POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR 1898.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1899 Session I, F-01

I

1899. NEW ZEALAND.

POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR 1898.

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

My Lobd, General Post Office, Wellington, 13th July, 1899. I have the honour to submit to your Excellency the Eeport of the Post and Telegraph Department for the year 1898, 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, E. J. Seddon, Postmaster-General and Electric Telegraph Commissioner. His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand.

BE POET. The remarkable growth of the business of the department during the past few years has beeU well maintained. The rate of increase of letters, books, and newspapers was slightly less than in the previous year, while the rate of increase of letter-cards and post-cards was greater, letter-cards having increased no less than 21-19 per cent., and post-cards 1030 per cent. Telegrams, which in 1897 increased at the rate of 8-07 per cent, in number and decreased 0-94 in value, showed in 1898 a gratifying increase of 10-05 in number and 4-73 in value. The following table shows the revenue and expenditure for the year ended 31st March, 1899 :—

Revenue.

i—F. 1.

Postal. Telegraph. Total. 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 Paid telegrams Telephone exchanges 255,000 0 0 17,677 19 2 586 8 8 5,631 0 0 21,580 5 8 £ s. d. 355,000 0 0 17,677 19 2 586 8 8 5,631 0 0 21,580 5 8 £ s. d. £ ' ' 8. d. 255,000 0 0 17,677 19 2 586 8 8 5,631 0 0 26,051 19 4 101,104 12 :4 39,718 7 7 4,471 13 8 101,104 12 4 39,718 7 7 Balance of expenditure over revenue (Telegraph) 300,475 13 6 £300,475 13 6 300,475 13 6 145,294 13 7 29,286 2 10 445,770 7 1 £300,475 13 6 £174,580 16 5 j£445,770 7 1 EXPENDITUKE. 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 Telegraph cable subsidies 89,225 1 2 50,706 13 2 35,790 16 7 17,067 18 10 1,676 15 0 21,149 7 4 n■* e c≥ 1 g in i 136,142 1 8 ]5,300 2 5 21,710 12 5 1,427 19 11 225,367 2 10 50,706 13 2 35,790 16 7 17,067 18 10 1,676 15 0 15,300 2 5 42,859 19 9 1,427 19 11 Balance of revenue over expenditure (Postal) .. 4 „ (combined department) 215,616 12 1 84,859 1 5 215,616 12 1 84,859 1 5 174,580 16 5 390,197 8 6 55,572 18 7 £300,475 13 6 £174,580 16 5 £445,770 7 1

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The item " Stamps used for postage " is £20,000 more than last year, and includes the value of the large quantities of the new issue purchased entirely in the interests of stamp collectors. The revenue of both branches exceeded that of the previous year by £37,386 lis. 10d., the rate of increase being 915 per cent. The expenditure increased by £25,794 ss. 5d., or 7-08 per cent. The balance of revenue over expenditure was £55,572 18s. 7d., as compared with £43,980 12s. 2d. during 1897-98. Adding the value of the official correspondence and Government telegrams, there is a credit balance on the year's transactions of £151,803 4s. sd. 32,465,875 letters were posted, an increase of 2,205,671. The number of forwarded telegrams of all codes was 2,960,738, an increase of 264,505. 52 post-offices were established (including 3 reopened). The number of post-offices open at the close of the year was 1,561. The last published international statistics (1896) again placed New Zealand before all other countries in the world as regards the proportion of population to each post-office, the figures being 1 post-office for every 510 inhabitants, Canada being second with 1 to 531, New South Wales and Switzerland third and fourth with 1 to 647 and 1 to 859, the United States fifth with 1 to 897, and Great Britain twelfth with 1 to 1,906. 318,370 money-orders, for £1,029,241 7s. 7d., were issued, and 229,720 orders, representing £880,052 13s. lid., paid. 431,449 postal notes, of the value of £139,957 4s. od., were sold. The sum of £3,279,611 7s. sd. was deposited in the Post-Office Savings-banks, and £3,194,893 16s. 7d. withdrawn. The total amount to the credit of depositors on the 31st December last was £4,957,771 ss. 5d., as compared with £4,744,924 18s. Id. at the close of the previous year. 755 inland-mail services (excluding services by railway) were in operation during the year. At the close of the year there were 6,736 miles of telegraph-line and 18,746 miles of wire. The net expenditure on telegraph construction was £28,550 14s. There were 6,203 telephone-exchange connections on the 31st March last. The subscriptions received amounted to £39,718 7s. 7d. Staff. The total number of officers on the staff on the 31st March was as under :—• 31st March, 1899. Postmaster-General ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Classified Staff. First Division ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 Clerical Division ... ... ... ... ... ... 886 Non-clerical Division ... ... ... ... ... ... 507 Distributors and Messengers ... ... ... ... ... 344 Total, Classified Staff ... ... ... ... ... 1,741 Employes not on Permanent Staff: — Country Postmasters ... ... ... ... ... ... 1, 403 Nightwatchmen ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 Postmasters and Telegraphists or Telephonists who are Eailway officers 149 Total ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3,295 Comparative Eetden of Officers of the Post and Telegraph Department for the Years ended 31st December, 1897, and 31st March, 1899. Mar. 31, Mar. 31, 1897. 1899. 1897. 1899. Postmaster-General .. .. .. 1 1 Brought forward .. .. 88 92 Secretary .. .. .. .. 1 1 Chief Postmasters .. .. .. 16 16 Superintendent of Electric Lines .. .. 1 1 Postmasters and Officers in Charge on PerAssistant Secretary and Inspector .. .. 1 1 manent Staff .. .. .. 113 111 Assistant Inspectors of Post-offices .. 3 3 Clerks (including Telephone Exchange^ Controller of Money-orders and Savings-banks Cadottes and Cadets in Post-offices) I fIRS and Accountant .. .. .. 1 1 Operators (including. Cadets in Telegraph-f Telegraph Inspectors .. .. .. 3 3 offices) .. .. .. j Telegraph Sub-Inspector .. .. .. 1 1 Letter-carriers.. .. .. .. 178 184 Electrician .. .. .. .. 1 1 Messengers (Post Office) .. 26 38 Assistant Eleotrician .. .. .. .. 1 Linemen .. .. .. 66 66 Mechanicians and Cadets.. .. .. 8 7 Telegraph Message Boys .. .. 287 317 Clerks in General Post Office— Nightwatchmon .. .. .. 2 .2. Secretary's Office .. .. .. _12 13 Postmasters and Telegraphists or TeleInspector's and Dead-letter Branch .. 6 6 phonists who are Railway officers .. 140 149' Money-order and Savings-bank Branch .. 27 32 Country Postmasters and Telephonists .. 1,335 1,403 Sorters in Clearing-room .. 16 14 Storekeeper and Assistants .. .. 6 6 Carried forward .. .. 88 92 Totals .. .. ..3,139 3,295.Health of Staff. An unusual amount of sickness was experienced during the year, and the average absence was consequently high. The severe epidemic of measles affected the staff of nearly every office. The usual table is given hereunder : —

111

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There were five deaths during the year. Appeal Board. The term of the elected members having expired, a new election was held in February. Mr. W. McNickle was re-elected as representative of the Telegraph branch, and Mr. F. M. Scully elected as representative of the Postal branch. Thirteen appeals were considered by the Board at its fourth meeting in May-June last year. Of these, eight were not sustained, and one was not sustained as to the main ground of appeal. Of the remaining four, one appellant was recommended for a country postmastership if a suitable vacancy occurred ; in the second case the Board expressed the opinion tha,t a specified position should be filled by an officer of higher rank than the appellant; the third appeal was met by a recommendation to remove a bar placed against the officer appealing; and the fourth was settled by the correction of a clerical error in fixing the numerical position of the officer in the list. Night Staff. With the view of relieving the pressure of work during ordinary business hours, a night staff has been at work at the Circulation Branch, Wellington, since the 7th December. The night staff is on duty from 10 p.m. till 5 a.m, This, with the duty from 5 a.m. till 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. till 10 p.m., enables work to be continued throughout the twenty-four hours, with considerable advantage to the office and the public. The officers on each staff are allowed from one to two hours for meals. Inspection, Visits of inspection were made to 1,330 post-offices, the Inspectors travelling 24,432 miles during 1898. Penny Postage. The question of universal penny postage has been more or less under consideration for some time. A statement of the probable effect of such a reduction of postage has been prepared, and it is estimated that the introduction of an inland penny letter rate, on the basis of the present business, would result in a diminution of the Post Office revenue to the extent of £82,000. With an increased letter posting of 10 per cent, the loss would be £74,000, and with 15 per cent. £70,000. It is not expected that there would be a greater increase in the number of letters posted in the first year than 10 or 15 per cent. From a rough counting of letters posted at the principal offices, it is estimated that the proportion of business to domestic and social letters is about 60 per cent, of the total number posted, or as six to four. The question of the reduction of the postage on newspapers addressed to the United Kingdom from the present Postal Union rate of Id. for the first 4 oz. and Jd. for each succeeding 2 oz. to a uniform rate of Id. for each newspaper, irrespective of weight, has also been under consideration. The Imperial Post Office, however, insists on the Postal Union rates being levied, and intimated that newspapers prepaid at a lesser rate would be surcharged double the deficiency before delivery. New Postage-stamps, etc. The printing of the new postage-stamps is now being done by the Government Printer. For the present the colours used in London are being continued, but those of the halfpenny, penny, and twopence-halfpenny labels will shortly give place to the colours selected by the Washington Conference—namely, green, red, and dark-blue respectively. At the same time the designs of the penny and fourpenny values will be transposed, and necessary changes made in the colours of the fourpenny, sixpenny, and, possibly, the ninepenny stamps. The Government Printer has now in hand a series of post-cards bearing on the address side views of New Zealand scenery. These cards are intended to advertise to some extent the scenery of the colony, and, as they will be sold at the same price as plain cards, a large demand may be anticipated. It is hoped that a fair assortment will be ready in a few months. The plates for the postal notes having become worn out, it is intended to shortly issue notes of an improved pattern and design. Old-age Pensions. The payment of the old-age pensions has thrown a considerable amount of work on the department, and at the principal offices it has been found impossible to provide accommodation for the large number of pensioners who present themselves on the first day of each month. The want of accommodation has been met at Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin by engaging suitable offices outside the post-office, and at Wellingtonjby utilising a portion of the telegraph counter. Notwith-

Numbers oomprised. Averago Absence per Sick Officer. Average Sick Absence per each Officer employed. Men Women 979 135 Days. 10-81 18-63 Days. 5-35 15-32

