Papers Past | Parliamentary Papers | Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives | 1898 Session I | POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE) FOR...

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1898. NEW ZEALAND.

POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR 1897.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

My Lobd,— General Post Office, Wellington, 2nd July, 1898. I have the honour to submit to your Excellency the Eeport on the Post and Telegraph Department for the year 1897, with the usual statement of revenue and expenditure to the 31st March last. I have the honour to be Your Lordship's most obedient servant, R. J. Seddon, Postmaster-General and Electric Telegraph Commissioner. His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand.

EEPOET. As has been the case for several years past, the report discloses a very satisfactory expansion in the business of the department in all branches. The volume of postal business has been somewhat abnormal, the increase in the number of letters and other articles handled having been no less than 5,734,356, or 9-93 per cent., over last year; 176,064 more telegrams were forwarded; and the work overtaken for other branches of the public service was considerably greater than it was the previous year—necessitating many additions to the staff. The following statement shows the revenue and expenditure for the financial year ended the 31st March, 1898 :—

The combined revenue increased by £16,266 14s. 3d., or 4-15 per cent. There was an increase in all items excepting miscellaneous postal receipts and paid telegrams, which decreased, the fall in the latter being due to the reduction of the telegraph rates. The expenditure increased by £10,703 Bs. Bd., or 3-03 per cent, i—F. 1.

Revenue. Stamps used for postage (estimated) Money-order and postal-note commission Money-order commission received from foreign offices Private box and bag fees Miscellaneous receipts 3 aid telegrams Celephone exchanges Postal. Telegraph. Total. £ s. d. H s. d. £ s. d. .. 235,000 0 0 .. 235,000 0 0 16,863 0 8 I .. I 16,863 0 8 550 2 5 ! .. 550 2 5 5,486 15 0 J .. 5,486 15 0 14,263 1 8 3,261 2 1 17,524 3 9 I 96,537 6 9 96,537 6 9 36,422 6 8 i 36,422 6 8 i 3alance of expenditure over revenue (Telegraph) 272,162 19 9 136,220 15 6 ! 408,383 15 3 30,827 0 8: £272,162 19 9 £167,047 16 2 ;£408,383 15 3 Expenditure. Salaries Conveyance of mails by sea Conveyance of inland mails Conveyance of mails by railway Money-order commission credited to foreign offices Maintenance of telegraph-lines Miscellaneous Celegraph cable subsidies 85,262 11 S 127,763 9 3 I 213,026 0 8 38,355 14 5 [ .. ' 38,355 14 5 35,307 9 8 .. 35,307 9 8 15,945 7 6 .. 15,945 7 6 1,535 13 0 .. 1,535 13 0 . ]7,181 15 6 I 17,181 15 6 20,948 10 11 20,253 8 8 ; 41,201 19 7 1,849 2 9 1,849 2 9 balance of revenue over expenditure (Postal) „ (combined department) 197,355 6 11 < 167,047 16 2 364,403 3 1 74,807 12 10 i 43,980 12 2 £272,162 19 9 |£167,047 16 2 £408,383 15 3

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The balance of revenue over expenditure was £43,980 12s. 2d., as compared with £38,417 6s. 7d. the previous year. The estimated value of official (franked) correspondence sent by post was £72,521, and the value of Government telegrams £24,504 9s. Bd., a total of £97,025 9s. Bd. for services for which no payment was received—equal to 2375 per cent, of the cash receipts. Taking into account the value of the official correspondence and Government telegrams, there is a credit balance on the year's transactions of £141,006 Is. 10d. 30,260,204 letters were posted, an increase of 2,385,851. The number of forwarded telegrams of all codes was 2,696,233, an increase of 176,064. 78 post-offices were established (including 9 reopened). The number of post-offices open at the close of the year was 1,524. It may be interesting to note that the last published international statistics placed New Zealand before ail other countries in the world as regards the proportion of population to each post-office, the figures being 1 post-office for every 520 inhabitants in 1895, Canada being second with 1 to 538, New South Wales and Victoria third -and fourth with 1 to 645 and 1 to 751, the United States sixth with 1 to 884, and Great Britain fifteenth with 1 to 1,922. 293,659 money-orders, for £970,830 14s. lid., were issued, and 215,240 orders, representing £837,208 14s. Bd., paid. 409,866 postal notes, of the value of £134,378 9s. 6d., were sold. The sum. of £3,187,219 2s. 4d. was deposited in the Post-Office Savings-banks, and £2,891,169 ss. Bd. withdrawn. The total amount to the credit of depositors on the 31st December last was £4,744,924 18s. Id., as compared with £4,311,634 13s. sd. at the close of the previous year. 750 inland-mail services (excluding services by railway) were in operation during the year. At the close of the year there were 6,484 miles of telegraph-line and 18,024 miles of wire. The net expenditure on telegraph construction was £29,384 2s. lid. There were 5,787 telephone-exchange connections on the 31st March last. The subscriptions received amounted to £36,422 6s. Bd. The folio wing table and return give the number of offices and officers of all classes on the 31st December last:—

Comparative Return of Officers of the Post and Telegraph Department for the Years 1896 and 1897. 1896. 1897. 1898 1g97 Postmaster-General .. .. .. 1 II Chief Postmasters .. .. .. 16 16 Secretary .. .. .. .. 1 1 Postmasters and Officers in Charge on PerSuperintendent of Electric Lines .. .. 1 1 manent Staff .. .. .. 162 160 Assistant Secretary and Inspector .. ... 1 1 Clerks (including Telephone Exchange ) Assistant Inspectors of Post-offices .. 3 3 Cadettes and Cadets in Post-offices) Controller of Money-orders and Savings-banks : Operators (including Cadets in Telegraph- F 862 Bi^ and Accountant .. .. .. 1 1 offices) .. .. .. ' Telegraph Inspectors .. .. .. 3 3 Country Postmasters and Telephonists .'.1,277 1335 Telegraph Sub-Inspector .. .. .. 1 1 Letter-carriers .. .. .. 168 '178 Electrician .. ' .. .. .. 1 1 Messengers (Post Office) .. .! 24 26 Mechanicians and Cadets .. .. .. 5 Linemen .. .. 58 66 Clerks in General Post Office — ' Telegraph Message Boys .. .. 273 287 Secretary's Office .. .. 12- 12 Nightwatchmen .. .. ,[ 2^2 Inspector's and Dead-letter Branch .. 6 6 Postmasters and Telegraphists or Tele'-Money-order and Savings-bank Branch .. 27 27 phonists who are Eailway officers .. 138 140 Sorters in Clearing-room .. .. 13 16 j Storekeeper and Assistants .. .. 4 6 Totals .. .. ,3 Q6O 3186

Postal Districts. Pot offi( §"a0 o Eh 33 Q «+ Te: -■ f^ ® ■ I •" .tea flIiOfe QC~ Ci_i a> III, ?ern phces. is o a Ah g lauei % Eh fl ii Ph o ! I NO] Cov ned i § my i a a-i Q <1 <f Pn >permani intry Offic I i § ii CD fl C3 a e ent jes. ■-; 2 is i a is 5 el o w © o a t> "hone , saux. 1 1 a p o O 3 to 4Ja - 5|.s||| ■3°ii°3 En x rg 'S •= r< Ph a S » _ SSfH re qj O ■ rH ■3 So .si a Eh p a si I! Sg fl CD O 03 Cij ci I-.'. aa So Let can . bter■iers. .5.21 Telegraph ! Message ffl Boys. adI! II is j i * II i I I PM [ Eh J O a o 01 >» CS a; fn *d 'o fl CD a c ia s o o o "A ■', S |*H°C Town. jOuntry. Auckland Blenheim jhristchuroh.. Dunedin jisborne 3-reymouth .. Hokitika invercargill .. STapier Sfelson STew Plymouth Damara Chames Cimara iVanganui Wellington .. iVestport 1 1 1 j ■- '■ 1 •■ ■■ 1 1 1 1 .. -33 11 ! . . : 4 1.. .. 10 |28 I .. 17. 14 •'• 4 ! ■• ..I 3 .. .. 7 10 .. : 9 J 3 I 1 ' 4 3 4 1 .. I 1 4 :.. -9 .. .. 4 11 ;: s 7 .. 11 5 ;: s .. 7 1 2 1 3 2 3 1 8 2 I I 1 178 29 98 70 11 30 20 81 32 18 j 22 14 26 35 45 63 13 109 9 32 69 14 6 18 30 24 21 10 9 13 4 16 60 14 2 2 3 10 9 6 6 .. 3 7 12 2 1 .. 2 I .. 6 i .. 1 : .. 2 1 1 2 5 1 1 7 2 1 1 1 1 I 3 26 12 11 51 10 2 27 3 ! 2 4 I 1 90 7 69 65 9 8 2 21 23 8 10 7 9 8 14 92 5 18 ■ 5 2 1 2 1 1 2 39 5 57 40 1 11 3 7 30 8 4 5 9 7 22 64 3 1 10 6 4 6 10 j 44 ! 3 13 19 1 3 ! 7 11 6 \\ J 13 ! 3 24 2 20 20 2 3 1 5 4 3 3 0 I * 3 3 19 1 7 1 I 11 ! 7 '2 1 4 4 4 a 3 ■■ 11 1 3 1 1 24 25 3 1 20 : 13 24 12 4 4 ! 4 2 8 6 7 ! 5 5 : 3 4 i 5 5 j .. 6 : 8 4 i 3 6 7 44 20 3 j 2 173 114 13 2 11 6 1 2 1 4 4 ! 1 3 1 3 11 1 " 1 2 1 i I • ■ . . I " I ' ' 7 10 7 1 I 'i 3 1. I I ' " j 1 1 1 3 ' ' i .. : 1 4 I "(> 2 10 26 3 3 2 13 H 1 4 2 '' 1 I ' 1 4 1 l- :: 6 ! 9 l ! .. 3 41 3 "l 7 I '' I Totals .. 5 ~ 5 1 Il22 |97 25 5 8 5 ! :785 1 I 453 22 50 25 29 I : 210 10 447 ~44 315 82 160 119 , 59 26 66

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Owing to the epidemic of influenza which prevailed last summer, the health of the staff does not show such a satisfactory average as for the previous two years. The Christchurch staffs have, however, to be again congratulated upon the high average health of the officers employed in that city. The usual information is given below : —

There were six deaths during the year. The third meeting of the Appeal Board under "The Post and Telegraph Department Act, 1894," was held in June of last year. As so large a number of the appeals made in former years was against the length of service allowed, and as cases which had long been considered as closed were being reopened without sufficient cause, it was, at the suggestion of the Board, decided to establish a standard Departmental List so as to confine appeals to grievances caused by promotions and other changes made within a year prior to the date of the appeal. With this object in view officers were advised that the list for 1896-97 was to be accepted as a standard list, and, failing appeals against it, that the list for 1897-98 would be regarded as final. This resulted in an unusually large number of appeals, many of which, as will be seen by the Board's findings, were made without any real grounds of complaint. Up to the present time officers have been given much latitude in appealing, and the time of the Board has been occupied to a large extent by matters such as errors in the printed list (of which the department would be only too willing to learn and correct), and applications for the inclusion for seniority of telegraph-messenger and other suchlike service, which officers have over and over again been informed cannot legally be allowed. Moreover, many of the appeals were really first applications for promotion, increase of salary, &c, the appellants apparently overlooking the fact that appeals must necessarily be made against some decision of the Minister. In all 81 appeals were received and considered. Of these, 32, which included 11 in respect to adjustment of service and numerical position in class, were favourably reported upon by the Board, and 49 unfavourably or already met by action taken or decided to be taken by the department. 7 cases were held over by the Minister, and 3 could not be carried into effect. The fourth annual meeting of the Board commenced on the 30th May last, and the number of appeals considered was 13. During 1897 1,001 visits of inspection were made to post-offices. The number of miles travelled by Inspectors was 20,056. Much time is at present lost by letter-carriers, particularly in suburban districts, by the failure of residents to provide letter-boxes at their gates or house-doors. Were the adoption of some form of letter-box more general, the department would eventually be able to extend the delivery facilities. In many cases the time now wasted by the letter-carrier in waiting at doors and in traversing long garden-paths would almost enable two deliveries to be made instead of one. An effort has again been made to induce householders to recognise the advantages of their providing letterboxes. Inquiries are in progress as to the most suitable form of letter-box for general use, and when a selection is made it will be possible to supply a standard pattern to applicants at a reasonable cost. An Intercolonial Postal and Telegraph Conference met at Hobart on the 28th March last, Western Australia and New Zealand not being represented. Many questions of importance were considered, the principal of which were the proposed reduction of the over-sea postage-rates on letters by the United Kingdom from 2|-d. to 2d. per £ 0z.., and by Canada from 5 cents per £oz. to 3 cents (l£d.) per ounce to all parts of the British Empire ; and the proposed Pacific cable. In regard to the over-sea postage the Conference resolved, — "That ... it would be inadvisable to make any further reduction of the over-sea postage rate until the way is clear for a reduction in the present large subsidies paid for the carriage of such mails, and the present inland and intercolonial rates. " That the various Agents-General delegates to the Postal Conference in London be instructed to oppose the proposal to reduce the rate of postage to all parts of the British Empire from 2|d. per -J oz. to 2d., and also the Canadian proposal to reduce her outgoing rate from 5 cents per Joz. to 3 cents per ounce, for the following reasons : — " (1.) The present rate is not an unreasonably high one, having in view the large cost to the colonies involved in the maintenance of the present means of postal communication with the various portions of the Empire. " (2.) Because of the anomaly which would be created by carrying letters fourteen thousand miles for the same rate as now charged .for delivery within the limits of the town where posted. " Regarding the proposal of Canada to reduce her outgoing postage, this Conference is strongly of opinion that no reduction should take place which would be a departure from the present uniform rate, for the following reason, inter alia : At present a charge of 2d. per oz. is made in Australia for the carriage of letters to however small a distance, while the Canadian proposal would involve the carrying of her letters over the same routes at a greatly reduced cost. This would, in the opinion of the Conference, lead to confusion and dissatisfaction."

Numbers comprised. I Average Absence per Sick Officer. Average Sick Absence per each Officer employed. Men Women ... I 964 134 Days. 9-72 15-09 Days. 4-09 11-82 I

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The papers which have been laid before Parliament show the position of the Pacific cable scheme, which, owing to the apparent determination of the Imperial Government to favour a cable by way of South Africa, is scarcely in such a hopeful position as could be desired. But in the discussion on the question at the late Hobart Conference views were strongly expressed in favour of the Pacific cable as against the proposed line to "Western Australia by way of the Cape of Good Hope; and it was resolved, "That this Conference reaffirms the opinion that, in the interests of Australasia, the Pacific cable project should be consummated as speedily as practicable, and that the Governments of the various Australasian Colonies be requested to represent to the Imperial and Dominion Governments the foregoing opinion, together with the proposal of the Premiers as agreed to at their recent Conference held in Melbourne: viz., ' That if Great Britain and Canada would each contribute one-third of the cost the colonies would be prepared to contribute the remaining third.'" Government is fully in accord with the resolution, and action has already been taken to forward it, besides otherwise keeping the question before the notice of the countries specially interested in the project. Among other matters the Conference recommended the ratification of the treaty entered into at Washington by the Hon. John Gavan Duffy, the colonies' representative, and passed a resolution of appreciation of Mr. Duffy's services. A large number of departmental matters was also dealt with and reported upon, as will be seen by the printed report of the Conference proceedings. The new postage-stamps, which were in course of manufacture for some time previous, were brought into use on the sth April last. As the initial supply (printed in London by Messrs. Waterlow and Sons (Limited) was restricted, the entire withdrawal of the old issue will not) take place until the special machinery, which has been ordered, is received by the Government Printer, and the printing of the stamps in the colony is in full operation. Beyond some adverse criticism of the colours selected in London for several of the values, there has been little else but praise for the new issue, which, in respect to design and printing, will take a very high rank among the postage-stamps of the world. An error was unfortunately made in engraving the plate for the twopence-halfpenny stamp, " Wakatipu " being misspelt "Wakitipu"; but this has since been corrected. The keen demand by collectors for the " error " somewhat embarrassed the department in the sale of these labels for their legitimate purpose, necessitating a minimum quantity only being sold to any one applicant. Through a misunderstanding in London the design intended for the fourpenny stamp was adopted for the penny stamp, involving a costly process of double printing for the denomination more largely used than any of the others. Instructions have already been given to rectify this as early as possible. Another matter of considerable importance is that future issues are to be printed on watermarked paper. The colours of several of the stamps will be changed to brighter tints so soon as the printing is done in the colony. In the meantime the transposition of the designs for the penny and fourpenny labels will carry with it changes in colour as follow : One penny from brown and blue to lilac, fourpence from rose-lake to brown and blue, and ninepence from lilac to rose-lake. The following is a detailed description of the new stamps :— One Halfpenny (Lilac-brown). —View of Mount Cook, in oval frame on shaded background, surmounted by curved inscription in white letters, " Postage and Eevenue," and at top by label with ornamental border containing " New Zealand " in coloured letters on white ground. Central design is flanked by sprays of ranunculus and eelmisia, below which on each side are small oval labels surrounded by scrolls, and bearing figures of value on white ground, the value in words being in straight label at foot. One Penny (Light-brown, with Blue Centre). —View of Lake Taupo, with Buapehu in background, and cabbage-palm in left foreground, surrounded by semicircular labels containing " NewZealand " in white letters on colour above, and " Postage and Eevenue " in coloured letters below. Value in words in straight label at foot, broken at each lower corner by square containing figure of value. Ornamented spandrels. Twopence (Wine-red or Claret). —View of Pembroke Peak, Milford Sound, surrounded by oval band with inscription in white, " New Zealand Postage and Eevenue." Figure of value at base of design, with ornaments on each side. Value in words at foot, in straight label, full width of stamp. Sides and top of stamp are enclosed by dotted border of Greek design, and ornamented spandrels. Twopence-halfpenny (Antwerp Blue). —Oblong (horizontal). View of Mount Barnslaw and head of Lake Wakatipu, with I'hormium tenax, toitoi, and cabbage-palms in foreground. Inscription, " New Zealand "in white, " Postage and Bevenue " in colour, at top of stamp. Value in figures only, enclosed in scroll ornament springing from lower right-hand corner, and bearing name of locality (misspelt " Wakitipu"). Name " Mt. Earnslaw" in left-hand lower corner. Threepence (Light-brown). —Central design, a pair of huias on branch, surrounded by a circularborder, inscribed " New Zealand Postage and Eevenue " in white letters on colour, and broken at lower corners by Egyptian ornamentation. Value in words at bottom, divided in centre by shield of solid colour, with figure "3" in white. Upper spandrels are filled in with similar labels, bearing figures of value placed obliquely. Fourpence (Rose-lake). —View of White Terrace, Botomahana, in oval dotted border, flanked by sprays of tataramoa, and broken at base on each side by bands containing inscription, "Postage," " Eevenue." Name of colony at top of stamp, and value in words at foot, in straight labels. Fivepence (Broion-lake). —Oblong (vertical). View of Otira Gorge, with snow-peak in background. Name in lower right-hand corner ; also small circular view of Mount Euapehu superimposed upon left foreground. Inscription, " New Zealand Postage and Revenue" at top of stamp, and value in words at base, in straight label,

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Sixpence (Sap-green). —Representation of kiwi regardant, surmounted by semicircular band of solid colour, bearing words "New Zealand" in white letters, and supported by oblique labels, " Postage," " Revenue," on left and right respectively. Value in words only at base of stamp, in straight label. The corners of the design, which has a distinctive appearance resembling a horseshoe, are filled in with ornamental scroll-work on shaded ground. Eightpence (Steel-blue). —Large outline figure " 8," supported by fern-trees and cabbage-palms on shaded background. Within the upper portion of the figure is an Imperial crown, and in the lower portion a view with Native war-canoe over the word " pence "at base of figure. The lower corners of stamp contain circles with figures of value in white, the upper corners being bevelled, and filled with scallop ornaments. The words " New Zealand Postage and Revenue " are inscribed upon the curves of the large figure which forms the central device. Ninepence (Lilac). —Oblong (horizontal). View of Pink Terrace, Rotomahana, with tree-fern and nikau-palm at sides. The legend " Postage and Revenue " at base of picture. Value in white figures in coloured circles at each corner. " New Zealand " in arched inscription above, and value in words below, in straight label; both white letters on colour, One Shilling (Orange-red). —Representation of pair of kakas on branch, in colour on white background within fancy frame, having arched label " Postage " above, with " and Revenue " below. Name of colony at top of stamp, and value in words at bottom, in straight labels. Value in figures in circles at lower corners, above the bottom label. Two Shillings (Blue-green). —Oblong (horizontal). View of Milford Sound in fancy frame, with title below in label, and clump of cabbage-palms on left-hand side above scrolled circle enclosing value in figures. The words "New Zealand Postage and Revenue" in white letters at top of stamp. Five Shillings (Vermilion). —Oblong (vertical). View of Mount Cook, with name in white label below. Inscription, "New Zealand Postage and Revenue" above, and value in words at foot, white letters on coloured ground. All the stamps are printed on white-wove unwatermarked paper, and perforate 14 to 15. The rectangular stamps measure about 18 mm. by 22 mm., and the oblong stamps 33 mm. by 20 mm., or, say, J-f in. by Jfin., and in. by if in. During the year it was decided to issue a pictorial post-card to enable residents and visitors to send souvenirs of New Zealand to their friends in places beyond the colony. The cards were stamped Id. and and were sold at a fraction over the face-value to cover the cost of production. The scenic representations on the cards comprise views of Mounts Cook and Egmont, the Otira Gorge, and the Waikite Geyser, which were executed in ehromo-lithography by Messrs. Waterlow and Sons (Limited), of London. Owing to the majority of the cards arriving late for the Christmas season the sales have not been up to anticipations. On revising the Franking List for the year 1898 it was considered advisable to indicate the franking officers by name as well as by title ; and it will probably be a matter of surprise to learn that no less than 1,656 persons in New Zealand are authorised to frank letters or telegrams. There is no question that sooner or later some system should be adopted by which the department should receive payment for such work now undertaken gratuitously for other branches of the public service, particularly in respect of telegrams. The mere fact of each department being required to make provision for this service would, if the experience of other countries can be relied upon, result in economy, and a much diminished use of the telegraph-wires for official communications, without detriment to the public service. At present there is no obligation on any department to curtail its telegrams, or to abstain from using the wires when a letter by post would serve equally well. Notwithstanding the heavy penalties to which persons attempting to use previously cancelled stamps in prepayment of postage are liable, there is reason to suppose that the irregularity is on the increase. In many cases there is no intention to defraud the revenue, while in others the excuse is that the used stamp was mistaken for an unused one. The department has no wish to be unduly harsh, but the fact that previously cancelled stamps cannot well be used without being regummed implies, at the least, great carelessness ; and if the law continues to be broken it will be necessary to institute a prosecution in every case brought under notice. The experiment of indicating in dated stamps the hour of posting of letters, etc., by representing the time of day in plain figures instead of arbitrary letters or index figures has been tried at Christchurch, and found to give great satisfaction to the public. The system will be extended to all the principal offices as the present dated stamps require to be replaced. The automatic date-stamping machine in use in the post-offices of the United States having proved a practical success, the manufacturers have been approached by the department with the object of obtaining one or more of the machines on trial. In last year's report brief reference was made to the proceedings of the Universal Postal Union Congress held at Washington. The complete documents, which have since come to hand, show that all the countries comprising the Universal Postal Union, except San Domingo, were represented. The following main alterations in the Vienna Convention come into force on the Ist January, 1899 :— Maritime transit rates are fixed as follows :— (a.) 5 francs per kilogramme of letters and post-cards, and 50 centimes per kilogramme of other articles for exchanges between countries of Europe, between Europe and African and Asiatic ports on the Mediterranean, between Europe and the Black Sea, between Europe and North America, and between all these territories themselves ; also between other countries where the distance traversed does not exceed one thousand five hundred nautical miles. (b.) 15 francs per kilogramme for letters and post-cards, and 1 franc per kilogramme for other articles, for all distances not comprised in the preceding paragraph. The rule, that when con-

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veyance is effected by services of more than one country, sach administration participates in the 15 franc and 1 franc rates in the proportion of mileages of transit furnished to total sea-distance traversed, remains unaltered. (c.) Sea transit under three hundred miles remains at the same rates as territorial transit. Territorial transit rates which, under the Vienna and former Conventions, were fixed at 2 francs per kilogramme of letters and post-cards, and 25 centimes per kilogramme of other articles, are reduced by 5 per cent, during 1899 and 1900, 10 per cent, during 1901 and 1902, and 15 per cent, during 1903 and onwards. It is also stipulated that countries whose total receipts and expenditure in connection with territorial transit do not exceed 5,000 francs per annum will be exempt from payments on account of territorial transit. Provision is also made for the reduction of those special maritime transit rates which now are 15 francs per kilogramme of letters and post-cards to 14 francs during 1899 and 1900, 12 francs during 1901 and 1902, and 10 francs during 1903 and onwards. The counting of correspondence in May, 1896, on which the transit charges for 1895, 1896, and 1897 were computed, is to form the basis for territorial and maritime transit payments till 1904 or later. The ultimate effect of this decision will be a reduction in the transit rates generally. To New Zealand it will mean a saving in American overland and Atlantic sea transit of correspondence from this colony to the United Kingdom. Other alterations will also affect this colony favourably. The rates payable by European countries for the conveyance of their mail-matter from the Australian Colonies to New Zealand will, however, be more than doubled under the Washington conditions. The effect of the reduction in the telegraph rates from Is. to 6d. was referred to at such length in the report for last year that there is little to be added now. The anticipated disturbance in the revenue, and the largely increased expenditure then foreshadowed, have been realised; but the somewhat unexpected increase in the traffic in the quarter ended the 31st March last brought up the receipts for the year to £96,537 in place of the estimated £95,000, which is, however, £916 less than the revenue from paid telegrams for last year. The average value of each paid telegram, which might fairly have been assumed to have reached a normal level last year, suffered a further fall from 9-29 d. to 8-47 d. As the average value for the first month of the sixpenny tariff—June, 1896 —was 1096 d., it will be seen that condensation is now being generally practised by the users of the telegraph. The following table will show the fluctuations of the business in paid telegrams for each quarter of the last two years : —

Table showing the Number of Telegrams forwarded, and the Revenue derived therefrom, during the Four Quarters of the Financial Years 1896-97 and 1897-98 respectively.

From the Ist April last the change introduced on the Ist November, 1891, of keeping no office copies of received telegrams was abandoned in favour of taking telegrams in duplicate at the receiving instrument, and retaining the top copy as the office record. The absence of office copies of telegrams had latterly rendered it a matter of some difficulty to make such a complete audit of the telegraph revenue as was desirable, while there was reason to conclude that the absence of a check of the text of the forwarded against that of the received telegrams induced more errors and more indifferent handwriting on the part of telegraphists than would otherwise be the case. Under the system oi keeping office copies, accounting checks are simplified—it being necessary to merely pair an original forwarded telegram with the copy of the received message, and to check the value affixed in stamps. Errors and careless work can now be more promptly brought home to the officers in fault, and an increase in the efficiency and accuracy of the work of the telegraph operating staff should result. It has been decided, as a matter of experiment, to introduce at the principal telegraph-offices a combined telegram form and envelope so soon as the necessary machinery for cutting the forms is obtained from London. The combined form is so devised that the writing of the name and the address of the addressee by the receiving operator renders further addressing unnecessary. Freedom from error in address and economy in handling appear to be assured. Owing to the difference of 1 hour 39 minutes between New South Wales (zone) time and New Zealand time, the opening of the Sydney Telegraph Office at 8 a.m. for the transmission of cablegrams to New Zealand had the effect of preventing messages then on hand from reaching

Number of forwa Telegrams ,1'ded. Revenue, m 45 C3 -4-3 m q SB go go •Sg, Qg. I Quarter. Increase per Cent. Year ended 31st March, 1897. Year ended 31st March, 1898. 1896-97. 1897-98. June quarter September quarter ... December quarter ... March quarter 495,661 549,838 610,751 628,751 581,187 553,898 643,801 690,529 17-25 0-74 5-41 9'83 s s. a. 23,978 2 4 23,693 17 11 25,075 10 0 24,705 8 4 £ s. d. 23,189 13 1 21,732 13 5 25,182 7 6 26,432 12 9 0-43 6'99 3-29 8-28 2,285,001 2,469,415 8-07 97,452 18 7 96,537 6 9 0-94

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their destination until some time after the commencement of business hours, when the New Zealand wires were fully occupied. In order to obviate.the inconvenience arising from this, and to enable cablegrams received at Sydney after the closing of the Wakapuaka-La Perouse cable at night to reach their destination as early in the morning as possible, it was arranged that, from the 28th December last, the Sydney Office should open at 7 a.m. The number and value of cable messages forwarded from New Zealand during 1897 are shown in the following statement: —

The following is a statement of traffic over the New Zealand-Sydney cable for the year from the Ist May, 1897, to the 30fch April, 1898, and amounts payable by guaranteeing colonies ;— £ Amount guaranteed to Cable Company ... ... ... ... 20,000 Actual receipts during the above period ... ... ... ... 16,646 Showing a loss to the Cable Company of ... ... ... £3,354 Apportioned as follows: — . £ New Zealand, one-third ... ... ... ... ... 1,118 Contributing colonies, including New Zealand, two-thirds ... ... 2,236 £3,354 And the contributing colonies' proportions, on the basis of population:— £ s. d. Victoria ... ... ... ... ... 1,140,405 684 18 0 New South Wales ... ... ... ... 1,132,234 679 19 10 New Zealand ... ... ... ... 620,030 372 7 7 Queensland- ... ... ... ... 393,718 188 6 1 South Australia ... ... ... ... 320,431 192 8 11 Tasmania ... ... ... ... ... 146,667 88 1 8 Western Australia ... ... ... ... 49,782 29 17 11 Totals ... ... ... 3,803,267 £2,236 0 0 The agreement under which this payment is guaranteed the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company expires in April, 1900. The colony's outward international and intercolonial cable business, not including Press, for the years 1896 and 1897 was as follows: — Messages. Value. International, — Number. £ s. d. 1896 ... ... ... 9,814 ... 42,148 15 1 1897 ... ... ... 9,725 ... 36,051 10 3 Decrease ... 89 Decrease ... 6,097 4 10 or o'9l per cent. or 14-47 per cent. Messages. Value. Intercolonial, — Number. ■ £ s. d. 1896 37,422 ... 9,536 10 8 1897 ... ... ... 41,592 ... 10,157 6 4 Increase ... 4,170 Increase ... 620 15 8 or 11-14 per cent. or 65 per cent. A total increase in 1897 of 4,081 messages, and a decrease in value of £5,476 9s. 2d.

* Queensland entered as from Bth July, 1897.

Ordinary. Press. Destination. No. of Messages. ! Value. No. of Messages. Value. International ... New South Wales Queensland South Australia lasmania Victoria Western Australia £ 8. 9,725 I 36,051 10 21,849 , 4,618 1 1,047 339 4 1,204 361 12 2,059 722 1 13,704 3,501 15 1,729 614 12 d, 3 6 2 2 1 2 3 28 1,176 £ s. d. 276 10 0 620 3 0 1 87 2 0 7 1 47 13 7 0 11 0 Total for 1897 51,317 46,208 16 7 1,294 945 4 8 Total for 1896 47,236 51,681 19 1 1,069 531 4 9

F.-l

VIII

The forwarded and received cable Press business for the past seven years has been:—

Note. —The intercolonial cable Press rate was reduced from 3d. to Id. per word on the Ist April, 1893. POST OFFICE. The number of articles posted in the colony, and received from places outside the colony, during 1897, as compared with the number in 1896, was as under : — Letters— 1897. 1896. Increase. Posted in the colony .. .. .. 30,260,204 27,874,353 Received from places outside the colony .. 2,012,719 1,913,410 32,272,923 29,787,763 - 2,485,160 Letter-cards posted in the colony .. .. 757,172 654,290 102,882 Post-cards — Posted in the colony .. .. .. 1,325,272 1,226,550 Received from places outside the colony .. 16,549 5,285 1,341,821 1,231,835 109,986 Books and pattorn-packets— Posted in the colony .. .. .. 12,351,443 10,048,597 Received from places outside the colony .. 2,276,389 2,598,674 14,627,832 12,647,271 1,980,561 Newspapers— Posted in the colony .. .. .. 10,177,089 9,521,525 Received from places outside the colony .. 4,084,256 3,694,996 14,261,845 13,216,521 1,044,824 Parcels — Posted in the colony .. .. .. 173,856 166,702 Received from places outside the colony .. 23,698 19,909 197,554 186,611 10,943 The letters increased 8 - 34, books and pattern-packets 1566, newspapers 791, parcels 586, letter-cards 1572, post-cards 8 # 93 per cent. The increase in 1896 was : Letters, 289; books, &c, 1660 ; newspapers, 4 - 27; parcels, 591; letter-cards, 2-71 ; and post-cards, 2-51 per cent. The average number of letters posted per head of population was estimated to be 41-93, or 42-98 including letter-cards. The averages in 1896 were 3943 and 4036.respectively. The Post Office receipts for the financial year amounted to £272,162 19s. 9d.—an increase of £9,680 14s. 3d., or 3-69 per cent. The expenditure was £197,355 6s. lid., as against £196,242 19s. Bd. for the previous year—an increase of £1,112 7s. 3d., or 056 per cent. There was therefore a balance of revenue over expenditure of £74,807 12s. 10d. The estimated value of official (free) correspondence was £72,521. The gross earnings of the Post Office for the year were £344,683 19s. 9d., and the credit balance £147,328 12s. 10d. Customs duties amounting to £9,567 12s. lid, were collected on articles received through the post from places beyond the colony, and £1,309 18s. 6d. on account of ordinary Customs work. The sum of £1,724 10s. was collected from the sale of game-licenses. Premiums amounting to £28,059 19s. 7d. were collected from policyholders on behalf of the Government Life Insurance Department. £331 7s. 9d. was collected for the Government Printer on the sale of Government publications. Income-tax amounting to £62,633 os. lid., and land-tax for £191,975 16s. lid., were received at post-offices. Fees under the Live-stock Acts amounting to £17,891 4s. 7d. were collected. The sum of £3,508 11s. was received for machinery-fees. The receipts from the sale of miners' licenses amounted to £1,380 6s. £9,815 was lodged at post-offices for investment in New Zealand Consols. Receipts on behalf of the Public Trust Office amounted to £302,358 6s. 7d, and payments to £301,872 10s. 4d., as compared with £205,731 11s. Bd. and £202,664 7s. the previous year. Railway receipts amounting to £15,338 Bs. lid. were also accounted for through the Post Office Account. The fees collected in respect of the registration of births, deaths, and marriages amounted to £2,053 6s. 6d.

