698 f382 1 0 857 10 6 1239 11 6 38,541 IS 4 24,000 0 0 75,000 0 0 1,368,000 | 100.000 103,790 16 8 23,125 0 0 2,302,000 100.000 45,000 0 0 50,502 0 0 359,959 10 ♦Including £382 Is. for Queensland Letters from 1st January, to 31st March, 1860. fThree months only from 1st April, to 30th June, 1880. General Post Office, London, June 5, 1861. Frank Jas. Scudamore

D—No. 2

13

THE POSTAL SERVICE OF NEW ZEALAND.

Statement of the amount due from each of the Colonies of Australia and New Zealand, on naconn/ of the Mail Packet Service, from 1st April, 1861, to 31st March, 1862. TABLE A. Distance between I Miles. Proportion of half Subsidy. Chargeable on 1. Point de Galle and King George's 1 „ „„, Sound ) ' ■ !. King George'B Sound and Mel- I , „». bourne I 1>d'5 " 3. Melbourne and Sydney 590 5,269 £ s. d. 42,223 19 7 17,572 0 6 ( The whole of the Australian Colonies and I New Zealand i Victoria, N. S. Wales, Queensland, Tas- | mania, and New Zealand N. S. Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand 7,539 19 11 67,336* 0 0 Half the amount of Annual Subsidy * Subsidy is £134,672. Half thereof £67,336. TABLE B. Amount chargeable on account of Service between Point de Galle and King George's Sound. Colonies. No. of Letters in 1860. Percentage for each Coloqy. Chargeable from April 1, 1861, to March 31, 1862. £ S. d. Victoria New South Wales South Australia Netf Zealand Tasmania Queensland Western Australia 1,257,400 438,600 178,300 266,700 93,400 39,100 28,500 54.622 19.053 7.745 11.586 4.058 1.698 1.238 23,063 11 8 8,044 18 8 3,270 4 11 4,892 1 5 1,713 9 0 716 19 3 522 14 8 2,302,000 100.000 42,223 19 7 TABLE C. Amount chargeable ou account of Service between King George's Sound ai id Melbourne. Colonies. No. of Letters in 1860. Percentage for each Colony. Chargeable from April 1, 1861, to March 31, 1862. 1,257,400 438,600 266,700 93,400 S9.100 £ s. d. Victoria New Wales New Zealand Tasmania Queensland 60.013 20.934 12.729 4.458 1.866 10,545 9 11 3,678 10 7 2,236 14 11 7S3 7 3 327 17 10 2,095,200 100.000 17,572 0 6

D—No. 2

14

THIRD REPORT ON

'ABLE D. Amount chargeable on account o: Service between Melbourne and lydney. Colonies. No. of Letters in 1660. Percentage for each Colony. Chargeable from April 1, 1861, to March 31, 1862. £ s s. d. New South Wales Queensland New Zealand 438.600 39,100 266,700 58.920 5.253 35.827 4,442 11 4 396 1 6 2,701 7 1 744,400 100.000 7,539 19 11 Total amount chargeable for Packi tabl: 3 E. . it Service from i 31st Marc! :ach of the Col i, 1862. mies from 1st April, 1861, to Colonies. Service between Point de Galle and King George's Sound. Service between King George's Sound and Melbourne. Service between Melbourne and Sydney. Total. £ s. d. £ S. d, £ s. d. £ s. d. Victoria New South Wales South Australia New Zealand Tasmania Queensland Western Australia 23,063 11 8 8,044 18 8 3,270 4 11 4.892 1 5 1,713 9 0 716 19 3 522 14 8 10,545 9 11 3,678 10 7 2,236 14 11 783 7 3 327 17 10 4,442 11 4 2,701 7 1 33,609 1 7 16,160 0 7 3,270 4 11 9,830 3 5 2,4!)6 16 3 1,440 18 7 522 14 8 396 1 6 42,223 19 7 67,336 0 0 17,572 0 6 7,539 19 11 General Post Office, London, 19th August, 18' Frank Jas. Scudamoke. L861. 1. Number of miles over which Mails are carrie •ied by land within each Post Office District. lily. Wei ikly. Fortl lightly. M« ithly. Post offic* Districr. Per day. Per annum. Per w eek Per annum. P«r fortnight. Per annum. P«r month. Per annum. Total par annum. Auckland 76 23,788 718 37,386 1400 36,400 110 1320 98,844 Taranaki 200 5200 5200 Hawke's Bay 300 15,600 340 8840 24,440 Wellington - 16 5008 396 20,592 90 2340 27,940 Nelson 336 17,472 17,472 Marlborongh40 2080 400 10,400 12,480 Canterbury - 38 11,849 266 13.8S2 326 8476 180 2160 36,362 Otago ■» ... 234 12,168 286 7436 19,604 Southland 114 2984 2964 130 40,690 2290 11 9,080 3156 82,036 290 3480 245,306 Under the head ' Dailj Under the head Weekly, i Monthly Mails are similarl; totals e (hibit accurately thi r,' is shewi ire include y shewn, i: ; number c i the numl d mails le: nclusivc of if miles tra ber of mil ss often tl ? those car iversed in :s traversi lan Daily •ied at otl the year. ed in the i r, but not her intervi lay, by mails carried less often than Wee! ils within those periO' once a dakly. Fort ds respecti y or often er. tnightly and ively. The