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standing the pressure on the staffs, the officers Co whom the duty of paying pensions has been allotted have, without exception, by the exercise of tact and patience, enabled the work to be done in such a way as to give rise to no complaint. On the Ist June 495 pensions were paid at Auckland, 210 at Wellington, 404 at Christchurch, and 318 at Dunedin. The total number for which warrants were issued was 8,345. The work entailed upon the General Post Office and the principal chief offices has been met by the appointment of several cadets; but, as it is intended to grant greater facilities to pensioners in country districts who may not live within a reasonable distance of and be able to attend personally at the paying money-order office, a considerable amount of additional clerical work will necessarily follow, and special accounting arrangements will probably be required. Use of Bicycles. The use of bicycles has been further extended during the year. There are now twenty-six bicycles belonging to the department in use by letter-carriers, ten by telegraph messengers, and eleven by telegraph linemen, while ten letter-carriers and nineteen telegraph messengers receive a small yearly allowance for the use of privately owned bicycles. The Imperial Post Office having adopted a standard specification, future bicycles for this department will be built according to it. Offensive Publications sent by Post. Test cases having resulted in the infliction of fines on booksellers offering for sale newspapers containing advertisements infringing the provisions of "The Offensive Publications Act, 1892," it may be determined to exercise the powers under section 3 of " The Post Office Acts Amendment Act, 1893," to detain and destroy all copies of newspapers or other publications containing advertisements, &c, interdicted by "The Offensive Publications Act, 1892." Postage on Magazines. In order to bring the New Zealand postage on magazines into conformity with the postages existing in the principal Australian Colonies, a magazine post was established as from the Ist January last, the postages being fixed at Id. for the first 8 oz., and £d. for each succeeding 4 oz., as against per 2oz. under the former regulations. As many magazines weigh as much as 1 lb., the concession is a considerable one, and is much appreciated by booksellers and their country customers. Agreement with Eailway Department. The agreement which subsisted for the three years prior to the Ist April last between the Post Office and the Eailway Department in connection with the carriage of mails by railway, &c, and the telegraph and postal services performed for the Eailway Department, has been revised. The following figures give the result of the revision. As will be seen, the Post Office will in future make the Eailway Department a net annual payment of £18,072 6s. 3d., as against £20,937 per annum paid under the old agreement. a„„„j„.. v As revised (from f Ist April, 1899, to agreement. 31gt To be paid to Eailway— £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. For post and telegraph business at combined offices ... ... 8,657 0 0 *8,932 0 0 Carriage of mails by rail ... ... 30,129 0 0 31,612 1 0 Handling mails ... ... ... 120 0 0 220 0 0 Parcel-post ... ... ... ... 600 0 0 750 0 0 39,506 0 0 41,514 1 0 — 2,008 1 0 To be paid to Post and Telegraph— Eailway telegrams ... " ... ... 10,000 0 0 13,000 0 0 Postage ... ... ... ... 4,000 0 0 5,000 0 0 Telephone exchanges ... ... ... 521 0 0 1,004 0 0 Private boxes ... ... ... ... 48 0 0 47 0 0 Maintenance of wires, &c. ... ... 4,000 0 0 4,390 14 9 , 18,569 0 0 23,441 14 9 4,872 14 9 Net gain to the Post and Telegraph Department ... ... 2,864 13 9 Eesult of Eeduced Telegraph Eate. For the first time in the history of the department, the net revenue from paid telegrams exceeded £100,000, the exact figures being £101,104 12s. 4d., an increase of £4,567 ss. 7d. on that of the previous year. The number of telegrams handled rose at the same time from 2,469,415 to 2,717,548 : an. increase of 248,133. In 1895-96, in which the old tariff obtained throughout the financial year, the number of telegrams was 1,899,632, and the net revenue £92,289 9s. 6d. In three years the revenue has increased by £8,815 2s. lOd. or 955 per cent., and the number of telegrams by 817,916,

* Subject to adjustment during the currency of the agreement.

F.—l

or 43-05 per cent. Considering the reduction in the cost of an ordinary telegram from Is. to 6d., this increase of revenue is gratifying. Over three-quarters of a million telegrams, however, have been necessary to produce the additional revenue of under £9,000. This considerable volume of work has been overtaken at a cost for extra staff of less than £10,000; but heavy expenditure on additional wire-accommodation at the same time has had to be met. The telegraph business appears to hare settled down after the disturbance caused by the introduction of the sixpenny telegram. Instead of falling, the average value of each telegram has risen from 8-47 d. to 8-85 d,, with the result that the increase in revenue bears a fair proportion to the number of telegrams transmitted. In 1898 the number of telegrams increased by 10-05 per cent., and the value by 4-73 per cent.; while in the previous year an increase of 8-07 telegrams resulted in a decrease in revenue of 0-94. The table hereunder discloses the business for each quarter during the last two years :—

Table showing the Number of Telegrams forwarded, and the Revenue derived therefrom, during the Four Quarters of the Financial Years 1897-98 and 1898-99 respectively.

Pacific Cable. The Pacific-cable question is in a more concrete form than it was at the time of presenting the last report. It had been proposed by the Australasian Colonies, in January, 1896, that the cable should be jointly owned by the Governments of Great Britain, Canada, and the colonies, the two first named to contribute two-thirds of the cost and the colonies one-third. The proportions of contribution were later proposed to be altered to four-ninths from the colonies, New Zealand's proportion not to exceed, in any case, one-eighth of the whole cost. (See Public Accounts Committee Eeport, 1.-7, 1898.) The Committee which was appointed in June, 1896, by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, to inquire into the whole question of the Pacific cable, recommended joint ownership by the Governments interested, as proposed by the colonies. The report of the Committee, though made in January, 1897, has only been presented to the British Parliament within the last month or so; and the latest telegraphic advices announce that the Home Government has now unreservedly agreed that the cable should be an Imperial one, practically on the basis of the report of the Committee. The papers which are to be laid before Parliament disclose the nature of the negotiations and the present position of this important matter.

Business over Existing Cables. The number and value of cable messages forwarded from New Zealand during 1898 are shown in the following statement: —

v

Number o: forwi Telegrams ,1'ded. Revi :nue, 4) -»» » s So Quarter. Year ended 31st March, 1898. Year ended 31st March, 1899. Iucrease pt-r Gent. 1897-98. 1898-99. June quarter September quarter December quarter March quarter 581,187 553,898 643,801 690,529 647,284 609,615 712,121 748,528 11-37 10-06 10-61 8-40 £ a. 23,189 13 21,732 13 25,182 7 26,432 12 d. 1 5 6 9 & s. d. 24,548 10 4£ 23,008 6 10 26,231 18 5J 27,315 16 8 5-86 5-87 4-17 3-34 2,469,415 2,717,548 10-05 96,537 6 9 101,104 12 4 4-73

Ordii iary. Prei is. Destination. No. of Mosaages. Value. No. of Messages. Value. International ... New South Wales Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia 9,439 25,397 1,409 1,287 1,846 14,112 1,652 £ s. d. 32,527 3 4 5,413 5 0 444 1 6 388 4 7 665 11 8 3,547 0 10 575 15 5 39 1,042 £ s. d. 179 2 0 673 1 5 72 1 54" 16 ? 0 7 4 Total for 1898 55,142 43,561 2 4 1,154 907 7 Total for 1897 51,317 46,208 16 7 1,294 945 4

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The following is a .statement of traffic over the New Zealand-Sydney cable for the year from the Ist May, 1898, to the 30th April, 1899, and amounts payable by guaranteeing colonies :— £ s. d. Amount guaranteed to Cable Company ... ... ... 20,000 0 0 Actual receipts during the above period ... ... ... 17,367 15 0 Showing a loss to the Cable Company of ... ... £2,632 5. 0 Apportioned as follows : — £ New Zealand, one-third ... ... ... ... 877 Contributing colonies, including New Zealand, two-thirds ... , 1,755 £2,632 And the contributing colonies' proportions, on the basis of population : — Colony. ln "' .i,,., Amount. 1 (Census, 1891). £ p. d. Victoria ... ... ... ... ... 1,140,405 526 4 8 New South Wales ... ... ... ... 1,132,234 522 9 4 New Zealand ... ... ... ... 620,030 286 2 2 Queensland ... ... ... ... 393,718 181 13 7 , South Australia ... ... ... ... 320,431 147 17 3 Tasmania ... ... ... ... ... 146,667 67 13 7 Western Australia ... ... ... ... 49,782 22 19 5 Totals ... ... ... 3,803,267 £1,755 0 0 New Zealand's proportion was therefore £1,163 2s. 2d. ■ 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 1897 and 1898 was as follows: — Messages. Value. International, — Number. £ s. d. 1897 ... ... ... 9,725 ... 36,051 10 3 1898 ... ... ... 9,439 ... 32,527 3 4 Decrease ... 286 Decrease ... 3,524 6 11 or 2-94 per cent. or 9-78 per cent. Messages. Valuo. Intercolonial, — Number. £ s. d. 1897 ... ... ... 41,592 ... 10,157 6 4 1898 ... ... ... 45,703 ... 11,033 19 0 Increase ... 4,111 Increase ... 876 12 8 or 9-88 per cent. or 8 - 63 per cent. A total increase in 1898 of 3,825 messages, and a decrease in value of £2,647 14s. 3d. The forwarded and received cable Press business for the past eight years has been : —

■Note. The intercolonial cable Press rate was reduced from 3d. to Id. per word on the Ist April, 1893. POST OFFICE. Aeticles posted and delivbeed. The number of articles posted in the colony, and received from places outside the colony, during 1898, as compared with the number in 1897, was as under : —

Forwarded. Beoeived. Year. Nu: ber of Number of Value. Value. Messages. Words. Messages. Words. 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 837 791 796 994 1,168 1,069 1,294 1,154 45,285 44,263 57,390 103,366 68,682 92,946 128,839 133,342 £ s. d. 932 15 8 898 3 9 504 9 9 899 4 9 433 13 0 531 4 9 945 4 8 907 7 0 2,828 2,884 2,883 3,033 3,926 2,946 3,665 3,599 198,935 197,477 202,170 203,326 314,136 285,369 323,617 282,882 £ s. A. 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 1,599 7 0

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Letters— 1898. 1897. Increase. Posted in the colony .. .. .. 82,465,875 30,260,204 Received from places outside the colony .. 2,271,441 2,012,719 34,737,316 32,272,923 2,464,393 Letter-cards— Posted in the colony .. .. .. 917,631 757,172 160,459 Post-cards — Posted in the colony .. .. .. 1,399,450 1,325,272 Received from places outside the colony .. 80,514 16,549 1,479,964 1,341,821 138,143 Books and pattern-packets— Posted in the colony .. .. ..14,340,131 12,351,443 Reoeived from plaoes outside the colony .. 2,277,970 2,276,389 16,618,101 14,627,832 1,990,269 Newspapers— Posted in the colony .. .. .. 10,872,459 10,177,089 Reoeived from places outside the colony .. 4,223,028 4,084,256 15,095,487 14,261,343 834,142 Purcftls Posted in the colony .. .. .. 177,559 173,856 Received from places outside the colony .. 27,044 23,698 204,603 197,554 7,049 The letters increased 7-64 ; books and pattern-packets, 13-61; newspapers, 5-85 ; parcels, 3-57; letter-cards, 21-19; post-cards, 10-30 per cent. The increase in 1897 was: Letters, 8-34; books, &c, 1566; newspapers, 7-91; parcels, 5-86; letter-cards, 15-72; post-cards, 8-93 per cent. The average number of letters posted per head of population was estimated to be 44-10, or 45-34 including letter-cards. The averages in 1897 were 41-93 and 42-98 respectively. The Post Office receipts for the year amounted to £300,475 13s. 6d. —an increase of £28,312 13s. 9d., or 10-4 per cent. The expenditure was £215,616 12s. Id., as against £197,355 6s. lid. for the previous year — an increase of £18,261 ss. 2d., or 9-25 per cent. There was therefore a balance of revenue over expenditure of £84,859 Is. sd. The estimated value of official (free) correspondence was £70,730. The gross earnings of the Post Office for the year were £371,205, and the credit balance £155,589. Work performed for other Departments. Customs duties amounting to £13,302 lis. 4d. were collected on articles received through the post from places beyond the colony, and £1,184 9s. 7d. on account of ordinary Customs work. The sum of £2,234 Bs. was collected from the sale of game-licenses. Premiums amounting to £30,412 os. 2d. were collected from policyholders on behalf of the Government Life Insurance Department. £451 Bs. sd. was collected for the Government Printer on the sale of Government publications. Income-tax amounting to £71,964 lis. Id., and land-tax for £207,154 95., were received at post-offices. Fees under the Live-stock Acts amounting to £20,244 6s. were collected. The sum of £3,684 12s. 6d, was received for machinery-fees.' The receipts from the sale of miners' licenses amounted to £1,265 3s. £20,415 was lodged at post-offices for investment in New Zealand Consols. Eeceipts on behalf of the Public Trust Office amounted to £264,378 18s. 7d., and payments to £263,587 ss. 7d., as compared with £302,358 6s. 7d. and £301,872 10s. 4d. the previous year. Eailway receipts amounting to £11,919 lis. 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 £2,143 18s. The Advances to Settlers Office receipts amounted to £345,645 145., and payments to £344,987 ss. Fees, &c, were also collected on account of the Audit Office, Hospitals and Charitable Aid, County Councils, Harbourmasters, Alcoholic Liquors Act, Arms Act, fishing licenses, Lunacy Department, Miners' Guides, public baths, Factories Act, Education Department, Justice Department, and the Treasury. The payments made by the Post Office on behalf of the Treasury were £474,440 16s. 7d, Gross Eeceipts and Payments. The gross receipts dealt with during the year were—Departmental, £11,949,906 12s. 7d.; on account of other departments, £1,525,968 17s. lid.: total, £13,475,875 10s. 6d., as compared with £10,512,411 lis. for the previous year. The payments were —Departmental, £11,983,900 13s. 7d.; on behalf of other departments—to individuals, £1,083,015 7s. 2d.; to Government accounts, £392,408 os. 3d.: a total of £13,459,324 Is., as against £10,458,886 Bs. sd. dealt with the former year. The gross receipts and payments were therefore £26,935,199 lis. 6d., as compared with £20,971,297 19s. 6d. for 1897. Letter-carriers' Deliveries. Deliveries by letter-carriers were established at: New Plymputh—Fitzroy, lying between Henui and Wawaikaiho Bridges; Wanganui—Patea, at 9 a.m. over whole borough, at 2.30 p.m. in principal business streets.