Forwarded. Eeoeived. Year. Number of Number of Value Value. Messages. Words. Messages, j Words. 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 837 791 796 994 1,168 1,069 1,294 45,285 44,263 57,390 103,366 68,682 92,946 128,839 £ s. 932 15 898 3 504 9 899 4 433 13 531 4 945 4 a. 8 9 9 9 0 9 8 2,828 2,884 2,883 3,033 3,926 2,946 3,665 198,935 197,477 202,170 203,326 314,136 285,369 323,617 £ s. d. 2,739 6 0 2,796 9 4 1,540 17 10 1,179 13 7 1,782 13 5 1,576 1 3 1,752 7 5

p.—l

The Advances to Settlers Office receipts amounted to £439,590 13s. 4d., and payments to £452,810 2s. sd. Fees, &c, were also collected on account of the Audit Office, Hospitals and Charitable Aid, County Councils, Harbourmasters, Alcoholic Liquors Act, Licensing Act, auctioneers' licenses, fishing licenses, industrial schools, Lunacy Department, Miners' Guides, public baths, property-tax, Factories Act, gum-licenses, Education Department, and the Treasury; and an election deposit of £10 was made through the Post Office. The payments made by the Post Office on behalf of the Treasury were £471,861 Bs. 9d. The gross receipts dealt with during the year were —-Departmental, £9,007,021 10s. Bd.; on account of other departments, £1,505,390 os. 4d. : total, £10,512,411 11s., as compared with £7,644,390 Bs. Bd. for the previous year. The payments were —Departmental, £8,885,376 ss. 10d. ; on behalf of other departments—to individuals, £1,226,544 Is. 6d.; to Government accounts, £346,966 Is. Id. : a total of £10,458,886 Bs. 5d., as against £7,529,187 Is. 9d. dealt with the former year. The gross receipts and payments were therefore £20,971,297 19s. 6d., as compared with £15,173,577 10s. sd. for 1896. Deliveries by letter-carriers were established at : Christchurch—Belfast ; New Brighton (by subsidised carrier), to include whole of borough and suburbs as far as Chriatchurch City delivery ; Westport—Denniston, twice daily (by subsidised carrier); Harben and Waimangaroa, daily (by subsidised carrier). Letter-carriers' deliveries were extended at: Auckland—Chief Post-office and suburbs, so as now to include Kingsland, Morningside, Mount Albert, Point Chevalier, and Mount Eoskill districts ; Whangarei—to include south-west portion of town lying between Waiarohia and Wharowharo Streams ; Christchurch —Christchurch Suburbs, to include Bromley district ; Lyttelton—to take in whole borough; Greymouth—Chief Post-office, to include the hospital on the south and Shakespeare Eoad on the east; Napier—Waipawa, to extreme northern boundary of town; Nelson —Chief Post-office, to beyond the bridge, Nile Street East; Thames —Chief Post-office, to take in Moanataiari Creek Eoad, Waiotahi Creek and Waiokaraka Creek Eoad, Irishtown, Hill Street, Hape Creek, and Parawai; Wellington—Masterton, to include Kuripuni. The Thames-Kuranui-Tararua delivery was abolished. Deliveries were increased in frequency at : Christchurch—Christchurch Suburbs, to twice daily in Waltham and Sydenham districts; Greymouth —in upper part of town from once to twice daily. The designations of offices were changed as follows : Auckland—Mangawhara to Hinuera ; Blenheim —Hocquard's to Te Puru, North-west Bay to Tira-ora ; Greymouth—Blackball Mine to Blackball, Upper Blackball to Minerva ; Napier—Moss Side to Tarewa; New Plymouth—Palmer Eoad to Mahoe ; Oamaru —Waitaki South to Waitaki; Timaru—Waitaki to Glenavy ; Wellington—Makakahi to Konini ; Westport —Harben to Waimangaroa Junction. Names were corrected as follows: Auckland—Harapipi to Harapepe, Mangare to Mangere, Mangare Bridge to Mangere Bridge, Papatoitoi to Papatoetoe, Porooterau to Porootarao, Wairangi to Waerenga, Wangaparoa to Whangaparaoa, Wangaruru to Whangaruru; Napier—Kuripapanga to Kuripapango ; Oamaru —Hakateramea to Hakataramea, Kokoamu to Kokoamo; Thames—Kaiawa to Kaiaua ; Wellington —Uruwai to Utuwai. Fourteen newspapers were registered for transmission by post, and nineteen ceased publication. Fourteen receiving-boxes were established at : Auckland—Cambridge, 1; Whangarei, 1. Christchurch—City, 1; Belfast, 1 ; Bromley, 1. Dunedin—City, 2. Napier—Town, 2. Nelson--Town, 1. Oamaru —Town, 1 (reopened). Thames—Waihi, 1; Waitekauri, 1. Wellington— South Karori, 1. Five receiving-boxes were closed: Auckland—Cambridge, 1. Dunedin—Kaitangata, 1, Thames—Waihi, 1; Waitekauri, 1. Wellington—City, 1. Seventy-eight post-offices were established (of these nine were reopened offices) and twenty closed :— Opened. Ahiaruhe, Wellington Mahau, Blenheim Pukeroa, Wanganui Allendale, Chrisfcchurch Mangatu, Auckland Pukewhau, Thames Aparima, Invercargill Maratoto, Thames Punihu Stream, Wanganui Ataahua, Christchurch Maryville, New Plymouth Putaruru, Auckland Auroa, Wanganui Matau, New Plymouth Eewa, Wellington Awatoto, Napier Mawhitiwhiti, Wanganui Rockville, New Plymouth Blind River, Blenheim Merino Downs, Dunedin Rona, Wellington Courtenay Place, Wellington Nireaha, Wellington Rukumoana, Wanganui Cricklewood, Timaru North-west Bay, Blenheim Tallaburn, Dunedin Cryer'a Landing, Thames Nydia Bay, Blenheim Tallaburn (reopened), Dunedin Elaine Bay, Blenheim Ohui, Auckland Te Oneroa, Invercargill Elsthorpe, Napier Omarama, Oamaru Te Whaiti, Auckland Greenvale, Invercargill Oneroa, Auckland Te Wharaki, Thames Henley West, Dunedin Opitonui, Auckland Three Springs, Timaru Highbank, Christchurch Orari Bridge, Timaru Tokarahi, Oamaru Hikuai, Auckland Oropi, Thames Totaratahi, Oamaru Hinemoa, Wellington Otoroa, Auckland Upper Blackball, Greymouth Hocquard's, Blenheim Overdale, Christchurch Utuwai, Wellington Hopai, Blenheim Paemako, Auckland Waianakarua, Oamaru Hukanui, Wellington Pahiatua (railway), Wellington Waihakeke, Wellington Inaha, Wanganui Parkville, Wellington Waimaru, Blenheim Island Cliff, Oamaru Peep-o'-Day, Wellington Waipatukahu, Thames Kaiparoro, Wellington Piripiri, Wellington Wallaceville, Wellington Kairanga, Wellington Ponga, Auckland Whangaparapara, Auckland Komata, Thames Puhipuhi, Auckland Whetukura, Napier Koru, New Plymouth Pukepito, Dunedin Wylie's Crossing, Dunedin

ii—F. 1.

■p.—l

Closed. . Blackball, Greymouth Omarama, Oamaru South Malvern, Christchurch Bromley, Christchurch Omoho, Auckland Tallaburn, Dunedin Bushside, Christchurch Owharoa, Thames Tapuae, Wellington Oryer-'s Landing, Thames Pukekararo, Auckland Waikakaho, Blenheim Lower Awatere, Blenheim Puysegur Point, Invercargill Watershed Road, Wanganui North Taieri, Dunedin Ruakaka, Auckland Whangaparapara, Auckland Okiwi Bay, New Plymouth Scarborough, Wellington The total number of post-offices open at the close of the year was 1,524. ■ Paecel-post. The following table shows the total number and the weight of inland, intercolonial, United Kingdom, and foreign parcels dealt with during the years 1894, 1895, 1896, and 1897 :—

The following table gives the number and weight of parcels exchanged with the United Kingdom, and foreign countries vid London, and the Australian Colonies and the South Sea Islands, during the years 1896 and 1897 : —

The declared value of parcels received from places outside the colony in 1897 was £41,820. The Customs duty collected amounted to £9,567 12s. lid. In 1896 the value was £36,438 os.' Id and the Customs duty collected £7,693 11s. 2d. The declared value of parcels despatched to places beyond the colony was £8 153 as against £7,703 9s. 10d. in 1896. On the Ist January, 1897, the postage on parcels to and from the United Kingdom was reduced from Is. 6d. for the first two pounds and 9d. for each additional pound, to Is. for the first pound and 6d. for each additional pound. The effect of the reduction may be seen from the following figures: —

Postal Disti-iotB. 1894. Number. Weight. 1894. Number. 1895. Weight. 1896. 1897. Number. Weight. Number. Weight. Auckland .. Thames New Plymouth Gisborne .. Napier Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport .. Greymouth Hokifcika .. Blenheim .. Christchuroh Timaru 34,480 2,103 2,567 1,362 8,778 5,543 43,035 5,697 1,696 2,627 1,722 2,260 26,523 2,120 1,010 28,316 4,425 lb. oz. 98,202 8 5,702 8 6,705 10 4,140 11 i 26,362 15 15,795 9 143,652 3 17,815 7 4,332 6 7,278 2 5,598 5 6,162 8 87,776 10 5,542 15 J 2,618 4 90,554 9 12,074 5 35,631 2,235 2,543 1,136 8,865 5,722 43,591 5,771 1,707 2,553 1,816 2,133 27,053 1,908 988 28,132 4,422 lb. oz. 107,729 14 J 6,134 10 6,780 8 3,581 8J 25,672 1 18,139 5 158,124 1 17,860 6 4,382 13 6,319 13 5,904 8 5,767 13 J 96,386 9 5,060 9 2,563 8 99,180 10 12,598 15 37,317 2,808 2,857 1,480 9,189 6,230 44,824 5,529 1,952 2,653 1,611 1,902 29,033 2,129 1,048 31,427 4,622 lb. oz. 117,815 8J 8,052 4 7,306 11 4,447 8 27,025 10 19,609 8 193,053 6 17,698 6 4,138 6 7,075 15 5,691 3 4,854 1 108,748 15 5,259 144 ! 3,337 11 106,561 1 13,657 13 42,287 3,366 2,753 l',979 8,932 6,852 45,195 5,534 1,941 2,773 1,621 1,851 32,298 1,808 1,056 32,504 4,804 lb. oz. 134,523 4 9,945 8 8,001 1 5,862 12 26,526 12 21,508 12 166,995 8 18,168 3 4,977 3 7,777 10 5,583 6 5,441 5 125,764 3 4,554 12 3,436 13 112,672 12 14,314 9 Oamaru .. Dunedin .. Invercargill Totals 1174,264 540,315 8 176,206 582,193 8J 186,611 654,333 13 197,554 676,054 5

Keci ;ived. Despatched. Country. 1896. 1897. .896. 1897. Number. Weight. Number. I Weight. Number. Weight. Number. Weight. 13,730 lb. oz. 46,750 0 15,742 lb. oz. 53,002 4 3,446 I ib. oz. 8,223 0 lb. 07,, 9,510 8 United Kingdom and foreign offices (vid London) Victoria New South Wales South Australia Queensland Tasmania Western Australia Samoa Barotonga Hawaiian Islands Ceylon Straits Settlements Uruguay .. .. 4,197 2,579 2,853 206 187 113 122 5 10 38 44 22 7,491 0 8,014 6 759 13 489 6 351 2 363 6 22 6 43 12 57 5 79 8 51 2£ 3,174 3,521 239 374 243 185 4 11 54 150 1 10,105 12 9,875 6 791 12 858 12 446 0 454 6 33 0 22 7 97 3 343 5 4 14 1,457 j 1,568 149 225 280 198 84 54 28 33 2,580 0 3,537 114 414 15 583 12£ 589 1 580 5 213 10 185 9 87 3 64 13 1,526 1,681 179 256 224 270 117 4S 39 126 2,869 1 3,838 4 414 4 540 14 723 0 676 12 299 14 163 8 96 7 289 6 7 4 4 Totals 19,909 64,473 2J 23,698 76,035 1 7,522 17,060 0 8,670 19,426 2

F.—l

Number of Parcels. Despatched to Received from United Kingdom. United Kingdom. 1897 ... ... ... ... 4,197 ... 15,742 1896 ... ... ... ... 3,446 ... 13,730 Actual increase ... ... ... 751 ... 2,012 Increase per cent.... ... ... 2T79 ... 14-65 Parcels are now exchanged with Canada direct; and a reduction in the rates is under consideration. A parcel-post convention has been concluded between France and the Australian Colonies, under which New Zealand will be able to exchange parcels with French possessions. An exchange of parcels with Fiji was established on the Ist ultimo. On the same date exchanges, via Sydney, with the New Hebrides, Banks Group, and Santa Cruz Islands were inaugurated. Parcel exchanges, via London, have been extended to Peru and the .Republic of Honduras. The postage on parcels to the following countries has been reduced : Persia, Cameroons, British Bast Africa, and Zanzibar. A convention for the direct exchange of parcels with South African countries will shortly be signed. Official Cobeespondence. The estimated volume and value of official and other free correspondence posted during the year is given in the statement below :—

Dead Lettbes. The following comparative table shows the number of unclaimed letters, letter-cards, and postcards dealt with during the under-mentioned years :— i Manner of Disposal. 1884. 1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890. 1892. 1894. 1896. j 1807. . Opened and returned to the writers .. 68,942 66,592 66,729 62,847 55,118 62,654 60,540 63,483 61,745 63,112! 66,886 Returned unopened to other countries .. 9,134 8,115 8,359 7,287 6,892 6,220 7,779 7,751 8,941 7,546 7,048 Reissued .. .. 107 185 251 96 88 92 141 1281 130 148 - 132 Destroyed ... .. 3,986 2,872 6,600 5,974 5,246 4,340 2,660 2,092| 4,725 4,069 3,245 Returned unopened by Chief Postmasters .. 17,593 19,187 21,144 20,185 19,963 21,164 21,931 19,909 j 22,042 j 26,414 34,260 Totals .. 99,762 96,951 103,08396,389 87,307 93,363 97,583 1101,289 112,171 I The proportion of dead or unclaimed letters, letter-cards, and post-cards to the total number dealt with in the colony was 033 per cent. 31,325 book-packets and circulars were returned to foreign countries, 52,173 were returned to senders through the Dead-letter Office, 15 were reissued, and 43,032 were returned by Chief Postmasters—a total of 126,535 book-packets and circulars, as compared with 119,103 in 1896. 436 letters were wrongly addressed. 29 letters were discovered to have been posted with previously used stamps. The under-mentioned articles of value were found in letters opened in the Dead-letter Office, and returned to the senders where practicable :—

The proportion of dead or unclaimed letters, letter-cards, and post-cards to the total number dealt with in the colony was 033 per cent. 31,325 book-packets and circulars were returned to foreign countries, 52,173 were returned to senders through the Dead-letter Office, 15 were reissued, and 43,032 were returned by Chief Postmasters—a total of 126,535 book-packets and circulars, as compared with 119,103 in 1896. 436 letters were wrongly addressed. 29 letters were discovered to have been posted with previously used stamps. The under-mentioned articles of value were found in letters opened in the Dead-letter Office, and returned to the senders where practicable : —

District. Letters. Packeta. Registered Articles. Newspapers. Value of Official Correspondence. Auckland .. Thames New Plymouth Gisborne .. Napier Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport Greymouth Hokitika .. Blenheim .. Christchurch Timaru Oamaru Dunedin .. Invercargill 361,146 47,414 102,019 26,776 119,897 168,148 907,335 76,887 25,100 56,667 19,053 52,004 276,188 61,235 37,999 288,348 122,772 92,511 3,043 10,000 2,840 12,144 9,852 133,075 4,326 116 2,223 1,909 2,200 8,448 2,340 5,724 1,537 1,397 960 2,532 3,495 20,488 4,276 400 1,896 720 550 14,988 756 1,055 8,025 3,555 117,550 21,975 31,422 10,992 30,882 76,900 159,358 30,284 10,920 34,871 9,724 18,000 102,648 23,452 6,906 88,396 63,336 £ 9,530 1,240 2,692 712 3,168 4,435 23,944 2,032 660 1,486 501 1,372 7,286 1,610 1,003 7,603 3,247 38,340 9,732 Totals 2,748,988 333,099 72,354 837,616 72,521

Manner of Disposal. 1884. 1885. 3886. 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890. 1892. 1894. 1896. ! j 1807. Ipened and returned to the writers teiurned unopened to other countries teissued )estroyed Returned unopened by Chief Postmasters .. 62,654 60,540 63,483 61,745 68,942 66,592 66,729 62,847 55,118 63,112 ! 66,886 9,134 107 3,986 8,115 185 2,872 8,359 251 6,600 7,287 96 5,974 6,892 88 5,246 6,220 7,779 92 141 4,340 2,660 21,164 21,931 94,470| 93,051 7,751; 8,941 1281 130 2,092 4,725 7,546 148 4,069 7,648 132 3,245 17,593 19,187 21,144 20,185 19,963 19,909 J 22,042 93,363 97,583 J 26,414 34,260 Totals 99,762 96,951 103,083 •96,389 87,307 il01,289 112,171

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XII

£ 8. d. 230 Post Office orders ... ... .... ... ... 604 12 6 39 bank drafts ... ... ... ..-. ... ... 2,837 4 1 149 cheques ... ... ... ... ... ... 942 8 5 15 dividend warrants ... ... ... ... ... 15 5 0 5 promissory notes ... ... ... ... ... 151 5 9 Postal notes ... ... ... ... ... ... 61 10 8 Stamps ... ... ... ... ... ... 26 12 10 Bank-notes ... ... ... ... ... ... 158 0 0 Gold ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15 0 0 Silver and copper ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 17 0 Representing a total of ... ... ... £4,813 16 3 In addition, 1 lady's gold watch, 1 lady's silver watch, 2 gentlemen's silver watches, 3 nickelplated watches, 1 lady's gold chain, 1 gold-mounted petrified-wood brooch, 3 gold brooches, 5 silver brooches, 4 mother-of-pearl brooches, 6 gold rings, 1 silver ring, 2 gold scarf-pins, 1 pair silver sleeve-links, 2 greenstone pendants, 1 silver-mounted Queensland-nut matchbox, 1 silver matchbox, 1 silver thimble, 1 gold-mounted greenstone paper-knife, 1 butter-knife, 2 gold springs, 1 bunch of keys, 1 set of artificial teeth, 1 Union Bank cheque-book, 1 tobacco-pouch, 1 carved pipe and greenstone ornament, 1 stereo, block, 7 sticks tobacco, 1 water-colour painting, 2 hand-painted shells, 1 purse containing 2s. 6d., 1 pocketbook containing four one-penny stamps, 5 tracing-wheels, 6 flax bags, 1 woollen tea-cosy, 3 sheets of postage-stamps, 2 pawn-tickets, 46 Tattersall tickets, 8 sharecertificates, 1 transfer-certificate, 1 certificate of title, 1 deposit receipt, 2 umbrellas, 3 parasols, 13 silk handkerchiefs, 2 pairs slippers, 2 savings-bank books, 1 pair of gloves, 6 aprons, 1 pair spectacles, 1 lady's belt, 2 pillow-slips, 1 afternoon-tea cloth, 1 black-felt hat, 8 neckties, 3 shirts, 13 collars, 12 pairs socks, 1 pair gaiters, 2 pairs slippers, 1 pair lady's shoes, 3 pairs ladies' knickers, 1 pair corsets, 1 child's bonnet. 1,514 unclaimed registered letters were dealt with. 2,113 newspapers and 1,084 books and other articles without addresses were received, many of which were subsequently applied for and delivered. 727 unclaimed newspapers were returned to the publishers. 374 letters and 107 letter-cards were posted without addresses. 36 letters and 4 books with libellous addresses were intercepted. The number of inland, intercolonial, and international unclaimed articles received and disposed of during the years 1896 and 1897 was as under: —

746 inquiries for letters and 640 for other articles, alleged to have been posted and not delivered, were made during 1897. In 393 of the inquiries for letters and 326 for other articles—over onehalf the total number—the investigations by the department resulted in the missing articles being traced. These may be summarised as follows : — Number of " Traced " Cases. Letters. Other Articles. Found to have been 53 44 ... Missent, misdelivered, or otherwise delayed in delivery through fault of Post Office. 46 37 ... Delayed in delivery through fault of addressees. 45 38 ... Posted later than advised, or unavoidably delayed in transit. 75 62 ... Defectively or wrongly addressed. 58 48 ... Mislaid or lost after delivery. 26 ... Returned through Dead-letter Office as unclaimed, &c. 90 75 ... Delivered. Reason for inquiry not given, but probably in most cases omission by addressees to acknowledge receipt. 393 326

1896. 1897. I I i j tte Letter-] Post- Pap i. pt - News- T pttpl . Letter- Post- p n »i,p t , NewsLetters. oards ] cardSi Packets. papers Letters. eards eards rackets. papers I \ Inland. Returned, delivered, &e., through Deadletter Office Returned by Chief Postmasters direct .. Destroyed in accordance with law 51,117 22,724 3,265 1,086 "81 2,118 3,690j 148, 47,478 26,986 978 770: 42^264 54,306i 30,577 2,629 1,155 56 2,311 3,683 112 50,958 43,032 688 727 33|616 Intercolonial. Originally addressed to other colonies :— ■ Returned to writers Destroyed in accordance with law Returned to other colonies as unclaimed 4,509 290 3,335 12 1 9 461 9 18,848 4,719 228 3,180 26 2 32 656 48 15,794 International. Originally addressed to other countries :— Returned to writers.. Destroyed in accordance with law Returned to other countries as unclaimed 4,406 283 4,190 1 121 516 11 24,814 4,475 217 4,392 26] 1 44 564 42 15,531 Totals 94,119 1,167 6,003 120,101 43,034 104,723 1,211 6,237 127,313 34,343

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XIII

Registered Letters. The number of registered articles dealt with in 1897, compared with the numbers in 1890, 1895, and 1896, is shown below:—

Inland Mail-services. Inland mail-communication throughout the colony has been well maintained, the only stoppage of consequence being the result of the lamentable floods in the Hawke's Bay District of the 16th April, 1897. The Town of Napier was for a time cut off from the surrounding districts, owing to the washing-away of roads and bridges in all directions. Efforts were at once made to restore the mail-services, and by the 19th through communication with Wellington was effected by means of coaches, railway-trollies, &c. Mail-sorting cars of a new and improved pattern have been placed on the express trains between Christchurch and Invercargill. The new cars, which are much larger than the old ones, have materially facilitated the work of the travelling post-offices, and lessened the arduous duties of the sorting-clerks on the trains. On the opening of the through train-service between Wellington and Napier by way of the Wairarapa on the 13th December last a travelling post-office was established between Wellington and Pahiatua on the Government line, and the mail-van from Napier, which previously ran to Palmerston North, was diverted at Woodville to meet that from Wellington at Pahiatua, where the express trains to which the vans are attached cross. This travelling post-office on the through line has proved of great advantage to the service in accelerating the delivery of correspondence, and reducing the number of small mails formerly made up at country offices on the line of route. The travelling post-office on the Wellington-Wanganui-New Plymouth line has, of course, not been interfered with. The number of contracts for inland mails in operation in 1897 was 750, as compared with 723 in 1896. The length of inland postal routes byroad (counted one way only) was 9,112 miles, and the total number of miles travelled 2,049,001, at an average cost of 3-35 d. per mile. In 1896 the respective mileages were 8,683J and 1,893,428, and the average cost 3'44d. per mile. Ordinary trains with mails travelled 2,641,053 miles, as against 2,512,881 in 1896. The sum payable to the Eailway Department for the conveyance of mails by ordinary trains was at the rate of £30,126 13s. per annum. The payment for 1896-97 was at the rate of £29,928 10s. The following mail-services were established during the year:— Auckland — As required : Cabbage Bay Post-office-Steamers. Daily : Northcote Post-office-Wharf (giving Northcote second daily mail). Thrice weekly: Eiverhead Post-office-Wharf; Pukekohe-Patumahoe-Mauku. Twice weekly: Whangarei-Whareora-Kiripaka (twice weekly)-Ngunguru (once weekly). Weekly : Clevedon-Maraetai; Kaihu-Mangatu; Galatea-Te Whaiti; Kaeo-Otoroa; Mangawai-Hakaru-Kaiwaka (giving two last-mentioned places second weekly mail) ; Okupu-Whangaparapara; Putaruru-Lichfield (taking place discontinued railway service); Tairua-Hikuai; Tairua-Ohui; Te Kuiti-Paemako ; TauhoaPort Albert (giving Port Albert twice-weekly mail); Whakapara-Puhipuhi. Blenheim — As required : Havelock Post-office and Wharf; Picton Post-office and Wharf. Thrice weekly : Blenheim-Haveloek. Twice weekly : Kaikoura Eoad-Blind River. Weekly: Blenheim-Lower Awatere-Awatere-Molesworth (giving Awatere twiceweekly service); Blenheim-Robin Hood Bay-Ocean Bay-Port Underwood.

1890. 1895. 1896. 1897. Postal Districts. From Places beyond the '■ Colony. Begisteredin the Colony. Totals. Prom Places beyond the Colony. Begistered in the Colony. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. From Places beyond the Colony. Begistered in the Colony. Totals. Totals. Totals. Auckland Dhames .. Sew Plymouth jisborne . . Napier Wangamii Wellington Nelson Westport .. areymoufch Hokitika .. Blenheim jhristchurch rimaru 'Jamaru .. Dunedin .. [nvercargill 7,119 130 341 I 118 999 211 i 6,129 I 322 ! 112 102 95 92 I 3,659 312 278 4,615 J 1,740 j 34,398 4,781 3,372 2,120 10,911 6,060 30,369 3,430 3,254 8,879 2,579 3,193 20,404 3,551 2,505 19,696 9,819 41,517 4,911 3,713 2,238 11,910 6,271 36,498 3,752 3,366 8,981 2,674 3,285 24,063 3,863 2,783 24,311 11,559 11,042 226 505 228 1,195 397 10,055 1,239 194 365 206 120 4,465 1,510 1,252 5,520 2,579 47,350 7,955 8,576 3,812 16,917 16,300 50,900 6,956 4,409 4,989 3,624 4,447 28,302 4,514 2,569 28,188 14,507 58,392 8,181: 9,081 4,040 18,112 16,697 60,955! 8,195 4,603 5,354 3,830 4,567 32,767 6,024 3,821 33,708 17,086 7,396 1,536 1,323 422 2,944 1,970 7,780 916 768 1,024 512 576 5,760 640 426 4,255 2,176 56,550 12,052 10,503 3,316 23,051 15,495 60,497 7,356 6,136 7,883 3,779 4,368 45,069 5,253 3,433 33,288 17,218 63,946 13,588 11,826 3,738 25,995 17,465 68,277 8,272 6,904 8,907 4,291 4,944 50,829 5,893 3,859 37,543 19,394 12,517 206 830 231 1,379 1,484 11,594 610 196 425 74 66 4,687 232 109 7,392 3,220 62,903 18,038 14,246 4,850 19,545 17,801 54,235 10,279 5,472 6,496 3,444 4,318 53,212 5,478 4,197 37,322 17,866 75,420 18,244 15,076 5,081 20,924 19,285 65,829 10,889 5,668 6,921 3,518 4,384 57,899 5,710 4,306 44,714 21,086 Totals i ._ 26,374 !l69,321 41,098 254,315 295,413 40,424 315,247 355,671 195,695 45,252 339,702 384,954

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Ohristchurch— As required :' Little Akaloa Post-office and Wharf. Twice daily : Annat Post-office and Eailway-station ; Blandford Post-office and Bail-way-station. Daily : Hawarden Post-office and Railway-station. Thrice weekly: Ataahua - Kaituna Eailway-station; Methven-Highbank; South-bridge-Little Eakaia (renewal). Dunedin— As required : Milton Post-office and Eailway-station; Port Chalmers Post-office-Wharves-Eailway-station. Daily : Wylie's Crossing Post-office and North Taieri Eailway-station. Thrice weekly : Forsyth Post-office and Eailway-siding; Henley Bailway-station-Henley West; Hunt's Eoad Eailway-station and Katea. Weekly : Kelso-Merino Downs ; Tallaburn-Beaumont (re-established). Gisborne— Weekly : Gisborne-Moss Side-Morere. Greymouth— Weekly : Blackball Mine-Upper Blackball. Invercargill— Thrice weekly : Gorge Eoad Post-office and Eailway-station. Twice weekly : Waikaka-Greenvale ; Wairio-Aparima. Weekly: Papatotara-Te Tua. Monthly: Bluff-Te Oneroa-Cromarty (renewal). Napier— As required : Waipawa Post-office and Eailway-station. Twice weekly: Mangatoro Valley-Mangatoro Station (twice weekly while Danne-virke-Weber coach runs so, otherwise once weekly); Ormondville-Whefrukura; Patangata-Mangakuri; W&ipawa-Tamumu. Weekly : Dannevirke-Waipatiki-Weber-Ti-tree Point; Wimbledon-Herbertville. Nelson — Twice weekly : Collingwood-Eockville. Weekly: Collingwood-Pakawau. New Plymouth— Thrice weekly : Oakura-Koru. Weekly : Purangi-Matau. As opportunity offers : Waitara-Maryville. Oamaru — Daily : Waianakarua Post-office and Eailway-station. Twice weekly : Oamaru-Island Cliff Post-office and Eailway-station ; Tokarahi Postoffice and Eailway-station. Thames— As required : Paeroa Post-office and steamers at Junction ; Te Aroha Post-office and Eailway-station. Daily : Paeroa-Karangahake (giving Karangahake twice-daily service). Twice weekly: Hikutaia-Maratoto ; Paeroa-Komata; Tapu-Waipatukahu; Tau-ranga-Oropi-Eotorua. Weekly : Golden Cross-Te Whariki (giving Te Whariki a twice-weekly mail) ; Golden Cross-Te Whariki (taking place of service from Waitekauri); Hikutaia-Pukewhau ; Waitekauri-Te Whariki. As opportunity offers : Thames-Turua-Cryer's Landing. Timaru — As required : Waimate Post-office and Eailway-station. Daily: Timaru-Glen-iti. Weekly: Lake Pukaki-Hermitage (so as to make twice-weekly service for tourist season from the Ist November to 30th April). Wanganui— Daily : Otakeho-Auroa; Wanganui-Castlecliff. Twice weekly : Marton-Porewa Sehool-Symonds's Corner to McCrea's-Tikorangi Hill (letter-delivery and clearance service); Punihu Stream-Opunake. Weekly : Eltham-Eukumoana; Holden's (Hunterville-Turakina Eiver Boad)-Puke-roa; Norrnanby-Mawhitiwhiti. Wellington— As required : Pahiatua-Pahiatua Eailway-station. Daily: Hukanui Post-office and Eailway-station ; Pahiatua-Konini-Hamua-Newman-Newman Eailway-station; Palmerston North - Kairanga (R. 0.); clearing receivers at Kuripuni (Masterton). Thrice weekly : Hutt-Rona ; Fowler's-Eangiwahia. Twice weekly: Eketahuna - Parkville (not P.0.)-Nireaha ; Mangamahoe-Ihuraua Valley - Wairere ; Parkvale - Ahiaruhe ; "Upper Hutt - Wallaceville ; Waituna West-Pakihikura-Tapuae. Weekly : Apiti-Utuwai; Kaitawa-Hinemoa. Westport — As required :■ Karamea Post-office and Wharf. Twice daily : Letter-deliy.er.y at Denniston, by subsidised carrier. Daily : Letter-delivery at Harben and Waimangaroa, by subsidised carrier.