D—No. 2

15

THE POSTAL SERVICE OF NEW ZEALAND.

Table shewing the ! Licensed Stam 1 1861. ''own delivery of Ia Sellers in each Pt 'tters, n vt Offia ■mber of Eeceiving Houses, Private Bo, District for the year ending 31*< Dt res, and •cember, Receivii ig Houses. Private loxes. Province. Town. Delivery. Licensed Stamp Sellers. Number Letters Received. Number Occupied. Number Fixed. First consiructeJ. Auckland - Auckland Daily Four 18,356 (a) 54 54 Jan. 1860 Nine Taranaki - New Plymouth None None 23 24 Dec. 1861 One Hawke's Bay - Napier None None None Oct. 1857 None Wellington Wellington Daily One 3,933 30 37 Three Nelson Nelson Daily None 16 25 March 1860 Three Marlborough - Blenheim - None None None None One Canterbury Lyttelton - Daily None 17 18 Feb. 1861 One Christchurch - Daily Two (c) 1,083 23 40 Feb. 1861 Three Olago Dunedin - Daily None (6)56 56 Jan. 1861 Six Southland Invercargill None None None None None (a.) At the Auckland Post Office, additional Private Boxes having been cons the commencement of the year 1862 was 61. (4.) At the Dunedin Post Office 24 additional boxes were constructed, of wh commencement of the year 1862. (c.) The two Receiving Offices in Christchurch were opened on the 1st November al Private Boxes having be sen consti ;ructe:l, the number tak ken up at ional boxes were constructs i, of wh lich 23 were taken uf p at the rch were opened on the 1 st li fovember, , 1861. Number and Value of Postage Labels sold to the Public dur, 31 st December, 1861. Ing the year ended NUMBER. VALUE. At a Shilling - - 7,730 £ s. d. 386 10 0 " Sixpenoe - 148,782 3,719 11 0 " Two-pence - 279,909 2,332 11 6 '• One Penny - 90,583 377 8 7 527,004 £6,810 1 1 Time Tables of the New Zealand Inter-colonial and Inter-provincial Steam Postal Service. No. '.—Sydney and Auckland —One Boat. Sydney, leave - - - - 15th each month Auckland, arrive- - 22nd " leave - Is' Sydney, arrive ... - 8th No. 2.—Sydney, Nelson, and Wellington—One Boat. Sydney, leave - 26tJj Nelson, arrive - %™ « leave - 5. th Wellington, arrive - "ta leave - 9th Nelson, arrive - 1Ot t h « leave ISA « Sydney, arrive - 2Oth

D—No. 2

16

THIRD REPORT ON THE POSTAL SERVICE OF NEW ZEALAND

No. 3.—Melbourne, Otago, and Canterbury—Two Boats.* Melbourne, leave .... 12th Port Chalmers, arrive ... 19th " leave - - - - 17th Melbourne, arrive - 24th u u it a No. 4.—Inter-Provincial—Three Boats. No.l. No.2. No.3. Southward— Auckland, leave ... ... ... 24 Manukau, "... 2 10 Taranaki, "... 3 11 Nelson, "... 4 13 Picton, "... 9 14 Napier, "... ... ... 27 Wellington, "... 11 14 30 Lyttelton, "... 14 15 2 Pt. Chalmers," -> 15 19 4 Bluff, arrive 20 5 Northward— Bluff, leave 24 6 Pt. Chalmers, leave- - - 20 27 10 Lvttelton, •' - - - 21 30 12 Wellington, "... 23 1 14 Napier, " - - - ... ... 16 Pieton, "... 23 2 Nelson, "... 25 » Taranaki, "... 26 6 Manakau, arrive - - - 27 7 ... Auckland, "... 18 No.l. No. 2. No. 3. 2 3 4 9 10 11 13 14 24 11 14 15 14 15 19 20 27 30 2 4 5 20 21 23 24 27 30 1 6 10 12 14 16 4 23 25 26 27 2 I 6 7 18 * On« of these Boats proceeds to Lyttelton, but ti ic exact dates ire not yet fixed.