BV-1

Letter-carriers' deliveries were extended at: Auckland—Onehunga, the second delivery to limits of borough : hitherto, this delivery has been confined to the principal street; Christchurch— City, central area; Nelson —City, afternoon delivery extended to places served by morning delivery; Thames —Chief Post-office to Mount Pleasant, within the Parawai district; Wellington—Masterton, to include all the more populous portions of the borough. ■■<* Deliveries were increased in frequency at: Dunedin—Lawrence, from once to twice daily; Wanganui—Town, from one full delivery before noon and one partial delivery after noon, daily, to two full deliveries and a third delivery in principal streets after arrival of the south 3.20 p.m. train. Newspapers registered, Eighteen newspapers were registered for transmission by post, and five ceased publication. Eeoeiving-boxes. Twenty-two receiving-boxes were established at: Auckland—City, 2; Dargaville, 1. Christchurch—City, 1; Ashburton, 1; Leeston, 1. Greymouth—Kumara, 1. Napier—Town, 2. Nelson— Town, 1. New Plymouth, 1. Timaru—Town, 1. Wanganui—Patea, 1. Wellington—City, 1; Eketahuna, 1; Levin, 1; Mangatainoka, 1; Masterton, 5. Three receiving-boxes were closed: Auckland—Epsom, 1; Newton Eoad, 1. Oamaru— Town, 1. Designations of Offices. The designations of offices were changed as follows: Blenheim—Dieffenbach to Te Weka; Dunedin—Hamilton to Hamilton South ; Wanganui —Otaihape to Taihape ; Wellington—Wellington Eailway to Thorndon Eailway. Names were corrected as follows: Auckland—Waikomiti to Waikumete; Oamaru—Marowhenua to Maerewhenua; Totara-tahi to Totaratahi; Wellington—Ashurst to Ashhurst. Post-offices established, etc. Fifty-two post-offices were established (of these three were reopened offices) and fifteen closed: — Opened. Akatarawa, Wellington Momona, Dunedin Spar Bush, Inveroargill Anaroa, Napier Motiti, Thames Stoneburn, Dunedin Awahou, Wellington' Mungaroa, Wellington Stronvar, Wellington Cambridge West, Auckland Muritai, Wellington Sutton, Dunedin Clarence River, Blenheim North Taieri (reopened), Dunedin Table Hill, Dunedin Croixelles, Nelson Okuku, Christchuroh Tarara, Dunedin Epsom (R. 0.), Auckland Otaki Railway, Wellington Tataraimaka, New Plymouth Huiakama, New Plymouth Otaua, Auckland Tengawai, Timaru Koriniti, Wanganui Owen Junction (reopened), Nelson Tikitapu, Wellington Mahoenui, New Plymouth Pohonui, Wanganui Umutoi, Wellington Manawaru, Auckland Pukemiro, Auckland Waiho Gorge, Hokitika Mangamaire, Wellington Purerua, Auckland Warea, New Plymouth Mangatiti, Wellington Rakautaua, Wanganui Warrington, Dunedin Maungawera, Dunedin Rapaki, Christchurch Warwick Junction, Westport Mauriceville, Wellington Redcliffs, Christchuroh Whangamoa, Nelson Millerton, Westport Seatoun, Wellington Wharekawa, Auckland Mitimiti, Auckland Sommerville, Wanganui White's Point (reopened), Westport Molesworth Street (R. 0.), Wellington Closed. Cass River, Christchuroh Pukewhau, Thames Umutoi, Wellington Maioro, Auckland Rona, Wellington Waitapu, Auckland Nihoniho, Auckland Tallaburn, Dunedin Wheatstone, Christchurch Oruoru, Auckland Te Whariki, Thames White's Point, Westport Pakihikura, Wellington Tikitapu, Wellington Winchmore, Christchurch The number of post-offices open at the close of the year was 1,561.

Parcel-post. The following table shows the total number and the weight of inland, intercolonial, United Kingdom, and foreign parcels dealt with during the years 1890, 1895, 1897, and 1898:—

VIII

Postal Districts. 1890. Number. Weight. 1895. 1897. 1898. Number. Weight. Number. Weight. Number. Weight. « Auckland .. Thames .. New Plymouth Gisborne .. Napier Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport .. Greymouth Hokitika .. Blenheim.. Ohristchuroh Timaru Oamaru .. Dunedin .. Inveroargill 24,539 1,731 1,132 1,061 7,021 4,537 29,052 5,348 1,201 2,821 1,600 2,090 21,758 2,263 978 25,312 3,883 lb. oz. 65,406 15 4,334 3 3,103 9 2,977 10 19,512 13 10,994 2 85,226 3 15,329 8 2,718 4 7,102 4 4,476 11 5,050 0 67,202 8 5,600 1 2,409 8 74,824 15 8,614 6 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 8 J 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 99,186 10 12,598 15 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 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 43,147 3,181 2,801 1,975 9,048 7,642 46,208 5,668 1,964 2,950 2,398 1,811 33,072 1,964 1,166 34,641 4,967 lb. oz. 140,528 7 9,179 7 8,554 13 5,619 15 27,216 14 23,997 5 173,884 9 18,254 2 5,038 11 8,384 15 7,606 2 5,736 4 124,895 3 5,147 11 3,796 2 117,065 15 13,394 12 Totals 136,327 384,883 8 176,206 582,193 8 J 197,554 670,054 5 204,603 698,301 3

F.—l

IX

The following table shows the number and weight of parcels exchanged with the United Kingdom, and foreign countrie viâ London, the Australian Colonies and the South Sea Islands, during the years 1897 and 1898: —

The declared value of parcels received from places outside the colony in 1898 was £57,627. The Customs duty collected amounted to £13,302 lis. 4d. In 1897 the value was £41,820, and the Customs duty collected amounted to £9,567 12s. lid. The declared value of parcels despatched to places beyond the colony was £9,245, as against £8,153 in 1897. Since the issue of the last report foreign parcel exchanges have been established with Eussia, Guatemala, Bolivia, and Formosa. The principal alteration in parcel rates has been the reduction of postage to almost all British colonies and possessions by the abolition of the former 1 lb. progression, and the substitution therefor of a three-stage scale—(l) Under 31b.; (2) over 31b., but not over 7 lb.; (3) over 71b., but not over 11 lb. An insurance scheme for parcels was inaugurated on the 10th April last. So far the system applies to parcels for places within the colony, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania, the United Kingdom, and other places with which the United Kingdom has exchanges, but the time during which insurance has been in operation has been too short to permit of any conclusion as to the extent to which it is likely to be availed of. The other colonies having now consented to join in the adoption of the scheme, arrangements will probably, from the Ist October next, be made to enable senders of parcels to and from the United Kingdom and the Australian Colonies and New Zealand to insure delivery of parcels to the addressees free of Customs duty and all other charges.

Official Correspondence. The estimated volume and value of official and other free correspondence posted during the year 1898 is given in the statement below: —

ii—F. 1.

Despatched. Eeoeived. Country. 1897. 1898. 1897. 1898. Number. Weight. Number. Weight. Number. Weight. Number. Weight. Jnited Kingdom and foreign offices (via London) Victoria lew South Wales louth Australia Queensland Tasmania Vestern Australia .. iamoa larotonga .. lawaiian Islands leylon itraits Settlements Jruguay .. r anoouver.. i'iji 15,742 lb. oz. 53,002 4 17,823 lb. oz. 58,865 0 4,197 lb. oz. 9,510 8 4,023 lb. oz. 9,705 8 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 3,292 4,614 235 343 143 190 17 5 42 326 10,682 8 13,384 3 688 2 704 0 382 0 459 11 65 11 18 5 97 8 701 12 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 1,311 1,779 190 267 308 236 123 62 18 145 2,792 3 4,601 15 517 13 686 15 747 4 543 2 382 4 218 4 55 9 249 0 7 'I 4 15 37 27 18 13 101 8 112 3 "u 53 12 Totals 23,698 76,035 1 27,044 86,102 8 8,670 19,426 2 8,541 20,732 5

District. Letters. Packets. Registered Articles. Newspapers. Value of Official Correspondence. Auckland Thames New Plymouth Gisborne Napier Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport Greymouth Hokitika Blenheim Christchurch Timaru Oamaru Dunedin ., Inveroargill 266,642 48,476 102,550 20,752 114,036 174,037 920,711 68,319 24,316 57,600 19,757 40,018 266,890 57,718 31,759 288,440 133,272 24,770 3,158 10,280 2,856 9,152 11,946 144,521 4,686 156 2,8491,799 2,000 17,925 2,400 1,144 39,456 11,850 12,714 1,426 1,645 904 2,240 2,656 22,298 3,622 682 1,957 896 500 14,615 1,033 864 2,949 3,106 98,915 22,850 31,632 11,024 46,488 78,420 168,956 31,890 18,720 33,188 9,784 21,000 108,800 24,200 28,080 89,031 59,439 £ 7,524 1,382 2,657 637 3,128 4,859 22,819 1,965 800 1,729 582 1,146 7,415 1,547 1,126 7,634 3,780 Totals 2,635,293 290,948 74,107 882,417 70,730

F.-1

Dead Letters. The following comparative table shows the number of unclaimed letters, letter-cards, and post-cards dealt with during the under-mentioned years:—

The proportion of dead or unclaimed letters, letter-cards, and post-cards to the total number dealt with in the colony was 0-31 per cent., as against 0-33 per cent, in 1897. 22,734 book-packets and circulars were returned to foreign countries, 60,309 were returned to senders through the Dead-letter Office, 45 were reissued, and. 47,232 were returned by Chief Postmasters—a total of 130,320 book-packets and circulars, as compared with 126,535 in 1897. 427 letters were wrongly addressed. 51 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 : — £ s. d. 255 Post-office orders ... ... ... ... ... 576 8 1 25 bank drafts ... ... ... ... ... ... 2,008 9 4 203 cheques ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,991 911 19 dividend warrants ... ... ... ... ... 602 6 promissory notes ... ... ... ... ... 155 3 9 Postal notes ... .. ... ... ... ... 51 13 4 Stamps ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 24 13 11 Bank-notes ... ... ... ... ... ... 143 0 0 Gold 40 10 0 Silver and copper ... ... ... ... ... ... 316 Kepresenting a total of ... ... ...£5,000 10 0 In addition, 1- ladies' gold watch, 3 silver watches, 1 silver watch and chain, 1 silver watch, yellow-metal chain, and greenstone pendant, 1 Waterbury watch, 1 gold locket, 3 gold brooches, 1 gold-mounted greenstone brooch, 3 silver brooches, 1 gilt brooch, 5 gold rings, 2 ladies' gold rings, 6 gold wedding-rings, 1 silver ring, 1 pair gold sleeve-links, 2 gold-mounted greenstone pendants, 6 greenstone pendants, 1 pair gold-rimmed spectacles, 1 gold-mounted boar's tusk bracelet, 1 silver spoon, 1 silver thimble, 2 kauri-gum necklaces, 22 sheets foreign stamps, 9 pawn-tickets, 84 sharecertificates, 7 silk handkerchiefs, 18 pairs woollen socks, 21 neckties, 3 shirts, 1 felt hat, 1 wooden pipe, 2 pairs woollen drawers, 1 woollen singlet, 6 tobacco-pouches, 1 pair bicycle-pedals, 1 bicyclebell, 1 bicycle-chain, 1 suit boy's navy-blue clothes, 2 bunches of keys, 1 wig, 2 lace collars, 9 pairs gloves, 1 blue-serge skirt, 2 pieces dress material, 3 pairs ladies' shoes, 1 pair ladies' boots, 1 fancy bag, 1 ladies' cape, 1 petticoat, 1 box frilling, 3 pairs woollen bootees. 1,914 unclaimed registered letters were dealt with. 2,193 newspapers and 1,330 books and other articles without addresses were received, many of which were subsequently applied for and delivered. 518 unclaimed newspapers were returned to the publishers. 372 letters and 81 letter-cards were posted without addresses. 16 letters with libellous addresses were intercepted. The number of inland, intercolonial, and international unclaimed articles received and disposed of during the years 1897 and 1898 was as under :—