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The frequency of the following services was increased : — Auckland— , ■ . . .. ■ Daily to twice daily : Northcote Post-office and Wharf; Waihou Post-office and Bail- . way-station. Thrice weekly to daily : Devonport-Takapuna. Twice to thrice weekly: Helensville-Pouto-Aratapu-Mangawhare-Dargaville and other intermediate offices; Marsden Point - Euakaka-Waipu (temporarily, Ist January to 31st March). Once to twice weekly : Whangarei-Ngunguru. Blenheim— Fortnightly to weekly : Blenheim-Port Underwood. Christchurch — Twice to thrice daily: Christchurch-Sumner, one way only (inwards from Sumner). Daily to twice daily: Christchurch-Aylesbury-Kirwee-Darfield-Waddington-Sheffield -Annat-Springfield (by train) ; Christchurch-Hornby (by train) ; Christehurch-Papanui-Styx-Belfast; Waddington Post-office "and Eailway-station. Thrice to four times weekly : Waipara-Domett-Motunau-Cheviot. Twice to thrice weekly (May to September inclusive, and daily service to begin a month earlier—namely, Ist October instead of Ist November); Culverden-Upper Waiau Ferry-Hatimer Plains. Greymouth — Twice to thrice weekly : Blackball Mine-Blackball-Ngahere. Once to twice weekly : Greymouth-Barrytown. Hokitika— Once to twice weekly : Hokitika-Kanieri Forks. Napier— Twice weekly to daily (by train) : Napier-Matamau. Once to twice weekly : Dannevirke-Waipatiki-Weber-Ongaonga-Wakarara ; TaupoTokaanu (for month of December, so as to make increase from once to twice weekly, for tourist season, begin Ist December instead of Ist January). Oamaru— Thrice weekly to daily : Alma Post-office and Eailway-station. Thames— Daily to twice daily : Paeroa-Karangahake. Twice weekly to daily : Paeroa-Komata. Once to twice weekly : Golden Cross-Te Whariki. Timaru— Daily to twice daily : Waimate-Studholme Junction (train), Once to twice weekly : Lake Pukaki-Hermitage (second service intermittent, depending on traffic) ; Lake Pukaki-Hermitage (month of December, so as to make increase from once to twice weekly, for tourist season, begin Ist November instead of Ist December). Wanganui— Daily to twice daily: Ohingaiti-Mangaweka; Te Eoti Post-office and Eailwaystation. Twice to thrice weekly : Ohingaiti-Utiku-Otaihape-Moawhango. Wellington— Daily to twice daily : Ohau Post-office and Eailway-station. Daily to twice daily on Tuesdays and Fridays, and on any other day for San Francisco mail, once daily on other days as formerly : Pahiatua-Woodville Eailwaystation . From daily one way to daily both ways : Pahiatua-Woodville Eailway-station. Once to twice weekly : Makuri-Bakaunui-Pongaroa. Westport — Daily to twice daily : Westport-Harben. The following services were extended : — Auckland— Mangawai-Te Arai, weekly to North Albertland (giving last-named place weekly mail). Dunedin — Balclutha-Hillend to Pukepito, twice weekly. Napier— Wairoa-Nuhaka to Morere (giving through service to Gisborne weekly). Wanganui— Eltham-Mangatoki-Kaponga to Awatuna, daily. Wellington— Ashurst-Komako to Piripiri, twice weekly; Mangamahoe-Hastwell's to Kaiparoro, thrice weekly. The frequency of the following services was diminished : — Blenheim — Twice weekly to weekly : Tuamarina-Waikakaho. invercargill— Daily to weekly : • Wintpn-Brpwn's. , ... .','.. ;'■ , ■

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Napier— Thrice to twice daily (inwards only): Napier-Ormondville. Nelson— From weekly to intermittently (about once monthly): Nelson-Okiwi Bay. The following services were curtailed :— Auckland— Hikurangi-Kawakawa coach-service: Eailway being extended from Hikurangi to Whakapara, weekly. Dunedin— Hyde-Naseby (and intermediate offices) and Hyde-Clyde (and intermediate offices): Eailway extended from Hyde to Kokonga, whence coach now starts. ... . Wellington— Eketahuna-Woodville coach-service' (railway extended from Bketahuna to Pahiatua); Pahiatua-Woodville coach-service (railway extended from Pahiatua to Mangatainoka). There is still, however, another coach-service twice daily between Pahiatua and Woodville, which on return delivers mail once at Pahiatua and once at Mangatainoka. The following services were abolished :— Auckland— Waitapu-Whangape; Okupu-Whangaparapara. Christchurch — Lyttelton-Le Bon's Bay (unsubsidised sea-service) ; New Brighton-Burwood; Wools-ton-Bromley ; South Malvern Post-office and Bailway-station. Dunedin— Beaumont-Tallaburn ; North Taieri Post-office and Eailway-station ; Owaka-Katea. Napier— Dannevirke-Mangatoro Valley. Nelson— Nelson-Okiwi Bay. Thames— Letter-delivery by subsidised carrier in Kuranui and Tararu (now performed by lettercarrier, permanent officer); Waitekauri, clearing letter-receiver (subsidised service) ; Waitekauri-Te Whariki. Wellington— Mauriceville-Ihuraua Valley-Wairere ; Mangatainoka-Woodville; Waituna WestPakihikura; Waituna West-Tapuae (place of both taken by Waituna West-Pakihikura-Tapuae service); Woodville-Pahiatua. Buildings. The intention to make extensive additions to the Chief Post-office, Dunedin, could not be carried out during the year, owing to difficulties in securing the necessary space through certain adjuncts to the Supreme Court premises not being yet available. More suitable accommodation is urgently required, and steps should be taken as early as practicable to meet the requirements and convenience of the public and the department. The accommodation of the Circulation Branch, Wellington, is now inadequate for the business, the growth of which in all branches during the last few years has been abnormal. Additional space both for the public and the staff is urgently needed, and proposals to secure this are under consideration. The business at the Chief Post-office, Auckland, has also outgrown the accommodation, and other provision will shortly have to be made. The new offices at Ashurst and Waitekauri have been completed. The following general repairs, additions, &c, were carried out during the year : Eenovating messengers' quarters, improving lighting and ventilation, Auckland ; repairs, &c, Akaroa ; improving strong-room and ventilation, Christchurch; alterations, Denniston ; laying on gas and water, Dannevirke; removing post-office building, Feilding ; repairs, &c, to Chief Postmaster's residence, Greymouth ; gas-fittings, repairs, &c, to quarters, Hawera; repairs and renovations, Postmaster's residence, Havelock ; additions to building and office-fittings, Inglewood ; renovations, &c, Invercargill; additional rooms to Postmaster's quarters, Manaia; new fittings, Marton; additions, repairs, gas-fittings, &c, Onehunga; repairs to Postmaster's quarters, Ophir; renovations and repairs, Porangahau; general repairs, Eaglan ; fittings, &c, General Post Office building, Wellington ; engine-shed, Telephone Exchange, Wellington ; converting Courthouse building into postoffice and lineman's residence, Waiau. Additional accommodation is required at Wakapuaka to meet the requirements of the growing tralfic. Ocean Mail-services. The renewal of the San Francisco mail-service, and the establishing of a service between New Zealand and Vancouver, alternating fortnightly with that vid San Francisco, received the sanction of Parliament last session. The service by way of San Francisco was renewed for the twelve months to the 31st March. 1899, with the important alteration that the time occupied in the voyage between San Francisco and Auckland should not exceed nineteen days, in the place of twenty days as under the old contract. The basis of payment was also changed—printed matter as well as letters being paid for—and a minimum annual payment of £7,500 fixed. A clause was added to the resolutions

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by the House of Eepresentatives providing that not less than the current rate of wages ruling iv New South Wales for steamboat seamen should be paid by the contractors. The full text of the resolutions passed on the 13th December, 1897, is as follows :— San Francisco Mail-service. Besolved, —1. That this House authorises the Government to extend the San Francisco mail-, service for twelve months from the 31st March, 1898. 2. That the basis of payment for the conveyance of mails from New Zealand to San Francisco shall be at the rate of 10s. sd. per pound for letters, Is. per pound for books, packets, &c, and 6d. per pound for newspapers, with a guaranteed minimum payment of £7,500. 3. That the port of call in the colony shall be Auckland. 4. That the time between San Francisco and Auckland shall not exceed nineteen days. 5. That no bonus shall be paid for early arrival, and penalties at the rate of £4 an hour to be enforced only when late delivery exceeds forty-eight hours. 6. That at least one New-Zealand-owned steamer shall be employed in the service. 7. That the steamers to be employed shall be of not less than 3,000 gross registered tonnage. 8. That all payments or contributions from Great Britain and other countries shall be receivable by the contractors. 9. That the passenger rates and rates for freight shall be mutually agreed upon, and be fixed and embodied in the contract. 10. That the provisions of the existing agreement, where not at variance with these conditions, shall apply to any new contract made under this authority. 11. That a clause be embodied in the contract providing that not less than the current rate of wages ruling in New South Wales for steamboat seamen shall be paid by the contractor. The terms under which the Vancouver service was established are, with the exception of the longer time allowed for the voyage, practically identical with those of the San Francisco renewal. The following are the resolutions agreed to by the House of Eepresentatives:— Vancouver Mail-service. Resolved,—!. That this House also empowers the Government to establish a four-weekly mailservice between New Zealand and Vancouver, British Columbia, by way of Fiji and Honolulu, from the Ist December, 1897, to the 31st March, 1899. 2. Payment for the conveyance of mails from New Zealand to Vancouver to be at the rate of 10s. sd. per pound for letters, Is. per pound for books, packets, &c, and 6d. per pound for newspapers, with a guaranteed minimum payment at the rate of £7,500 per annum. 3. That the port of call in New Zealand shall be Wellington. 4. The steamers to be employed to be of not less than 3,300 gross registered tonnage ; and the time between Wellington and Vancouver not to exceed twenty-one and one-half days. 5. No bonus to be paid for early arrival. A penalty at the rate of £4 an hour to be enforced when the late delivery of the mails exceeds forty-eight hours. 6. All payments or contributions from other countries to be receivable by the contractors. 7. The passenger accommodation to be of the best description, and suitable for the voyage through tropical latitudes. 8. The contractors to convey all mails tendered at Wellington and Vancouver by or on behalf of the Postmaster-General, and to provide sufficient and secure accommodation for the same. 9. The contractors also to provide suitable accommodation and lighting for the purpose of sorting mails on board the contract vessels. First-class accommodation, as required, to be provided for a mail-agent and assistant without charge. 10. The rates for passengers and cargo to be mutually agreed upon and embodied in the contract, the terms of which, where not inapplicable, to be similar to those set out in the provisional agreement entered into between the Hon. J. G. Ward and Mr. James Huddart, at London, on the 19th April, 1895 {vide F.-9, 1895). 11. That a clause be embodied in the contract providing that not less than the current rate of wages ruling in New South Wales for steamboat seamen shall be paid by the contractor. The short length of time for which the two new contracts were to be entered into is mainly the result of a disinclination on the part of Government to extend the San Francisco service for a longer term until it could be ascertained whether the United States would continue the subsidy now being paid the contractors. Moreover, in view of the desire that both services should terminate together, and of the expiry of the New South Wales contract with the Canadian-Australian Eoyal Mail Steamship Company in May, 1899, it was considered inadvisable to enter into contracts for a period extending beyond the 31st March next. The first voyage of the accelerated San Francisco service commenced on the 20th April last from San Francisco, and the 16th April from Auckland; and the first subsidised voyage of the Vancouver steamers commenced on the 11th December, 1897, from Wellington, and the 14th December from Vancouver. The time-table under which the steamers of both lines run is arranged so that there will, as nearly as possible, be a fortnightly despatch from New Zealand and London. Mails leave Wellington every alternate Thursday, and are due in London every alternate Wednesday, occupying, from Wellington, thirty-four days. The mails for. New Zealand leave London vid San Francisco on the Saturday following the arrival of the Vancouver mail, and those via Vancouver on the Saturday following the arrival of the mail via San Francisco. Owing tp the headquarters of the Canadian-Australian Eoyal Mail Steamship Company's line of steamers being in Sydney, the absence of the required docking and repairing facilities at Vancouver, and the necessity for providing for connection at New York with the swiftest vessels running to Great Britain,

iii—F. 1.

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difficulty was experienced in arranging time-tables which would give the maximum of satisfaction to the department, and at the same time allow a reasonable stay in Sydney for the Vancouver steamers for overhaul; but the time-tables finally adopted appear to fairly meet requirements, although it will be necessary to revise the running when the time comes for renewing the services. For the- first few voyages of the Vancouver steamers, owing to financial troubles and the subsequent liquidation proceedings, the Canadian-Australian Royal Mail Steamship Company was unable to despatch its steamers from Sydney on time-table date, but, these difficulties having now been overcome, regular running is resumed, and will no doubt be maintained. The time of delivery of the mails in London via Vancouver has, as a rule, exceeded the time allowed, but this irregular running may be regarded as inseparable from a new service, particularly one which met at the outset with the adverse circumstances already mentioned. Until the establishing of the proposed fast steam service between Canada and the United Kingdom the mails are conveyed across the Continent of America by the Canadian Pacific Eailway Company between Vancouver and Portal, a station on the borders of Canada and the State of North Dakota, thence by the St. Pa.ul and Sault Ste. Marie line to Chicago, whence they are despatched by the best route to New York to connect with the Atlantic steamer. The transport of the mails across the territories of Canada and the United States costs the department only 17'28d. per pound for letters and 2-16 d. per pound for other articles, as against 25-92 d. per pound for letters and B'64d. per pound for other articles for the conveyance of mails vid San Francisco across the United States only, a gain of about three-fourths in favour of the Canadian route, which gain will be increased when the fast Atlantic steamers are running, and the mails vid Vancouver cease to pass through United States territory. It would appear from a recent Press telegram that the contract between the Canadian Government and Messrs. Petersen, Tate, and Co., which originally provided for the commencement of a fortnightly service in May, 1900, and a weekly service in May, 1901, has been modified to provide-for a weekly mail from the former date. The following statement of distances between New Zealand and America by different routes, and length of voyage at different rates of speed, may be of interest for future reference : —■ Distance, and Time, from Wellington and Auckland to Vancouver, by way of Intermediate Ports, and allowing for Stoppages en route. Wellington, Fiji, Honolulu, Vancouver. Miles. Days. Hours. Wellington to Suva ... ... 1,470 Through time, at 14 knots ... 20 17 Suva to Honolulu ... ... 2,780 « 15 » ••• 19 10 Honolulu to Vancouver ... 2,410 « 16 „ ... 18 6 , 17 „ ... 17 5 6,660 Stoppages allowed for, 22 hours, as follows: — Fiji, 10 hours ; Honolulu, 12 hours. Auckland, Fiji, Honolulu, Vancouver. Miles. Days. Hours. Auckland to Suva ... ... 1,100 Through time, at 14 knots ... 19 15 Suva to Honolulu ... ... 2,780 « 15 * ••■ 18 9 Honolulu to Vancouver ... 2,410 « 16 „ ... 17 7 . „ - 17 „ ... 16 8 6,290 Stoppages allowed for, 22 hours, as follows : ==• Fiji, 10 hours ; Honolulu, 12 hours. Auckland, Honolulu, Vancouver. Miles. Days. Hours. Auckland to Honolulu... ... 3,800 Through time, at 14 knots ... 19 0 Honolulu to Vancouver ... 2,410 „ 15 „ ... 17 18 „ 16 „ ... 16 16 6,210 « 17 „ ... 15 17 Stoppage allowed for, 12 hours, at Honolulu. Wellington, Honolulu, Vancouver. Miles. Days. Hours. Wellington to Honolulu ... 4,100 Through time, at 14 knots ... 19 21 Honolulu to Vancouver ... 2,410 „ 15 „ ... 18 14 „ 16 „ ... 17 11 6,510 „ 17 16 11 =■= Stoppage allowed for, 12 hours, at Honolulu. Distance and Time from Wellington and Auckland to San Francisco, by way of Intermediate Ports, and allowing for Stoppages en route. Wellington, Apia, Honolulu, San Francisco. Miles. Days. Hours. Wellington to Apia ... ... 1,871 Through time, at 14 knots ... 19 4 Apia to Honolulu ... ... 2,262 „ 15 „ ... 17 22 Honolulu to San Francisco ... 2,080 „ 16 „ ... 16 20 „ 17 „ ... 15 21 6,213 Stoppages allowed for, 16 hours, as follows : *=» Apia, 4 hours; Honolulu, 12 hours.

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Auckland, Apia, Honolulu, San Francisco. Miles. Days. Hours. Auckland to Apia ... ... 1,583 Through time, at 14 knots ... 18 7 Apia to Honolulu ... ... 2,262 „ 15 „ ... 17 3 Honolulu to San Francisco ... 2,080 „ 16 „ ... 16 2 17 „ ... 15 5 5,925 Stoppages allowed for, 16 hours, as follows: Apia, 4 hours ; Honolulu, 12 hours. Distances from Sydney. Sydney, Fiji, Honolulu, Vancouver. Sydney, Apia, Honolulu, San Francisco. Miles.. Miles. Sydney to Suva ... ... ... 1,743 Sydney to Apia ... ... ... 2,450 Suva to Honolulu .. ... ... 2,780 Apia to Honolulu. ... ... ... 2,262 Honolulu to Vancouver ... ... 2,410 Honolulu to San Francisco ... ... 2,080 Total ... ... 6,933 Total ... ... 6,792 Sydney to Vancouver via Wellington, Sydney to San Francisco via Auckland, Fiji, and Honolulu ... ... 7,860 Apia, and Honolulu ... ... 7,185 Ebceipts and Payments on Account of the San Francisco, Peninsular and Oriental, and Orient Mail-services for the Year 1897. San Francisco Service. De. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Payments by weight— On mails from New Zealand ... ... ...8,563 17 1 On mails from the United Kingdom ... ... 5,538 19 7 On mails from the Australian Colonies, Fiji, &c. 5,568 16 10 19,671 13 6 Interprovincial service, mail agents, &c. ... ... ... 4,009 19 2 m ~ , f San Francisco to New York ... ... 4,193 1 8 Transit charges ) New York tQ Qaeenstown 1,822 10 8 29,697 5 0 Cβ. Postages collected in the colony ... ... ... 11,060 12 5 Postages from London... ... ... ... ... 5,538 19 7 Contributions from non-contracting colonies ... ... 5,568 16 10 Penalty imposed for late arrival of s.s. " Zealandia " ... 424 0 0 22,592 8 10 Net cost to the colony ... ... ... ... £7,104 16 2 505,610 letters, 4,157 post-cards, 557,165 books, and 1,186,896 newspapers were received from, and 525,125 letters, 4,316 post-cards, 95,292 books, and 431,210 newspapers despatched to, the United Kingdom vid San Francisco. The letters received from the United Kingdom by this route show an increase of 5-12, the post-cards 212-79, the books 1388, and the newspapers 13-87 per cent. The letters despatched to that country show an increase of 1-38, post-cards 201-61, books 6 - 94, and newspapers 6-94 per cent., as compared with the numbers forwarded in 1896. Peninsular and Oriental and Orient Lines (Federal Mail-service). De. £ s. d. £ s. d. Payments to P. and O. and Orient lines ... ... 3,538 16 8 Transit charges across Australia ... ... ... 305 19 9 Transit charges across European Continent ... ... 546 2 6 Gratuities (to and from Australia) ... ... ... 1,775 0 2 6,165 19 1 Cβ. Postages collected in the colony ... ... ... 3,097 11 3 Postages from London and foreign offices ... ... 1,014 12 3 4,112 3 6 Net cost to the colony ... ... £2,053 15 7 The number of letters, post-cards, books, and newspapers conveyed from and to the United Kingdom by the Peninsular and Oriental and Orient packets were : Eeceived—463,l39 letters, 3,808 post-cards, 294,749 books, and 1,187,424 newspapers; despatched—l4l,299 letters, 1,161 post-cards, 26,610 books, and 107,781 newspapers. The average time in which mails were delivered by the San Francisco service was : From Auckland to London, 32-54 days, this average being the same as in 1896 ; and from London to Auckland 32-62 days, as compared with 34-31 days in the previous year. The shortest delivery was made in 31 days.

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The maximum, minimum, and average number of days within which the mails were delivered at and from London and Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Bluff during 1897 by the San Francisco contract service, and by the Peninsular and Oriental and Orient lines, was ; — San Francisco Service. P. and O. Line. Orient Line. Max. Mm. Average. Max. Mm. Average. Max. Mm. Average. London to Auckland .. .. 34 32 32-62 .. 47 37 4046 .. 53 38 42-41 Auckland to London .. .. 36 31 32-54 .. 47 39 41-07 .. 42 37 40-04 London to Wellington .. .. 36 33 34-23 .. 48 38 4127 .. 55 39 41-56 Wellington to London .. .. 38 33 34-54 .. 45 38 42-86 .. 45 37 42-27 London to Dunedin .. .. 38 34 3569 .. 48 39 42-44 .. 54 39 41-90 Dunedin to London .. .. 39 34 35-54 .. 46 39 41-71 .. 46 39 41-37 London to Blufi .. .. 39 35 36-44 .. 47 38 41-69 .. 53 38 41-15 Bluff to London .. .. 40 35 36-29 .. 45 38 40-96 .. 45 38 40-62 The several subsidised mail sea-services, the subsidy payments for the year 1897, the dates when established, and the date on which each terminates are shown as follows :—

* Minimum subsidy for year, £7,500; contract service less than one month in existence on 31st December, 1897. Money-orders. Eighteen money-order offices were opened during the year—namely, Cabbage Bay, Courtenay Place, Glentunnel, Hornby, Hukanui, Kaihu, Kaiwaka, Lovell's Plat, Mangaonoho, Mangatainoka, Nightcaps, Okupu, Otaihape, Paraparaumu, Te Mata, Thorpe, Waikino, Waituna West. One office —Mauku—was closed. The number of offices open at the end of the year was 396, as against 379 twelve months previously. 293,659 orders were issued for £970,830 14s. lid., as compared with 269,566 for £902,159 15s. 7d. in 1896—anincrease of 24,093 in number, and £68,670 19s. 4d. 215,240 orders, amounting to £837,208 14s. Bd., were paid, as against 203,084 for £794,309 os. 6d. during 1896—an increase of 12,156 orders, and £42,899 14s. 2d. The number of telegraph money-orders issued was 33,601, for £113,584 17s. Bd., as compared with 30,860, for £113,617 16s. lOd. in 1896 —an increase of 2,741 orders, but a decrease in amount of £32 19s. 2d. 99,792 orders, for £208,238 4s. Bd., were issued on the United Kingdom, Australian Colonies, and other places beyond New Zealand. 2,1,492 orders, for £75,343 12s. 2d., were issued at places beyond New Zealand for payment in the colony. The commission received for money-orders amounted to £13,835 15s. 4d., as compared with £12,671 6s. 7d. received in 1896. A direct exchange of money-orders with Fiji was arranged as from Ist March last. Postal Notes. The sale of postal notes was extended to the following offices:—Burnett's Face, Courtenay Place, Gladstone, Glentunnel, Hukanui, Lovell's Flat, Mangaonoho, Okupu, Otaihape, Paraparaumu, Bakaunui, Tauhoa, Te Mata, Tokatea, and Te Whariki.

Service. Duratioi Annual Subsidy or Payment. when established. of Service. When terminated or terminable. Number of Voyages per Annum. Mileage for Complete Voyage. Cost per Mile. Auckland and San Francisco Wellington and Vancouver Auckland and Fiji Auckland and South Pacific Islands Auckland and Devonport .. Auckland and Great Barrier Dargaville and Tangihua .. Helensville and Matakohe Helensville and Dargaville Horeke, Kohukohu, Rawene, Waitapu, and Opononi lussell and Opua iVhangaroa and Totara North Wellington, Ketu Bay, Maud Island, Maori Bay, Homewood, and Havelock .. kelson, Motueka, Totaranui, Takaka, and Collingwood .. iVestport and Karamea .. iVestport and Little Wanganui Hokitika, Okarito, Bruce Bay, Paringa, Haast River, Okuru, Waitoto, and Jackson's Bay jyttelton and Chatham Islands 31uff and Half-moon Bay Bluff, Te Oneroa, and Crornarty !nterprovincial service in connection with San Francisco line £ s. d. 7,622 19 4 7,500 0 0* 1,690 0 0 1,200 0 0 60 0 0 250 0 0 75 0 0 I 500 0 0 I 148 10 0 90 0 0 25 0 0 [ 180 0 0 I 125 0 0 J 200 0 0 1 600 0 0 April, 1871 Dec, 1897 June, 1880 June, 1885 Aug., 1863 Oct., 1891 Nov., 1893 Jan., 1881 Jan., 1889 Jan., 1889 Jan., 1891 Mar., 1899 Mar., 1899 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 13 13 13 12 939 52 52 . f 52 1 104 52 104 52 ll,8. r >0 13,320 2,334 6,992 6 120 46 118 1 170 J 48 16 2 s. d. 0 11-88 0 10-40 1 1-37 0 3-43 0 2-56 0 9-62 0 7-53 0 5-04 1 2-28 1 0-98 4 9-69 Dec, 1891 Dec, 1899 26 183 0 9-08 Dec, 1899 52 130 0 4-44 f June, 1886 t Jan., 1895 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 26 12 102 ) 82 I 1 1-20 Jan., 1886 Dec, 1899 6 384 5 2-50 300 0 0 300 0 0 360 0 0 July, 1886 April, 1893 Nov., 1886 March, 1899 Dec, 1899 March, 1899 6 52 12 1,050 48 208 0 11-43 2 4-85 2 10-62 1 3,000 0 0 I Nov., 1897 13

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The offices at Cape Poulwind, Mauku, aud Purekireki were closed. The number of offices at which postal notes were sold at the end of the year was 452, as compared with 440 at the end of 1896. 409,866 notes, of the value of £137,113 15s. 2d., were sold, as against 376,796, of the value of £129,011 18s., during the previous year. The postal notes paid numbered 407,610, of the value of £134,045 7s. od., as compared with 375,208, for £128,655 18s. 6d.—an increase for the year of 32,402 in number and £5,389 Bs. 6d. in value. The postal-note commission amounted to £2,735 ss. Bd. Savings-banks. This branch maintained during the year the steady advance which has characterized it, with but few and slight exceptions, since its inception. The facilities for making use of the bank were further extended by the opening of eighteen additional offices—the total number at the end of the year being 388. The accounts opened numbered 36,394, and 24,821 were closed, giving a net increase of 11,573 depositors, and raising the proportion of accounts per head of population from one in 4 - 83 to one in 458, or, say, one account to every four and a half souls in the colony, unmistakably indicating how widely the advantages of the Post-Office Savings-Bank are appreciated. That there arq 159,331 depositors in a population of 729,056 is to be regarded as satisfactory. The deposits numbered 267,615, representing £3,187,219 2s. 4d.—an average of £11 18s. 2d. per transaction. The withdrawals amounted to £2,891,169 ss. Bd., which, being divided by 179,555, the number of operations, gives an average of £16 2s. per withdrawal. The increase both in transactions and amount is considerable, as a reference to Table No. 5 will show. The net amount added to the depositors' savings was therefore £296,049 16s. Bd., and £137,240 Bs., the interest earned, or a total of £433,290 4s. Bd. added to depositors' accounts during the year. The sum at the call of depositors increased from £4,311,634 13s. sd. at the close of the previous year to £4,744,924 18s. Id. on the 31st December last, representing a sum equal to £6 10s. 2d. per head of the entire population, and £29 15s. 7d. per depositor. Last year the figures were £6 os. 9d. and £29 3s. 7d., and in 1891 £4 ss. and £29 16s. As illustrating the earning-power of small savings, it may be pointed out that the sum of £1,777,747 os. 6d. has been credited to depositors as interest since the Post-Office Savings-Banks were established in 1867. That the depositors are mainly persons by whom the facilities for accumulating small savings are widely appreciated is shown by Table No. 9, from which it will be seen that out of the 159,331 accounts, 143,898 had balances under £100 to credit. The cost of working the savings-banks amounted to only 4'29d. per transaction, or £8,000 for the year. Profits amounting to £15,000 were paid to revenue; and the balance to credit of Profit and Loss Account stood at £95,773 ss. 3d. on the 31st December, 1897. On the Ist November last the rate of interest allowed depositors was further reduced from 3-£ to 3 per cent, on sums not exceeding £200, and from 3 to 2-| per cent, on amounts exceeding £200 but not exceeding £500. The immediate effect; of the reduction was that the withdrawals for November exceeded the deposits by £13,292, but in December the deposits exceeded the withdrawals by £2,157, and in January by £6,644, since when the transactions have been normal. The following table shows the average daily transactions : — Average number of deposits per day, 1896 ... . . ... ... 792 1897 874 Increase, per cent ... ... ... ... ... ... 1035 Average number of withdrawals per day, 1896 ... ... ... 546 1897 587 Increase, per cent."... ... ... ... ... ... 7 - 51 Average daily amount deposited, 1896 ... ... ... £9,415 10s. Bd. 1897 ... ... ... £10,415 15s. od. Average daily amount withdrawn, 1896 ... ... ... £8,469 2s. lid. 1897 £9,448 ss. 4d. Cost of management per cent, on total amount to credit of depositors, '17, or 3s. sd. per £100. TELEGEAPHS. The total value of the telegraph and telephone business for the year ended the 31st March last, including Government telegrams and miscellaneous telegraph receipts, was £160,725 ss. 2d., as compared with £152,752 18s.—an increase of £7,972 7s. 2d., or 522 per cent. The following is a comparison of the business in paid telegrams during the last five years:— Number. Value. 1893-94 ... 1,839,094 ... ... ... £88,371 1894-95 ... 1,802,182 Decrease, 2-01 per cent. ... 85,388 Decrease, 3-38 per cent. 1895-96 ... 1,899,632 Increase, 5-41 per cent. ... 92,289 Increase, 8-08 per cent. 1896-97 ... 2,285,001 Increase, 20-29 per cent. ... 97,453 Increase, 5-60 per cent. 1897-98 ... 2,469,415 Increase, 8-07 per cent. ... 96,537 Decrease, 094 per cent. Delayed telegrams were abolished and the ordinary telegram rate reduced from Is. to 6d. on Ist June, 1896. The business for the twelve months ended 31st May, 1898, exceeded that of the

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last twelve months at the old rates (June, 1895, to May, 1896) by 604,721 paid telegrams, an 31-7 per cent. The number of telegrams of all codes forwarded last financial year was 2,696,233 —an increase of 176,064 or 6-99 per cent., over 1896-97. The proportion of telegrams per head of population was 372, as compared with 3 - 55 the previous year. The number of ordinary telegrams forwarded was 2,023,421, of the value of £72,848 Bs. 2d., compared with £76,413 16s. 2d. from 1,884,528 ordinary and delayed telegrams in 1896-97, a decrease of £3,565 Bs. in value, but an increase of 138,893 in number. The urgent telegrams numbered 106,597, of the value of £8,970 ss. Id. —an increase of 9,354 messages, but a decrease of £63 19s. 2d. in value. 220,754 Press telegrams, of the value of £9,207 18s. 3d., were forwarded in 1897-98, as compared with 198,406, valued at £9,521 95., forwarded in 1896-97—an increase of 22,348, or 11-26 per cent., in number, but a decrease of 329 per cent, in value. The value of each Press telegram averaged 10' Old., as against 11-52 d. in 1896-97. The bureau messages numbered 118,643, of the value of £2,909 3s. 2d., as compared with 104,824, of the value of £2,483 9s. Id.—an increase of 13,819 in number, and £425 14s. Id. in amount. The average value of each bureau message was 5-88 d., as against 5-69 d. in 1896-97. The number of Government telegrams forwarded was 226,818, valued at £24,504 9s. Bd., as compared with 235,168, of the value of £23,118 2s. 6d. —a decrease of 8,350 in number, but an increase of £1,386 7s. 2d. in amount. 33,601 money-orders, for £113,584 17s. Bd., were transmitted by telegraph, as against 30,860, for £113,617 16s. 10d., in 1896-97—an increase of 2,741 telegrams, or 8-88 per cent. The number of forwarded telegrams to every hundred letters posted in New Zealand for delivery within the colony was B'9l, as against 9-6 in 1896-97. The telegraph cash receipts for the financial year, including telephone-exchange subscriptions, private-wire rents, &c, amounted to £136,220 15s. 6d., compared with £129,634 15s. 6d. in 1896-97 — an increase of £6,586, or soB per cent. The expenditure, excluding cable subsidy, was £165,198 13s. 5d., as compared with £153,484 6s. Bd. the previous year—an increase of £11,714 6s. 9d., or 763 per cent. Additional staff was required to meet the increased volume of business caused by the introduction of sixpenny telegrams ; the cost of maintenance of new wires had to be provided for; while country telephonists, who are paid by fees, drew a considerably larger sum than during 1896-97. There were 6,484 miles of line and 18,024 miles of wire at the close of the year—an increase of 199 and 1,553 miles respectively. The net expenditure out of loan for telegraph extension was £29,384 2s. lid., as compared with £36,791 Bs. lid. in 1896-97. The number of private wires and subsidised lines was 157, compared with 133 in 1896-97. The amount received for rent, maintenance, &c, was £1,364 ss. 5d., as against £875 Is. lid. in 1896-97. The total number of telegraph- and telephone-offices open at the close of the year was 824. Of these, 235 were telegraph- and 589 telephone-offices. Forty-seven telephone-offices were opened and four closed. The following telephone-offices were opened: — Aiokeu's. Island Cliff. Ohoka. Tarata. Athol. Kiwitea. Omanaia. Tinakori Eoad. Blackball. Kokonga. Omata. Tokarahi. Brookdale. Lyndhurst. Pahiatua Railway. Totara North. Clarence. Lynton Downs. Parnassus. Turiroa. Courtenay Place. Mangere. Peep-o'-Day. Waikanae. Dumbarton. Mangere Bridge. Pemberton. Waikomiti. Day's Bay. Mendip Hills. Putaruru. Waipara. Frankton Junction. Mosgiel (bureau only). Rangiwabia. Waipu Junction. Hawkeswood. Motonau. Eeefton Railway. Waipatiki. Hukanui. Nevis. Rona. Weber. Hedgehope. Oaonui. Sumner Bureau No. 2. A telegraph-office was opened at Frankton Junction. The offices at Cass, Hokonui, Island Bay, and Tawataia were closed. The offices at Cullensville and Wellington Eailway were converted from Morse to telephone, and the office at Ohingaiti from telephone to Morse. The increase of business rendered necessary the erection of extra wire-accommodation over all main routes. Copper wire has been generally used with very marked advantage under conditions which would render working with an iron wire impossible. This is particularly the case on the Wellington-Dunedin circuit, which has a No. 8 copper wire between Blenheim and Dunedin. In certain conditions of the weather, when Christchurch is unable to work with Dunedin on an iron wire, communication between Wellington and Dunedin is not affected. Similar results have been experienced on the Wellington-Christchurch, Wellington-Auckland, Wellington-Wanganui, and other circuits. Where it has been necessary to reconstruct and alter the route of sections of line, copper wire of 1501b. and 2001b. to the mile has been used with considerable improvement in the workingcapacity of the wires affected. The most important of these changes so far completed are between Kaikoura and Waiau, and Paikakariki and Palmerston North. An important alteration in the route of the main northern wires will be absolutely necessary between Masterton and Waipukurau. The line at present runs by way of Tenui and Herbertville

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on the East Coast, through country where there is no road, and it is so old that it will require reconstructing. Instead of renewing and strengthening the line it will be better and cheaper to erect three new wires on existing poles between Masterton and Waipukurau via Woodville, dismantling a similar number on the line between Waipukurau and Masterton via Porangahau, Herbertville, and Tenui. When this work is completed all the northern circuits as far as Napier will be greatly improved. The old lines will be maintained to carry one wire to serve the intermediate stations on the East Coast. It is proposed to use on the section between Masterton and Waipukurau vid Woodville three copper wires, each of 2001b. to the mile, and of a resistance of 4-5 ohms per mile. On railway circuits, as well as some of the department's, where a number of stations is on the same wire, there has been a great improvement effected by the introduction of continuous-current working and the lowering of the resistance of the relays. There has also been a great saving in cost of maintenance of batteries, which are now placed at but few stations, and in some offices only fifty cells are used where there were formerly five hundred. Amongst the circuits so dealt with are : Railway and public wires—Palmerston North to Wanganui, Wanganui to New Plymouth; railway wires—-Wellington to Woodville; and public wire—Wellington to Masterton; public and railway wires—Auckland to Drury and Frankton Junction, Christchurch to Timaru, Dunedin to Oamaru and Dunedin to Invercargill. Telephone Exchanges. A new multiple switchboard, with provision for 1,500 subscribers, and an ultimate capacity for 4,800, has been fitted up in the Wellington Exchange. A like equipment for Auckland is now in the colony, and will be fitted up during the year. Similar switchboards are to be provided for Dunedin and Christchurch at an early date. Notwithstanding that the use of a telephone-exchange connection is restricted to the business of a subscriber or that of his family, employes, or guests, it is found that the use of instruments, particularly on long suburban lines, by persons not coming under one or other of these definitions is on the increase. As this affects the revenue derived from bureaux the department will probably have to interfere, as in the case of some of the other colonies —especially Victoria —where it has been found necessary to frame strict regulations to meet similar abuses. There were, on the 31st March last, 18 central exchanges and 11 sub-exchanges, a total of 29. The following is a comparative return of the telephone-exchange connections for the years 1896-97 and 1897-98 :— ■n, , No. of Subscribers or Connections : iixonange. Mar> 18g7 _ Mar 18g8 Ashburton ... ... ... ... ... 96 ... 96 Auckland ... ... ... ... ... 1,065 ... 1,039 Blenheim ... ... ... ... ... 64 ... 65 Christchurch ... ... ... ... ... 916 ... 848 Dunedin ... ... ... ... ... 928 ... 907 Balclutha ... ... ... ... ... 18 ... 13 Kaitangata ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 Milton ... ... ... ... ... 17 ... 19 Port Chalmers ... ... ... ... 17 ... 17 Gisborne ... ... ... ... ... 60 ... 97 Greymouth ... ... ... ... ... 72 ... 81 Invercargill ... ... ... ... ... 227 ... 211 Bluff ... ... ... ... ... 22 ... 23 Gore ... ... ... ... ... 49 ... 48 Mataura ... ... ... ... ... 10 ... 10 Eiversdale ... ... ... ... ... 15 ... 11 Winton ... ... ... ... ... 9 ... 9 Woodlands .. ... ... ... ... 8 ... 7 Masterton ... ... ... ... ... 53 ... 69 Napier ... ... ... ... ... 289 ... 291 Hastings ... ... ... ... ... 22 ... 27 Nelson ... ... ... ... ... 60 ... 57 New Plymouth ... ... ... ... 123 ... 150 Oamaru ... ... ... ... ... 96 ... 103 Palmerston North ... ... ... ... 86 ... 91 Thames ... ... ... ... ... 85 ... 83 Timaru ... ... ... ... ... 74 ... 73 Wanganui ... ... ... ... ... 138 ... 173 Wellington ..." ... ... ... ... 1,127 ... 1,163 Hutt ... ... ... ... ... 1 Totals ... ... ... ... 5,747 ... 5,787 The connections may be classified as follows: Paying, 5,478; free, 113; bureaux, 196: total, 5,787. The raising of the rates to business subscribers in the six principal exchanges from £5 to £7 resulted in a number of subscribers retiring. The net increase of subscribers for the year, however, was forty. The telephone-exchange receipts amounted to £36,422 6s. Bd., an increase of £7,173 7s. 3d. as compared with the subscriptions received the previous year,

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The working-expenses and 5 per cent, interest on capital cost for the year amounted to £35,008 11s. sd. The total capital cost of the telephone-exchange system to the 31st March, 1898, was £142,218 11s. Bd. Forty-six bureaux were opened during the year. The Hutt sub-exchange was closed. The following are the particulars of telegraph and telephone wires, &c, in the colony on 31st March, 1898. Telegraph. Telephone. Miles of line on Ist April, 1897 ... ... ... 6,284f 395 Miles of line on 31st March, 1898 ... ... ... 6,484 413 Miles of wire on Ist April, 1897 ... ... ... 16,470f 5,325 Miles of wire on 31st March, 1898 ... ... ... 18,024 5,648 Increase during year— Miles of poles ... ... ... ... ... 199} 18 Miles of wire ... ... ... ... ... 1,553} 323 Submarine cable on Ist April, 1897 ... ... ... 209-6 knots. 6 knots. Submarine cable on 31st March, 1898 ... .... ~. 2420 knots. 8 knots. The following works have been carried out in the several telegraph districts during the year:— Auckland. : Construction. Under this head the new lines completed are, — Miles of Miles of Poles. Wire. Onehunga to Mangere ... ... ... ... ... 4 4 Totara North to Kaeo ... ... ... ... ... 10 10 Omanaia loop ... ... ... ... ... ... 0 J 1 Waipu Junction ... ... ... ~. ... ... 1 Auckland to Whangarei ... ... ... ... 14 104 For Eailway Department— Cambridge Eailway Station ... ... ... ... 0£ 0-$-Auckland to Frankton Junction ... ... ... 6 87 For Public Works Department— Otorohanga to Poro-o-tarao ... ... ... ... 32 32 Making a total of 67f miles of poles and 240£ miles of wire. Comprised under the lines in progress are the following : Auckland to New Plymouth, section Auckland to Mangaotaki, Whangapoua to Opitonui. The line authorised from Putaruru to Botorua has been surveyed, but its construction is in abeyance owing to rails for poles being unprocurable at present. Maintenance. During the year 342 miles of line have been overhauled and repaired. On the main line Auckland to Cambridge some desirable renewals and deviations are compulsorily deferred until a supply of iron rails is available. The following deviations have been made during the year, equivalent lengths of poles and wire having been dismantled : — Miles of Miles of ■ i Poles. Wire. Lichfield (old office) Of Of Kaeo deviation ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 2 Pokeno deviation ... ... ... ... ... 2 12 Waiwera to Warkworth ... ... ... ... ... 12 12 Total ... ... ... ... ... 16f 26J Offices. During the year ten telephone offices were opened. Morse instruments, on the constant-current system, have been fitted on the following sections : Auckland Eailway to Frankton Junction (terminal at Auckland and Hamilton offices), 9 sets; Eawene to Kohukohu, 2 sets. The new office at Waitekauri has been fitted with Morse instruments. The offices at Waihi and Kuaotunu, reported in progress at the end of last year, have been completed and supplied with the necessary fittings. Auckland Exchange. : The total number of subscribers on the 31st March, 1898, was (excluding bureaux) 1,006, as against 1,033 on the corresponding date of the previous year, showing a decrease of twenty-seven subscribers. This falling-off is due primarily to the present depressed state of the mining industry, and to some extent, probably, to the increased rates which came into force in April last year. The subscribers who are now joining the Exchange are, however, likely to remain, which could not be expected of many who joined during the late period, when mining speculation waa at its climax.

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Thames Exchange. There is little progress to report. About four miles of new wire have been erected. The total ■number of subscribers is seventy-three. This Exchange and its lines have been overhauled. Wellington. Construction. The following additions to wires were completed during the year:— Miles of Mi'es of Poles. Wire. Napier to Wanganui ... ... ... ... ... ... 161 Dannevirke to Ti-tree Point ... ... ... ... 29 29 Bketahuna to Hukanui ... ... ... ... ... ... 7 Fowler's to Eangiwahia ... ... ... ... ... 16 16 Wanganui to New Plymouth ... ... ... ... ... 115 Toko to Strathmore ... ... ... ... ... 14 14 Inglewood to Tarata ... ... ... ... ... 12 12 Hutt to Eona ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 6 Wellington to Oterangi Bay ... ... ... ... ... 14 For Eailway Department— Hastings to Kaikora North ... ... ... ... ... 24 Palmerston North to Wanganui Eailway ... ... ... ... 55 Palmerston North to Ashurst Railway ... ... ... ... 9 Woodville to Ashurst Eailway ... ... ... ... ... 9 Hawera to Manutahi Eailway ... .. ... ... 10 10 Wellington to Woodville Eailway ... ... ... 18 105 Total ... ... ... ... ... 101 586 The reconstruction and diversion of the Paikakariki-Marton Junction section resulted, after dismantling a portion of the old line, in decreasing the miles of poles by 14, and increasing the miles of wire by 122, making a total increase of 87 miles of poles and 708 miles of wire. This removal of the main line from the beach has been followed by improved working. Maintenance. The section Upper Hutt-Masterton has been overhauled and strengthened. Considerable damage was done to the lines in the Napier District during the Easter floods of 1897, but the repairs were effected with despatch. The bush fires in the beginning of this year caused some damage to the lines between Masterton and Dannevirke and destroyed the Tawataia office. Offices. Eighteen telephone offices were opened during the year. Alterations were made to the following offices :— Wellington Eailway ... ... ... ... Morse to telephone. Ohingaiti ... ... ... ... ... Telephone to Morse. The telephone offices at Island Bay, Plimmerton, and Tawataia were closed. Cables. Between the 23rd and the 31st March last a new cable of 32-4 knots was laid from Oterangi Bay to White's Bay, and a fault in the Lyell Bay cable was cut out and 23 knots of sound cable inserted. This is the first cable-work undertaken by the Government cable-steamer " Tutanekai," which proved herself to be suitable in every way. Telephone-exchanges. No new exchanges were opened in this district during the year, but the sub-exchange at Hutt ■was closed. The bridging multiple switchboard was fitted in Wellington and opened for public work early in November, and has given the satisfaction that was expected of it. There are now 1,163 subscribers to the Wellington Exchange. There were 143 miles of wire and 12 miles of poles added to the exchanges in Wellington District during the year. Nelson. Construction. The following new wires have been erected :— No. 8 copper completed between Blenheim and Kaikoura ... 90 miles. A fourth wire from Wakapuaka to Belgrove ... ... ... 37 „ Eeefton to Eeefton Eailway-station ... ... ... ... 1-J „ Havelock to Cullensville ... ... ... ... ... 10 „ Ngahere to Blackball ... ... ... ... ... 3J „ Total length of wire erected... ... ... ... 141f miles. iv—F. 1.

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XXVI

A quarter of a mile of poles was also constructed. A line of 2f miles is in course of erection between Eeefton and Crushington, and one of 10 miles between Collingwood and Bainham. Maintenance. A thorough overhaul of the main south line—Blenheim to Kaikoura—was carried out by the party running the new copper wire. The line is now in first-class order. The section Takaka-Farewell Spit has been attended to, and a considerable length of wire renewed on the Spit. No. 11-J copper has been substituted for No. 8 iron wire in Greymouth, and for a distance of a mile north and south of the town. The same has been done at Brunnerton. This latter work was rendered necessary owing to the corrosion of the iron wire by the action of sulphur-fumes from coalsmoke. About 20 miles of copper wire were used. Offices. During the year three telephone-offices were opened. The office at Cullensville has been altered from Morse to telephone. Telephone-exchanges. The three exchanges in the Nelson District are in a satisfactory condition. The number of subscribers has increased at Greymouth, but remains stationary at Nelson and Blenheim. General. The condition of the lines is satisfactory, and, with the exception of the renewal of about 150 , poles on the Hokitika-Eoss line, there will be no very considerable outlay required on any section for some time. Chkistchuech. Construction. Under this head the following work has been completed : —- Miles of Miles of Poles. Wire. Geraldine loop ... ... ... ... 4-| 9, No. 11 copper. Christchurch-Kaikoura ... ... ... ... 125, „ 8 „ Christchurch-Waitaki ... ... 147, „ 8 „ The net result—after dismantling what was not required—of diverting the main line from the Waipara-Cheviot-Kaikoura route to the Waipara-Waiau-Kaikoura route has been to increase tha line by 345 miles, and the wire by 191 miles. Maintenance. During the year the line between Waiau and Kaikoura, 50 miles, has been entirely rebuilt— old railway-metals being used as poles; and between Amberley and Waipara, 7 miles, thoroughly overhauled. The section between Amberley and Kaiapoi, 18 miles, has been strengthened, and the line in many places diverted, bringing it alongside the road, and all spans fixed at 4 chains, instead of 4 to 6 chains, as previously. The section between Papanui and Kaiapoi, 9 miles, has been re-poled and the spans shortened to 80 yards. When reconstructing and overhauling the above sections, copper wire for the main circuits has been erected as follows : Between Waiau and Kaikoura, 200 miles of No. 12 J (Waiau to Waipara was finished last year), Waipara to Ghristchurch, 37 miles, 111 miles of No. 12J, making a total of 311 miles of No. 12-| copper used to replace No. 8 iron wire. There are several light branch sections to be overhauled during the coming year — viz., Addington-Kaiapoi, Eangiora-Amberley, Kaiapoi-Oxford, Christchurch-Akaroa, ChristchurchSouthbridge, Ghristchurch-Lyttelton, and Darfield - White Cliffs. All the above must be strengthened, decayed poles re-butted, and arms, many of which are of stringy bark, renewed. The old north line between Waipara and Kaikoura has been partially dismantled. One wire has been left standing for Cheviot-Ohristchuroh and Gheviot-Hawkeswood circuits. The portion north of Hawkeswood was sold as it stood. Offices. Eleven telephone-offices were opened, and one closed Morse sets on the closed-circuit system have been fitted on the following sections :— Christchurch to Ashburton ... ... ... ... ... 11 sets. Ashburton to Timaru ... ... ... ... ... 11 „ Timaru to Waitaki ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 „ Christchurch to Waiau ... ... ... ... ... 12 „ Christchurch to Oxford ... ... ... ... ... 6 „ Christchurch to Southbridge ... ... ... ... ... 8 „ Total ... ... ... ... ... ... 54 sets. A Morse set on the open-circuit system has been fitted at Amberley to work on the Christ-church-Cheviot circuit.

F.—l

XXVII

Christchurch Exchange. The total number of subscribers on the 31st March last was 848, including bureaux, as against 916 on the 31st of March, 1897, showing a decrease of 68. Ashburton Exchange. There has been no change in the number of subscribers (96). Timaru Exchange. One subscriber retired during the year, the number now connected being 73. This Exchange requires a thorough overhaul during the coming year. A great deal of the wire is very much oxidised and is becoming unsafe. Dunedin. Construction. The various extension-works completed during the year have been as follows: — Poles. Wire. Hyde to Kokonga ... ... .. ... ... 9f miles. Ngapara to Tokarahi ... ... ... ... 8 miles 8 „ Hokonui to Hedgehope... ... ... ... 3 „ 3 „ Bannockburn to Nevis ... ... ... ... 18J „ 18J „ Kokonga to Waipiata ... ... ... ... 6 „ 6 „ Clyde to Cromwell (second, wire)... ... ... ... 13 „ Kaitangata trunk line ... ... ... ... ... 7 „ Dunedin to Waitaki (copper wire) ... ... ... 84 „ Total: 35J miles of new line, and 92f of wire, 56 miles of wire having been dismantled. Maintenance. All lines have worked well during the year. About 400 miles have been overhauled by the ordinary repairing parties. There are 1,488 miles of poles and 3,276 miles of wire, 143 sets of Morse instruments, and 225 telephones used for telegraphic purposes in the district. Offices. Eight telephone-offices have been opened and two closed. Telephone-exchanges. The mileage of poles and wire for all exchanges in the district is 92 and 1,100 respectively. There are 1,494 telephones in use in connection with exchange-work. A branch exchange has been opened at Kaitangata. The total number of subscribers in the district is 1,319, or a decrease of 31 as compared with those at the corresponding period of last year.

The usual telegraph charts accompany the report.

Table No. 1. POST OFFICE MONEY ORDERS ISSUED AND PAID. Table showing the Number and Amount of Money Orders issued and of Money Orders payable in New Zealand, Year by Year, since the Year 1880.

I—F. 1.

Issued in the Colony. Where payable. Total. Commission received. In the Colony. United Kingdom and Foreign Offices. Australia and other British Possessions Year. No. Amount. I No. Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 £ 3. d 7,943 15 4 7,582 8 5 8,267 9 8 9,022 10 6 9,525 3 8 9,553 o 7 8,541 7 10 8,532 10 5 8,377 6 4 8,696 13 5 8,823 Io ° 9,649 14 9 9,452 o o 10,248 14 5 10,600 19 7 ii,433 13 8 12,671 6 7 13,835 15 4 97,275 99,523 108,916 132,232 144,227 146,406 113,598 119,091 122,042 127,323 130,641 138,555 140,672 !46,i33 155,534 162,600 181,505 193,867 £ s. d. 320,260 19 11 321,635 3 3 360,196 4 9 402,558 12 11 430,446 18 10 439,870 3 9 412,276 3 o 426,194 13 9 432,056 6 2 458,469 7 7 472,967 4 7 504,834 16 9 540,763 15 o 576,358 17 2 608,042 2 11 635,062 17 11 717,217 19 1 762,592 10 3 27,587 25,376 25,898 26,211 28,712 28,722 27,389 26,057 26,636 26,206 25,053 26,590 27,451 29,616 28,513 28,882 29,238 31,770 £ ■■ d104,149 5 10 90,229 5 3 91,530 17 9 91,634 4 7 96,901 14 o 95,920 9 10 87,904 9 10 84,264 12 9 81,488 10 3 79,167 o 4 74,566 13 9 77,481 2 9 78,848 1 7 86,544 19 « 79,348 10 2 78,465 o 4 82,498 15 6 93,649 1 3 10,786 10,657 13,348 I4.H3 13,113 13,494 14,693 14.431 13,709 l8,547 20,733 30,094 3!.3i5 35,208 38,631 52,015 58,823 68,002 £ s - d. 4°.994 X 5 4 40.317 J 9 2 47,641 7 5 46,939 17 XI 45,317 12 4 45,604 15 2 47,574 9 11 45,285 6 II 4 2 ,45i 4 4 51,909 6 10 54,543 3 7 69,674 o o 75,235 7 !0 88,025 8 9 89,392 11 10 99,076 16 8 102,443 1 o 114,589 3 5 135,648 135,556 148,162 172,556 186,052 188,622 155,680 159,579 162,387 172,076 176,427 195,239 199,438 210,957 222,678 243,497 269,566 293,659 / s. d. 465,405 1 1 452,182 7 8 499,368 9 11 541,132 15 5 572,666 5 2 581,395 8 9 547,755 2 9 555,744 13 5 555,996 o 9 589,545 14 9 602,077 1 11 651,989 19 6 694,847 4 5 750,929 5 10 776,783 4 11 812,604 M Ir 902,159 15 7 970,830 14 11 Drawn on the Colony. Where issued. Total. Year. In the Colony. United Kingdom and Foreign Offices. Australia and other British Possessions. No. Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 • 97.275 99,523 108,916 132,232 144,227 146,406 ii3i598 119,091 122,042 I27>323 130,641 138,555 140,672 146,133 155,534 162,600 181,505 193,867 £ s. d. 320,260 19 11 321,635 3 3 360,196 4 9 402,558 12 11 430,446 18 10 439,870 3 9 412,276 3 o 426,194 13 9 432,056 6 2 458,469 7 7 472,967 4 7 504,834 16 9 540,763 15 o 576,358 17 2 608,042 2 11 635,062 17 11 717,217 19 1 762,592 10 3 3.466 3,466 3,421 3,725 4,535 5,204 5,824 6,334 7,336 7,469 7,775 7,910 8,152 8,746 9,293 9,938 10,254 10,085 £ ■■ d. 14,811 14 8 14,078 17 3 13,416 1 9 15,553 3 11 17,679 o 6 20,091 17 4 22,650 1 10 23,423 16 2 26,262 14 5 26,887 17 9 27,975 15 5 28,518 14 o 29,349 14 7 32,616 17 2 33,786 17 6 35,155 7 9 35,553 7 1 35,238 10 3 3,913 4,649 5,076 5,697 6,755 7,725 9,545 8,963 15,365 15,859 I3,33i 13,604 11,291 10,679 10,690 11,520 n,5O7 11,407 £ s - d - 15,829 o 3 18,863 4 2 21,090 4 10 23,299 12 11 27,429 18 6 30,724 6 4 36,513 3 " 33,254 2 3 56,141 4 1 56,402 1 4 47,890 2 6 48,700 9 6 41,064 6 6 40,929 2 5 38,571 3 1 39,862 18 10 40,836 4 7 40,105 1 11 104,654 107,638 "7,413 141,654 155.517 159,335 129,242 I33,9io 144,450 150,651 151,747 160,069 160,115 165,558 175,517 184,058 203,266 215,359 350,901 14 10 354,577 4 8 394,702 11 4 441,411 9 9 475,555 17 10 490,686 7 5 471,185 7 o 482,437 17 4 513,728 8 2 541,759 6 8 548,833 2 6 582,054 o 3 611,177 16 1 649,904 16 9 680,400 3 6 710,081 4 6 793,607 10 9 837,936 2 5

Frf-1

Table No. 2. Table showing the Money Orders issued in New Zealand on Offices beyond the Colony, and Money Orders issued at Offices beyond the Colony on New Zealand, during the Years 1896 and 1897.

;sukd in New Zealand. i8?6. 189J. Where payable. Number. Number. Amount. Amount. United Kingdom and Foreign Offices United States of America Canada Cape Colony Ceylon .. Germany Hawaii Hongkong India New South Wales Queensland South Australia Straits Settlements Tasmania Victoria Western Australia 26,566 2,672 203 76 36 222 253 10,576 654 625 IO 35,675 10,212 28l £ »• d. 75,891 13 9 6,607 1 9 666 o 2 324 15 1 169 5 2 1,317 16 7 i,438 5 9 28,621 15 5 1,835 15 3 1,634 4 4 22 12 10 38,192 10 o 26,920 12 11 1,299 7 6 28,244 3,°43 224 100 53 4 8i 2 244 252 11. 173 750 767 13 43,158 10,898 39° £ *■ d. 84,593 11 3 7>529 3 6 943 19 ° 361 I I 358 I o 1,523 6 6 300 1,326 16 6 1,222 16 8 30.137 14 5 2,567 13 9 i,gi8 15 6 49 o 9 44,483 15 4 29,326 9 10 1,892 19 7 Totals 208,238 4 8 88,061 184,941 16 6 99,792

irawn on New Zealand. 1896. 189J. Where issued. Number. Amount. Number. Amount. Jnited Kingdom and Foreign Offices Jnited States of America .. Canada .. rape Colony Ceylon .. Germany Hawaii Hongkong India Jew South Wales Jueensland .. .. south Australia ,. Straits Settlements Pasmania Victoria Western Australia 9-325 929 140 248 25 £ 8. d. 32,189 1 9 3,364 5 4 668 5 11 1,338 8 4 82 7 7 9,198 772 143 292 14 109 6 £ »■ d. 31,431 18 2 3,025 18 11 638 16 11 1,441 3 6 38 3 9 7 6 9 5 4 11 7 10 39 12 11 487 1 7 12,024 o 8 2,813 14 11 1,755 1 6 27 10 6 3,655 17 8 8,808 3 2 8,375 14 10 15 109 4,196 783 495 9 948 2,925 1,614 58 12 2 404 o 10 12,534 1 9 3,070 1 1 1,462 14 2 32 6 10 3,092 19 1 9,120 5 1 8,972 1 9 15 127 4, O 38 6 5 2 532 9 983 2,895 1,707 Totals 21,761 76,389 11 8 21,492 75.343 12 2

F.—l

Table No. 3. Table showing the Number and Value of Postal Notes sold from the 1st January, 1886— the date upon which they were first issued— to the 31st March, 1898.

no 50 ° 6 I aJWS t> t> es co" t> CO W 00 OS rH c<1 Tμ t> CO l> CD TH US (M CO «O ' CO i—t rH rH Tμ rH »O CO CO CM CM iO TH C- CO CO io C5 as t> CO CO l> GO I—I © O O 00 G> i—I rH l> 00 rH 00 © CD rH l> CO CO © CO W CO OS Tμ rH CM CM CO « «3 CO CD iH © rH o CM CD iO t}4 io iO iO c<1 co" cm" cm" rH OS CM rH & GO cT Tμ rH CO IO CO (M rH GO © OS CO >o as © l> 00 CO rH rH CM as i> Tμ Cfl CO CO C CO co cm as CO CD t> os as co i-H tP l> CO CO CO CD CO CO as r-H 8 CM & 3 (M © GO cs a cm rH © l> i-H r-T o i-H O co' 3 CD CO GO cm" tH GO CD O OS 1C tP t> rH i-\ 00 t> i> Oi iH CO Oi CM <m CO OS © CO IO CO CO »O (M CM OS CO co" c<1 I CO CO rH CD CO © 00 OS OS CO l> CO GO rH CO CM <M CO CO CO us CM CO CO CM W5 U5 O* CO O3 CM <N CO CO CO CO CO «5 rH CO CO OS CD U3 CO CO OS CO Tj< TP 1C CD «5 i-H CO 8 CO © I l> CO tH © © •-* as l> l> S CO CO CO iH 3 CM t> © CO CD GO Tμ Tμ CO rH OS CM CO 1O CD GO CTS CM l> rH © rH © © i-H CO © CD CO 00 r-T CM*" CO*" t> co i—i O5 rH t> CM l> © l> iH tJI go" oC CO I co" •g 00 to 03 o 1 03 ■s £ I i as CD © 00 00 as tr- i-H © (M CD HH 1C CO t> as co as t> 00 tH »H3 © © as cs as CO rH © CO © GO CD i-H CO W5 CO CD CO CO tH th ira © CO tl> rH i-H O 3 it 3 Ci CO Cl> © CO CO iH tH CM CO l> rH i-t O5 CD rH t> (M t> l> t- CD Tμ »O l> O5 as TtH 4 iH © tJI c<) CO © i-H co CM tr- l> © co co en i—j i> CD IO © CM l> <M CO CO CO OS (M (M i-H Cft CM iH l> © © Tj* CD rH rH CD I CO rH t> CD co" Tμ CO CM ■■5P ©" 00 t> Sμ" (M rH CO © l> CD 00 GO OS (M Tμ CO (M CT CM CO GO CD Tμ as t> r-i «5 © CM I a? § 0 .8 "S # OS CO o CM CO Mi CO 1O rn" I©" -H i-H i-H T* l> oT i—i © CO fM tM O 1C «5 C<J r-i O CO CO I—I l> CO GO 9 © 9 O3 CO <M CO Tμ © «3 CO i-H 00 © CO 5 3 i—I O i—I l> CM tM Tμ CD r-1 CD r-1 OS CO OS i-l i—I CO l> tf rH <M cs © co" i—I CO CO rH CO CO CO CO O Tμ 3 §3 g us as co" rH (M l> O <M r-t CO CO CO <N W5 00 CO CO CO 8 rH CD <M o 03 5 CD © CO 00 CM <N t~ © t> O5 CO © 00 W5 rH OS CO «3 t> rH IO CO rH CM CM CM CM CM l> co" CO OS CO CD Iβ T* © tH CO CO t> CO i-H GO Tμ OS CO co Tμ io CD 1 CM CO 00 as CD t> CO CO s i OS © CO »c © CO* 1-i tH CM CM CO Tμ IO CD CM >O rH rH i> ci ■^μ l> (M >O CM CM CO CO Tμ i—( 40 GO Tf* rH CO Tμ Tμ CO © W3 CO t> CO us CO CM CO Tμ IQ CO CO t> 00 S rH CO CO a> rH I IS t—I CO 00 CO 00 GO 00 00 A CO 00 OS QO o OS I 00 oo I—* I o OS 00 <M Oi 3 CO OS I <N OS CO I CO I OS 3 CO f OS CO cn i CD as oo CO OS (L OS CO

F.—l

Table No. 4. Table showing the Number and Amount of Transactions at the several Money Order and Savings Bank Offices in New Zealand during the Year 1897.

Money Orders. Saving! Banks. Office. Issued. Paid. s- cTjj egg < ° Deposits. C -t3 Withdrawals. No. Commission. Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. .UCKLAND Aratapu Avondale Bombay Cabbage Bay*.. Cambridge Clevedon Coromandel Dargaville Devonport Drury Hamilton Helensville Hikurangi Huntly Kaeo Kaihuf Kaikohe Kaitaia Kaiwakaf Kamo Kaukapakapa .. Kawakawa Kihikihi Kohukohu Kuaotunu Mangapai Mangawai Mangonui Maugawhare .. Matakana Matakohe Matamata MaukuJ Maungaturoto .. Mercer Mititai Morrinsville Mount Eden .. Newmarket Newton Ngaruawahia .. Ohaeawai Ohaupo Okaihau Okupu§ Omapere Onehunga Otahuhu Otorohanga Pahi Papakura Paparoa Parnell Parua Bay Pirongia Pokeno Ponsonby Poroti Port Albert Pukekohe Raglan Rangiriri Rawene Rotorua Russell Tairua Taupo Te Awamutu .. Te Kopuru Te Kuiti Tirau Tokatoka Tuakau Up'r SymondsSt. Wade Waipu Waiuku Waiwera Wangaroa Waotu 2i,129 893 . 38 135 118 753 212 4,104 1,209 435 181 964 452 368 629 281 496 193 372 64 264 82 53 1 168 217 1,050 282 532 1,160 281 129 162 121 21 H3 2 43 178 159 4 1 492 1,041 379 317 164 109 70 294 681 226 451 154 197 200 326 151 176 103 326 281 184 I- 385 203 125 213 1,603 3 r 7 660 £ s - d - 1,207 4 o 36 6 9 1 11 3 .423 3 15 6 28 6 9 6 14 3 204 4 o 118 7 3 16 14 3 5 16 o 38 2 6 15 18 6 15 1 6 25 1 o 15 8 o 22 12 9 16 18 6 16 9 6 239 9 3 6 3 7 9 23 1 o 646 13 15 6 45 4 6 8 18 9 65 o 6 148 18 3 11 13 3 3 5 6 586 4 13 9 0 12 9 4 3 6 7 16 6 4 19 9 626 1 12 6 18 8 o 46 14 o 13 11 6 19 4 9 5 16 3 4 12 o 2 11 6 33 2 3 32 12 o 9 18 9 25 17 3 696 6 10 3 800 14 6 9 5 14 o 5 19 9 626 12 o 6 41 4 6 6 15 9 13 10 6 7 19 3 3 16 9 940 75 7 3 11 1 4 50 10 o 16 4 3 10 14 9 29 18 6 8 19 o 5 8 3 15 4 6 6 15 3 17 18 o 4 12 9 19 4 9 16 12 3 3 1 ° 10 2 o 1 13 " £ s - d - 73> 66 9 13 1 2,486 4 7 72 4 10 372 3 2 419 11 7 2,177 11 5 423 13 ° 12,240 17 1 6,016 18 8 862 15 7 450 15 8 2,742 18 3 1,337 6 5 1,360 18 2 1,817 1 5 889 10 6 1,681 o 5 758 13 4 1,252 1 2 154 6 6 688 19 7 234 3 8 1,618 9 2 411 13 1 927 17 10 3,573 14 6 1,121 2 2 2,915 o 11 6,519 18 3 842 6 2 365 3 5 432 13 9 360 2 6 44 5 1 388 15 9 672 16 o 446 19 5 447 15 8 77 13 11 1,228 19 4 2,247 9 4 1,081 2 6 958 2 10 490 7 3 224 12 2 302 10 o 2,179 9 1 1,688 5 1 5°4 I0 3 1,954 5 6 416 o 6 490 8 3 658 8 o 774 3 7 478 2 5 654 2 8 398 16 5 635 4 i° 1,708 8 6 490 6 9 1,117 6 1 627 4 1 280 1 4 664 15 11 6,805 3 1 961 3 7 3,012 9 4 1,411 7 3 816 19 7 2,566 1 o 1,020 5 2 411 11 9 932 13 9 557 8 9 888 2 8 287 9 10 1,426 7 5 1,403 6 o 314 J 3 3 647 19 6 83 6 2 36,731 143 125 106 15 563 104 867 234 498 114 791 224 166 251 77 36 37 70 7 117 56 289 85 63 210 67 65 129 55 5° 32 36 10 9i 114 28 135 127 33f> 1,280 332 78 88 49 7 52 857 402 146 70 179 48 568 55 93| 44 835 14 72 236 141 54 208 499 204 J 74 109 227 I3 1 29 42 72 104 146 50 138 174 31 63 18 £ s - d - 129,414 o 3 457 i° ° 409 13 2 602 7 7 38 8 4 2,086 12 9 490 6 8 3»4 1 3 16 9 971 ° 3 1,533 6 11 658 11 3 3,377 14 6 833 2 1 858 8 5 894 6 6 371 5 4 181 18 5 152 19 9 412 10 5 33 17 o 544 19 9 243 3 2 1,086 2 o 401 5 6 294 3 ° 1,189 16 3 248 18 10 363 11 11 486 13 11 222 19 7 174 1 11 230 16 II 276 5 4 25 7 2 266 10 5 538 4 5 125 16 11 457 14 6 396 8 5 1,058 16 8 4,43° 11 5 1,148 15 4 500 15 7 387 4 ° 321 18 o 55 18 8 188 12 3 3, J 43 7 2 1,465 13 7 654 3 8 322 o 3 836 3 3 144 4 7 1,852 5 6 324 7 6 340 16 10 227 8 2 3,132 5 2 167 7 6 338 4 9 1,073 10 3 568 3 6 140 10 6 824 17 11 3,064 1 7 1,049 1 8 2,110 13 3 508 2 11 890 511 801 13 8 75 o 11 224 2 5 512 18 3 422 13 10 461 17 10 204 15 3 781 16 6 875 16 10 131 5 11 235 8 o 86 7 6 2,608 93 9 17 5 87 10 356 94 95 13 U3 46 32 38 27 4 1 23 11 11 20 19 46 22 17 65 8 49 42 19 8 18 20 I 13 14 7 20 3 16 123 27 14 19 9 8 15 37 43 38 12 18 16,820 771 60 142 11 543 109 2,268 596 655 65 810 272 197 253 181 207 146 in 44 197 131 332 189 106 380 55 271 158 121 70 53 107 22 84 100 4 1 147 34 208 1,094 3°3 119 97 38 27 105 274 294 209 85 108 68 764 40 52 73 291 67 no £ e. d. 325,482 9 4 3,932 o o 328 6 o 1.017 7 o 84 o o 8,623 15 3 554 19 7 17,522 1 5 6,078 15 6 3,453 8 5 843 1 o 8,357 9 7 I,647 12 8 2,115 14 11 2,456 5 8 1,145 4 o 1,199 16 o 956 5 ° 1,012 I O 419 13 o I,368 8 o 919 13 o 2,643 3 o 1,195 15 8 745 o o 3,290 13 9 761 10 o 3,3O3 3 ° 3,246 19 o 691 8 0 971 18 o 541 15 o 766 13 o 135 I O 830 i o 788 4 o 514 17 ° 1.018 1 11 137 19 2 828 2 o 6,504 4 9 849 13 3 1,035 8 o 1,097 2 1 . 518 8 o 356 9 10 270 9 o 2,598 5 7 1,629 o 8 2,126 10 o 733 19 o 1,687 13 3 626 1 o 1,441 10 7 1,101 17 o 312 10 o 777 18 o 621 1 6 I,306 2 o 1,025 4 3 3,666 12 o 872 8 o 209 3 o 704 5 o 4,448 16 10 813 11 o 3,590 IO 2 750 7 o 3,394 9 6 2,685 1 o 392 o 6 342 o o 994 o o 548 18 o 1,053 6 o 799 8 o 2,327 18 6 2,208 7 10 532 14 ° 1,925 2 8 138 o o 2,749 28 4 42 4 95 52 20 1 40 13 8 II 8 3 18 4 10 3 14 !3 4 25 7 6 9 8 6 4 2 1 1 5 2 8 26 14 11 5 19,958 in 7 40 5 262 23 73O 179 191 24 335 98 61 101 7 1 48 54 1 103 37 95 68 29 166 3° 33 74 26 23 20 26 4 16 27 20 35 10 36 128 106 4 1 26 18 £ S. d. 342,530 18 8 1,095 3 4 50 19 o 521 14 II 45 9 9 5,123 5 4 106 2 5 7,714 16 10 3,009 5 2 1,308 10 9 259 15 11 4,366 14 o 784 7 4 1,627 J 6 3 1,385 1 o 759 6 7 310 4 1 429 o o 675 2 8 213 o o 1,212 10 11 498 18 4 1,785 6 11 1,004 1 4 335 16 6 1,857 8 1 611 18 7 558 1 10 1,237 2 1 363 2 7 237 11 o 193 14 2 205 15 4 21 11 9 362 7 5 458 6 r 309 10 3 923 5 6 46 3 o 259 16 5 1,836 9 1 1,in 7 4 567 6 11 397 12 8 450 10 1 46 o o 282 14 1 1,912 2 o 865 7 8 1,000 18 11 276 4 1 4 8 5 3 2 563 16 o 352 8 1 727 6 11 359 14 11 431 10 7 398 7 5 181 2 6 511 9 9 1,029 18 11 1,241 11 6 51 9 o 482 3 1 2,33° 5 6 715 9 10 53° 8 9 508 9 o 1,006 18 9 792 18 o 370 1 1 99 9 9 37 1 5 242 17 5 121 11 5 91 15 o 1,471 9 1 1,237 18 1 243 o o 731 II II 21 O O 8 3 32 118 21 20 17 4 6 7 21 95 90 31 41 34 83 19 48 37 5° 10 49 100 12 84 9 6 6 20 4 5 3 9 3 7 17 7 19 19 31 18 2 11 257 97 33 85 383 104 35O 72 299 356 67 79 65 69 245 86 5° 15 46 252 25 68 29 86 101 18 80 5 53 4 15 1 15 18 322 286 778 298 143 253 203 369 137 444 466 86 203 43 12 45 42 7 7 10 16 16 11 23 37 7 20 2 2 4 2 72 35 8 8 31 37 16 130 232 35 159 15 13 12 72 83 11 43 2 5 3 * Opened 1st July, 1897. t Opened 16th March, 1897. { Closed 16th July, 1897. § Opened 24th September, 1897.