X

Manner of Disposal. I 1884. 1885. 1880. 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890. 1892. 1894. 189G. 1897. 1898. Ipened and returned to tho writers teturned unopened to other oountries Reissued )estroyed teturned unopened by Chief Postmasters 68,942 66,592 66,729 62,847 55,118 02,654 60,540 63,483 61,745 63,112 66,886 68,872 9,134 8,115 8,359 7,287 6,892 6,220 7,779 7,751 8,941 7,546 7,648 8,899 107 3,986 17,593 185 2,872 19,187 251 6,600 21,144 96 5,974 20,185 88 5,246 19,963 92 4,340 21,164 141 2,660 21,931 128 2,092 19,909 130 4,725 22,042 148 4,069 26,414 132 3,245 34,260 219 3,368 33,273 Totals 99,762 96,951 103,083 96,389 87,307 94,470 93,051 93,363 97,583 101,289 112,171 114,631

1897. 1898. Letters Letter- Poet- p t . Newsletters. card3 cardB . lacKots. papers . Letters. Letter- Post- PaokBtB Newscards, caras. ■ raci£e » B - papers. Inland. Returned, delivered, &c, through Deadletter Office Returned by Chief Postmasters direct .. Destroyed in accordance with law 54,306 30,577 2,629 1,155 "56 2,311 3,683 112 50,958 43,032 688 727, 331616 55,517 30,262 2,706 1,182 "58 2,362 3,011 115 58,777 47,232 704 518 30^956 Intercolonial. Originally addressed to other colonies :— Returned to writere Destroyed in accordance with law Returned to other colonies as unclaimed 4,719 228 3,180 26 :S2 656 46 15,794 4,821 233 3,800 32 3 20 1,001 56 3,573 International. Originally addressed to other countries:— Returned to writers.. Destroyed in accordance with law Returned to other countries as unclaimed 4,475 217 4,392 26 1 44 564 42 15,531 5,137 251 5,020 40 2 40 576 33 19,161 "l0 Totals 104,723 1,211 6,237 127,313 34,343! [107,747 1,259 5,625 131,113 81,474

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XI

Missing Letters. 889 inquiries for letters and 595 for other articles alleged to have been posted and not delivered were made during 1898. In 420 of the inquiries for letters and 340 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. Pound to have been 43 35 ... Missent, misdelivered, or otherwise delayed through fault of Post Office. 40 32 ... Delayed in delivery through fault of addressees. 25 20 ... Not posted. 36 30 ... Posted later than advised ; forwarded by slower routes than letters of advice, &c. 77 63 ... Defectively or wrongly addressed. 47 39 ... Mislaid or lost after delivery. 17 13 ... Eeturned through Dead-letter Office as unclaimed, &c. 135 108 ... Delivered. Eeason for inquiry not given, but probably in most cases omission by addressees to acknowledge receipt. 420 340

Registered Letters. The number of registered articles dealt with in 1898, compared with the numbers in 1890, 1895, and 1897, is shown below: —

From the 24th October last the Postmaster-General assumed liability up to £2 for the loss of any inland registered letter or registered letter from any country with which New Zealand has a reciprocal agreement as to indemnities. Inland Mail-services, Beyond occasional stoppages" on account of flooded rivers on the west coast of the Middle Island, on the Springfield-Kumara Eoad, and in the Napier district, inland mail-communication has been well carried out by the several contractors. The duties imposed by law on the masters of vessels in regard to mails have been satisfactorily undertaken, the only exception of consequence being the failure of the master of a steamer to give notice of his intended departure, with the result that mails were delayed. As a warning the master was prosecuted under the Post Office Act, and a penalty inflicted. In a few cases it has been necessary to administer cautions for the careless handling of mails. As the general contracts expire at the end of the current year, tenders will shortly be called for their renewal for the three years ending on the 31st December, 1902. In framing the list of services for the triennium, provision will bo made for the establishing of mail-lines to meet the progress of settlement, and the frequency of the existing services will be increased or an acceleration proposed whenever the circumstances warrant such a course. After lengthy negotiations a contract has been let for a mail-service between Taupo and Tokaanu by steam-vessel. The contractor is under bond to commence running on the Ist November next, and to provide a steamer capable of maintaining a speed of ten knots an hour, and of carrying fifty passengers. This service should serve to popularise the tourist route between Wanganui and the hot lakes. The payment is to be £200 per annum for a period of five years. From the Ist December the express trains between Wellington and New Plymouth comnienced running in both directions four times a week instead of twice a week, and at the same time the Union Steam Ship and Northern Steamship Companies rearranged their time-tables to insure con-

1890. 1895. 1897. 1898. Postal Districts. From T>~ p i. Cofony. Colon yTotals, beyond ter t l d B ln Colony. °ol»rTotals. From Places beyond the Colony. Eegistovodili the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. Auckland Chamea .. j(ew Plymouth jisborne .. Napier iVanganui Wellington kelson tVestport .. jreymouth rlokitika .. Blenheim jhristchuroh Cimaru )amaru .. Dunedin .. [nvercargill 7,119 130 341 118 999 211 6,129 322 112 102 95 92 3,659 312 278 4,615 1,740 26,374 34,398 4,781 3,372 2,120 10,911 6 t 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 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 13,891 289 1,031 232 948 1,584 13,107 709 179 540 60 68 5,371 507 170 6,352 3,357 94,138 16,654 15,003 5,034 18,853 18,569 69,297 10,270 7,100 7,300 3,586 4,397 54,528 6,737 5,040 33,522 19,740 108,029 16,943 16,034 5,266 19,801 20,153 82,404 10,979 7,279 7,900 3,646 4,465 59,899 7,244 5,210 39,874 23,097 Totals 169,321 195,695 41,098 254,315 295,413 45,252 339,702 384,954 48,395 389,828 488,228

F.—l

XII

nection with the through trains at New Plymouth. The increased frequency has not only enabled a greater number of through mails to be exchanged between Auckland and Wellington than formerly but has materially added to the postal facilities of places on the line of railway. The number of contracts for inland mails in operation in 1898 was 755, as compared with 750 in 1897. There are, in addition, 308 services not under bond. The length of inland postal routes by road (counted one way only) was 9,457, and the total number of miles travelled 2,168,451, at an average cost of 3-26 d. per mile. In 1897 the respective mileages were 9,112 and 2,049,001, and the average cost 3-35 d. per mile. Ordinary trains with mails travelled 2,618,051 miles. The estimated sum payable to the Eailway Department for the conveyance of mails by ordinary trains was £30,129, being an average of 2-76 d. per mile. The following services were established during the year:— Auckland— As required : Okupu Post-office and vessels in harbour. Twice daily : Cambridge-Cambridge West. Daily : Auckland-Epsom, to serve Epsom (E. 0.); Frankton Junction-Hamilton (extra service), daily throughout the year, and, in addition, twice weekly during the summer months. Twice weekly : Te Aroha-Manawaru. Weekly : Huntly-Pukemiro ; Kawakawa-Ohaeawai-Ngawha; Kaikohe (giving twiceweekly mail); Eaglan Eoad-Te Mata; Euakaka-Mangapai (giving Mangapai twice-weekly mail); Eussell-Purerua; Tauhoa-Port Albert (giving Port Albert twice-weekly mail); Whangamata-Wharekawa. Blenheim— Twice weekly: Blenheim-Eenwicktown-Kaituna. Christchurch—■ As required : Little Akaloa Post-office and Wharf. Daily: Barrhill-Highbank. Thrice weekly : Loburn-Okuku. Dunedin— As required : Hyde Post-office and Eailway-station. Daily: Allanton-Momona; North Taieri Post-office and Eailway-station (re-esta-blished) ; Wylie's Crossing Post-office and North Taieri Eailwav-station. Thrice weekly : Henley Eailway-station-Henley West. Twice weekly : Dunback-Stoneburn ; Milton-Table Hill. Weekly : Pembroke-Maungawera. Greymouth— As required : Ahaura Post-office-Eailway-station. Hokitika— Weekly : The Forks-Waiho Gorge. Invercargill— Twice daily : Middlevale Post-office-Eailway-station. Daily : Gore-Waikaka Valley-Waikaka. Thrice weekly : Makarewa Post-office-Eailway-station; Waianiwa-Spar Bush ■ Wai-kaka-Wendon Valley. Napier— Twice weekly: Mangatoro Valley and Mangatoro Station (junction on DannevirkeWeber Eoad), while Dannevirke-Weber coach runs so, otherwise once weekly Nelson— J ' Weekly : Whangamoa-Croixelles. New Plymouth— Weekly: Awakino-Mahoenui. Thames— As required: Ohiwa-Opotiki; Opotiki Post-office and Wharf. Daily : Paeroa-Karangahake-Waikino-Waihi (one way only ; additional service). I wice weekly: Hikutaia-Maratoto ; Tapu-Waipatukahu. Monthly: Tauranga-Motiti. Timaru— Thrice weekly : Albury-Tengawai. Weekly : Lake Tekapo-Tasman Downs Homestead (not a post-office) Wanganui— ' Daily : Wanganui-Bakautaua. Twice weekly : Punihu Stream-Opunake. Weekly : Mangaonoho-Ohingaiti-Mangaweka-Utiku-Taihape-Te Horo-Moawhanso TXat-S^mmTrVmT 118 twke " Weekly mail durin S winter); Pukeroa-Pohonui; Wellington— As required : Petone Post-office and Eailway-station. Twice daily : Wellington-Seatoun. Daily : Matarawa Post-office and Eailway-station ; Wellington-Worser Bay Thrice weekly : Hutt-Muritai. J ' Twice weekly : Mauriceville-Tikitapu-Ditton (not a post-office); Pohangina-Awahou ; Post-office-Cunningham's and junction Main Eoad. Weekly : Brancepeth-Stronvar; Pongaroa-Mangatiti.

F.—l

Westport— Thrice weekly : Granity Creek-Millerton. Weekly : Upper Matakitaki-War wick Junction. The frequency of the following services was increased: — Auckland— Daily to twice daily : Frankton Junction-Hamilton. Twice to thrice weekly : Marsden Point-Euakaka-Waipu (summer months, 1897-98); Pahi-Paparoa ; Eotorua-Atiamuri-Wairakei-Taupo (during summer). Once to twice weekly : Coromandel-Opitonui-Whangapoua ; Kawakawa-Ohaeawai-Ngawha-Kaikohe; Eaglan-Te Mata ; Eamarama-Ararimu South; Whangarei-Maungatapere-Poroti. Christchurch— To thrice daily from Sumner: Christchurch-Sumner (now twice outward, thrice inward). Twice to thrice daily : On Christchurch-Lyttelton line, mails to and from Linwood, Opawa, Woolston, and Heathcote Valley; Christchurch-Sumner line, from Christchurch to Woolston and Sumner (from Sumner and Woolston, inward, twice daily). Thrice weekly to daily : Annat-Eussell's Flat; Eakaia-Barrhill. Once to twice weekly : Waiau-Kaikoura. Dunedin— Twice to thrice weekly : Abbotsford-Taieri Beach. Greymouth— Twice weekly to daily : Blackball-Ngahere. Invercargill— Twice to thrice weekly : Colac Bay-Eound Hill; Gore-East Chatton-Chatton-Otama. Once to twice weekly : Edendale-Seaward Downs ; Lumsden-Mossburn-Te Anau (Ist November-30th April, altering terms of contract); Mararoa-The Key (Ist November-30th April, altering terms of contract). Napier— Once to twice daily : Ormondville-Norsewood. Once to twice weekly : Taupo-Tokaanu (periodical, Ist November-30th April, in alteration of contract). Nelson— Twice to thrice weekly : Nelson-Wakapuaka (telegraph-office). Once to twice weekly : Collingwood-Bainham. New Plymouth— Thrice weekly to daily : New Plymouth-Bell Block. Twice to thrice weekly : New Plymouth-Waiongona. Wanganui— Twice to thrice weekly : Mangaonoho-Moawhango (extra service continued to end of year from 13th April). Wellington— Daily to twice daily : Shannon-Foxton. Twice to thrice daily : Bunnythorpe-Hiwinui. Westport— Thrice weekly to daily : Capleston-Cronadon ; Granity Creek-Millerton. The frequency of the following services was diminished : — Auckland— Thrice to twice weekly : Marsden Point-Euakaka-Waipu (during running of reduced steamer-service). Thames— Thames-Hikutaia-Marototo, from twice weekly throughout the year to once weekly (Ist April-15th November) and twice weekly (16th November-31st March). The following coach service was curtailed by railway extension : — Dunedin— Dunedin-Hyde-Clyde (and intermediate offices) and Hyde-Naseby (and intermediate offices) : railway extended from Hyde to Kokonga, whence coaches now start (18th October, 1897). The following services were abolished : — Auckland— Kaikohe-Oruoru ; Okupu-Whaugaparapara ; Ongaruhe-Nihoniho. Christchurch— Methven-Highbank. Dunedin— North Taieri Post-office-Eailway-station. Invercargill— Gore-Waikaka Valley-Waikaka-Wendon Valley (two separate services established instead). Napier— Dannevirke-Mangatoro Valley.

xiii

p.—i

XIV

Nelson — Nelson-Okiwi Bay. Thames— Golden Cross-Te Whariki; Hikutaia-Pukewhau. Wellington— Foxton-Levin ; Hutt-Eona ; Mangatainoka-Woodville ; Woodville-Pahiatua. The following services were otherwise altered :— Auckland— Tokatea-Kennedy's Bay, by closing of Omoho. Blenheim— Blenheim-Kaikoura, by inclusion of new office, Clarence Bridge; Havelock-Pelorus Sound service temporarily suspended (correspondence forwarded fortnightly, by s.s. " Wairoa," in Wellington-Havelock service). Christchurch— Christchurch-Ashburton-Winchmore, by closing of post-office at Winchmore (service now terminates at Ashburton Forks); Chief Office delivery of suburban lettercarriers' bags (an additional cart employed); Christchurch-Sumner, to include Eedcliffs ; Lyttelton-Governor's Bay, to include new office, Eapaki. Dunedin— City, supplying mail-carts, horses, &c, now to include service in carrying officer to clear receiving-boxes; Dunedin-Palmerston (railway), by inclusion of new office at Warrington; Hyde-Clyde, Wedderburn is substituted for St. Bathan's as stopping-place ; Taioma-Kokonga, by inclusion of new office, Sutton. Nelson— Nelson-Belgrove-Inangahua Junction, by inclusion of Owen Junction (office reopened) ; Belgrove-Eeefton, by closing of White's Point (Westport); BelgroveEeefton, by reopening of White's Point (Westport) ; Nelson-Blenheim, by inclusion of new office, Whangamoa. New Plymouth— New Plymouth-Opunake, by inclusion of new offices, Tataraimaka and Warea. Oamaru— Oamaru-Hillgrove, by inclusion of new office, Totaratahi. Thames— Thames-Paeroa-Waihi, by closing Owharoa. Timaru— Timaru-Fairlie, by inclusion of new office, Cricklewood. Wanganui— The two services, Holden's-Pukeroa and Pukeroa-Pohonui, performed as one— Holden's-Pukeroa-Pohonui, weekly; Wanganui-Pipiriki, by inclusion of new office, Koriniti. Wellington— Wellington-Apiti-Utuwai, by closing of Umutoi; Mauriceville-Ditton, by closing of Tikitapu ; Utuwai-Apiti, by inclusion of new post-office at Umutoi; Waituna West-Pakihikura, by closing of Tapuae ; Wellington-Longburn, by inclusion of Otaki Eailway (new office); Wellington-Woodville (railway-service), by inclusion of new offices at Mungaroa and Mangamaire. Westport— The Warwick Junction mail is now carried from Murchison : read, " MurchisonWarwick Junction." Ocean Mail-services. The San Francisco mail-service was, as usual, satisfactorily performed during the year, and the deliveries by the Vancouver route were more regular during the latter part of the term. On the 3rd November last the House of Eepresentatives authorised the Government to extend both services for twelve months, ending the 31st March, 1900. The extension of the San Francisco service was agreed to by the contractors, but the Canadian-Australian Eoyal Mail Steamship Company did not respond to the invitation to renew the Vancouver service, although repeatedly solicited to do so. The company allowed the service practically to expire before giving notice of the intention not to renew with the colony, but to substitute Brisbane for Wellington as a port of call. It would appear that negotiations had been in progress with the Queensland Government for some time, and the failure of the company to extend to this colony ordinary business courtesy seriously embarrassed the department. The withdrawal of the steamers was to be regretted in many ways. The initial difficulties had been overcome, and the service was becoming reliable and popular as an alternative mail route. Every effort has been made to minimise the effect of the loss of the mail-connection vid Canada by utilising as far as possible the Federal mail-service; but, as the intercolonial steamers are not under contract, and are run to suit the exigencies of the passenger and cargo traffic, a reliable alternative connection has not been possible so far. Negotiations were opened up with the Union Steam Ship Company with the object of securing a regular outward service to Sydney ; but, owing mainly to the company having decided to revert to the usual winter running, under which the Wellington-Sydney and Bluff-Melbourne services were reduced from once weekly to once-in about ten days, this has not been practicable. The intercolonial running, however, secures a fairly close connection from Australia for mails from London. In May and June it was possible to connect

F.—l

XV

with the outward Vancouver packet at Fiji by the contract steamer from Auckland. This was particularly fortunate, as the disturbance of the ordinary running of the intercolonial lines, caused by the search for the s.s. " Perthshire," which was disabled between Sydney and New Zealand, rendered the Suez route of little value for homeward correspondence. It is not yet decided whether the Vancouver steamers will continue to call at Fiji, but if they should the Suva connection will be continued meanwhile. Before the Vancouver mail-service was established the homeward mails vid San Francisco left Auckland five days before the arrival of the incoming steamer, giving all parts of the colony about three weeks for replies. To secure a regularly alternating fortnightly receipt and despatch by the United States and Canadian routes, the departure of the San Francisco mail from London was put forward a week, and the inward mail timed to reach Auckland between three and four days before the departure of the outward one. This caused some inconvenience to merchants in Wellington and the South, as letters from the United Kingdom and America could not be answered by the outgoing mail. On the shortening of the time by rail across the American Continent by five hours from the beginning of this year, the department determined to try the experiment of despatching the San Francisco steamer from Auckland on the Monday instead of the Saturday, in the hope of still being able to connect with the Wednesday fast steamer from New York to Southampton. During the three months the accelerated service has been in operation this has been secured. The time allowed, however, does not leave a margin for failure in making any of the several connections between the colony and New York. The change has reduced the course of post from Auckland to London from thirty-two to thirty days, and has enabled replies by return mail to be sent from places as far south as Dunedin. While the time-table is an acceptable one for mails to and from the colony and the United Kingdom, the alteration has led to complaints by merchants in the Eastern -States of America that the interval of twelve days between the arrival and departure of the mail-steamer at and from San Francisco does "not allow sufficient time for replies to letters from the colonies by return mail. A new provisional agreement has also been made with the Union Steam Ship Company under which an improved coastal delivery of the inward San Francisco mails has been secured. The steamer is to leave the Manukau immediately the mails are shipped, weather and tide permitting. The detention at New Plymouth is not to exceed three hours, and a close connection is to be provided at Wellington for the South Island mails. The due day of departure from the Manukau with the inward mails is every fourth Tuesday. Should the mails arrive on Wednesday, they will be forwarded by one of the Northern Steamship Company's vessels to New Plymouth, thence by train to Wellington; but on all other days one of the Union Company's steamers will be available. In respect to the outward mails, a steamer will leave Lyttelton every fourth Friday evening after the arrival of the express train from Dunedin; Wellington on Saturday afternoon or evening; New Plymouth on Sunday, and arrive at the Manukau early on Monday morning. The subsidy is at the rate of £4,000 a year—an increase of £1,000. Demurrage for detention at the rate of £50 a day is also to be paid. The question of a fortnightly instead of a four-weekly San Francisco service deserves the attention of Parliament this session—the continuance of the present service in any case will have to be considered. In the meantime, inquiries are being made of the London Post Office whether the fortnightly service would be favourably entertained, and what contribution might be expected from the Imperial Government. It is understood that much larger steamers are to replace the "Alameda" and " Mariposa." The now vessels, which are being built at Philadelphia, U.S.A., will be of 6,000 tons gross register, and be capable of steaming seventeen knots an hour. The accommodation for passengers will, it is claimed, be equal to anything afloat. Should the steamers prove equal to expectations, a considerable increase in the-passenger traffic across the Pacific will no doubt follow. Further particulars relating to the ocean services will be found in the printed papers laid before Parliament. Eeceipts and Payments on Account of the San Francisco, Vancouver, Peninsular and Oriental, and Orient Mail-services for the Year 1898. San Francisco Service. Dr. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Payments by weight— On mails from New Zealand ... ...10,288 8 2 On mails from the United Kingdom ... 5,415 8 9 On mails from the Australian Colonies, Fiji, &c. 5,526 8 5 , 21,230 5 4 Interprovincial service, mail agents, &c. ... ... 3,658 8 11 m ..... I San Francisco to New York ... ... 4,193 1 8 Transit charges j New York tQ Queenstown ... ... 1,822 10 8 30,904 6 7 Cr. Postages collected in the colony ... ... ... 10,398 17 9 Postages from London ... ... ... .. 5,415 8 9 Contributions from non-contracting colonies ... ... 5,526 8 5 . 21,340 14 11 Net cost to the colony .., ~, ~. ... £9,563 11 8 pr ■ isssa

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500,847 letters, 7,741 post-cards, 535,402 books, and 1,140,552 newspapers were received from, and 473,741 letters, 7,322 post-cards, 113,960 books, and 396,650 newspapers despatched to, the United Kingdom vid San Francisco. The average time within which mails were delivered by the San Francisco service was : From Auckland to London, 31-77 days, as against 32-54 days in 1897 ; and from London to Auckland, 31-92 days, as compared with 32-62 days in the previous year. The shortest delivery was made in 30 days. Vancouver Mail-service. Dr. £ s. d. £ s. d. Payments by weight— Payments by New Zealand* ... ... ... 7,500 0 0 Interprovincial service, mail agents, &c. ... ... 3,651 10 1 (Canada ... ... ... 468 13 4 Transit costs across \ United States... ... ... 431 14 5 (Atlantic ... ... ... 969 8 7 13,021 6 5 Cr. Postages collected in the colony ... ... ... 5,226 9 0 Penalties ... ... ... ... ... 1,048 0 0 6,274 9 0 Net cost to the colony ... ... ... £6,746 17 5 401,539 letters, 6,205 post-cards, 468,391 books, and 997,800 newspapers were received from, and 243,495 letters, 3,763 post-cards, 62,183 books, and 192,395 newspapers despatched to, the United Kingdom vid Vancouver. Peninsular and Oriental and Orient Lines (Federal Mail-service). Dr. * . £ s. d. £ s. d. Payments to P. and O. and Orient lines ... ... 1,476 16 2 Transit charges across Australia ... ... ... 68 11 4 Transit charges across Europe ... ... ... 138 18 11 Gratuities (to and from Australia) ... ... ... 635 6 9 —— 2,319 13 2 Cr. Postages collected in the colony ... ... ... 1,281 0 0 Postages from London and foreign offices ... ... 293 10 9 1,574 10 9 Net cost to the colony ... ... ... £745 2 5 The numbers of letters, post-cards, books, and newspapers conveyed from and to the United Kingdom by the Peninsular and Oriental and Orient packets were : Eeceived—l2o,2oB letters, 1,858 post-cards, 44,516 books, and 179,334 newspapers; despatched—s3,7sB letters, 831 postcards, 7,152 books, and 19,242 newspapers. 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 1898 by the San Francisco and Vancouver contract services, and by the Peninsular and Oriental and Orient lines, was:— San Francisco Service. Vancouver Service. P. and 0. Line. Orient Line. Max. Mm. Average. Max. Mm. Average. Max. Mm. Average. Max. Mm. Avorage. London to Auckland .. 33 31 31-92 .. 42 36 38-00 .. 39 38 38-15 .. 46 38 39 96 Auckland to London .. 34 30 31-77 .. 40 37 39-00 .. 42 37 40-56 .. 45 37 40-40 London to Wellington .. 34 32 33-08 .. 40 35 36-54 .. 41 36 3900 .. 44 38 40-27 Wellington to London .. 35 31 32-77 .. 38 34 36-31 .. 44 38 41-83 .. 46 38 41-70 London to Dunedin .. 36 33 34-54 .. 41 36 37-85 .. 46 39 40-87 .. 47 38 40-87 Dunedin to London .. 37 33 34-77 .. 39 35 37-62 .. 45 36 41-20 .. 46 38 41-36 London to Bluff .. 37 34 35-29 .. 42 37 38-60 .. 45 38 40-12 .. 46 37 40-12 Bluff to London .. 38 34 35-52 .. 40 36 38-37 .. 44 35 40-45 .. 45 37 40-61 The several subsidised mail sea-services, the subsidy-payments for the year 1898, the dates when established, and the date on which each terminates are shown as follows :—

* Minimum payment under contract; at poundage rates the amount would have been 45,167 7s, Id.