F.—l

Table No. 4 — continued. Table showing the Number and Amount of Transactions at the several Money Order and Savings Bank Offices in New Zealand during the Year 1897 — continued.

Money Orders. Savings Banks. Office. Issued. No. Commission. Paid. lit DC Z S S < o No. I Deposits. leposits. Amount. Withdrawals. Amount. No. Amount. 2 o < No. Amount. Auckland— cont'd. Warkworth Wellsford Whangarei Whitianga Blenheim Cullensville Havelock Kaikoura* Kekerangu Picton Renwicktown .. Spring Creek .. Christchurch .. Akaroa Amberley Ashburton Bealey Belfast Chertsey Cheviot Coalgate Culverden Darfield Dunsandel Duvauchelle .. Ellesmere Glentunnelf Green dale Hanmer Plains Hinds Hornby} Hororata Kaiapoi Kaikoura* Kirwee Leeston Lincoln Linwood Little River Lyttelton Methven Mount Somers.. New Brighton .. Oxford Papanui Pigeon Bay Rakaia Rangiora Rolleston St. Albans Sefton Sheffield Southbridge Springfield Springston Sydenham Tinwald .. Upper Riccarton Waiau Waikari Whitecliffs Woolston DUNEDIN Alexandra South Allanton Balclutha Caversham Clinton Clyde Cromwell Dunback Dunedin North Green Island .. Hamilton South Heriot Hyde Kaitangata Kolso Lawrence Lovell's Flat§ .. Macrae's Flat .. Middlemarch .. 4°3 73 1,672 i>438 2,304 130 691 223 195 926 113 232 16,583 449 266 2,755 67 124 "5 614 102 219 116 92 176 37 40 3° 140 no 67 140 479 1,013 103 378 132 73 436 2,i43 253 I5 1 68 569 73 75 534 999 35 34 58 199 232 322 77 717 75 58 287 311 132 109 13.127 987 76 928 174 613 395 740 119 1,419 138 211 234 519 735 301 871 6 368 448 £ s. d. 13 3 ° 2 17 o 67 18 9 57 6 o 107 1 3 480 25 2 9 9 5 3 7 0 3 32 o 6 3 14 3 10 9 o 832 14 3 20 9 o 9 14 3 105 10 3 289 386 360 17 14 6 3 12 o 8 4 3 4 13 9 3 14 °! 7 1 9 1 7 2 1 11 9 0 19 o 5 3° 2 17 9 4 4 3 630 20' 17 o 41 M ' 3 4 14 o 12 16 3 5 16 3| 3 7 9i 19 3 "I 104 19 6 869 626 3 5 9 18 9 o 2 13 o 3 10 3 16 o 9 40 1 9 1 2 3 1 12 1 229 696 9 10 3 11 17 3 3 1 3 31 11 3 3 3 3 1 17 6 12 6 3 11 5 9 466 3 16 3 629 12 3 38 14 3 2 12 o 32 6 6 703 21 6 6 16 3 6 27 19 o 2 13 6 66 18 o 669 6 16 o 7 4 9 18 14 6 25 10 9 11 4 3 32 7 3 040 14 1 6 13 5 3 £ s. d. 1,258 3 11 175 17 1 5,603 14 9 4,621 12 6 7,424 ° 3 312 3 8 2,236 6 11 745 19 o 479 12 9 2,616 18 11 285 1 8 722 11 11 56,029 15 5 1,401 15 8 75O 5 4 10,899 I0 7 I7 1 14 5 182 3 4 244 2 6 6,080 11 3 249 1 7 973 13 9 333 T 3 6 315 19 7 574 14 2 116 9 11 95 19 8 62 16 11 436 4 5 317 11 11 226 13 11 519 15 ° i>351 7 5 3,956 11 0 366 6 3 1,424 16 7 370 o o 184 6 8 1,762 3 11 6,480 1 7 818 15 6 4 J 3 9 11 158 9 9 1,865 11 6 129 5 5 200 12 10 2,630 14 5 3,118 19 o 81 4 2 80 18 2 260 19 8 570 16 6 683 18 6 962 13 11 183 o 9 2,og2 15 2 245 18 3 104 11 11 816 17 8 1,483 12 o 371 10 4 213 14 7 40,473 12 10 3,602 16 5 254 10 8 2,366 10 6 522 16 2 2,059 11 8 1,447 19 6 2,264 l8 11 514 8 o 3>265 6 9 359 10 2 935 3 2 547 14 9 1,738 10 1 2,122 ig II 1,013 6 7 2,693 19 6 19 13 ° 1,422 12 O 178 43 594 180 1,627 37 245 41 7 428 40 56 21,835 234 199 921 14 32 32 225 41 62 26 41 102 £ s. d. 920 3 1 179 13 3 2,345 9 6 960 16 10 5,381 18 5 179 18 9 1,123 18 9 174 14 8 33 1 I 1,6og 6 1 142 8 9 226 1 6 87,959 18 9 641 13 4 720 10 11 3,747 11 i° 93 14 6 134 4 5 229 14 2 1,3°5 3 7 164 9 1 347 10 4 68 10 11 175 18 1 308 17 7 62 15 1 43 8 6 228 10 10 no o 2 214 10 7 91 17 8 310 11 5 i,37i 2 9 735 3 2 186 1 4 1,001 17 5 535 9 4 546 15 11 858 16 8 2,939 6 4 452 14 11 215 13 11 202 8 5 939 8 o 379 9 9 112 14 5 882 2 6 1,993 4 9 88 17 6 259 4 8 229 7 4 282 11 5 1,182 15 10 1,460 10 11 130 14 3 1,888 17 2 86 18 3 167 17 o 437 7 9 765 3 10 126 13 10 209 2 6 101,460 18 10 551 9 9 88 13 6 1,766 11 11 1,186 19 7 444 9 1 448 18 6 881 15 2 197 14 11 2,143 13 4 544 1 8 47 7 9 163 7 o 285 8 o i>135 11 9 197 4 10 2,131 11 4 29 6 142 76 360 7 44 8 2 64 17 17 3,985 53 26 262 6 10 5 45 8 18 6 6 10 4 4 10 211 50 977 462 2,641 32 3°3 79 43 433 126 79 38,102 315 248 2,062 £ s - d - 2,435 15 10 215 13 0 13,295 11 11 4,282 14 3 33,907 o 5 154 9 o 2,343 3 3 787 4 o 140 12 o 5,773 8 2 446 19 o 408 7 o 484,862 6 2 3,621 13 8 2,591 o 10 23,043 18 2 627 o o 335 4 ° 634 12 o 4,608 2 6 921 15 o i>399 i 2 1,336 2 o 964 5 4 798 5 o 313 X 4 5 147 1 o 604 7 o 678 13 11 381 16 6 222 3 2 552 3 ° 9,058 13 4 9,850 14 6 903 18 0 4,107 18 2 914 10 o 402 1 6 2,560 4 4 i8,357 7 1 1,507 5 1 622 3 3 877 7 o 3>°5i 7 3 296 10 o 430 6 o 3> 2 34 4 5 19,797 11 5 267 12 o 1500 330 3 ° 2,036 17 4 3,568 16 9 901 17 o 413 16 9 7,323 17 2 913 2 6 279 11 o 3,016 2 9 1,889 2 o 200 18 O 801 16 II 349,565 8 ii 1,629 o 4 388 3 6 7,793 1 8 1,704 6 o 1,920 8 o 1,040 2 6 2,517 18 4 205 19 10 21,756 8 6 843 11 7 301 13 o 594 2 o 351 7 6 2,976 12 7 486 18 4 7,34° 19 3 1200 163 14 o 421 13 8 9 2 50 39 537 8 18 8 2 20 7 1 3,036 28 10 94 15 35° 138 2,448 24 ii9 4 2 C 190 25 16 31,224 124 106 998 £ s. d. 1,747 11 5 233 7 6 6,647 9 6 2,863 10 10 47,125 16 7 249 4 2 i>343 11 11 1,418 6 3 221 8 6 2,233 10 9 156 4 4 137 14 9 498,826 o 6 3,37i 9 3 1,410 2 4 19,240 17 3 318 0 o 73 15 o 176 o 7 1,681 7 o 100 9 o 917 13 4 527 4 2 281 10 1 517 12 8 77 o o 127 1 4 143 39 59 49 324 81 no 72 7i 61 19 31 30 93 44 47 57 946 409 64 363 156 176 198 2,239 165 93 308 286 116 48 264 i>337 31 12 48 116 322 103 74 i>750 92 29 180 152 67 121 26,149 273 33 574 754 218 99 157 18 4,210 197 25 37 60 450 5° 597 1 1 8 7 4 18 27 in 18 38 22 4 4 2 10 24 50 3 9 10 15 14 24 37 20 11 9 10 6 118 2 1 8 18 13 31 375 84 4 1 117 22 19 59 764 54 18 63 170 34 14 130 546 8 46 7 o 171 10 10 91 12 5 599 10 4 7,124 10 4 1,407 9 9 388 14 10 3,089 1 10 230 3 6 211 7 10 727 5 6 10,843 6 5 751 17 6 250 4 5 185 17 7 2,597 13 10 170 o 5 153 7 1 2,660 o o 14,240 17 o 132 18 9 44 372 142 47 296 134 169 no 874 55 56 48 215 94 26 5 3 1 62 17 2 223 11 5^ 13 9 29 255 22 23 2 4 c 99 9 C 15 31 49 13 10 23 3 1 16 73 1 123 583 21 73 48 70 240 140 27 619 28 28 69 92 37 72 25,690 142 29 424 351 123 133 220 31 611 164 8 46 90 297 46 514 44 183 4 4 10 10 38 16 15 184 12 8 20 22 10 2 9 22 6 1 4° 12 24 63 126 49 14 225 69 5 54 60 265 8 5 706 18 6 1,645 2 11 462 7 11 104 10 6 1,808 4 9 665 11 11 36 9 5 1.287 8 11 881 2 4 372 11 o 748 12 2 349,272 11 2 987 11 6 91 15 6 4,5" 13 10 95 14 n 1,302 18 8 1,032 1 3 1,060 13 10 777 18 8 7,620 6 5 488 15 2 74 11 10 82 17 o 156 18 o 1,675 15 6 527 6 6 7.288 15 9 1 13 8 13 2,804 46 9 96 54 28 14 3° 6 388 35 8 10 55 11 87 1 6 11 5 2,495 19 1 29 9 18 9 J 4 3 148 7 2 2 2 29 4 45 25 4 1 22,330 88 J 3 205 3° 74 51 61 12 883 52 7 9 19 115 25 236 40 55 161 8 3 267 1 1 20 38 2 8 23 21 148 5 8 130 5 6 1,422 11 3 * Transferred to Christehurch District 1st April, 1898. t Opeiiad 1st May, 1897. J Opened 24th Feb., 1897. j Opened 8th Nov., 1897.

F.—l.

Table No. 4 — continued. Table showing the Number and Amount of Transactions at the several Money Order and Savings Bank Offices in New Zealand during the Year 1897— continued.

Office. Issued. Money Orders. Paid. lid. Amount. Ai * <° No. Deposits. Savin eposits. Amount. Savings Banks, ngs Bank Withdrawals. No, Commission. Amount. No. No. Amount. Dunedin — cont'd. Miller's Flat .. Milton Mosgiel Naseby Nenthorn Ophir Outram Owaka Palmerston Patearoa Pembroke Port Chalmers Puerua Roxburgh St. Bathan's .. Seacliff South Dunedin Stirling Tapanui Waihola Waikaia Waikoikoi Waikouaiti Waipori Waitahuna Waitati GlSBORNE Tolaga Bay Waipiro Bay .. Greymouth Ahaura Blackball Mine Brunnerton Jackson's Nelson Creek .. Ngahere Reefton Stillwater Totara Flat HOKITIKA Goldsborough .. Kumara Rimu Ross Stafford Invercargill Arrowtown Balfour Bluff Dipton Edendale Fairfax Fortrose Gore Half-moon Bay Kingston Lumsden Mataura Nightcaps* Orepuki Otautau Pukerau Queenstown Riversdale Riverton Thornbury Waikaka Waipahi Wairio Winton Woodlands Wyndham Napier Dannevirke Hastings Herbertville .. Kaikora North Kumeroa Makaretu Makotuku Mohaka Norsewood Ongaonga Ormondville .. 275 802 361 1,108 46 654 249 699 735 279 195 1.359 105 698J 484 197 421 240 664 143 558 46 355 153 237 83 2,802 165 222 2,707 327 269 682 823 207 116 8 11 3 30 6 6 15 1 6 32 15 3 1 6 6 21 19 o 906 18 8 6 £ s - d - 907 2 3 2,177 2 4 915 15 9 5,384 ° J 112 6 8 2,089 14 8 731 14 o 2,160 o 8 2,319 1 8 851 14 9 677 16 9 3,426 18 8 250 on 2,684 19 IJ 1,586 15 9 623 8 5 833 3 7 614 14 o 2,074 9 11 387 16 o 2,105 18 11 in 4 10 1,122 19 2 422 2 9 764 18 5 269 1 11 9,062 13 10 494 9 ° 848 8 3 8,137 11 2 1,606 7 10 746 8 o 2,047 17 o 3,247 19 2 577 12 o 268 11 6 7,061 10 4 451 12 2 323 1 3 4,136 o 8 276 8 1 2,369 18 7 161 14 5 1,092 4 3 640 7 4 11,774 9 2 1,969 9 3 137 5 7 2,336 1 10 453 11 3 398 17 8 100 13 5 857 6 1 5,360 12 2 344 4 6 394 11 11 1,119 19 9 1,849 6 10 45 6 6 1,571 o o 874 16 5 364 18 11 2,471 14 5 1,125 i° 2 1,891 8 10 344 1 10 646 1 5 414 13 2 482 10 2 1,514 11 9 415 18 3 1,287 13 2 17,774 19 2 5,210 8 4 6,096 8 6 657 8 2 873 6 o 545 o 10 439 14 1 554 18 6 378 3 ° 2,479 9 4 518 6 10 1,112 16 6 22 515 285 3 O2 II 56 92 i8i 37 2 16 34 866 37 156 44 87 454 63 176 35 51 16 240 26 75 98 1,118 43 46 2,227 7 1 22 286 29 10 17 630 4 2 62 984 23 492 25 236 38 4,442 141 22 326 4 2 49 3° 53 668 49 5 114 143 1 £ 8. d. 86 15 6 1,818 1 1 1,065 8 o 1,246 13 2 93 8 4 248 13 o 392 6 5 800 19 1 1,631 2 11 43 o o 184 1 10 3,063 4 0 121 16 o 589 10 1 155 2 I 324 8 8 i,598 6 7 212 3 10 658 15 3 170 18 10 197 7 6 56 19 o 721 9 o 115 10 10 345 o 8 371 12 3 4,327 8 10 105 9 6 263 11 4 7,7O4 1 3 254 l6 5 65 18 4 1,024 15 6 142 8 1 56 4 o 64 2 o 2,439 o 7 164 1 2 223 11 5 3,664 11 1 134 13 2 1,871 2 2 75 3 4 1,031 4 11 126 8 11 15,182 12 8 7 02 ' 13 5 80 1 3 1,251 o 11 139 18 5 240 18 7 89 o 9 170 10 9 2,198 12 7 400 19 1 32 7 0 460 9 10 455 13 2 200 171 2 1 2 33 7 3 115 o 4 955 18 5 300 7 3 1,293 14 9 I 2 9 5 4 66 19 6 108 13 10 94 6 10 808 13 8 244 16 7 415 6 4 18,783 0 7 2,606 17 8 4,356 18 9 142 14 o 361 10 8 35 13 3 7 2 4 5 298 15 4 210 9 9 243 3 4 134 13 8 562 13 o 9 79 32 45 3 11 47 534 3°o 2 55 16 35 100 £ «• d658 1 5 -5,241 11 7 2,178 9 1 2,119 18 6 21 o o 947 17 ° 587 9 o 1,439 5 1 3,772 9 9 4 26 12 21 3 1 238 81 77 2 13 40 91 146 £ s. d. 517 6 9 4,132 1 6 1,525 10 8 1,490 19 5 600 137 9 1 367 4 0 1,280 15 11 3,34 2 o 8 4 8 14 25 54 140 394 7 2 3 2,233 166 160 1,484 125 962 117 433 272 4,oi3 622 52 g26 149 152 57 308 i,736 98 158 383 704 10 493 303 115 769 405 609 124 225 146 144 574 146 415 5,641 1,811 2,089 187 300 163 178 214 134 541 208 24 11 3 8 12 o 8 16 3 58 13 ° 300 23 6 3 17 13 10 670 18 5 o 7 16 o 20 8 9 4 11 9 22 9 6 1 5 6 II 5 6 4 19 9 7 11 6 2 16 o 157 19 3 9 3° 15 11 6 136 5 3 14 7 o 8 16 6 3i 1 3 31 14 ° 629 4 15 o "9 15 3 7 1 3 5 14 6 68 18 9 5 7 3 39 15 3 3 10 6 15 19 9 8 18 3 181 7 3 25 18 3 206 36 7 9 4 15 o 5 4 3 1 15 o 8 9 9 67 9 9 3 1 6 4 17 9 15 14 9 2 3 9 9 076 17 1 o 11 16 o 3 J 5 6 3° 17 3 14 15 9 22 18 9 496 6 18 6 4 10 9 5 16 3 21 14 6 5 7 3 14 18 9 290 12 o 72 2 o 104 o 9 11 8 6 12 5 9 5 6 6 690 6 19 6 609 21 5 3 7 1 ° 10 11 6 13 190 13 34 11 8 108 12 22 18 32 12 17 14 543 20 35 331 19 16 75 36 6 153 6 ■ 3 133 7 60 10 3° 15 677 26 14 64 10 18 77 1,801 62 280 58 123 877 80 258 74 217 123 81 50 3,326 54 I5 2 2,045 61 95 538 81 21 29 769 46 25 767 28 399 in I5 2 77 4,663 149 61 408 62 43 26 58 971 28 21 307 15 2 9,327 19 11 331 5 ° 2,037 16 3 413 7 8 743 13 7 3,386 14 o 746 17 9 2,720 13 3 756 12 o 986 17 10 1,305 13 II 1,223 14 o 587 5 1° 33,536 5 2 533 10 10 1,748 7 1 30,896 10 o 690 18 7 549 o 7 4.698 9 7 695 1 10 232 3 0 160 15 o 9,304 14 3 400 14 o 229 8 o 14,641 9 3 722 3 o 4,697 17 6 725 3 o 1,382 8 7 628 7 o 66,566 5 8 i,335 3 2 1,206 5 o 3,456 15 10 47 8 15 9 852 o 8 188 1 o 682 6 o 11,873 18 5 226 6 o 143 o o 799 4 2 2,260 18 3 17 11 o 2 ,523 4 o 953 2 2 480 7 o 3,313 4 5 427 6 o 3,989 12 6 37 1 13 1 51 o o 163 19 o 450 17 o 2,716 7 7 359 o 8 2,475 6 7 74,029 8 5 9,008 8 3 16,192 5 6 531 6 5 1,163 8 o 99 o 1 225 2 o 783 19 o 408 18 4 1,063 14 9| 3S0 17 o 692 14 1 2 87 23 2 2 38 8 13 9 15 9 5 20 428 4 14 3°7 4 8 13 5 1 2 56 3 "5 1 34 3 19 6 628 11 14 451 5 114 29 24 178 8 22 48 74 28 42 2,486 20 40 1,883 25 43 173 19 7 5 259 45 4 775 12 210 73 84 27 3,828 40 28 140 25 18 240 11 11 4,699 7 3 44 17 6 1,846 6 9 228 4 3 321 5 7 i,554 4 3 505 4 11 1,960 11 9 377 10 8 871 7 6 1,320 4 4 436 19 7 329 1 1 3i,4ii 13 3 150 15 2 445 10 8 33,092 18 9 214 5 10 442 16 o 1,606 10 o 171 1 8 69 16 4 30 4 2 4> 2 95 7 9 434 15 4 42 15 o 15,135 0 5 209 10 8 3,241 8 8 378 7 5 1,130 14 8 145 9 2 70,072 17 11 461 3 4 408 13 6 1,387 11 8 199 14 7 283 o 5 91 9 11 194 12 3 7.359 10 9 46 0 o o 15 o 537 19 1 2,301 4 o 25 o o 1,206 11 5 1,289 JI 2 975 6 6 1,122 16 6 466 10 8 2,590 18 8 215 1 8 72 13 o 335 10 4 220 10 11 2,185 8 2 241 14 11 1,883 4 2 80,050 o 8 6,707 17 8 9,ioi 7 7 173 18 10 779 15 11 26 3 5 123 2 10 470 16 1 148 6 3 604 16 2 102 II I 749 14 T ° 5 21 6 3 2 3 79 2 12 13 157 5 3 26 13 402 7 1 39 131 1 61 119 287 18 200 82 87 335 124 478 57 16 29 39 221 31 284 6,000 757 1,794 90 108 18 40 63 62 96 no 83 15 14 4 1 65 33 202 65 394 29.1 9 51 3° 183 80 13° 4.7 2 7 671 1,220 40 108 12 18 9 1 38 75 36 112 34 9 22 10 13 52 18 59 13 3 4 8 5 2 3 44 847 170 300 17 16 c 7 6 14 9 5 21 6 33 5 2 3 6 16 42 3° 76 36 172 17 7 13 17 104 31 85 5,39o 380 771 19 47 15 24 29 13 75 15 43 1 19 889 62 no 6 i 10 3 5 2 15 3 6 15 8 16 37° •0) ionea 24th October, 1897.

¥.— 1

Table No. 4 — continued. Table showing the Number and Amount of Transactions at the several Money Order and Savings Bank Offices in New Zealand during the Year 1897 — continued.

Money Orders. Saving! Banks, Office. Issued. I Paid. Jig & No. Deposits. eposits. Amount. 2 . With si "8 88 < u No. Withdrawals. hdrawals. Amount. No. Commission. 1 Amount. No. Amount. Napier— continued. I Porangahau Spit Takapau Taradale Te Aute Tikokino Waipawa Waipukurau .. Wairoa Weber Nelson.. Belgrove Brightwater .. Collingwood Motueka Motupiko Ngatimote Richmond Takaka The Port Thorpe* Upper Moutere Wakefield New Plymouth .. Inglewood • • Midhirst Opunake Pungarehu Stratford Waitara 419 769 491 160 180 £ s. d. 27 18 3 37 2 3 18 18 3 6 17 6 889 6 17 o 48 7 6 33 6 3 35 o 6 406 160 10 3 5 5O 4 17 9 39 l8 o 22 9 o 2 14 6 2 11 o 10 o 6 18 7 6 13 7 o £ s - d - 1,368 11 8 1,932 10 9 1,462 12 10 445 6 8 531 15 1 537 19 4 3,238 13 II 2,119 5 7 2,284 3 10 383 9 o 10,902 o 1 405 15 7 318 o 4 4,oi9 17 4 2,058 2 1 258 2 10 158 11 9 668 17 7 1,508 11 10 777 10 8 59 263 81 79 7 1 18 754 273 328 15 4,7 I 3 51 68 92 257 20 26 ! 161 £ * d - 286 10 4 940 o 2 298 12 11 307 18 10 283 10 2 66 14 6 2,101 6 11 854 o 8 1,178 18 10 62 16 10 17,002 10 o 170 14 1 291 1 8 634 19 I 876 14 1 113 o 10 119 13 Q 705 2 11 702 o 3 324 13 4 15 53 14 12 5 7 104 54 49 44 545 91 40 39 36 625 351 297 £ * A - 678 3 o 1,925 7 8 924 10 3 no 19 o 367 7 11 211 1 o 7,590 9 4 4,101 7 9 2,631 3 7 5 5 2 4 1 3i 64 43 24 26 21 259 I 3 2 140 £ s. d. 961 on 479 o 10 398 13 8 145 4 10 284 7 3 148 8 11 4,528 11 11 2,230 4 4 1,528 5 6 173 1,218 807 647 125 3,495 145 117 978 673 . 64 72 194 460 242 '468 15 7 56 58 5 12 35715 144 97 275 459 45 61 69,245 10 10 922 o o 722 11 o 4,262 o 3 4,068 13 2 351 6 3 494 18 o 2,282 9 o 3,447 7 11 678 13 o 55 24 27 425 3 1 12 20 23 28 93 179 3 20 63 107 15 71,366 3 6 203 2 6 307 2 10 1,861 7 II 3,267 14 o 59 o o 128 4 1 1,281 1 2 2,032 18 1 135 5 1 1 155 89 23 45 21 230 226 165 9 15 2 Oamaru Duntroon Hampden Herbert Kakanui Kurow Maheno Ngapar.a Shag Point Thames Karangahake .. Katikati Maketu Miranda Opotiki Paeroa Tauranga Te Aroha Te Puke Waihi Waikinof Waiorongomai Waitekauri Whakatane Timaru Albury Fairlie Geraldine Glenavy Makikihi Orari Pleasant Point.. St. Andrew Temuka Waimate Winchester Wanganui Alton Bull's Eltham Fordell Hawera Hunterville Hurleyville Kaimanuka Kaponga Manaia Mangamahu .. Mangaonohof .. Mangaweka Manutahi Marton Normanby Ohingaiti 89 239 3,585 1,122 412 740 372 1,984 822 3,425 338 437 234 61 390 130 174 209 4,996 2,395 168 13 1 64 682 2,572 746 1,634 326 3,420 450 190 2,618 393 3,755 124 288 917 155 127 116 272 193 1,027 1,122 400 9 13' 9j 157 18 3 39 9 3 13 15 3 31 16 3 18 4 3 74 2 3 40 17 9 130 15 6 8 16 3 14 8 6 7 18 o 2 1 o 12 13 3 4 15 ° 5 18 9 6 12 3 240 10 9 106 7 6 6 18 9 5 15 ° 256 24 16 o 119 9 3 28 19 3 62 3 9 14 15 3 165 12 6 19 12 6 7 14 9 140 4 o 17 6 o 161 9 6 3 13 o 11 2 o 31 19 9 3 19 3 4 10 3 329 966 7 19 o 3 1 5 3 41 2 6 1 4 3 249 11 9 2 6 3 26 14 6 28 2 9 9 18 o 89 10 3 42 6 6 1 11 6 206 7 3° 29 2 3 3 1 6 1 o 3 34 10 o 1 10 6 64 o o 8 12 6 34 3 3 240 3 7 690 2 5 10,272 13 5 3,308 15 10 1,237 6 11 2,131 1 8 1,136 5 2 6,465 17 8 2,785 2 5 16,775 J 6 11 1,886 16 o 1,495 15 10 762 8 1 162 18 3 1,788 16 11 4 J 9 1 3 475 11 6 4 X 4 9 3 15,985 8 6 7,740 11 6 439 9 8 435 3 6 145 2 5 2,226 14 6 8,621 7 7 1,886 12 3 5,785 18 8 1,044 I2 8 12,784 5 8 1,724 2 2 640 6 7 10,213 3 I 1,748 16 9 12,988 o 5 817 17 9 1,081 13 6 3,612 15 10 390 3 1 326 13 2 255 1 0 747 ° 6 730 13 9 5,852 5 7 4,343 2 6 84 o 7 19,769 17 8 184 10 2 1,569 8 10 2,632 16 I 1,057 16 6 6,043 19 II 4,961 10 5 209 7 9 212 19 1 795 15 8 2,517 6 4 731 1 8 83 13 7 2,128 8 5 118 11 1 5,242 16 7 729 5 8 2,820 13 10 17 124 3,625 309 "3 191 130 620 275 2,227 60 435 53 29 140 37 47 82 2,471 311 99 43 8 269 914 661 567 156 422 38 35 215 133 1,939 36 96 304 42 19 48 57 94 310 460 27 4,°73 9 198 216 60 I,i75 291 54 5 10 505 9 5 15,501 12 2 1,275 19 10 604 18 11 849 2 5 835 13 o 2,262 13 2 981 19 2 10,288 7 o 475 14 IO 1,816 o 4 303 12 2 142 3 11 633 8 4 209 11 3 381 6 10 304 4 o 10,610 19 11 i,575 17 IO 426 2 o 164 4 2 29 9 o 1,423 19 o 3,77o 4 o 2,159 16 11 2,742 18 o 723 4 7 1,741 6 9 181 11 5 175 2 5 1,007 15 4 766 9 11 7,049 7 5 365 13 8 543 3 7 1,073 11 10 215 1 6 52 19 3 233 18 7 225 6 9 592 1 9 1,474 7 o 1,915 6 2 133 10 o 14,201 4 9 46 12 4 959 8 4 975 17 7 234 6 7 3,961 o 5 1,179 11 1 33 14 6 11 13 6 33° 11 4 1,007 4 3 9 9 5 17 19 o 976 o 6 98 19 2 2,861 17 9 603 5 3 383 13 4 5 33 510 122 19 43 22 169 77 473 25 8 11 3 28 16 12 19 783 271 19 7 3 59 231 68 86 32 367 62 34 199 3,231 805 134 218 86 820 502 3,5o6 "3 59 77 6 126 89 77 166 5,303 1,178 129 20 8 272 887 486 556 98 i,7O3 218 69 1,563 67 4>4 r 3 31 114 502 23 41 J 7 65 88 575 760 40 5,764 31 279 348 109 i,348 314 21 11 82 7 o 2,270 o 4 50,634 1 6 9,473 17 4 841 13 3 1,799 18 4 822 4 2 9,700 13 o 5,125 3 o 45,429 5 3 1,356 15 5 519 19 9 653 19 o 38 6 9 621 6 o 424 11 0 787 6 o 338 9 3 60,894 6 10 10,168 8 ii 442 10 o 199 18 2 18 13 6 4,207 1 4 9,574 15 4 6,189 16 o 4>3i9 4 0 1,112 11 3 15,000 o 1 2,034 1 1 347 10 2 14,164 15 5 625 2 5 69,934 9 9 230 12 10 1,622 11 7 10,002 9 7 230 8 o 615 14 ! 631 14 5 420 17 2 837 10 6 8,098 1 1 10,656 2 IT 539 1 3 83,815 11 11 196 11 o 2,153 12 o 4,149 8 3 • 1,032 19 8 15,666 1 8 3,689 4 5 go 19 o 173 11 2 660 14 8 6,245 12 1 5 509 57 10 16 4 64 29 435 4 4 5 1 12 3 5 11 792 75 2 6 1 47 99 45 48 8 147 12 3 104 10 575 16 55 2,814 3°9 77 104 48 378 151 2,495 47 3° 48 8 34 25 16 37 4,842 428 52 22 5 143 415 246 285 37 618 58 24 348 41 3,569 24 49 249 12 18 15 3i 25 220 183 14 o 1,847 IX Io 53,383 3 10 5,3O7 9 6 586 14 3 2,261 12 o 422 10 9 5,783 18 7 3,803 5 10 46,697 11 6 838 16 2 277 11 4 461 11 5 22 in 626 13 3 368 16 11 94 2 2 277 3 1 69,352 8 6 5,220 5 4 191 13 7 198 19 8 23 3 8 3,373 17 2 6,037 16 3 5,457 5 5 3,49i 1 7 734 5 1 8,082 o 1 538 17 5 209 19 7 4,380 9 11 835 4 7 64,016 19 3 257 18 o 7*7 5 2 7,337 J 6 8 480 10 q 369 4 II 56 I 8 216 8 6 194 15 0 3,093 5 2 7,881 6 10 426 8 4 90,547 1 4 151 13 8 1,920 7 3 3,161 o 8 362 o 2 12,509 2 5 2,401 2 3 69 15 5 82 7 o 805 3 o ■ 5,43 2 6 4 15 345 19 614 8 39 100 4 8 2 18 61 4 3 4 1 30 5.4IO 68 573 737 240 1,868 1,318 42 47 224 651 142 24 790 52 1,421 216 772 13 16 98 131 2 877 10 36 61 16 64 953 1 26 27 3 124 32 3 323 18 5,207 19 102 177 28 559 I 4S 8 11 35 167 20 243 105 7 2 4 63 236 9 4 *54 43 825 128 in 21 93 1 38 11 137 29 66 119 43° 6 181 46 822 192 346 122 10 o 1,453 14 10 892 11 3 8,108 14 4 i,765 3 8 2,040 57 9 34 3 106 26 356 ■ 70 85I 48 o d ■ 1,313 15 1 302 10 2 7,224 12 9 776 18 6 ■ 1,206 17 11 22 2 56 8 14 * Opened 16th Deoeuiber, 1897. t Opened 24th March, 1897. J Opened 24th September, 1897.