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Buildings. In last year's report attention was called to the pressing need for additional accommodation at the Chief Post Office, Dunedin, the Circulation Branch, Wellington, and the Chief Post Office, Auckland. Beyond temporary alterations,at Dunedin and a rearrangement of the counter space at Wellington, nothing has yet been done to meet urgent requirements, and it will be impossible to carry on at these offices much longer with satisfaction to the department and the public unless steps are taken to provide additional space for handling mail matter, and to enable prompt attention to be given the public at the counters. The volume of mail work has increased so enormously during the past tew years that at times it is only with difficulty that arrangements for its prompt disposal can be made at the offices mentioned, particularly at Dunedin and Wellington. The duties connected with collecting and paying money for other departments having been so largely increased, much greater counter space is required than was contemplated would be needed for many years to come. New offices were opened at Miller's Flat and Otahuhu, and the building at Owaka was removed and re-erected on another site. The following general repairs, additions, &c, were carried out during the year: Eenovating and altering rooms to accommodate hew telephone-switchboard, &c, Auckland; additions and alterations, painting, &c, Arrowtown; enlargement of mail-room, building strong-room, &c, Ashburton; renovations, repairs, improving lighting, &c, Christchurch; alterations and repairs, Dunedin; painting and repairs, Dargaville; repairing damage done by flood, Hutt; repairs, painting, &c, Hokitika; erecting new chimney, concrete water-tank, repairs, &c, Kawakawa; painting and repairs, Lyell; additions to building, repairs, &c, Mangonui; improving drainage, alterations, repairs, fittings, &c, Napier; water-supply and repairs to quarters, Ophir; alterations to office and Postmaster's quarters, Opotiki; painting and repairs, Palmerston North; additions to Postmaster's quarters, Palmerston; alteration, &c, Picton; repairs, &c, Eakaia, Sanson, and St. Bathan's; additions and repairs, Timaru; repairs and painting, Te Kopuru; improving drainage, erection of passenger and goods hydraulic lift, repairs, fittings, &c, General Post Office building, Wellington; hot-water service, fire-service, &c, Telephone Exchange, Wellington ; repairs, &c, Westport; general repairs to staff quarters and residence of Officer-in-Charge, Wakapuaka; alterations and additions, drainage, &c, Waitara ; additions, Waitekauri and Whangarei; repairs, &c, Warkworth. MONEY-ORDERS. Twenty-three money-order offices were opened during the year—namely, Addison's, Aoroa, Blackburn, Burnett's Face, East Oxford, Ellerslie, Gladstone, Golden Cross, Komata, Mauriceville, Molesworth Street (Wellington), Mount Eoskill, Opitonui, Puhoi, Studholme Junction, Taheke, Tokatea, Waerenga, Waihou, Waikanae, Whananaki, Wharekawa, and Woodend. Two offices were closed—namely, Cape Foulwind and Mokihinui. The number of offices open at the end of the year was 417, as against 396 twelve months previously.

iii—F. 1.

Duration of Service. Service. Annual Subsidy or Payment. When established. Wh»n terminated or terminable. Number of Voyages per Annum. Mileage for Completo Voyage. Cost per Mils. 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 Russell and Opua Whangaroa and Totara North Wellington, Kotu Bay, Homewood, Maori Bay (and other offices), and Havolock Nelson, Motueka, Totaranui, Takakar, and Collingwood Westport and Karamea Westport and Little Wanganui Hokitika, Okarito, Bruce Bay, Paringa, Haast River, Okuru, Waitoto, and Jackson's Bay Lyttelton and Chatham Islands Bluff and Half-moon Bay Bluff, Te Oneroa, and Cromarty .. Interprovinoial service in connection with San Francisco line Interprovinoial service ill connection with Vancouver line £ s. d. 10,288 8 2 7,500 0 0* 1,690 0 0 1,200 0 0 60 0 0 250 0 0 75 0 0 April, 1871 Dec, 1897 June, 1880 June, 1885 Aug., 1863 Oct., 1891 Nov., 1893 Mar., 1900 Mar., 1899 13 13 13 12 939 52 52 I 52 I 104 11,850 13,320 2,334 6,992 6 120 46 118 \ 170 / s. d. 1 4-03 0 10-40 1 137 0 3-43 0 2-56 0 9-62 0 7-53 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 | 500 0 0 j 148 10 0 Jan., 1881 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 0 5-04 Jan., 1889 52 48 1 2-28. 1 098 4 9 69 90 0 0 25 0 0 Jan., 1889 Jan., 1891 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 104 52 16 2 ) 180 0 0 f f260 0 0 I 125 0 0 | 200 0 0 | 600 0 0 Dee., 1891 July, 1898 . f June, 1886 ( Jan., 1895 June, 1898 Dec, 1899 Doc, 1899 Dec, 1899 j 18 13 52 26 12 } 183 | 130 . 102 ) 82 f 0 9-08 1 1-11 0 4-44 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 Mar., 1899 Dec, 1899 \ 6 52 12 1,050 48 208 0 11-43 2 4-85 2 10-62 , ! 3,000 0 0 I j 3,000 0 0 Nov., 1886 Mar., 1900 13 Dec, 1897 Mar., 1899 * Minimum subsidy. t Service carried on at £10 per trip, temporarilyi from 1st July, 1898.

F.-l

318,370 money-orders were issued for £1,029,241 7s. 7d., as compared with 293,659 for £970,830 14s. lid. in 1897 —an increase of 24,711 in number and £58,410 12s. Bd. in amount. ~ 229,720 money-orders, amounting to £880.052 13s. lid., were paid, as against 215,240 for £837,208 14s. Bd. during 1897—an increase of 14,480 orders, and £42,843 19s. 3d. There were 35,204 telegraph money-orders issued for £114,622 13s. Id., as compared with 33,601 for £113,584 17s. Bd. in 1897 —an increase of 1,603 in number and £1,037 15s. sd. in amount. 112,105 orders for £230,515 lis. lid. were issued on places beyond New Zealand, as against 99,792 orders for £208,238 4s. Bd. during 1897. 23,424 orders for £80,665 os. Bd. were issued at places beyond New Zealand for payment in the colony, as compared with 21,492 orders for £75,343 12s. 2d. during the previous year. The commission received for money-orders amounted to £14,795 165., as against £13,835 15s. 4d. received during 1897. On the Ist October, 1898, the commission on money-orders drawn on the United Kingdom and foreign offices through London, United States of America, Canada, Cape of Good Hope, Ceylon, Germany, Hawaii, Hongkong (including Japan), India, and Straits Settlements was reduced to 6d. per £1 or fraction of £1. Postal Notes. The following new offices were opened during 1898 : Addison's, Aoroa, Awanui, Elmslie's Bay, Golden Cross, Kenepuru, Komata, Maharahara, Mauriceville, Molesworth Street (Wellington), Mount Eoskill, Opitonui, Puhoi, Pukeuri Junction, Eockville, Studholme Junction, Taheke, Tinakori Eoad (Wellington), Waihou, Waikanae, Wedderburn, Wharekawa, and Woodend. The offices at Kenepuru, Mokihinui, and Te Whariki were closed. The number of offices at which postal notes were sold at the end of the financial year was 472, as compared with 452 on the 31st March, 1898. 431,449 notes, of the value of £139,957 45., were sold, as against 409,866, for £134,378 9s. 6d., sold during the previous year. The postal notes paid numbered 429,193, of the value of £139,476 2s. 6d., as compared with 407,610, for £134,045 75., paid during 1897-98. The postal-note commission amounted to £2,871 19s. Id. Savings-banks. The marked growth of the business of the Post-Office Savings-Bank since established on the Ist February, 1867, furnishes undoubted proof of the popularity and advantages of the system in the promoting of thrift, and in the State security offered by the Post Office. Commencing with forty-six offices on the Ist February, 1867, the amount left on deposit by the 2,156 depositors on the 31st December of that year was £71,197 14s. Id. Year by year the number, of offices and volume of business rapidly increased, and on the 31st December, 1898, there were 409 savings-bank offices open, an increase of 363. The number of accounts remaining open was 169,968, or 167,812 more than in 1867, and the amount at credit £4,957,771 ss. 5d., an increase of £4,886,573 lis. 4d. During the eleven months in 1867 2,520 accounts were opened, and in 1898 37,265, an increase of 34,745. The total number of transactions —deposits and withdrawals—in 1867 was 8,896, and in 1898 478,513, or an increase of 469,617. The deposits during 1867 amounted to £96,372 7s. 10d., compared with £3,279,611 7s. sd. in 1898. The balance at credit increased by the sum of £3,183,238 19s. 7d. In 1867 £26,415 18s 9d. was withdrawn, and in 1898 £3,194,893 16s. 7d., a difference of £3,168,477 17s. lOd. Interest amounting to £1,241 ss. was credited depositors in 1867, and £128,128 16s. 6d. in 1898, an increase of £126,887 lis. 6d. The population on the 31st December, 1867, exclusive of Maoris, was 218,668, and on 31st December, 1898, 736,260. The proportion of depositors to population in the former year was one in 51-43, and in 1898 one in 4-33. The average amount at credit of each depositor at the end of 1867 was £38 9s. Id., or 14s. lid. per head of population. . The average amount at credit of each depositor on the 31st December, 1898, was £29 3s. 6d., while the average amount per head of population had risen to £6 14s. Bd. Of the total number of accounts open at the end of 1898, 125,190, or 73-66 per cent., were accounts with balances under £20. The history of the enormous expansion of the business of the Post-Office Savings-Bank, as outlined in this brief recital, and in the following statement for the decennial periods ended 1878, 1888, and 1898, may be accepted as conclusive evidence of the general development of the colony and the material progress of its people.

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Statement showing the Progress of the Post-Office Savings-Banks during the Decennial Periods ended 1878, 1888, and 1898.

Twenty-three offices were opened during the year for the transaction of savings-bank business —namely, Addison's, Aoroa, Burnett's Pace, Bast Oxford, Ellerslie, Gladstone, Golden Cross, Komata, Mauriceville, Molesworth Street (Wellington), Mount ltoskill, Opitonui, Puhoi, Studholme Junction, Taheke, Tokatea, Waerenga, Waihou, Waikanae, Waituna West, Whananaki, Wharekawa, and Woodend. Two offices were closed—namely, Cape Foul wind and Mokihinui. There were 409 offices open at the end of 1898, as against 388 at the end of the previous year. 37,265 accounts were opened and 26,628 closed, the net gain on the year's working being 10,637 accounts The number of depositors on the 31st December was 169,968, and the proportion of accounts per head of population was one in 4-33, as compared with one in 458 at the end of the previous year. The deposits numbered 281,749, representing £3,279,611 7s. 5d., an average of £11 12s. lOd. per transaction. The withdrawals numbered 196,764, for £3,194,893 16s. 7d., an average of £16 4s. 9d. for each withdrawal. The net amount added to the depositors'savings during the year was therefore £84,717 10s. 10d., plus £128,128 16s. 6d interest earned, making a total of £212,846 7s. 4d. The total amount at credit of depositors increased from £4,744,924 18s. Id. at the close of the previous year to £4,957,771 ss. sd. on the 31st December last, representing a sum equal to £6 14s. Bd. per head of the entire population, and £29 3s. sd. per depositor. Last year the figures were £6 10s. 2d. and £29 15s. 7d. respectively. The interest credited to depositors since the Post-Office Savings-Banks were established in 1867 now amounts to £1,905,875 17s. The cost of working the savings-banks amounted to 0-26 per transaction, or £8,500 for the year. The cost of management per cent, on total amount at credit of depositors was 0-17, or 3s. sd. per £100-—the same as during the previous year. Average number of deposits per day, 1897 ... ... ... ... 874 1898 ... ... ... ... : 921 Increase per cent. ... ... ... ... ... ... 5-38 Average number of withdrawals per day, 1897 ... ... ... 587 1898 ... ... ... 643 Increase per cent. ... ... ... ... ... ... 9-54 Average daily amount deposited, 1897 ... ... ... £10,415 15s. Od. „ ' 1898 £10,717 13s. 7d. '"' : "' Average daily amount withdrawn, 1897 ... ... ... £9,448 ss. 4d. 1898 ... ... ...£10,440 16s. 7d-. TELEGKAPHS. 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 £170,794 19s. 5d., as compared with £160,725 ss. 2d.—an increase of £10,069 14s. 3d., or 6-27 per cent. The following is a comparison of the business in paid telegrams during the last five years :— Number. Value. 1894-95 ... 1,802,182 £85,388 1895-96 ... 1,899,632 Increase, 5-41 per cent. ... 92,289 Increase, 8-08 per cent. 1896-97 ... 2,285,001 „ 20-29 „ ... 97,453 „ 5-60 1897-98 ... 2,469,415 „ 8-07 „ ... 96,537 Decrease 0-94 „ 1898-99 ... 2,717,548 „■ 1005 „ ...101,104 Increase 4-73 „

Year Number of Offices. ■g n as Amount of Deposits. O « ■§! I 1 Amount of Withdrawals. Amount of Interest credited Depositor. n O o o . <^ O a) o o CO 1 o o o μ-i OJ S a a « ll II; 62 "i O p [fi U ■o -aj >—i CD to U W V o a ■• 8 o ass °S -868 .. ' .878 .. 55 147 13,014 69,908 £ s. d. 194,535 11 6 762,084 12 0 6,365 42,746 £ s. a. 107,094 17 3 742,053 14 3 £ s. d. 4,880 7 3 31,664 12 9 4,252 32,132 . £ s. d. 163,518 15 7 819,071 8 2 3,282 13,005 1,186 9,634 Increase % over 1868 167-27 437-18 291-75 571-58 572-90 548-85 296-25 712 31 655-09 400-91 .888 .. 290 145,355 1,544,747 7 11 96,204 1,387,471 1 10 78,080 6 0 21,307 10,543 84,488 2,048,441 10 9 [ncrease % over 1878 97-28 107-92 102-70 125-06 86-98 146-59 63-84 71-71 162-94 15009 .898 .. 409 281,749 3,279,611 7 5 196,764 3,194,893 16 7 128,128 16 6 37,265 26,628 169,968 4,957,771 S 5 increase % over 1888 41-03 93-84 112-31 104-53 130-27 64-10 74-89 60-96 101-17 142-03

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Delayed telegrams were abolished, and the ordinary-telegram rate reduced from Is. to 6d., on Ist June, 1896. The number of telegrams of all codes forwarded during last financial year was 2,960,738 —an increase of 264,505, or 9-81 per cent., over 1897-98. The proportion of telegrams per head of population was 4-02, as compared with 3-72 the previous year. The number of ordinary telegrams forwarded was 2,242,387, of the value of £78,499 lis. 2d., compared with 2,023,421, for £72,848 Bs. 2d., in 1897-98—an increase of 218,966 and £5,651 3s. Od. The urgent telegrams numbered 113,438, of the value of £8,387 18s. sd.—an increase of 6,841 messages, but a decrease of £582 6s. Bd. 217,783 Press telegrams, of the value of £10,140 14s. 6d., were forwarded in 1898-99, as compared with 220,754, valued at £9,207 18s. 3d., forwarded in 1897-98—a decrease of 2,971, or 1-35 per cent., in number, but an increase of 10-13 per cent, in value. The value of each Press telegram averaged 11-18 d., as against 10-o.ld. in 1897-98. The bureau messages numbered 143,940, of the value of £3,726 18s. 4d., as compared with 118,643, of the value of £2,909 3s. 2d.—an increase of 25,297 in number and £817 15s. 2d. in amount. The average value of each bureau message was 6-21 d., as against 5-88 d. in 1897-98. The number of Government telegrams forwarded was 243,190, valued at £25,500 ss. 10d., as compared with 226,818, of the value of £24,504 9s. Bd.—an increase of 16,372 in number and of £995 16s. 2d. in amount. 35,204 money-orders for £114,622 13s. Id. were transmitted by telegraph, as against 33,601 for £113,584 17s. Bd. in 1897-98—an increase of 1,603 telegrams, or 4-77 per cent. The number of forwarded telegrams to every hundred letters posted in New Zealand for delivery within the colony was 9-12, as against 8-91 in 1897-98. The telegraph cash receipts for the financial year, including telephone-exchange subscriptions, private-wire rents, &c, amounted to £145,294 13s. 7d., compared with 136,220 15s. 6d in 1897-98— an increase of £9,073 18s. Id., or 6-66 per cent. The expenditure, excluding cable subsidy, was £173,152 16s. 6d., as compared with £165,198 13s. sd. the previous year—an increase of £7,954 3s. Id., or 4-81 per cent. There were 6,736 miles of line and 18,747 miles of wire at the close of the year—an increase of 252 and 723 miles respectively. The net expenditure out of loan for telegraph extension was £28,550 145., as compared with £29,384 2s. lid. in 1897-98. The number of private wires and subsidised lines was 201, compared with 157 in 1897-98. The amount received for rent, maintenance, &c, was £1,390 18s. 3d., as against £1,364 ss. sd. in 1897-98. The total number of telegraph- and telephone-offices open at the close of the year was 878. Of these, 235 were telegraph and 643 telephone-offices. Sixty telephone-offices were opened and six closed. The following telephone-offices were opened:— Annandale. Great North Road. Owen Junotion. Ti-tree Point. Aorere. Hawarden. Paeroa Railway. Toiro. Aoroa. Heddon Bu9h. Papanui Bureau. Tongaporutu. Arch Hill. Inangahua Landing. Porootarao. Tongaporutu Perry. Ashley Bank. Kaituna. Ranfurly. Upper Onehunga. Awakino. Lopperton. Rockville. Urenui. Bainham. Mahoenui. Round Hill. Uruti Road. Black's Point. Mayfield. Saies. Waihopo. Clifden. Mokau. Seatoun. Waipapa. Crushington. Mokau Pilot-statioD. Strathmore. Wairau Pord. Cunningham's. Molesworth Street. Tataraimaka. Warea. Dreyerton. Muritai. Tawataia. Warepa. Eastern Bush. Onaero. Te Kao. Whatatutu. Pernside. Opitonui. Te Karaka. Windsor. German Bay. Orawia. Te Kuiti. Woodend. The offices at Mokihinui, Oamaru Railway, Sandymount, Sumner Bureau No. 2, and Waikaka Siding were closed. Telephone Exchanges. There were on the 31st March last eighteen central exchanges and thirteen sub-exchanges. The following is a comparative return of the telephone-exchange connections for the years 1897-98 and 1898-99 :— y Exchange Number of Subscribers or Connections : , •,., Mar. 31, 1898. Mar. 31, 1899. Ashburton ... ... .... ... ... 96 102 Auckland ... ... ... ... ... i ; 039 ..'. 1,041 Blenheim ... ... • ... - ... ... 65 67 Christchurch ...... ... ... ... 848 ... 894 Bangiora ... ... ... ... ... ... 14 Dunedin ... ... ... ... 907 '" 954 Balclutha ... ... ... ... ... 13 14 Kaitangata ... ... ... ... ... 6 6 Milton ... ........ ... ... 19 19 ... Port Chalmers ... ... ... ... 17 17 Gisborne ... ... ... ... 97 123 Greymouth ... ... ... ... ... gl 86 Invercargill ... ~, ... ... , .'.'.' 211 '.['. 216. -_ ;'_.,

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_ , Number of Subscribers or Connections: Exchange. Mar 31 _ 1898 Mar 31 _ ]899 Bluff ... ... ... ... ... 23 ... 22 Gore ... ... ... ... ... 48 ... 54 Mataura ... ... ...* ... ... 10 ... 9 Otautau ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15 Biversdale ... ... ... ... ... 11 ... 12 Winton ... ... ... ... ... 9 ... 8 Woodlands ... ... ... ... ... 7 ... 5 Masterton ... ... ,'.' ... ... 69 ... 72 Napier 291 ... 298 Hastings ... ... ... ... ... 27 ... 40 Nelson ... ... ... ... ... 57 ... 59 New Plymouth ... ... ... ... ... 150 ... 165 Oamaru ... ... ... ... ... 103 ... 118 Palmerston North ... ... ... ... 91 ... 131 Thames ... ... ... ... ... 83 ... 80 Timaru ... ... ... ... ... 73 ... 78 Wanganui ... ... ... ... ... 173 ... 205 Wellington ... ... ... ... ... 1,163 ... 1,279 Totals ... ... ... ... ... 5,787 6,203 The connections may be classified as follows: Paying, 5,826; free, 129; bureaux, 248: total, 6,203. The telephone-exchange receipts amounted to £39,718 7s. 7d., an increase of £3,296 os. lid. as compared with the subscriptions received during the previous year. The working-expenses and 5 per cent, interest on capital cost for the year amounted to £40,606 4s. 3d. Sixty bureaux were established during the year, and two were closed. The following are the particulars of telegraph and telephone-wires, &c, in the colony on 31st March, 1899 :— Telegraph. Telephone. Miles of line, Ist April, 1898 ... ... ... ... 6,484 413 31st March, 1899... ... ... ... 6,736 436 Miles of wire, Ist April, 1898 ... ... ... ... 18,024 5,648 31st March, 1899 ... ... ... 18,746 5,803 Increase during year — Miles of line " ... ... ... ... ... 252 23 Miles of wire ... ... ... ... ... 723 155 Submarine cable, Ist April, 1898 ... ... ... 242 knots 8 knots. 31st March, 1899 ... ... ... 242 knots 8 knots. TELEGRAPH CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE. There has been a considerable demand for the extension of telephone lines during the year. Fifty-three lines were applied for of a total mileage of 642, to erect which would have required an expenditure of over £30,000. With the exception of a few short lines which promised to be selfsupporting, and others erected for departmental purposes, offers were as far as possible made to grant communication on a guarantee against loss—generally for five years —being given by the Council of the county in which the proposed line was to run, or on a lump sum being paid in_ advance by the settlers. In twenty-two cases, however, applications were altogether declined. In 1898 ten bonds were entered into by County Councils guaranteeing an annual sum of £169 55., and £233 16s. was paid by way of commuted guarantee for five lines erected during the year. The total annual value of telephone guarantees at this date is £683 10s. The following telegraph works have been carried out during the year in the several districts:— Auckland. Construction. The following new lines have been erected and completed : — Miles of Miles of Poles. Wire. Opitonui loop ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 2 Waihopo loop ... ... ... ... ... 0£ Manukau Heads Signal-station ... ... ... ... ... 0£ Sales ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 0£ Of Upper Onehunga Bureau... ... ... .... ... 0J 3 Arch Hill Bureau ... ... ... ... 1J Aratapu-Aoroa ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4 Waipapa line ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9 Whakapara-Hukerenui ... . . ... ... ... 1 7 Auckland-Mahoenui ... ... ... ... ... 155£ Katikati-Bowentown ... ... ... ... ... 1 4 Putaruru-Rotorua .., ~ ... ... ... 33 33