F.—l

Table No. 4— continued. Table showing the Number and Amount of Transactions at the several Money Order and Savings Bank Offices in New Zealand during the Year 1897 — continued.

SUMMARY.

Money Orders. Saving! Banks. Office. Issued. Paid. £ ■ Iss — <; o No. Deposits. to §■3 Withdrawals. No. Commission. Amount. ' No. I Amount. Amount. No. Amount. /anganui— cont'd. Otaihape* Patea Raetihi Turakina Waitotara Waverley /ELLINGTON Adelaide Road Alfredton Apiti Ashurst Carterton Castlepoint Chatham Islands Courtenay Placef Eketahuna Featherston Feilding Fowler's Foxton Greytown North Halcombe HukanuiJ Hutt Johnsonville Kaitoke Kaiwarawara .. Levin Makuri Mangatainoka§ Manukau Martinborough Masterton .. | Mauriceville .. Ngahauranga .. Otaki Pahiatua Palmerston North Paraparaumu|j.. Petone Pohangina Porirua Rangiwahia Rongotea Sanson Shannon Taueru Te Aro Te Nui Upper Hutt Waituna WestH Wellington South Whakataki Woodville /estport Cape Foulwind Capleston Charleston Denniston Granity Creek.. Longford Lyell Mokihinui Murchison Seddonville Wairaangaroa .. 105 804 349 208 214 716 19,928 228 150 263 421 95° 51 123 136 900 931 1,993 379 621 778 374 112 416 124 173 70 823 382 54 140 652 2,716 254 159 892 2,265 3,827 4 1 736 100 122 £ *• d. 3 10 o 33 8 3 890 8 3 6 929 27 o o i>53 1 3 o 8 13 9 4 16 o 5 15 o 13 5 6 43 2 6 210 4 12 o 5 12 6 28 18 6 41 10 9 85 o 9 12 8 3 24 11 3 37 3 3 12 13 9 3 5 0 18 11 6 406 5 5 6 2 12 3 28 13 o 7 17 3 1 4 3 7 r 3 ° 3 1 9 3 118 10 9| 840 5 18 6 4 1 7 9 74 18 o 165 7 6 1 8 6 30 2 0 2 16 3 6 10 3 4 17 6 12 11 3 600 9 3 0 620 90 8 3 13 17 6 923 1 13 6 11 5 0 3 3 9 47 8 0 139 14 3 3 7 6 3 3 3 15 15 o 57 2 9 15 16 0 4 9 5 25 8 3 2 15 3 15 1 o 9 14 6 10 7 9 £ s - d. 302 9 4 2,168 o 10 1,292 18 4 745 5 7 713 o 5 2,694 8 11 63,940 7 8 421 14 5 552 o 6 964 8 9 1,214 7 10 2,858 19 7 165 7 0 496 9 o 344 3 o 2,953 9 6 2,369 10 o 6,852 2 11 1,360 6 1 1,498 6 o 2,316 11 8 1,131 14 11 362 5 7 1,178 17 11 271 2 6 654 9 6 132 7 4 1,992 6 5 1,127 7 4 120 10 10 460 12 2 1,595 8 o 11,528 18 3 958 8 6 341 11 2 2,784 15 9 11,302 16 6 11,642 1 5 92 6 10 1,719 16 3 319 11 10 360 13 6 1,040 16 2 972 3 4 488 19 7 790 10 o 311 12 7 4,962 17 10 1,042 4 o 682 l8 2 130 12 6 721 10 5 239 7 9 5,987 5 0 8,393 17 4 216 12 2 220 7 3 1,206 2 o 3,523 3 1 976 0 1 404 8 5 2,226 14 6 324 2 0 1,408 9 1 748 14 3 892 4 4 g 376 56 51 76 157 29,637 32 29 40 190 445 26 2 232 236 1,232 85 381 340 93 4 183 48 25 25 272 49 3 57 84 1,521 43 15 353 639 3,189 11 359 37 19 40 29 70 99 17 131 67 90 5 89 11 583 1,364 26 £ s. d. 75 2 o i,35i 3 7 648 7 9 202 9 o 341 18 5 590 7 3 121,610 o 7 154 0 3 225 15 9 195 11 5 704 7 1 1,674 ° 3 22 3 6 231 2 0 4 17 6 958 2 10 874 8 3 3,960 15 2 347 x 8 1,305 18 10 1,230 II 6 341 4 9 16 2 3 805 15 6 195 o o 66 19 9 146 7 o 1,031 19 4 262 1 1 27 75 22 12 35 61 4,266 67 6 10 40 113 1 24 62 51 196 31 75 70 35 12 86 73 526 72 81 159 503 34,945 727 38 43 250 768 2 12 151 394 329 i,i3° 115 569 521 191 48 654 5°7 121 246 388 56 7 63 188 1,803 99 204! 339 775 3> X 95 3° 1,312 £ s. d. 511 11 11 5,579 11 10 1,270 1 10 715 10 4 i,346 14 9 4,949 3 0 435,544 2 1 2,402 o 7 682 10 0 678 7 1 1,133 9 11 7>°79 5 11 47 10 o 229 16 9 299 5 6 3,600 9 6 4,901 6 10 13,123 16 8 1,878 11 o 3,985 3 7 5,866 6 o 1,611 17 7 71 I 6 6,238 16 7 1,804 4 o 1,072 14 o 394 10 o 2,479 o 6 640 18 o 138 13 9 941 9 8 2,419 9 5 21,236 7 11 985 16 0 640 18 3 3,372 13 2 6,628 19 7 34,390 1 o 204 18 o 7,875 17 6 8 45 6 7 15 3,876 10 2 7 26 63 1 3° 173 32 27 57 137 30,422 109 26 22 147 285 4 16 222 135 514 57 193 269 7 1 £ s. d. 292 9 5 2,849 18 1 528 15 o 645 10 10 372 4 4 2,581 17 6 458,223 o 11 829 13 o 413 o 8 372 4 8 1,862 17 4 5,199 8 11 88 14 1 74 5 o 3,459 17 10 3,772 17 10 13,127 8 10 i,392 5 9 3,995 1 4 3,804 11 o 1,035 2 3 29 3 o 2,593 4 2 1,490 9 4 407 17 o 95 5 o 1,217 6 6 537 18 8 29 19 2 442 8 7 1,193 19 1 13,273 9 2 467 12 II 304 16 10 2,098 14 I 6,266 3 7 22,06l 12 8 157 o o 6,930 17 IO 30 11 8 109 10 i 29 14 101 12 32 5° 11 42 5 15 68 17 3 16 41 302 16 39 12 5 192 137 26 11 12 3 202 13 10 269 1 4 5,270 o 3 162 11 o 63 17 o 1,116 3 10 2,533 14 10 10,955 10 7 43 18 6 1,016 14 o 141 19 10 65 4 1 225 1 2 "3 5 3 210 10 3 476 4 3 54 7 10 475 5 8 279 0 5 431 12 3 26 19 4 355 15 8 70 8 0 2,016 10 I 4,713 3 2 81 9 o 89 o 2 282 6 11 460 5 2 no 15 11 17 13 7 509 5 8 233 r 5 8 153 9 4 187 5 6 131 16 4 1 12 3 5 18 125 4 3 3i 56 216 25 125 24 7 26 83 874 56 33 198 354 1,466 11 353 2 25 57 146 5°i 10 94 35 1 6 48 174 8 6 M 219 274 168 271 119 2,175 408 230 5° 264 87 i,4O5i 2,837 85 74 386 1,228 365 "3 690 80 348 239 281 22 3i 10 9 392 28 27 48 4 106 352 "88 156 120 52 4,535 160 194 '585 16 581 1,877 39 4 189 513 157 7 117 3 1 65 95 66 649 11 4 1,360 17 2 959 6 o 207 o o 15,473 9 0 i,33i 19 o 1,818 10 11 2,173 3 2 56 4 o 8,017 I2 8 30,667 10 3 242 o o 54 o 0 1,684 13 I0 3,373 2 3 673 9 11 221 17 2 890 1 7 256 ' o 6 427 13 o 1 1000 6 3 242 5 oj 7 7 3 1 37 14 5 16 60 46 4 1 25 18 295 62 61 118 5 273 1,498 3 6 64 161 23 7 40 ' 5 23 3i 11 662 18 7 809 13 I 470 17 6 124 18 II i, 606 15 o 674 3 6 672 7 9 522 17 11 59 18 4 5,676 9 10 22,770 1 6 22 5 6 166 19 5 911 2 5 1,592 14 11 124 4 6 128 o 0 664 6 6 44 9 o 556 18 9 376 14 10 69 5 2 241 4 19 73 us 29 5 r 35 50 34 40 34 19 48 33 2 1 6 13 1 23 2 10 19 11 13 1 4 2 1

Postal District of— Auckland 31enheim "hristchurch Dunedin jisborne . < Ureymouth .. Hokitika 56,205 4,8i4 32.367 33>555 3,189 7.690 3.393 13,836 16,825 6,768 9,037 5,398 20,785 8,126 16,991 47,954 6,726 293659 £ s. d. 2,979 14 10 199 1 3 1,460 17 6 1,370 18 7 182 13 9 365 12 9 142 9 9 545 l8 6 780 19 3 293 14 3 376 3 3 193 18 6 962 10 9 310 14 0 724 18 9 2,642 14 9 302 14 11 13835 1 5 4 £ •• d. 190,744 14 852,368 14,822 15 1 2,481 113,366 16 228,836 [104,653 14 733,324 10,405 n 1 1,207 24,468 10 5 3,396 8,676 13 4 1,798 40,546 14 5 7,397 50,945 7 11 9,089 22,005 16 1 5,773 27,337 3 1 5,263 24,181 14 o 3,iio 71,421 15 6 6,342 31,229 7 8 3,432 59,726 2 8 8,327 155.757 3 9 41,173 20,540 14 6 1,924 52,368 2,481 28,836 33.324 1.207 3.396 1,798 7.397 9,089 5,773 5,263 3,110 6,342 3.432 8,327 4i,i73 1,924 £ s. d. 195(255 3 2 8,871 8 o 117,628 3 7 130,417 o 2 4,696 9 8 12,138 18 9 6,903 3 7 26,344 10 7 34,189 4 7 21,500 5 3 22,311 18 8 14,554 8 8 27,499 1 3 13,874 7 6 31,101 17 1 162,952 7 9 6,970 6 5 5.464 519 5,936 4,47 8 598 645 255 1,359 1.73° 748 962 595 2,367 1,035 1,989 7^91 523 36,203 3.736 52.179 39,942 3,532 3,7 10 1.534 8,897' 11,289 5,650 5,796 4.219; 12,557, 6,66g ! 11,781 56,761 3,160 £ *• d. 491,174 12 7 43,961 2 10 626,573 19 5 443,855 17 1 35,8i8 3 1 47,857 14 10 22,797 8 4 1108,361 10 11 123,119 11 4 88,827 l6 9 78,397 10 7 1 50,169 18 5 129,298 14 6 i ! i03,8ig 13 2 146,629 19 2 606,822 9 7 1 39,732 19 9 3.697 601 3.729 3,184 446 399 178 927 1,230 493 689 480 1.399 746 1,395 4,945 283 25,971 2,869 36,"9 26,098 2,546 2,463 1,181 5.376 7,56i 3,754 3,881 2,740 7,564 4,553 7,56o 37,447 1,872 £ •■ d. 422,406 I 6 52,885 17 3 582,704 8 5 404,862 2 o 32,007 19 1 40,400 10 10 20,240 11 o 96,175 10 6 109,742 9 6 82,673 5 o 71,548 14 9 49,664 7 9 108,127 7 Io 85,047 19 6 136,585 9 1 568,669 9 2 27,427 2 6 invercargill Napier Slelson Sew Plymouth .. Damaru fhames Fimaru Wanganui Wellington Weatport .. Totals 970,830 14 II 215240 837,208 14 8 30,394 2676153,187,219 2 4 24,821 2,891,169 5 S 179555 Opened 1st May, 189: '. t Opened let Aug., 1897. Opened 24th Apr., 1S97. § Opened 24tli Oct, 1807. || Opened 1st Aug, lbU7 1FOpene< 16th July, 1897,

f.—i:

Table No. 5. POST-OFFICE SAVINGS-BANKS.— GENERAL STATEMENT. Table showing the Business of the Post-Office Savings-Banks in New Zealand Year by Year, from the Date they were established, in February, 1867, to the 31st December, 1897.

Postal Districts. Number of Post Office Number of Savings- Deposits Banks received Open at during the the Close Year. of the Year. Total Amount of Deposits received during the Year. Average Amount of each Deposit received during the Year. Number of Withdrawals during the Year. Total Amount of Withdrawals during the Year. Average Amount of each Withdrawal during the Year. Excess of Deposits over Withdrawals during the Year. Excess of Withdrawals over Deposits during the Year. Cost of Management during the Year. Average Cost of each Transac- L dot, De-! posit or With- ' drawal. j Interest for the Year. Number of Accounts Opened during the Year. Number of Accounts Closed during the Year. Number of Accounts remaining Open at Close of the Year. Total Amount standing to the Credit of all open Accounts, inclusive of Interest to the Close of the Year. Average Amount standing to the Credit of each open Account at Close of the Year. 1 Auckland Blenheim Christchurch Dunedin Gisborne Greymouth Hokitika Invercargill Napier ... Nelson ... New Plymouth Oamaru Thames Timaru Wanganui Wellington Westport 85 8 49 43 3 6 27 21 36,203 3,736 52,179 39,942 3-532 i,534 8,897 11,289 5,650 1,796 4,219 6,669 11,781 56,761 3,160 491,174 12 7 43,961 2 10 626,573 19 s 443,855 '7 1 35,8i8 3 1 47,857 14 10 22,797 8 4 108,361 10 11 123,119 11 4 88,827 16 9 78,397 IO 7 50,169 18 5 129,298 14 6 103.819 I 3 2 146,629 19 2 606,822 9 7 39,732 19 9 13 'i 4 " 15 4 12 o 2 11 23 [O 2 IO 12 l8 O H '7 3 12 3 7 10 18 i 25,97' 2,869 36,119 26,098 2,546 2,463 1,181 5,376 7,56i 3,754 3,881 2,740 7,S64 4,553 7,56o 37,447 1,872 £ s. d. 422,406 1 6 52,885 17 3 582,704 8 5 404,862 2 o 32,007 19 1 40,400 !O IO 20,240 11 o 96,175 IO 6 109,742 9 6 82,673 5 o 71,548 14 9 49,664 7 9 108,127 7 10 85,047 19 6 156,585 9 1 568,669 9 2 27,427 2 6 £ s. d. 16 5 3 .8 8 8 16 2 8 ■5 1° 3 12 11 5 16 8 o 17 2 9 17 17 [O 14 10 3 2205 18 8 9 18 2 6 H 5 " 18 13 7 18 1 4 1540 14 13 o £ s. d. 68,768 11 1 43,869 11 o 38,993 15 ' 3,810 4 o 7.457 4 o 2,356 17 4 12,186 o 5 13,377 1 IO 6,154 11 9 6,848 15 10 505 10 8 21,171 6 8 18,771 13 8 10,044 10 1 38,153 o 5 12,305 17 3 £ s. d. ... 8,924 14 5 £ s. d. 20,924 9 6 2,266 14 10 26,412 9 4 21,285 7 4 1,283 '5 2 2,754 11 10 2,227 14 10 5,782 15 5 S,8.?6 19 1 4,677 10 6 2,687 '3 2 2,808 17 10 4,914 16 11 4,593 '3 4 5,617 • 4 21,214 11 4 i,95i 6 3 5,464 5'9 5,936 4,478 598 645 255 ',359 748 962 595 2,367 1,035 1,989 7,19' 523 3,697 601 3,729 3,'84 446 399 178 927 ',230 493 689 480 ',399 746 ',395 4,945 283 21,108 3,038 31,760 22,818 i,942 2,830 1,409 6,386 7,461 4,702 3,874 2,690 S.987 4,619 7,830 29,002 1,875 £ * d. 734,651 8 1 73,538 10 6 905,890 14 7 724,866 11 5 46,421 16 8 95.835 '3 " 74,294 18 4 195,243 18 5 203,292 18 9 158,03 1 1 o 94,292 13 4 91,196 10 1 173,200 17 8 '65,710 3 2 195,007 11 6 743,9 'o " 5 69,538 19 3; 34 16 1 24 4 1 28 10 6 3' '5 4 23 18 1 33 '7 3 52 14 7 30 1 1 6 27 4 " 33 12 2 24 6 10 33 '8 o 28 18 7 35 '7 6 24 18 1 25 13 o 37 1 9 13 7 9 12 '5 '4 5 1310 6 11 17 10 10 511 15 " 4 12 8 11 23 45 12 10 13 10 12 11 6 Totals for Colony in 1897 ... 1896 ... 1894... 1892 ... „ „ 1891 ... 1890 ... 11 ,, 1889 ... 1888 ... 1887 ... 1886 ... 1885 ■•• 1884 ... 1883 ... ,, „ 1882 ... 1881 ... 1880 ... i879 ■■■ 1878 ... „ „ 1877 ... 1876 ... 187; ... „ 1874 ... ■873 - ■872 ... „ „ '871 ... „ „ 1870 ... „ „ 1869 ... 1868 ... Totals for Colony from 1st Feb. to 31st Dec, 1865 388 371 357 348 327 3'8 3' 1 296 294 290 283 271 256 243 222 207 190 .78 165 147 138 124 119 103 97 92 81 70 59 55 46 267,615 242,283 2 17,393 204,545 202,276 186,945 176,971 162,938 153,920 145,355 136,197 137>989 13',373 129,279 127,609 129,952 ■25,855 81,660 71,865 69,908 6o,953 57,295 ! 56,129 52,627 39,223 3 1,68 1 24,642 20,489 17.133 6,977 3,187,219 2 4 2,881,152 16 3 2,794,506 16 o 2,252,862 6 11 2,386,089 10 7 1,878,270 6 4 1,842,987 15 2 1,658,543 3 5 ',5'5>28i 11 3 ',544,747 7 " 1,248,405 6 11 1,341,001 3 2 1,227,909 11 4 ','7 8 >474 4 » >,3 2 5,852 2 11 1,189,012 2 7 864,441 18 10 812,399 11 11 762,084 12 o 681,294 13 2 664,134 12 6 657>653 4 o 699,249 14 3 580,542 5 5 430,877 ° o 312,338 18 4 264,328 5 7 240,898 5 9 "94,535 i' 6 96,372 7 10 II 18 2 11 17 IO 12 17 I II O 3 II 15 II IO Oil 10 8 3 10 3 6 91610 10 12 6 9 12 8 9 on 10 4 1 9 9" 948 1040 9 8 11 10 11 9 11 6 1 10 18 o " 3 6 1 1 1 1 9 11 14 4 13 5 8 14 16 2 13 12 o 12 13 6 12 18 o '79,5.55 167,248 i59,9°4 '5 2 ,i36 136,739 120,628 111,603 106,868 99,185 96,204 89,962 89,182 84,832 80,800 78,405 69,308 60,137 57,446 54,698 42,746 39,363 39.486 36,977 29,778 21,268 17,254 14,773 ",934 9,292 6,365 1,919 2,891,169 5 8 2,59 I ,558 19 4 2,369,333 6 7 2,268,624 8 4 2,122,521 16 8 1,821,348 18 1 1,693,515 9 3 ',5°°,437 9 5 i,457,°8i 5 o 1,387,471 1 io 1,182,409 7 6 1,336,287 6 4 1,264,305 8 3 >,'95,93i ° " 1,295,719 18 3 !','42,599 o 1 902,19; 1 8 780,504 13 4 876,180 19 3 742,053 14 3 667,023 7 5 696,281 7 4 729,759 '7 9 620,155 8 9 425,908 3 5 313,176 7 11 261,347 16 3 209,509 13 2 180,518 4 1 107,094 17 3 26,415 18 9 16 2 o 15 9 IO 14 16 4 ■4 18 3 15 10 5 15 2 o ■5 3 5 14 o 9 H 13 9 14 8 5 13 2 10 14 19 8 14 18 o 1416 o 16 10 6 16 9 8 15 o 1 13 11 8 1604 17 7 2 16 18 10 17 12 8 19 14 8 20 16 5 20 o 5 18 3 o '7 '3 9 17 11 1 19 8 7 16 16 6 296,049 16 8 2 89,593 l6 11 425.173 9 5 263,567 13 11 56,921 8 3 149,472 5 11 158,105 14 o 58,200 6 3 157,276 6 1 129,741 13 11 76,695 14 11 3i,978 10 5 183,253 2 10 286,817 o 11 83,937 5 6 ... 15.762 1 5 ... ... 87,881 19 5 ... "7.245 '4 2 8,000 7,000 7,000 6,500 6,500 5,5oo 5,000 5,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 3.500 3.5°° 3,ooo 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,250 1,800 i>55 6 1,264 1,186 789 822 o 429 o 4'10 o 4'45 o 4'37 o 4'6o o 4-29 o 4' 16 o 4'45 0 379 0 3'97 o 4-24 o 4-23 o 4-44 o 4'57 o 4"66 o 4'82 o 4'5 2 o 604 o 5'69 o 5"33 o 5"98 O 6 - 2O o 6"44 ° 6-55 o 7*14 o 7'63 o 8-23 o 9-36 o 1077 0 977 1 io"i8 137,240 8 o 126,497 16 3 129,489 19 6 114,643 4 11 114,760 1 1 111,301 13 1 104,098 17 o 92,319 o 6 84,809 17 1 78,080 6 o 67,363 '5 3 65,825 9 6 62,228 3 11 57,38i 13 7 56,046 17 3 54,909 13 11 42,204 19 o 32,822 12 4 3',7'5 '8 2 31,664 12 9 29,193 14 6 28,762 4 7 28,565 3 5 26,935 6 8 20,106 16 10 14,711 o 5 11,291 10 10 9,242 3 11 7,412 8 o 4,880 7 3 1,241 5 o 36,394 32,982 30,261 28,669 29,755 26,232 25,'3' 23,719 21,778 21,307 20,368 21,671 20,661 20,228 20,386 21,014 25,059 16,137 •5>4oi 13,005 ",235 ".255 ",273 10,346 7,382 6,205 4,615 4,304 3,839 3,282 2,520 24,821 22,907 22,001 21,930 19,599 18,171 17,872 17,256 '5,521 ■6,543 ■ 5,5 '5 ■6,757 16,42 1 i6,447 '5,967 14,505 12,718 12,217 12,786 9,634 8,59' 9,472 8,681 5,736 3,816 3,188 2,383 2,277 1,801 1,186 364 159.33' 147,7S8 137,683 129,423 122,684 112,528 104,467 97,208 9o,745 84,488 79,724 74,87' 69,957 6 5,7'7 61,936 57,5'7 51,008 38,667 34,747 32,132 ' 28,761 I 26,117 ! 24,334 j 21,742 17,132 13,566 10,549 8,317 6,290 4.252 2,156 4,744,924 18 1 4,3",634 '3 5 3,895,543 o 3 3,340,879 11 4 3,241,998 7 10 2,863,670 12 10 2,695,447 11 6 2,441,876 8 7 2,191,451 14 1 2,048,441 10 9 1,813,084 18 8 1,615,979 9 6 ',638,035 19 5 1,499, 112 o 7 ■,409,75' '6 7 I ,47°,95 O '3 6 1,232,787 16 9 9°3,765 16 10 787,005 '9 ° 819,071 8 2 767.375 i7 8 723,910 17 5 727,295 7 8 770,836 18 o 664,807 5 10 490,066 7 o 357,654 14 6 295,372 1 7 23i,3" 5 3 163,518 15 7 71,197 14 1 29 '5 7 29 3 7 28 5 10 25 16 3 26 8 6 25 9 o 25 16 o 25 2 4 24 211 24 4 10 22 14 10 21 II 8 23 8 4 2216 3 22 15 2 25 " 5 24 3 4 23 7 6 22 12 11 25 9 9 26 13 7 27 14 4 29 '7 9 35 9 o 38 16 1 36 2 5 33 18 1 35 >o 3 36 15 5 38 9 ' 33 ° 5 63,781 7 4 20,030 17 9 '4,271 5 9 32,146 14 10 72,106 13 9 79,O94 5 6 154,634 2 o 117,700 12 1 50,991 2 1 54,818 12 5 60,380 1 8 87,440 14 3 69,956 9 1 1 ... 14 1 2 14 18 11 '3 16 3 '3 '5 3

F.—l.

Table No. 6. Balance-sheet of the New Zealand Post Office Account for the Year ended 31st December, 1897.

Balances on 1st January, 1897. Transactions. Balances on 31st December, 1897. Cr. Dr. Cr. Dr. Or. Dr. Money Obdeb Accounts :— Money orders (General) United Kingdom, &c. United States of America Canada Cape Colony Ceylon Germany Hongkong Hawaii India New South Wales Queensland South Australia Straits Settlements Tasmania Victoria Western Australia Commission Savings-Bank Accounts :— Deposits and withdrawals Transfers Telegeaph Accounts:— Eeceipts New South Wales New Zealand & Australian Cable Postal Revenue Accounts: — Stamps Postal Guides Private box and bag rents Miscellaneous receipts Money-order commission Total revenue Genebal Accounts :— Post Office Account Postmasters and Telegraphists Investments Accrued interest on investments Postal notes Maintenance of private wires.. Registration of code addresses Telephone exchanges Foreign postage Miscellaneous expenses General Post Office Fine Fund Cable Subsidy Account Fob Othee Depabtments— Auctioneers' license-fees Advances to settlers Alcoholic Liquors Act County Clerks Customs duty (parcels) (H.M.O.) Education Department Factories Act Election deposits Game licenses Fishing licenses Goldfields revenue Geraldine County Council Government Insurance Government Audit Government Printer.. Gum licenses Harbourmasters Hospital and charitable aid .. Income-tax.. Industrial schools Land-tax Licensing Act Live-stock Lunacy Machinery Miners' Guides Mining Act New Zealand Consols Official Assignee Property-tax Public baths Public Trust Railways Registration of births, &c. Rents Profit and loss £ s. d. 20,407 17 11 11,622 6 4 1,176 18 3 & s. d. i 18 o 272 18 6 & s. d. 1,046,886 14 1 8 5,774 9 4 7.574 o 1 1,019 0 11 1,088 4 4 361 12 8 1,562 6 1 1,340 1 11 3°4 1,228 19 o 30,627 13 7 3,206 9 8 2,108 4 7 49 10 6 44.727 7 7 33.787 8 5 9,232 4 3 1,368 10 5 & s. d. 1,046,086 12 3 82,503 7 5 8,057 5 2 1,068 19 11 1,475 12 o 392 16 4 I.O73 17 3 1,260 15 o 11 8 11 £ s. d. 21,207 I 9 9 I4, 8 93 8 3 693 13 2 £ s. d. 51 17 o 660 6 2 47 5 3 430 6 11 16 1 7 488 8 10 509 13 10 345 19 9 2,900 13 8 257 13 5 2,695 8 o '887 163 12 11 11 13 1 830 1 5 4,128 o 3 270 15 6 1.317 5 4 30,832 19 3 3,149 6 2 2,130 9 3 27 16 0 44>577 16 4 35,518 18 11 8,460 4 1 1,474 12 7 141 8 3 33 7 7 979 12 8 2,396 9 9 213 12 o 1,887 3 11 437 12 10 l>"5 3 9 543 15 o 4,311,634 13 5 1,660 1 7 3,324,459 10 4 182,489 2 8 2,891,169 5 8 182,229 8 7 4,744,924 18 1 1,919 15 8 1,049 7 4 2,410 13 9 555 16 9 181,586 15 6J 37,112 1 6 8,829 2 8 181,216 1 10 36,787 11 8 8,637 5 o 1,420 1 oj 2,735 3 7 747 14 5 122,164 14 11 1 1 o 296 13 10 337,126 5 6J 33° 17 6 5,390 15 o 2,985 2 10 13,878 10 4 239,557 2 10J 342.771 4 5 331 16 o 5,39° 15 o 2.527 3 54 13,878 10 4 241,996 7 8 116,519 16 o| 026 754 13 2J i,i95 15 4* 1,243 9 5 66,762 12 2 205,511 19 10 245,946 17 ii 4.190,577 7 8 33.321 10 7 !2,976.673 5 10 6,086,895 ii 5 j 801,837 ° o 33.321 10 7 141,387 7 S^ 1,127 4 1 367 o o 34,658 i 8 12,970 16 11 415,526 5 10 400 1,232 11 1 2,881,975 4 3 6,087,392 14 1 1,284,306 o o 40,560 12 5 136.348 9 3i 1,127 4 1 367 o o 34,658 i 8 5.504 o 3 471,861 8 9 3 10 o 1,232 11 1 71,801 10 7 110,813 I 8 3 246,443 19 9i 4,673,046 7 8 40,560 12 5 6,503 14 o 17,298 1 2 o 10 o 13,970 10 8 39,037 1 9 100 17,331 11 o 691 4 3 105 18 6 25 10 o 439,590 13 4 43 5 o 316 5 6 9,567 12 11 1,309 18 6 r o o 17 17 o 1000 25 10 o 452,8lO 2 5 43 5 o 316 5 6 9,318 8 4 1,310 11 4 100 17 17 o 10 o o 1,724 10 o 246 o o 4,112 1 11 940 8 10 105 5 8 300 030 1,724 10 o 271 15 o 28 15 o 030 1,998 3 2 3 1 4 3 477 6 4 28,059 1 9 7 10 13 4 331 7 9 400 38 11 11 3 17 6 62,633 on 900 191,975 16 11 20 0 o 17,891 4 7 7100 3,508 11 o 030 1,380 6 o 10,315 o o 477 6 4 27,286 o 11 700 353 17 " 400 38 11 11 3 17 6 62,556 o o 900 191,963 o 0 20 o o 17,891 4 7 89 10 o 3,426 2 6 2,772 1 10 3 13 4 8 14 1 120 16 4 43 15 5 324 9 1 337 6 o 23 10 o 241 5 o o 18 o 3,139 17 0 500 323 13 6 1 1 o 3.145 15 o 1,374 8 o 10,315 o o 012 6 10 8 3 334 o 2 302,358 6 7 15,338 8 11 2,053 6 6 160 8 o 217,751 2 6 o 12 6 23 13 8 4,975 2 4 1,497 7 4 196 10 6 13 10 o 73,987 17 11 10 8 3 327 18 6 301,872 10 4 15,609 12 4 2,036 7 o 152 18 2 195,965 15 2 29 15 4 5,460 18 7 1,226 3 11 213 10 o 20 19 10 95,773 5 3 Totals 4,678,228 3 114 4,678,228 3 11J 17,419,306 6 8 17,419,306 6 8 5,113,738 11 91 5,113,738 11 9 J

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Table No. 7 Securities, &c., standing in the Name of the Postmaster-General on Account of the PostOffice Savings-Bank Fund on the 31st December, 1897.

Description of Securities, &c. Nominal Value. Value at Cost Price. Accrued Interest on 81st December. 1897. " The Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Act 1896" Debentures, 3J per cent. £ s. d. 250,000 0 0 £ s. d. 250,000 0 0 £ s. d. 3,613 16 7 " The Aid to Publio Works and Land Settlement Act 1896" Debentures, 3 per cent. 25,000 0 0 25,000 0 0 Bank of New Zealand (Hokitika Harbour Board fixed deposit) 300 0 0 300 0 0 7 18 2 " The Consolidated Loan Act 1867 " Debentures, 4 per cent. .. 13,000 0 0 12,480 0 0 109 13 11 " The Consolidated Stock Act 1884 " Debentures, 4J per cent... 707,129 0 0 707,129 0 0 3,061 16 10 " The Consolidated Stock Act 1884 " Debentures, 4 per cent. .. 91,837 0 0 91,837 0 0 332 2 4 " The Consolidated Stock Act 1884" Debentures, 3£ per cent. .. 562,200 0 0 562,200 0 0 1,779 0 2 " The Defence and other Purposes Loan Act 1870" Debentures, 4 per cent. 75,000 0 0 72,000 0 0 632 17 6 " The Defence and other Purposes Loan Act 1870" Debentures, 4£ per cent. 8,100 0 0 8,100 0 0 The District Eailways Purchasing Acts, 1885 and 1886, Debentures, 4 per cent. 42,000 0 0 36,076 17 8 418 17 0 The District Eailways Purchasing Acts, 1885 and 1886, Scrip, 4 per cent. 34,100 0 0 34,100 0 0 340 1 3 Dunedin Garrison Hall Debentures, 5 per cent. 6,000 0 0 6,000 0 0 129 17 3 " The General Purposes Loan Act 1873 " Debentures, 4 per cent. 5,200 0 0 4,342 0 0 43 17 7 " The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act 1886 " Debentures, 3£ per cent. 176,000 0 0 176,000 0 0 1,906 17 5 Greymouth Harbour Board Debentures, 5 per cent. 50,000 0 0 50,000 0 0 1,250 0 0 Greymouth Harbour Board Debentures, 4 J per cent. 50,000 0 0 50,000 0 0 1,125 0 0 Hamilton Borough Debentures, 5J per cent. 3,000 0 0 3,000 0 0 68 14 3 Hokitika Harbour Board Debentures, 5 per cent. 10,000 0 0 10,000 0 0 ♦868 9 10 "The Immigration and Public Works Loan Act 1870" Debentures, 4 per cent. 174,200 0 0 167,272 0 0 1,469 19 2 " The Immigration and Public Works Loan Act 1870" Debentures, 4J per cent. 20,900 0 0 20,527 10 0 198 8 2 " The Immigration and Public Works Loan Act 1870 " Debentures, 4 per cent. (Imperial guaranteed) 400,000 0 0 400,000 0 0 1,315 1 4 Inscribed Stock, 3 per cent. 284,416 0 0 284,416 0 0 1,681 7 6 The Land for Settlements Acts, 1892 and 1894, Debentures, 4 per cent. 129,100 0 0 129,100 0 0 863 0 4 " The Land for Settlements Act 1894 " Debentures, 3J per cent. 339,690 0 0 339,690 0 0 1,929-8 5 "The Land for Settlements Act 1892 " Debentures, 4J per cent. 45,276 0 0 45,276 0 0 340 9 11 " The Lands Improvement and Native Lands Acquisition Act 1894 " Debentures, 4 per cent. 264,000 0 0 264,000 0 0 2,661 14 0 "The Lands Improvement and Native Lands Acquisition Act 1894 " Debentures, 3 J per cent. 35,000 0 0 35,000 0 0 250 5 5 " The Native Land Purchases Act 1892 " Debentures, per cent. 125,000 0 0 125,000 0 0 940 1 4 North Rakaia River Board Debentures, 5 per cent. 1,500 0 0 1,500 0 0 31 4 8 Oamaru Borough Consolidated Loan 1893 Debentures, 5 per cent. 13,800 0 0 13,800 0 0 345 0 0 Oamaru Harbour Bonds, 5J per cent. 32,000 0 0 32,000 0 0 1-1,617 15 1 Oamaru Harbour Advances 1887, 5 per cent. 30,000 0 0 30,000 0 0 628 15 4 Patea Harbour Board Debentures, 4J per cent. 10,000 0 0 10,000 0 0 225 0 0 Thames Borough Debentures, 6 per cent. 6,500 0 0 6,500 0 0 190 3 10 Thames Harbour Board Debentures, 5 per cent. 10,000 0 0 10,000 0 0 250 0 0 " The Public Revenues Act 1893 " (Treasury bills), 3J per cent. 289,200 0 0 289,200 0 0 Westport Harbour Board Debentures, 4j per cent. 32,000 0 0 32, i>00 0 0 613 9 7 Westport Harbour Board Debentures, 5 per cent. 339,200 0 0 339,200 0 0 8,480 0 0 Accrued interest on Post Office Account 810 8 3 Totals 4,690,648 0 0 4,673,045 7 8 40,560 12 5 * Includes three half-yearly interest-payments of £250, and £50 t t Includes half-yearly interest di lalance of a fourth n< Jβ 31it July, 1897, £88 ot yet paid. Board unable to pay. iO.

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Table No. 8. POST-OFFICE SAVINGS-BANKS. Balance-sheet for the Year ended 31st December, 1897. Dr. £ s. a. Cr. & s. d. Balance to credit of depositors, Ist Withdrawals during 1897 .. .. 2,891,169 5 8 January 1897 .. .. .. 4,311,634 13 5 Balance to credit of depositors, 31st Deposits during 1897 .. .. 3,187,219 2 4 December, 1897 .. .. .. 4,744,924 18 1 Interest credited depositors .. .. 137,240 8 0 £7,636,094 3 9 £7,636,094 3 9 2)r. Liabilities and Assets. Or. £ s. d. £ s- d - Balance to credit of depositors, 31st Securities {vide Table No. 7).. .. 4,673,046 7 8 December 1897 .. .. .. 4,744,924 18 1 Cash in Post Office Account on 31st December, 1897 .. .. •• 71,878 10 5 £4,744,924 18 1 £4,744,924 18 1 Dr. Profit and Loss. Cr. £ s. d. £ s. d. Balance forward, Ist January, 1897 .. 73,987 17 11 Interest credited to depositors, 1897 ..137,240 8 0 Interest received .. £177,190 10 1 1896 accrued interest written off .. 33,32110 7 Interest accrued on 31st Paid Public Account, for expenses of December, 1897 .. 40,560 12 5 management .. .. .. 8,000 0 0 217,751 2 6 Savings-bank profits carried to revenue .. 15,000 0 0 Interest on securities purchased from other departments .. .. .. 2,403 16 7 Balance to next account .. .. 95,773 5 3 £291,739 0 5 £291,739 0 5

Table No. 9. Return showing the Total Number of Post-Office Savings-Bank Accounts open on the 31st December, 1897, classified according to the Balances at Credit, compared with the Number open at the end of 1896.

Postal District. Not exceeding £20. Exceeding £20 and up to £50. Exceeding £50 and up to £100. Exceeding £100 and ; up to £200. Exceeding £200 and up to £300. Exceeding £300 and up to £400. Exceeding £400 and up to £500. 3 H.3 Total. Auckland Blenheim Christchurch .. Dunedin Gisborne Greymouth Holritika Invercargill Napier Nelson New Plymouth.. Oamaru Thames Timaru Wanganui Wellington Westport 14,861 2,436 22,980 16,500 1,481 2,013 864 4,581 5,585 3,375 2,948 1,818 4,300 3,258 6,064 22,840 1,297 2,372 235 3,207 2,461 226 280 168 741 726 451 413 345 780 533 779 2,642 203 1,536 145 1,933 1,493 105 205 115 461 511 354 237 203 406 322 443 1,521 145 1,356 115 2,622 1,520 83 211 139 378 414 322 178 234 312 297 318 1,206 132 601 63 571 531 25 73 72 168 133 121 64 55 1.10 116 131 421 59 174 23 219 120 10 25 22 29 54 40 22 20 30 33 36 ' 160 22 109 11 127 111 8 11 11 16 23 18 6 9 15 28 27 108 7 99 10 101 82 4 12 18 12 15 21 6 6 34 32 32 104 10 21,108 3,038 31,760 22,818 1,942 2,830 1,409 6,386 7,461 4,702 3,874 2,690 5,987 4,619 7,830 29,002 1,875 Totals, 1897 ! 117,201 i I 16,562 j 10,135 9,887 3,314 1,039 645 598 159,331 Totals, 1896 I 108,249 15,569 526 147,758 9,468 9,245 3,138 948 615

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TO LONDON VIÂ SAN FRANCISCO.

Table No. 10.-SAN FRANCISCO MAIL-SERVICE. Statement showing the Number of Days occupied in the Delivery of Mails between London and the under-mentioned Places by the San Francisco Mail-service.

PROM LONDON VIA SAN KRANCISCO. Auckland. Wellington. DUNEDIN. Sydney. Melbourne. Date of Despatch from London. i8 97 . January 23 February 20 March 20 April 17 May 15 j une 12 J uly 1 e> August 7 September 4 October 2 October 30 November 27 Date of Arrival in Auckland 1 '897February 26 March 25 April 23 May 20 June 16 July 14 August 1 1 September 8 October 6 November 3 December 1 December 29 1898. January 28 No. of Days. 34 33 34 33 32 32 32 Date of Despatch from London. ■ ■897January 23 February 20 March 20 April 17 May 15 June 12 July 10 August 7 September 4 October 2 October 30 November 27 Date of Arrival in Wellington. .897. February 28 March 26 April 25 May 2 1 June 18 July 17 ' August t 2 . September 10 October 7 j November 4 December 2 December 3 1 1898. January 30 No. j Date of of Despatch from Days. London, 1897. 36 January 23 34 February 20 36 March 20 34 April 17 34 j May 15 35 j June 12 33 July 'O 34 August 7 33 September 4 33 October 2 SS October 30 34 : November 27 36 I December 25 1897. March 1 March 28 April 26 May 23 June 19 July .8 August 14 September 11 October 8 November 6 December 4 1898. January 1 February 1 Date of Arrival in Dunedin. No. of Days. 37 37 36 35 35 35 34 35 35 1897. January 23 February 20 March 20 April 17 May 15 June 12 J u ly i ° August 7 September 4 October 2 October 30 Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Sydney. 1897. March 3 March 29 April 27 May 24 June 20 July 19 August 15 I September 13 : October 11 I November 7 December 6 1898. January 3 February 1 No. of Days. 39 37 38 37 36 37 36 37 37 36 37 Date of Despatch from London. i " " ' 1897January 23 February 20 March 20 April 17 May 15 June 12 July 10 August 7 September 4 October 2 October 30 Date of Arrival in Melbourne. 1897. March 4 March 30 April '28 May 25 June 2i July 20 August 16 September 14 October 12 November 9 December 7 1898. January 4 February 2 No. of Days. 4° 38 39 38 37 38 37 38 38 38 December 25 34 December 25 35 38 November 27 December 25 37 38 November 27 December 25 38 39 Maximum Minimum Average 34 32 32^62 36 33 34"23 38 34 35' 6 9 39 36 40 37 38M5

Melbourne. Sydney. DUNEDIN. ELLINGTON. Auckland. 1 Date of Despatch from Melbourne. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Davs. Date of Despatch from Sydney. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from Dunedin. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from ■ Wellington. 1897. January 2 1 February 18 March 18 April 15 May 13 June 10 July 8 August 5 September 2 September 30 October 28 November 25 Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from Auckland. Date of Arrival in London. So. of Days. 1897. January February March April May June July July August September October November 16 >3 ro 8 5 3 3i 28 25 23 20 1897. February 24 March 28 April 2 1 May 18 June 17 July IS August 11 September 8 October 6 November 3 December 1 December 30 1898. January 27 39 43 39 40 40 39 39 39 39 39 4° 1897. January 18 February 15 March 15 April 12 May 10 June 7 July s August 2 August 30 September 27 October 25 November 22 1897. February 24 March 28 April 21 May 18 June 17 July 15 August 11 September 8 October 6 November 3 December 1 December 30 1898. January 27 37 41 37 36 38 38 37 37 37 37 37 38 1897. January 20 February 17 March 17 ! April 14 May 12 June 9 July 7 August 4 September 1 September 29 October 27 November 24 1897. February 24 March 28 April 2 1 May 18 June 17 July 15 August 1 1 September 8 October 6 November 3 December 1 December 30 1898. January 27 35 39 35 34 36 36 35 35 35 35 35 36 1897. February 24 March 28 April 2 1 May 18 June 17 July 15 August 11 September 8 October 6 November 3 December 1 December 30 1898. January 27 34 38 34 33 35 35 34 34 34 34 34 35 1897. January 23 February 20 March 20 April 17 May 15 June 12 July 1 o August 7 September 4 October 2 October 30 November 27 • ,897. February 24 March 28 g April 2 1 May 18 June 17 July 15 August 11 September 8 October 6 November 3 December 1 December 30 1898. January 27 32 3' 33 33 32 32 32 32 32 33 December 18 40 December 20 38 December 22 36 December 23 35 December 25 33 Maximum Minimum Average 43 38 39'54 4i 37-5 39 34 3j"54 38 33 34'54 36 32-54

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Table No. 11.-PENINSULAR AND ORIENTAL MAIL-SERVICE. Statement showing the Number of Days occupied in the Delivery of Mails between London and the under-mentioned Places by the Packets of the Peninsular and Oriental Lines.

FROM LONDON VlA BRI DISI (P. AND O. PACKETS). Sydney. Bluff. Melbourne. Christchurch. Wellington. Auckland. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Melbourne. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Sydney. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival at Bluff. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Christchurch. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Wellington. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Auckland. No. of Days. 1897. 1897. Feb. 12 Feb. 23 March 13 March 27 April 7 April 20 May 4 May 18 May 29 June 13 July 2 July 11 July 28 August 12 August 22 Sept. 9 Sept. 21 October 1 October 18 Nov. 5 Nov. 16 Nov. 30 Dec. 1; Dec. 26 1898. 35 36 36 33 32 32 32 j 29 1 3° 35 3° 33 3+ I 3° 34 32 28 31 35 32 32 33 3° 1897. 1897. Feb. 13 Feb. 24 March 15 March 29 April 8 April 22 May 5 May 19 May 3 1 June 15 July 3 July 13 July 29 August 13 August 24 Sept. 10 Sept. 22 October 2 October 19 Nov. 6 Nov. 17 Dec. 1 Dec. 16 Dec. 28 1898. 36 33 38 38 34 34 33 33 3i 32 36 32 34 35 32 35 33 29 32 36 33 33 34 32 1897. 1897. Feb. 23 March 2 March 23 April 6 April 12 April 27 May 12 June 1 June 10 June 23 July 13 July 23 August 3 August 24 Sept. 3 Sept. 22 October 1 October 12 October 29 Nov. 13 Nov. 23 Dec. 6 Dec. 25 1898. 46 39 46 46 38 39 40 46 4' 40 46 42 39 46 42 47 42 39 42 43 39 38 43 1897. Jan. 8 Jan. 22 Feb. 5 Feb. 19 March 5 March 19 April 2 April 16 April 30 May 14 May 38 June 11 June 25 July 9 July 23 August 6 August 20 Sept. 3 Sept. 17 October 1 October 15 October 29 Nov. 1 2 1897. Feb. 24 March 3 March 24 April 7 April 13 April 28 May 13 May 3 1 June 10 June 23 July 13 July 22 August 4 August 23 Sept. 4 Sept. 21 Sept. 30 October 13 October 27 Nov. 12 Nov. 24 Dec. 7 Dec. 24 1898. 47 40 47 47 39 40 41 45 41 40 46 41 40 45 43 46 4' 40 40 42 40 39 42 1897. l8 97 . Feb. 22 March 2 March 22 April 8 April 14 May 1 May 11 May 29 June 8 June 22 July 1 1 July 20 August 10 August 21 August 31 Sept. 18 Sept. 29 October 13 October 26 Nov. 11 Nov. 22 Dec. 9 Dec. 23 1898. 45 39 45 48 4° 43 39 43 39 39 44 39 46 43 39 43 40 40 39 4' 38 4' 4' 1897. 1897. Feb. 20 March 1 March 19 April 6 April 17 May 5 May 10 May 25 June 7 June 21 July 9 July 19 August 6 August 23 August 30 Sept. 22 Sept. 27 October 11 October 25 Nov. 13 Nov. 22 Dec. 6 Dec. 24 1898. Jan. 8 Jan. 22 Feb. s Feb. 19 March 5 March [9 April 2 April 16 April 30 May 14 May 28 June 11 June 25 July 9 July 23 August 6 August 20 Sept. 3 Sept. 17 October r October 1 j October 29 Nov. 12 Nov. 26 Jan. 8 Jan. 22 Feb. 5 ! Feb. 19 ! March 5 i March 19 April 2 April 16 April 30 May 14 May 28 June 11 June 25 July 9 July 23 August 6 August 20 Sept. 3 Sept. 17 October 1 October 1 5 October 29 Nov. 12 Nov. 26 Jan. 8 Jan. 22 Feb. 5 Feb. 19 March 5 March 19 April 2 April 16 April 30 May 14 May 28 June 11 June 25 July 9 July 23 August 6 August 20 Sept. 3 Sept. 17 October 1 October 15 October 29 Nov. 12 Jan. 8 Jan. 22 Feb. 5 Feb. 19 March 5 March 19 April 2 April 16 April 30 May 14 May 28 June 11 June 25 July 9 July 23 August 6 August 20 Sept. 3 Sept. 17 October 1 October ! 5 October 29 Nov. 12 Jan. 8 Jan. 22 Feb. s Feb. 19 March 5 March. 19 April 2 April 16 April 30 May 14 May 28 June 1 1 June 25 July 9 July 23 August 6 August 20 Sept. 3 Sept. 17 October 1 October 15 October 29 Nov. 12 43 46 43 47 39 38 42 38 45 38 ;8 3« 38 43 38 38 42 Dec. 10 Dec. 25 Jan. 11 Jan. 25 32 3i Dec. 1 o Dec. 25 Jan. 12 Jan. 26 33 32 Nov. 26 Dec. 1 o Dec. 25 Jan. 4 Jan. 17 Feb. 1 39 38 38 Nov. 26 Dec. 10 Dec. 25 Jan. 5 Jan. 18 Feb. 2 40 39 39 Nov. 26 Dec. 10 Dec. 25 Jan. 5 Jan. 18 Feb. 7, 40 39 40 Nov. 26 Dec. 1 o Dec. 25 Jan. 3 Jan. 17 Jan. 31 38 38 37 Maximum Minimum Average 36 28 32-27 38 29 33-58 47 38 41-69 i 47 ; 39 4192 48 38 41-27 4" 37 40-46

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Table No. 11—PENINSULAR AND ORIENTAL MAIL-SERVICE-continued. Statement showing the Number of Days occupied in the Delivery of Mails between London and the under-mentioned Places by the Packets of the Peninsular and Oriental Line— continued.

TO LONDON VIA BRINDISI (P. AND O. PACKETS). Auckland. Wellington. Bluff. Sydney. Melbourne. Date of Despatch from Auckland. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from Wellington. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from Bluff. Date of Arrival in London. No. Date of of Despatch from Days. Sydney. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from Melbourne. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. i8 97 . January 5 January 18 February 3 February 15 March 2 March 15 March 29 April 13 April 27 May 10 May 25 June 7 June 21 July 5 July 19 August 2 August 17 August 30 Sept. 13 Sept. 27 October 12 October 26 November 8 1897. February 14 March 1 March 15 March 28 April 12 April 25 May 11 May 25 June 6 June 19 July 5 July 18 August 1 August 14 August 3 1 Sept. 11 Sept/ 26 October 12 October 23 November 8 November 21 December 4 December 19 1898. January 3 January 15 January 30 February 13 40 40 4 1 43 42 40 40 41 41 40 43 40 40 43 40 42 40 39 41 1897. January 2 January 16 February 1 February 13 February 27 March 13 March 27 April 10 April 26 May 8 June 8 1897. February 14 March 1 March 15 March 28 April 12 April 25 May 11 May 25 June 6 June 19 July 18 43 44 42 43 44 43 45 45 41 42 40 1897. January 5 January 19 February 3 February 16 March 2 March 16 March 30 April 13 April 27 May 7 May 25 June 7 1897. February 14 March 1 March 15 March 28 April 12 April 25 May 11 May 25 June 6 June 19 July 5 July 18 40 41 40 40 41 40 42 42 40 43 41 4 1 1897. January 11 January 25 February 8 February 22 March 8 March 22 April 5 April 19 May 3 May 17 May 31 June 14 June 28 July 12 July 26 August 9 August 23 Sept. 6 Sept. 20 October 4 October 18 November 1 November 15 1897. February 14 March 1 March 15 March 28 April 12 April 25 May 11 May 25 June 6 June 19 July 5 July 18 August 1 August 14 August 31 Sept. 11 Sept. 26 October 12 October 23 November 8 November 21 December 4 December 19 1898. January 3 January 15 January 30 34 35 35 34 35 34 36 34 33 35 34 34 33 36 33 34 36 33 35 34 33 34 1897. January 12 January 26 February 9 February 23 March 9 March 23 April 6 April 20 May 4 May 18 June 1 June 15 June 29 July 13 July 27 August 10 August 24 Sept. 7 Sept. 21 October 5 October 19 November 2 November 16 1897. February 14 March 1 March 15 March 28 April 12 April 25 May 11 May 25 June 6 June 19 July 5 July 18 August 1 August 14 August 31 Sept. 11 Sept. 26 October 12 October 23 November 8 November 21 December 4 December 19 1898. January 3 January 15 January 30 33 34 34 33 34 33 35 35 33 32 34 33 33 32 35 32 33 35 32 34 33 32 33 July 7 July 17 August 14 August 31 38 45 July 6 July 17 August 14 August 31 39 45 August 17 August 28 Sept. 14 Sept. 24 Sept. 26 October 12 October 23 November 8 40 45 39 45 Sept. 28 October 7 October 23 November 6 November 8 November 21 December 4 December 19 1898. January 3 January 15 January 30 February 13 4 1 45 42 43 October 26 November 9 December 4 December 19 1898. January 3 January 15 January 30 39 40 November 23 December 7 December 20 December 28 41 39 4 1 47 November 20 December 4 December 17 December 31 44 42 44 44 November 23 December 8 December 21 41 38 40 November 29 December 13 December 27 1898. January 10 35 33 34 November 30 December 14 December 28 1898. January 11 34 32 33 February 13 34 February 13 33 Maximum Minimum Average .. 47 39 4107 45 38 42-86 45 38 40-96 36 33 34' 3° 35 32 333°

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Table No. 12.-ORIENT MAIL-SERVICE. Statement showing the Number of Days occupied in the Delivery of Mails between London and the under-mentioned Places by the Packets of the Orient Line.

FROM LONDON VIA NAPLES (ORIENT PACKETS). Melbourne. Sydney. Bluff. Christchurch. Wellington. Auckland. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival it, Melbourne. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Sydney. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival at Bluff. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Christchurch. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Wellington. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Auckland. No. of Days. 1897. ■897Feb. 3 Feb. 17 March 3 March 27 March 30 April 1 5 April 27 May 12 May 25 June 8 June 23 July 9 July 22 August 4 August 18 August 31 ; Sept. , T5 Sept. 30 October 1 2 October 26 ; Nov. 9 Nov. 24 Dec. 7 Dec. 23 [898. 33 33 33 43* 34 3 2 33 32 32 33 35 34 33 3 2 33 34 I 32 I 32 32 33 32 1897. 1897. Feb. 4 Feb. 18 March 4 March 29 March 3 1 April 16 April 28 May 13 May 26 June 9 June 24 July 10 July 23 August 5 August 19 Sept. 1 Sept. 16 October c October £3 October 27 Nov. 1 o Nov. 25 Dec. 8 Dec. 24 1898. 34 34 34 45* 33' 35 33 34 33 33 34 36 35 34 34 33 34 34 33 35 1897. 1897. Feb. 9 Feb. 2 3 March 8 April 6 April 6 April 20 I May 3 ! May 20 June 2 June 17 July 1 July 23 August 3 August 13 August 24 I Sept. 10 Sept. 20 October r 2 October 22 j Nov. 2 Nov. 16 Nov. 30 I Dec. 13 Dec. 3 1 1898." 39 39 53* 39 39 38 41 40 49 46 42 38 £ 39 39 38 4 2 1897. 1897. Feb. 1 o Feb. 24 March 9 April 7 April 7 April 22 May 4 May 20 June 3 June 16 July 1 July 22 August 1 August 13 August 25 Sept. 9 Sept. 2 1 October 13 October 21 Nov. 3 Nov. 17 Dec. 1 Dec. 15 Dec. 30 1898. 40 40 54 40 41 39 4' 4< 40 4 1 48 44 42 40 4i 39 47 4i 40 40 40 40 4i ■ 8971897. Feb. 12 Feb. 25 March 1 o April 8 April 8 April 22 May s May 19 June 2 June 15 June 30 July 20 August 2 August 12 August 26 Sept. 8 Sept. 22 October 13 October 20 Nov. 3 Nov. 17 Dec. 2 Dec. 16 Dec. 29 1898. 42 4' 4° 55* 41 4' 40 40 40 39 4° ! 46 1 45 4' 4 1 40 4° 47 40 40 40 4' 41 j 40 .897. 4897. Feb. 15 Feb. 27 March 13 April 6 April 6 April 24 May 6 May 22 J une 1 J une 14 July 1 July 19 August 2 August 14 August 28 Sept. 6 Sept. 27 October 11 October 18 Nov. 1 Nov. 16 Dec. 4 Dec. 16 1898. 45 43 43 S3* 39 43 4' 43 39 38 4' 45 45 43 43 38 45 45 38 38 39 43 41 - Jan. 1 Jan. 15 Jan. 29 Feb. 12 Feb. 26 March 12 March 26 April 9 April 23 May 7 May 21 June 4 June 18 July 2 July 16 July 30 August 13 August 27 Sept. 10 Sept. 24 October 8 October 22 Nov. . 5 Nov. 19 Jan. 1 Jan. 15 Jan. 29 Feb. 12 Feb. 26 ■, March 12 March 26 April 9 April 23 May 7 May 2 1 June 4 June 18 July 2 July .6 July 30 August 13 August 27 Sept. 10 Sept. 24 October 8 October 22 Nov. 5 Nov. 19 Jan. 1 Jan. 15 Jan. 29 Feb. 12 Feb. 26 March 12 March 26 April 9 April 23 May 7 May 2 1 June 4 J une 18 July 2 July 16 July 30 August 13 August 27 Sept. 10 Sept. 24 October 8 October 2 2 Nov. 5 Nov. 19 Jan. 1 Jan. 15 Jan. 29 Feb. 12 Feb. 26 March 12 March 26 April 9 April 23 May 7 May 2 1 June 4 June i8 July 2 July 16 July 30 August 13 August 27 Sept. 10 Sept. 24 October 8 October 22 Nov. 5 Nov. 19 Jan. 1 Jan. 15 Jan. 29 Feb. 12 Feb. 26 March 12 March 26 April 9 April 23 May 7 May 21 June 4 June 18 July 2 July 16 July 30 August 13 August 27 Sept. 10 Sept. 24 October 8 October 22 Nov. 5 Nov. 19 Jan. 1 Jan. 15 Jan. 29 Feb. 12 Feb. 26 March 12 March 26 April 9 April 23 May 7 May 2 r June 4 June 18 July 2 July 16 July 30 August 13 August 27 j Sept. 10 \ Sept. 24 October 8 October 22 Nov. s Dec. 3 Dec. ,7 Dec. 3 1 Jan. 5 Jan. 20 Feb. 3 33 34 Dec. 3 Dec. 17 Dec. 3 1 Jan. 6 Jan. 21 Feb. 4 34 35 35 Dec. S Dec. 17 Dec. 3 1 I Jan. io Jan. 29 • Feb. 10 38 43 41 Dec. 3 Dec. 17 Dec. 31 Jan. 11 Jan. 28 Feb. 11 39 42 42 Dec. 3 Dec. 17 Dec. 31 Jan. 13 Jan. 26 Feb. 9 4' 40 40 Nov. 19 Dec. 3 Dec. 17 Dec. 3 1 Jan- 3 Jan. 15 Jan. 29 Feb. 12 45 43 43 ! 43 Maximum Minimum Average 43 32 33'33 I 45 33 34'37 53 38 4i'5 54 4i'S 6 55 39 4 : '5& 53 38 42-41 in he Red ica.

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Table No. 12.—ORIENT MAIL-SERVICE-continued. Statement showing the Number of Days occupied in the Delivery of Mails between London and the under-mentioned Places by the Packets of the Orient Line— continued.

TO LONDON VIA NAPLES (ORIENT PACKETS). ta] I—' Auckland. Wellington. Bluff. Sydney. Melbourne. Date of Despatch from Auckland. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from Wellington. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from Bluff. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from Sydney. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from Melbourne. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. 1897. January 12 January 26 February 8 February 22 March 8 March 25 April 5 1897. February 19 March 9 March 22 April 3 April 18 May 1 May 15 38 42 42 40 41 37 40 i8 97 . January 9 January 23 February 6 February 20 March 6 March 20 April 3 April 17, 1897. February 19 March 9 March 22 April 3 April 18 Ma} , 1 May 15 May 30 41 45 44 42 43 42 42 43 1897. January 12 January 26 February 9 February 23 March 9 1897. February 19 March 9 March 22 April 3 April 18 38 42 4 1 39 40 1897. January 18 February 1 February 15 March 1 March 15 March 29 April 12 April 26 May 10 May 24 June 7 June 21 July 5 . July 19 August 2 August 16 August 30 Sept. 13 Sept. 27 October 11 October 25 November 8 November 22 1897. February 19 March 9 March 22 April 3 April 18 May 1 May 15 May 30 June 13 June 27 July 12 July 28 August 8 August 22 Sept. 4 Sept. 21 October 2 October 17 October 30 November 15 November 28 December 11 December 26 1898. January 9 January 22 32 36 35 33 34 33 33 34 34 34 35 37 34 34 33 36 33 34 33 35 34 33 1897. January 19 February 2 February 16 March 2 March 16 March 30 April 13 April 27 May 11 May 25 June 8 June 22 July 6 July 20 August 3 August 17 August 31 Sept. 14 Sept. 28 October 12 October 26 November 9 November 23 1897. February 19 March 9 March 22 April 3 April 18 May 1 May 15 May 30 June 13 June 27 July 12 July 28 August 8 August 22 Sept. 4 Sept. 21 October 2 October 17 October 30 November 15 November 28 December 11 December 26 1898. January 9 January 22 31 35 34 32 33 32 33 33 33 34 36 33 33 32 35 32 33 32 34 33 32 33 April 6 April 21 May 15 May 30 39 39 May 3 May 20 May 31 June 16 June 28 July 14 July 26 August 11 August 23 Sept. 8 Sept. 20 October 6 October t8 N ovember 3 November 15 June 13 June 27 July 12 July 28 August 8 August 22 Sept. 4 Sept. 21 October 2 October 17 October 30 November 15 November 28 December 1 1 December 26 1898. January 9 January 22 41 38 42 42 41 39 40 4 1 40 39 40 40 4 1 38 4 1 May 15 June 17 June 26 July 29 August 7 August 20 Sept. 7 Sept. 17 June 27 July 28 August 8 Sept. 4 Sept. 21 October 2 October 17 October 30 43 4 1 43 37 45 43 40 43 May 14 May 29 June 16 June 28 July 27 August 7 June 27 July 12 July 28 August 8 Sept. 4 Sept. 21 44 44 42 4 1 39 45 Sept. 6 October 17 41 October 16 October 30 November 13 November 28 December 11 December 26 1898. January 9 January 22 43 42 43 October 6 October 18 November 2 November 16 November 15 November 28 December 11 December 26 1898. January 9 January 22 40 41 39 40 December 1 December 13 39 40 November 27 December 15 43 38 November 30 December 14 40 39 December 6 December 20 1898. January 3 34 33 December 7 December 21 1898. January 4 33 32 December 29 February 6 39 December 24 February 6 44 December 28 February 6 40 February 6 34 February 6 33 M «imum Minimum Average 42 37 40-04 45 37 42-27 45 38 4O62 37 32 34-00 36 3 1 33-00

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Table No. 13. Table showing the Estimated Number of Letters, Letter-cards, Post-cards, Book-packets, Newspapers, and Parcels dealt with in the several Postal Districts of New Zealand during the Year ended 31st December, 1897.

Posted in the Colony. Received from Places outside the Colony. Total Correspondence dealt with. listrid is. c?r *-«••**■ Books. &c. Newspapers. Parcels. I Po f- Books, &c. cards. ' Letters. Letters. Newspapers. Parcels. Letters. Lettercards. Post-cards. Books, &c. Newspapers. Parcels. Auckland Thames . New Plymouth Gisborne Napier . Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport Greymouth . Hokitika Blenheim Christchurch Timaru Oamaru Dunedin Invercargill .. 5,506,267 905,502 286,546 1,697,852 1,476,462 5,894,564 566,553 209,859 398,008 203,762 374.725 ! 4.466 ,995 881,751 538.954 4.. 140.279 1,894,061 117,182 14,690 27.378 2,548 42,848 ! 63,895 i 147,316 I 13,689 1,950 5,59° 4,459 12,649 104,364 36,946 19,422 93,106 49,140 263,107 31,304 59,592 7,176 72,254 119,158 198,926 22,607 3,783 11,128 4,498 13,884 179,998 51,935 29,913 164,112 91,897 2,773,394 213,304 277,069 85,449 685,191 872,508 2,195,323 163,280 37,245 ■110,994 21,762 89,635 1,638,637 297,557 102,167 2,160,444 627,484 j ! 2,143,453 203,164 281,021 78,221 452,322 401,856 1,662,947 182,013 105,833 167,154 81,367 109,915 1,732,536 142,480 105,586 I 1,750,242 576,979 37,228 2,972 2,427 1,748 7,872 6,036 39,796 4,882 1,710 2,443 1,634 28,436 1,592 929 28,488 4,232 366,169 54,397 60,249 19,085 112,917 98,354 392,017 37,7O5 13,965 26,467 13,566 24,937 297,055 58,653 35,9io J 275,322 125,951 1 i 3,287 1 510,472 I 397 : 39,392 740 : 50,968 87 ! 15,801 900 > 126,140 1,492 i 162,632 2,487 ; 404,130 1 275 '• 30,092 i 45 J 6,858 I 137 ! 20,424 I 55 1 4,048 170 16,560 2,250 1 301,815 1 650 ; 54,832 375 I 18,918 2,052 397,690 1,150 115,617 16,549 2,276,389 5,285 12,598,674 I 860,086 81,463 112,765 31,301 i8i,437 161,323 667,361 73,036 42,538 67,017 32,555 44,143 695,453 57,015 42,537 702,275 231,951 5,059 394 326 231 1,060 816 5,399 652 231 33O 190 217 3,862 216 5,872,436 872,461 965,751 305,631 I,810,769 1,574,816 6,286,581 604, 258 223,824 424,475 217,328 399,662 4,764, O 5O 94°, 4°4 574,864 4,415,601 2,020,012 117,182 14,690 27,378 2,548 42,848 63,895 I47,3i6 13,689 1,950 5,590 4,459 12,649 104, 364 36,946 19,422 93,106 49,140 : 266,394 j 31,701 60,332 7,263 73,154 [ 120,650 ! 201,413 22,882 3,828 11,265 4,553 14,054 182,248 52,585 30,288 166,164 93,047 11,341 ,821 1,231,835 3,283,866 252,696 328,037 101,250 811,331 1,035,140 2,599,453 193,372 44,103 131,418 25,810 106, 195 1,940,452 352,389 121,085 2,558,134 743,ioi 3,003,539 284,627 393,786 109,522 633,759 563,179 2,330,308 255,049 148,37! 234,171 113,922 154,058 2,427,989 199,495 148,123 2,452,517 808,930 42,287 3,366 2,753 1", 979 8,932 6,852 45,195 5,534 1,941 2,773 1,621 1,851 32,298 1,808 1,056 32,504 4,804 127 4,016 572 Totals 30,260, 204 757,172 12,351,443*1 10,177,089 j i73,856t 2,012,719 4,084,256 23,698 14,627,832 14,261,345 197,55Previous year 1,325,272 13,694,996 32,272,923 29,787,763 757,172 27.874,353 654,290 [1,226,550 10,048,597 i 9,521,525 i 166,702 I,9I3,4IO I9,9O9 654,290 : 12,647,271 13,216,521 186,61 • Of these, packet-post. ickets prep; id more than Jd. inert :ased from 4,054,375 in 1896 to 5,643,339 in 1897 — i.e., 3919 per ci ait. f Small increase due to the diversion f parcels below 3 lb. in weight t(

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Table No. 14. Table showing the Number of Letters, Letter-cards, Post-cards, Packets, Newspapers, and Parcels posted in New Zealand, and the Number received from beyond the Colony, during the Year ended 31st December, 1897.

Articles subject to Postage. Articles exempt from Postage. Parcels. Service. Letters. Lettercards. Post-cards. Packets, including Printed Matter (except Newspapers), Commercial Papers, and Samples of Merchandise. Newspapers. Tetter, I Paokpts Registered | Newsletters. ; Packets. ArticleSi papers. Number. Weight. Postage. Declared Value. Ordinary, j ggj Single. |™*** Ordinary. Registered. Posted. 837,175 165,186 351 ' 4,473 90 4,197 Lb. £ s. d. £ s. d. Inland 125,618,666 i 159,541 757,172 1,306,152 i 5,058 11,670,570 22,987 ;8,103, 326 2,709,900 331,232 j 69,382 580,593 9,627 15 0 Intercolonial .. 685,725! 59,637 6,392 9 j 127,677 3,748 488,161 31,924 1,467 1,388 9,916 290 11 10 [ 8,153 0 International .. 904,195 27,208,586 19,024 7,645 1,320,189 16 i 183,025 2,411 747,986 9,339,473 7,164 400 1,584 9,510 424 4 10 Totals .. 238,202 757,172 5,083 I 111,981,272 29,146 2,748,988333,099 72,354 8,153 '0 I 837,616 173,856 600,019 ,10,342 11 8 Received. Intercolonial .. International .. Totals .. .. I 813,864 14,997 .. I 1,138,269 23,817 I .. 1,952,133 38,814 6,953 9,555 16,508 13 28 I l,225,014J 1,041,219: 2,266,233 2,519 3,142 5,661 1,322,696 2,761,372 : 18,002 2,115 3,080 2,293 367 410 92 96 7,956 I 15,742 23,033 J 1,087 3 0 _ .. 53,002 i 2,170 7 5 I 76,035 I 3,257 10 5 [41,820 0 41 21,082 j 4,408 i 23,698 41,820 0 14,084,068 777 188

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Table No. 15. Table showing the Number of Letters, Letter-cards, Post-cards, Books, Newspapers, and Parcels delivered by the Letter-carriers from the Post Offices within the several Postal Districts during the Year ended 31st December, 1897.

Letters. Letter-cards. Postal Districts. Post-cards. Books, &c. Newspapers. Parcels. j Auckland fhames Sfew Plymouth .. jisborne papier .. iVanganui Wellington kelson vVestport jreymouth rlokitika 31enheim Dhristchurch Fimaru.. Damaru Dunedin !nvercargill 3.055,815 406,402 268,090 102,774 556,395 397, 139 2,116,752 168,043 58,303 148,533 78,883 85,517 575,833 1,246,524 123,544 1,362,707 446,734 11,197,988 78,354 10,420 6,874 2,635 14,266 10,183 54,275 4,308 1,494 3,808 2,022 2,192 40,406 6,321 3,167 34,94! ",454 "5,779 43,401 22,107 2,897 25,678 43.542 75.572 9,588 1,817 6,808 3,9" 5,936 80,847 19,876 8,707 77,691 53,O77 540,844 143.145 60,841 io,170 157.173 284,093 299,528 34,°34 10,040 39.on 14,683 32.152 497.324 101,987 25,308 437,102 155.54 1 2,842,976 674,329 153,049 132,933 27,476 i 121,607 180,741 j 510,948 83,049 j 31.351 : 56,438 57,337 5o,953 379,429 61,178 ! 27,669 ; 367,931 j 158,667 ! ' 1 3,075,085 9,062 3.247 1,950 1,040 8 ,324 3.387 10,850 2,422 1,226 2,864 861 1.314 4.565 1,122 971 4,421 734 Totals 287,120 597,234 I 58,360 Previous year .. IO.537.955 247,306 553.O57 2,557> I 72 2,833,900 64,562

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Table No. 16. Comparative Table showing the Progress of the Telegraph Department during the Financial Years ended 30th June, 1866, to 30th June, 1879; 31st March, 1880, to 31st March, 1882; and Calendar Years ended 31st December, 1882, to 31st December, 1893.

I v Number of Telegrams forwarded during the Year. Cost of ~ ,. Maintenance Cost of Qf Maintenance Lines S-2™. AustSfele Subsidy. Cost of Maintenance of Lines per Mile. Tariff in Operation. Year ended Number of Miles of Line. Number of Miles of Wire. o • 1° 2 Government. Total. Revenue from all Sources. Value of Government Messages. Total Value of Business done during the Year. Total Expenditure. Private, and Press. 30th June, 186& 699 i,39o r 3 24,761 2,746 27,407 5,561 19 2 ■ £ s. d. 483 3 2 6,045 2 4 £ s- d. 3,934 3 4 £ * d. 2,443 2 11 / s. d. 6,377 6 3 £ s. d. 3 9 10 1867 757 1,498 21 55,621 15,331 70,952 9,070 10 1 3,77° 4 8 12,840 14 g 8,017 I 4 7 2,541 4 11 10,558 19 6 3 7 1 1868 1,110 2,223 3i 72,241 26,244 98,485 11,652 3 7 6,672 o 3 18,324 3 10 9,489 17 10 5,406 7 3 14,896 5 1 4 17 4 Mileage tariff. 1869 1,329 2,495 45 106,070 50,097 156,167 18,520 10 4 13,430 11 9 31.951 2 1 14,266 12 7 8,547 4 9 22,813 J 7 4 6 8 6 Mileage tariff in operation up to 1st Sept., 1869; uniform as. 6d. tariff from 1st Sept., 1869, to 31st March, 1870; and is. tariff from 1st April, 1850. 1870 1,661 2,897 56 122,545 62,878 185,423 17,218 1 4 12,252 6 o 29,470 7 4 16,417 7 4 14,120 4 10 30,537 12 2 8 9 11 1871 1,976 3>247 72 253,582 59,292 312,874 • 22,419 8 8 9,876 17 6 32,296 6 2 21,254 4 3 11,344 3 8 32,598 7 11 5 19 6 1872 2,185 3,823 81 344,524 67,243 411,767 28,121 10 o ",043 3 9 39,164 13 9 23,593 9 9 8,858 19 7 32,452 9 4 423 1873 2,356 4,574 93 485,507 83,453 568,960 39,680 18 9 11,105 2 o 50,786 o 9 27,040 18 10 9,479 5 4 36,520 4 2 4 1 11 1874 2,530 5,782 i°5 645,067 107,832 752,899 46,508 18 10 ; 12,618 11 6 59,127 10 4 38,801 19 4 15,021 17 11 53,823 17 3 6 3 11 i875 2,986 6,626 127 786,237 130, 8gi 917,128 55,301 12 3 13,679 10 9 68,981 3 o 45.814 11 4 14,240 19 7 60,055 10 11 4 16 4 1876 3,154 7,247 142 890, 382 160,704 1,051,086 62,715 10 4 16,154 6 o 78,869 16 4 61,696 14 5 21,074 8 8 82,771 3 1 5 18 10 From 1st November, 1873, address and signature given in free. 1877 3,259 7,423 155 952,283 172,159 1,124,442 65,644 15 3 17,024 8 9 82,669 4 ° 63,353 10 10 17,931 8 o 81,284 18 10 5 12 11 1878 3,434 8,035 182 1,065,481 194,843 1,260,324 73,284 1 10 19,148 12 4 92,432 14 2 69,340 1 8 18,259 4 9 87,599 6 5 5 10 o 1879 3,512 8,117 195 1,201,982 246,961 1,448,943 85,402 o 2 26,949 2 2 112,351 2 4 79,502 o 5 17,299 7 10 96,801 8 3 509 31st March, 1880 3,638 9,333 214 824,734 183,675 1,008,409 58,120 3 3 19,707 6 3 77,827 9 6 68,651 10 10 I4,758 4 5 83,4 O 9 15 3 4 3 4 1881 3,758 9,587 227 1,058,342 246,370 1,304,712 73,002 2 o 27,021 3 8 100,023 5 8 78,224 1 8 23>i54 8 3 101,378 9 11 667 1882 3,824 9,653 234 1,215,849 222,923 1 >438,772 78,828 19 8 22,737 16 4 101,566 16 o 69,165 5 o 18,292 13 4 87,457 18 4 4 17 4

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Table No. 16— continued. Comparative Table showing the Progress of the Telegraph Department during the Financial Years ended 30th June, 1866, to 30th June, 1879; 31st March, 1880, to 31st March, 1882; and Calendar Years ended 31st December, 1882, to 31st December, 1893— continued.

in H 2 bo I o v bo "3 v T3 B rt p M .SP t/3 W -d a rt en M ■a? o "g 13 S a -M O (Si .. rt CTi o CO rt m a; "Til rQ i| So CD ■8 5 >, i& o 00 S " a . 0) (i! o≤ -1 0 S a! c c a> _ <c t3 d a so rt 'S "2 * 1-5 a n "8 to , O h M M N * ' CO O M ON 00 C! M ,rH £3 H « OT3 is ■a

For the Financial Years ended 31st March, 1895, to the 31st March, 1898.

Year ended Number of Miles of Line. Number of Miles of Wire. O .go Number of Telegrams during the Ye; I ' "I forwarded .r. Telegraph Revenue from al! Sources. Total Value Value of of Government Business done Messages. during the Year. Cost of Maintenance of Stations. Cost of Maintenance of Lines, excluding Australian Cable Subsidy. Total Expenditure. Cost of Maintenance of Lines per Mile. Tariff in Operation. Private, Governand Press. ment. Total. • 31st Dec, it 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 3.974 4.O74 4,264 4.463 4.546 4,646 4.790 4.874 5,148 5,349 5.479 5.513 9,848 10,037 10,474 10,931 11,178 11.375 11,617 11,827 12,812 13,235 13.459 13.515 264 302 330 375 412 437 473 489 520 573 615 640 1,361,817 1,379,483 1,433,458 1,533,406 1,583,717 1,589,771 1,548,233 1,589,157 i,734.38i 1,746,115 1,686,064 1,825,646 '208,372 ,219,917 : 22O,847 1240,867 '252,549 1245,623 '213,830 226,780 |222,I49 218,079 244,045 £ s, d. 1,570,189 90,633 11 2 1,599,400 93,822 3 3 1,654,305 95,634 5 5 1,774,273 101,652 8 o 1,836,266 106,638 12 2 i>835.394 106,548 4 o 1,765,863 106,311 11 6 1,802,987 106,462 18 4 1,961,161 110,696 17 8 1,968,264 117,633 15 9 1,904,143 103,813 8 6J 2,069,691 112,465 15 9 £ s. d. 20,608 11 ii, 21,555 19 2 20,855 19 7 24,860 9 o 27,281 4 9 30,205 11 10 23,164 13 11 24,218 9 3 26,070 12 7 24,840 5 7 24,342 7 o 28,317 7 10 £ s. d. 111,242 3 1 115,378 2 5 116,490 5 o 126,512 17 o 133,919 16 II 136,753 15 10 129,476 5 5 130,681 7 7 136,767 10 3 142,474 1 4 128,155 15 6$ 140,783 3 7 £ s. d. 73.554 9 1 73,054 4 6 70,036 6 2 77,082 4 4 77.473 10 7 76,580 10 o 72,201 13 5 75,426 9 7 76,845 1 10 85,658 4 11 87.472 13 3 92,109 17 o £ s. d. 22,451 6 3 19,210 6 6 20,041 15 10 20,900 6 2 21,402 18 2 21,321 2 9 23,262 1 o 26,007 1 5 27,546 2 o 28,986 10 10 29,580 10 11 29,141 6 o £ s. d. 96,005 15 4 92,264 11 o 90,078 2 o 97,982 10 6 98,875 8 9 97,901 12 9 95,4 6 3 J 4 5 101,433 TI ° 104,391 3 10 114,644 15 9 117,053 4 2 121,251 3 o £ s. d. 5 17 5 4 16 8 4 18 4 415 9 4 15 11 4 13 9 5 o 1 5 8 7 5 13 o 5 12 7 580 5 5 9 From ist November, 1873, address and signature given in free. From ist Jan., 1886, delayed telegrams posted to addressees immediately after their receipt at offices of destination.

i 8 Number of Telegrams f during the Yeai ~orwarded Revenue. Year ended Number of Miles of Line. Miles of I 2°Wire. .2° Private, and Press. Government. Government Messages. Total Value of Total Expenditure Business done ' (excluding during Cable Subsidy), the Year. Remarks. Total. Telegraph. Telephone. 31st March, 1895 1896 1897 1898 6,245! 6, 2 8 4 f 6,484 14,8814 I 5.764i 18,024 7°5 743 780 824 1,802,182 1,899,632 2,285,001 2,469,415 231,618 224,579 235,168 226,818 2,033,800 2,124,211 2,520,169 2,696,233 88,459 10 11 97,178 14 o\ 100,385 16 1 99,798 8 10J £ s - d. 21,552 12 10 25,933 « 9 29,248 19 5 36,422 6 8 / s. d. 26,050 7 5 25,843 11 11 23,118 2 6 24,504 9 8 £ s. a.: / s. a. 136,062 11 2 135,791 o 7 X 48,955 18 8j! 143,665 14 o 152,752 18 o : 153,484 6 8 160,725 5 2j| 165,198 13 5 £ s - d - Cable subsidy, 6,492 11 8 4.774 5 5 3.972 8 1 1,849 2 9

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Table No. 17. Table showing the Cash Revenue derived from Private and Press Messages, the Value of Government Messages, and the Number of Messages transmitted in the several Postal Districts of New Zealand for the Twelve Months ended 31st March, 1898.

Table No. 18. Return of Paid Telegrams of all Codes forwarded during the Twelve Months ended 31st March, 1898, and the Revenue received.

Table No. 19. Return of the Number and Value of Telegraph Money-orders issued within the several Postal Districts during the Year ended 31st December, 1897.

Postal Districts. Revenue derived from Private and Press Messages. Value of Government Messages. Total Value of Messages of all Codes. Total Number of Number Number Private of of and Press Govt. Messages Messages. Messages. of all Codes. Auckland Blenheim Christchurch Dunedin Gisborne Greymouth Hokitika Invercargill Napier .. Nelson New Plymouth Oamaru Thames.. Timaru Wanganui Wellington Westport £ 8. d. 17,335 12 oj i,457 X 7 1I l 11,284 6 8J 12,179 18 84 2,140 17 6J 2,555 13 94 1,204 13 8| 5,096 6 10 5,705 16 7J 1,918 10 5j 2,600 10 oj 1, 5O9 3 2 J 4,3O5 o 2 2,192 9 4 4,859 15 iojj 15,701 16 7J 1,887 5 1 £ s. d. 2,767 9 3 295 6 o 1,496 5 4 i,447 J 5 1 304 14 o 490 15 8 243 2 7 653 14 10 757 6 4 490 10 o 618 1 1 159 2 7 563 12 7 244 1 9 578 11 10 12,956 12 5 437 8 4 £ .. d 20,103 1 3J i,753 3 "1 12,780 12 oj 13,627 13 9j 2,445 11 6J 3,046 9 5J i,447 16 3J 5,75O 1 8 6,463 2 11 J 2,4°9 o 54 3,218 11 ij 1,668 5 9j 4,868 12 9 2,436 11 1 5,438 7 8J 28,658 9 of 2,324 13 5 441.589 35,5i8 255,973 309,456 45,816 56,575 25,809 J 4i,332 133,606 131,394 63,877 32,952 109,511 51,280 124,413 466,820 43,494 34,173 4,289 19,038 16,422 3,675 5,689 2,488 7,996 9,147 7,806 6,856 1,997 8,502 3,217 7,562 81,926 6,035 475,762 39,8O7 275,011 325,878 49,491 62,264 28,297 149,328 142,753 I39,2OO 70,733 34,949 118,013 54,497 131,975 548,746 49,529 2,696,233 General Post Office receipts 93,935 14 8 \ 2,601 12 1 24,504 9 8 118,440 4 4J 2,469,415 226,818 Totals, 1897-98 Totals, 1896-97 96,537 6 94 97,452 18 7 24,504 9 8 23,118 2 6 it 8,440 4 4 J 120,571 1 1 2,469,415 2,285,001 226,818 235,168 2,696,233 2,520,169

jane luarter, 1897. September Quarter, 1897. Decembi :r Quarter, 1897. I March Quarter, 1898. Totals. Class of Telegrams. I Revenue. Number, Revenue. Number. Revenue. Number. Revenue. Number. Revenue. Number. 1 1 I Ordinary .. Urgent Press 476,649 26,557 49,675 28,306 £ s. d. 28,242 1 5 2,249 11 3 1,939 9 2 678 8 7 455,835 20,039 5O,742 27,282 £ *• d. 28,226 17 gj 1,754 6 6J 2,207 X 6 4J 661 7 10 526,9Il] 25,842! 60,749 30,299 £ s. d. 29,518 5 11 2,133 9 8J 2,774 12 llj 739 6 o 564,026 34. 1 59 59,588 32.756 £ s- d. 31.374 o 3 2,832 17 7 2,285 19 9i 830 o 9 37,32218 4$ \ £ s. d. 2,023,421117,361 5 4 £ 106,597 8,970 5 1 220,754 9,207 18 118,643 2,909 3 2 2,469,4 T 5 138,448 11 11 Bureau Gross totals Less other] lines and I credits ) 581,187 33,109 10 5 10,856 2 o 553.898 32,850 8 6J 11,644 ° 2 643,801 35,165 14 7 io,533 !9 9 690,529 ".47815 34 44,512 17 2J G.P.O. receipts Net totals, 1897-98 Net totals, 1896-97 581,187 22,253 8 5 936 4 S 553.898 21,206 8 4J 526 5 1 643,801 24,631 14 i° 550 12 8 690,529 25,844 3 1 588 9 8 2,469,415 93.935 14 8J 2,601 12 1 23,189 13 1 I21732 13 5i 25,182 7 6 26,432 12 9 96,537 6 gf 495,661 23,978 2 4 549-838; 123,693 17 II 610,751 25,075 10 o 628,751 24,705 8 4 2,285,001 97,452 18 7

Districts. Number. Telegraph Commission. Value of Orders. • £ s. d. 329 16 o 34 15 ° 118 4 o 114 10 o 39 16 o 71 14 o 20 19 o 55 12 o 112 5 o 34 Io ° 62 13 0 13 5 o 183 11 o 26 8 o 115 8 o 290 18 o 55 17 ° £ * d. 25,729 14 4 2,132 5 8 8,537 10 8 7,553 8 o 2,860 11 1 5,050 16 1 1,295 11 8 3,371 17 3 8,197 7 3 2,258 15 7 3,670 14 4 667 8 5 12,056 16 11 1,401 12 2 6,654 X 4 ° 18,945 4 6 3,200 9 9 Auckland .. Blenheim .. Christchurch Dunedin Gisborne Greymouth Hokitika Invercargill Napier Nelson New Plymouth Oamaru Thames Timaru Wanganui .. Wellington Westport .. 6,59° 695 2,364 2,290 796 1,434. 419 1,112 2,245 690 1,253 265 3,671 528 2,308 5,8l8 1,117 Totals, 1897 33,6oi 1,680 1 o "3,584 17 8 Totals, 1896 30,860 113,617 16 10 1,543 o o

p.—]

Table No. 20. TELEPHONE EXCHANGES. Return showing the Capital Cost, Working-expenses, and Revenue of the Telephone Exchanges, Year by Year, from the Date of their Establishment.

-, 33* Capital Cost for Instruments, Wire, Poles, Labour, Freight, Superintendence, &c. Working-expenses. Year. Salaries and Allowances of Clerks, &c. Materials and Linemen. Balance of Bevenue over Workingexpenses. Annual Rate per Cent. yielded on Capital Cost. B a Average Cost of each Connection. Total for all Connections. •Wear and Kent, Fuel, taSfdto.?" "eht, Paper, Ten per Cent. b£S*£So. Total. Total for the year ended 31st March, — £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. a. ' 1882 116 21 16 6 2,531 14 0 613 5 2 285 0 0 275 0 0 253 0 0 150 0 0 963 0 0 207 16 0 817 1883 379 21 16 6 8,271 13 6 5,014 9 2 595 0 0 595 0 0 827 0 0 300 0 0 2,317 0 0 4,492 8 8 54-31 1884 715 21 16 6 15,604 17 6 7,746 16 7 695 0 0 770 0 0 1,560 0 0 350 0 0 3,375 0 0 3,653 7 4 23-41 1885 1,075 21 18 6 23,461 17 6 10,008 3 6 1,770 0 0 1,590 0 0 2,346 0 0 475 0 0 6,181 0 0 3,827 3 6 16-31 1886 1,710 20 8 6 37,319 12 1 12,294 1 2 2,849 1 3 1,704 0 0 3,731 19 2 700 0 0 8,985 0 5 5,011 19 7 13-42 1887 2,038 19 19 5 40,686 3 1 15,477 16 2 2,873 0 0 1,580 10 0 4,068 12 2 320 0 0 8,842 2 2 6,635 14 0 16-30 1888 ;. 2,153 22 19 0 49,407 5 0 16,881 8 6 3,119 10 0 2,252 0 0 4,940 14 6 330 0 0 10,642 4 6 6,239 4 1 12-63 1889 2,249 23 18 10 53,849 11 6 17,613 4 0 3,315 10 0 2,249 7 0 I 5,344 9 2 335 0 0 11,244 6 2 6,368 17 10 11-82 1890 2,402 24 4 1 58,229 3 0 18,581 11 7 3,790 0 0 2,206 10 0 5,823 0 1 375 0 0 12,194 10 1 6,387 1 6 1100 1891 \ 2,587 24 17 1 64,294 4 4 ■ 19,961 4 2 4,192 0 0 2,249 18 5 6,429 8 5 394 3 9 13,265 10 7 6,696 13 7 10-43 1892 3,080 24 16 11 ■ 76,579 1 8 18,571 7 8 4,630 0 0 2,345 2 9 J 7,658 7 11 393 1 fl 15,026 12 2 3,544 15 6 4-63 1893 .. .. .: , 3,690 24 16 11 91,687 11 1 19,155 11 5 7,405 0 0 2,695 19 10 9,168 15 1 464 6 2 19,734 1 1 -578 9 8 Loss. 1894 4,244 24 12 1 104,425 3 0 21,771 4 4 7,720 0 0 3,313 1 1 10,442 10 4 741 18 9 22,217 10 2 -446 5 10 Loss. 1895 4,616 25 6 3 116,845 10 4 21,552 12 10 9,285 0 0 4,253 11 4 11,684 11 0 817 19 5 26,041 1 9 -3,420 1 9 Loss. 1886 5,143 24 6 6 125,108 4 1 25,933 12 9 9,686 0 10 5,303 11 9 12,510 16 5 1,952 8 3 29,452 17 3 -3,519 4 6 Loss. 1897 5,747 23 7 4 134,299 11 4 29,248 19 5 12,306 9 7 7,398 0 10 113,429 19 1 1,856 13 2 34,991 2 8 -5,742 3 3 Losa. 1898 5,787 24 11 6 142,218 11 8 36,422 6 8 114,181 18 0 11,834 2 11 7,110 18 7 1,881 11 11 35,008 11 5 1,413 15 3 0-99 * This column includes 5 per cent, for wear-and-tear, and 5 per cent, for debenture capital, except in 1897-98, in which year only 5 per cent, for debenture ca] hal is included.

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Table No. 21. Return of the Cost of Maintenance of Telegraph Lines for the Year ended 31st March, 1898.

Table No. 22. Statement showing the Expenditure on, and the Cost of, Telegraph Construction during the Financial Year ended 31st March, 1898.

4—F. 1.

District. No. of Miles. Travellingexpenses of Inspectors and Linemen. Extra Labour. Cost of Material purchased. Value of Material issued from Stores. Salaries of Inspectors and Linemen. Total Cost ol Maintenance. Average Cost per Mile, ■ uckland Vellington •Telson ianterbury )tago .. !ables .. tores .. 1,671 J l,609J I 858 ! 857 1,488 £ s. d. 850 8 4 1,327 16 4 716 5 5 893 6 1 756 4 6 20 7 5 85 17 6 £ s. a. 1,386 1Y 4 2,424 10 11 1,194 12 G 2,544 6 0; 627 1 11 69 10 0 74 15 3 £ s. d. £ s. d. 288 5 5 650 8 4 437 8 3! 3,825 0 6 112 0 10' 649 8 9 670 2 5i 1,085 6 6 293 3 9! 495 7 10 47 16 6 228 3 11 £ s. d. 2,403 15 0 2,917 0 0 1,516 5 0 1.512 1 8 1.513 11 8 £ s. d. 5,579 14 5 10,931 16 0 4,188 12 6 6,705 2 8 3,685 9 8 137 13 11 388 16 8 £ s. d. Totals 8,321 13 11 2,077 1 1 0,705 11 11 9,862 13 4 ; 31,617 5 10 4 17 ;6,484 4,650 5 7

Line. Expenditure. Material from Stores. Total Cost during the Year. Telephone exchanges, — Ashburton Auckland Blenheim Christchurch Dunedin Gisborne Greymouth ... Hastings Invercargill ... Masterton Napier Nelson New Plymouth Oamaru Palmerston North Thames Timaru Wanganui Wellington ... £ s. d. 4 2 6 510 1 5 0 9 0 92 9 4 188 4 6 32 13 9 3 0 0 6 2 3 4 16 5 27 14 4 22 0 0 1 10 0 30 8 4 11 15 5 5 15 .6 9 7 2 3 14 0 69 13 9 522 9 1 £ s. d. 22 7 2 457 1 9 24 4 0 116 6 11 743 14 5 175 10 10 50 0 6 61 11 4 7 15 8 177 12 10 118 1 2 £ s. d 26 9 8 967 3 2 24 13 0 208 16 3 931 18 11 208 4 7 53 0 6 67 13 7 12 12 1 205 7 2 140 1 2 1 10 0 182 0 7 42 2 9 39 18 2 9 7 2 8 17 6 307 17 8 4,481 6 5 151 12 3 30 7 4 34 2 8 5 3 6 238 3 11 3,958 17 4 Total exchanges Sfew copper wires,— N apier-Wanganui Wanganui-New Plymouth Blenheim-Kaikoura Kaikoura-Waitaki Waitaki-Dunedin Waipapakauri ... Kaeo-Totara. North Dmanaia Eikurangi-Hukerenui ... iuckl and-Whangarei Mangapai-Maungakaramea 3 nehunga-M angere Auckland-Henderson Eenderson-Waikomiti ... ~nd-Waihi Auckland-Manukau Heads Pokeno-Mercer Paeroa- W aikin o Plymouth-Awakino Daonui [nglewood-Tarata 1,546 6 9 516 1 10 107 9 7 395 6 10 223 7 6 199 14 4 159 18 9 16 10 6 52 9 1 930 9 6 25 11 5 44 12 5 9 7 4 2 3 8 4 19 "9 4 10 0 2 10 0 18 10 1 15 0 28 13 9 3 0 0 88 18 5 6,372 13 7 587 8 3 105 12 0 130 4 9 3,135 15 0 1,185 1 0 2 10 11 61 18 0 20 17 4 989 11 4 7,919 0 4 1,103 10 1 213 1 7 525 11 7 3,359 2 6 1,384 15 4 2 10 11 221 16 9 37 7 10 52 9 1 1,920 0 10 25 11 5 108 8 7 31 8 7 16 15 0 4 19 9 161 16 4 18 14 0 18 10 1 15 0 28 13 9 3 0 0 187 16 2 63 16 2 22 1 3 14 11 4 157 6 4 16 i 0 98 17 9

F.r-1

Table No. 22 — continued. Statement showing the Expenditure on, and the Cost of, Telegraph Construction during the Financial Year ended 31st March, 1898— continued.

Authority: John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB9B,

Line. Expenditure. .aterial from Stores. Total Cot during the Year. Toko-Strathmore Hawera-Manutahi Ormond-Waimata Ormond-Te Karaka Wairoa-Turiroa Dannevirke-Weber Eketahuna-Hukanui Martinborough-Pahana ... Kiwitea Cunningham's ... Foxton-Carnarvon Mangaweka-Pemberton-Bangiwahia Pahiatua-Ngaturi-Makuri Palmerston North-Koputurua Le vin-Horowhen ua Paikakariki-Marton Paraparaumu-Waikanae Hutt-Day's Bay-Rona Bay Havelock-Cullensville Belgrove-Wakapuaka Eeefton-Crushington Beef ton Post-office and Bailway-station Ngahere-Blackball Hende's Ferry-Okarito ... Clarence Linton Downs ... Lyndhurst Geraldine ... ... Ngapara-Tokarahi Hyde-Kokonga Dumbarton Kakapuaka-Warepa Clyde-Cromwell Bannockburn-Nevis Skipper' s-B ullendale Athol Hokonui-Hedgehope Wairio-Wrey's Bush Gore-Clinton ... £ S. d. 20 15 5 63 2 4 0 9 4 8 8 0 0 8 6 241 12 2 28 13 10 119 16 6 10 2 9 204' 15 2 0 19 3 44 14 0 6 10 0 151 12 0 15 14 0 31 1 9 33 6 6 72 13 10 0 15 0 £ s. d. 110 9 6 69 2 10 4 14 9 136 3 2 79 16 4 6 1 10 10 9 11 214 13 1 12" 3 0 76 6 0 240 1 11 £ s. d. 131 4 11 63 2 4 0 9 4 77 10 10 5 3 3 377 15 4 108 10 2 119 7 8 4 10 9 11 10 2 9 419 8 8 0 19 3 44 14 0 6 10 0 151 12 0 27 17 0 107 7 9 33 6 6 312 15 9 0 15 0 10 19 5 38 13 0 31 4 6 8 12 11 0 6 6 18 15 7 66 2 4 177 18 6 67 2 3 2 19 0 26 14 8 94 15 10 859 9 10 82 8 5 0 18 0 93 13 6 21 9 10 66 16 4 Iβ" 4 8 31 4 6 10 19 5 20 8 4 8 12 11 0 6 6 8 10 9 10 4 10 66 2 4 30 12 3 9 11 2 11 6 26 14 8 52 14 7 74 18 7 147 6 3 58 1 2 0 7 6 42 1 3 784 11 3 82 8 5 54 9 6 0 18 0 39 4 0 21 9 10 . 8 18 6 57 17 10 Cable No. 3, Oterangi-White's Bay 6,605 8 133 12 2 6 14,308 2 2 20,913 10 133 12 4 6 Purchase of material, &c. 6,739 22,645 0 2 8 3 14,308 2 2 21,047 2 10 Total expenditure to 31st March, 1897 29,384 771,351 2 11 1 10 Total cost of lines during 1897-98 Total expenditure out of Public Works Fund to 31st March, 1898 £800,735 4 9 £21,047 2 10

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POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR 1897., Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1898 Session I, F-01

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POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR 1897. Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1898 Session I, F-01

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