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XXII

Miles of Miles of Poles. Wire. For Railway Department— Frankton Junction-Ruakura ... .. ... ... 0£ 4-| Auckland-Ellerslie Railway ... .*.. ... ... ... 7 Paeroa Railway-station to Post-office ... .., ... Of Of Rangiriri Railway-station ... ... .... ... 1 1 ' Helensville-Waitakerei ... ... ... ... ... 19 Te Aroha Railway to Post-office ... ... ... ... OJ OJ Thames Railway-station to Frankton Junction ... ... 68 Ellerslie Railway blocks ... ... ... ... ... 3-J-For Public Works Department— Otorohanga-Porootarao ... ..... ... ... 1 1 Total ... ... ... ... ... 85 324£ The new wire from Auckland to Mahoenui, which continues thence to New Plymouth, gives an alternate route between Auckland and Wellington, and direct communication between Auckland and the New Plymouth district. Maintenance. The following sections have been overhauled and repaired, the aggregate length being 246 miles: Hamilton to Cambridge and Pirongia; Kawakawa to Rawene and branches; Maketu to Rotorua ; Waipu to Maungaturoto ; Auckland to Howick ; Auckland to Drury ; Mercer to Rangiriri ; Thames to Morrinsville and Frankton Junction. Diversions on the main line at Kawakawa and at Whangarei have been made, involving the removal and re-erection of 35 poles. Between Auckland and Rangiriri, on the Waikato line, the repairs and renewals have been considerable, all decayed and weak poles having been removed and replaced by wooden poles of larger dimensions or by iron poles. All angles have been renewed. In the Thames River 700 yards of three-core submarine cable were laid to replace the old cable, which had failed. The following sections, of a total length of 230 miles, are being overhauled and repaired: Cape Maria van Diemen to Awanui; Coromandel to Tairua; Hamilton to Raglan and Kawhia; Rangiriri to Hamilton ; Drury to Mercer. Offices. The Kawakawa and Pirongia offices have been, and the Taupo building is now being, painted. The whole of that portion of the Auckland Post-office building used for telegraph and exchange purposes has been painted and well renovated. A number of offices has been rewired and fitted with new test-boards, and a number of others supplied with bridging bell telephones in place of the old-type instruments. Eight new offices have been opened for railway business only—three on the Morse system and five with bridging bell telephones. A railway cadets' learning gallery has been fitted up at the Auckland Railway-station. Telephone Exchanges. A branching multiple switchboard was erected in a new exchange-room, and came into use on the 12th November last A power-room for the gas-engine, dynamo, magnetos, and accumulators was built. The arrangements are convenient; everything has worked smoothly, and the new system has given great satisfaction. The number of subscribers is 1,041, a slight increase on the previous year. 600 new-type telephones have been used to replace the old ones. Thames. Xne exenange is m good order. The number of subscribers does not vary much, being now 80, as compared with 83 last year, Wellington. Construction. The following extensions of lines and wires were completed during the year:— Miles of Miles of ■ -" - Poles. Wire. Ormond to Te Karaka and Whatatutu ... ... ... 15f 15f New Plymouth to Mahoenui ... ... ... ... 72 135 Wanganui to New Plymouth ..: .. ... .. ... 104 Bell Block to Lepperton... ... ... ... ... 1 6f Bona to Muritai ... ... ... ... "... 0J 0-| Worser Bay to Seatoun ... ... ... ... ... 0J 0£ Feilding Racecourse ...' ... ... ... .. ... 1 Cunningham's ... ... ... ... ... ... 0* 0J Dannevirke to Takapau ... ... ... ... .. ... 21 Dreyerton 100 p... ... ... ... ... .. ... 0£ For-Railway Department— '■ Petone to Upper Hutt (along railway) ... ... ... 13 13 Upper Hutt to Featherston, on railway-line vid Summit ... ... 24 Woodville to Ngawapurua ... ... ... ... 2>\ 4 Wangaehu to Aramoho Junction ... ... ... 15 15 Wanganui semaphore circuit ..." ... ... ... 0* 1 New Plymouth Railway to Stationmaster's house... ... 0* Total ... .., , 122f 342*

xxiii

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?,.-!.- The New Plymouth to Mahoenui extension comprises one copper wire to Waitara, 13 miles; two from Waitara to Awakino, 50 miles; and one for a further distance of 22 miles to Mahoenui. One wire, Waitara to Awakino, provides telephonic communication to several settlements along this route, and the other gives direct communication between New Plymouth district and Auckland, and is available as an alternative circuit between Wellington and Auckland in the event of the East Coast wires being crippled. No 11-| copper wire has been used throughout. Maintenance. The following sections have been overhauled and strengthened:— Waipukurau to Pakipaki ... ... ... ... ... 27 miles. Wairoa to Moeangiangi ... ... ... ... ... 38 „ Gisborne to Port Awanui ... ... ... ... ... 97 „ Total ... ... . . ... ~. ... ... 162 miles. The Lower Hutt to. Upper Hutt Section—a distance of. .twelve miles—was overhauled and strengthened, 155 25 ft. poles being put in, and the wires given increased spread. During the running of the extra copper wire—New Plymouth to Wanganui—erected to replace a wire sold to the Railway Department, the whole of the line, 104 miles, was overhauled and strengthened generally. The Featherston to Kaitoke Section has had special work done upon it by the lineman, to lessen the liability to faults on the Rimutaka Range, which is high and exposed to the wind. The railway-line from Upper Hutt to Cross Creek was put in good repair during the running of the rail way-wire, and new cable leads were put in at Upper Hutt and Kaitoke. From Cross Creek to Featherston the railway telegraph-line—the poles of which were much weakened by decay—was removed to the lee side of the railway-track. A good substantial line now exists on this section. Two miles of wire between Marion and Marton Railway-station were dismantled. A new aerial cable was put across the river at Waipawa. A section of No. 8 iron wire, from Kaikora North to Woodville—6o miles—was sold to the Railway Department. In lieu of this, 21 miles of wire, from Dannevirke to Takapau, were run. The work referred to in last report' —erecting three new wires, from Masterton to Woodville, to take the place of those on the old line vid Tenui—is now in progress. Instruments in the Masterton and Featherston offices have been rearranged and refitted. The completion of the Masterton-to-Wellington wire, to be used by the Railway Department instead of a combined wire, will give increased accommodation between Wellington and the Wairarapa district, by leaving the wire formerly used for combined railway and public purposes wholly available for public business. The quadruplex system has been in operation between Wellington and Auckland for some months, and, although the circuit is about 500 miles, has given every satisfaction. It is intended to introduce this system on some of the principal circuits where required during this year. Bridging bell telephones have been substituted for seven-series instruments on the GisbornePort Awanui line; this has enabled transmitting to be avoided. Cables. The No. 1 Oterangi Bay cable became interrupted on the 9th May, 1898. The cable-steamer " Tutanekai " left with a repairing staff on the 16th June, and repairs were completed on the 27th June. The break was about 2£ knots from Oterangi Bay. The cable has worked well since the repair, and the other two cables from this terminus have worked satisfactorily during the year. They all test well. The No. 4 Lyall Bay cable likewise has been working satisfactorily. Telephone Exchanges. The branching multiple switchboard at Wellington continues to give satisfaction. The number of subscribers is now 1,279. The total number of exchanges in the district is eight, and at all these the number of subscribers is on the increase. Two new exchanges, one at Feilding and one at Hawera, will be opened shortly. The total number of subscribers at all exchanges in the district is 2,277. Nelson. Construction. The following new lines have been erected : — Miles of Miles of Poles. Wire. Reef ton to Crushington ... ... ... ... ... 2f 2f Collingwood to Bainharn ... ... ... ... ... 8* Bijp Renwicktown to Kaituna... ... ... ... ... 3 3 Belgrove to Tophouse ... ... ... ... • 27 Total 14J 41} Maintenance. The section Westport to Inangahua Junction has been thoroughly overhauled, and poles brought down from high points to the road to facilitate repairs. All poles between Nelson and Inangahua Junction, and Nelson and Blenheim, have been examined, and renewed where necessary. Three No. 8 copper wires have been substituted for iron wires between Blenheim and White's Bay —the cable terminus. The total length renewed is 42 miles.

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XXIV

No. 8 copper wire is at present being substituted for an old iron wire between Blenheim and Kaikoura. The lines, generally, are in fair condition. On the Hokitika-Ross line a complete renewal of 130 poles may be necessary. Telephone Exchanges. The exchanges at Nelson, Greymouth, and Blenheim are in good order. At each place the number of subscribers is slightly in advance of last year, the total number for the district being 212. Chbistchuech. Construction. The following works have been completed :— Miles of Miles of Poles. Wire. Waikare-Hawarden ... ... ... ... ... 4* 4* Ashburton-Mayfield ... ... ... ... ... 4 22| For Railway Department— Waimate loop ... ... ... ... ... ... 0* 1 Total ... ... ... ... ... 9 28 Maintenance. The following lines have been overhauled: Amberley - Rangiora, Raugiora-Addington, Rangiora-Oxford, Hornsby-Southbridge, Christchurch-Akaroa (about 4 miles), ChristchurchSumner (about 3 miles), and Jackson's-Otira. On the last-named section large arms have been put up so as to give the wires greater spread than is usual. The section Waiau to Kaikoura is being strengthened by reducing the spans to about 3 chains and erecting extra double poles. During the current year the following works may require to be undertaken: Completion of overhaul of sections Christchurch-Akaroa, Akaroa-Akaroa Lighthouse, Christchurch-Sumner; removal of a large number of poles between Jackson's and Old John's; rebutting and renewal of arms on Darfield-White Cliffs Section; strengthening of the main line between Studholme and Waitaki; shortening of spans and general strengthening of the Christchurch- Lyttelton line. Morse sets on the closed-circuit system have been fitted on the following circuits: TimaruFairlie, six sets; Christchurch-Ashburton, one set; Ashburton-Timaru, one set. At Waiau and Jackson's, open-circuit sets have been fitted to facilitate testing. Between Rangiora and Oxford 17 miles, and between Southbridge and Ellesmere 10 miles of wire have been dismantled making a total of 27 miles for the district. Telephone Exchanges. A sub-exchange was opened at Rangiora during the year with eight subscribers. There are now four exchanges in the district—viz., Christchurch, Ashburton, Timaru, and Rangiora. The total number of subscribers last year was 1,017. This year there are 1,093, or an increase of 76. A multiple switchboard on the branching system will be erected at Christchurch during this year. Dunedin. Construction. The following extension-works were carried out during the year: — Miles of Miles of Poles. Wire. Dunedin to Burkes (railway-wire)... ... ... ... ... 4 Balclutha to Toiro and Warepa ... ... ... ... 6* 9 Eweburn to Ranfurly ... ... .. ... ... 1J 1* Colac to Round Hill ... ... ... ... ... 3 3 Drummond to Heddon Bush ... ... ... ... 6 6 Wairio to Annandale ...» ... .... ... ... 5 5 Merrivale to Eastern Bush and Clifden ... . . ... 12* 12J Invercargill to Otautau (trunk telephone-wire) ... 31 Wingatui semaphore and block wires ... . . ... ... 1J Total ... ... ... ... ... 34* 73* Maintenance. 376 miles of line have been carefully overhauled by repairing parties, some portions being reconstructed where necessary. There have been no faults or interruptions of any importance during the year. The total mileage of lines at the end of the year was 1,513 of line and 3,342 of wire in the telegraph branch, and 97 of line and 1,149 of wire in the telephone-exchange branch of the service. . ... Telephone Exchanges. A new sub-exchange was opened at Otautau, with 8 ordinary subscribers and 9 bureau connections, the whole being connected to the Invercargill Exchange as required by means of a copper wire 31 miles in length. There are now 14 ordinary and branch exchanges in the district, with 1,600 telephones in use in connection therewith. The net increase of subscribers during the year amounted to 95. A multiple switchboard on the branching system will be erected at Dunedin during this year

1

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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. Issued in the Colony.

Drawn on the Colony.

I—F. 1.

Wlv :re payable. ' Total. Year. Commission received. In the Colony. ""]'" No. Amount. No. J Kingdom and Australia and other British ■eign Offices. Possessions Amount. No. Amount. No. To «>l ta.1. Amount. 1880 1881 1882 1883 1:884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 i893 1894 1S95 1896 1897 1898 £ B- 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 11,433 13 8 12,671 6 7 13,835 15 4 m>747 9 6 £ s - d - 97>-75 320,260 19 11 27,587 99,523 321,635 3 3 25,376 108,916 360,196 4 9 25,898 132,232 402,558 12 11 26,211 144,227 430,446 18 10 28,712 146,406 439,870 3 9 28,722 113,598 412,276 3 o 27,389 119,091 426,194 13 9 26,057 122,042 432,056 6 2 26,636 127,323 458,469 7 7 26,206 130,641 472,967 4 7 25,053 138,555 504,834 16 9 26,590 140,672 540,763 15 o 27,451 146,133 576,358 17 2 29,616 '55,534 608,042 2 11 28,513 162,600 635,062 17 11 28,882 '181,505 717,217 19 1 29,238 193,867 762,592 10 3 31,770 206,265 798,725 15 8 35,377 : £ s. d. 104,149 5 10 90,229 5 3 9i,53o 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 r 9 JI 79,348 10 2 78,465 o 4 82,498 15 6 93,649 1 3 107,140 7 5 10,786 10,657 13.34 8 14."3 13.113 J3.494 I4. 6 93 I4>43i 13.7°9 i8,547 20.733 30,094 31.315 35.208 38,631 52,015 58,823 68,002 76,728 £ s- d. 40.994 15 4 40,317 19 2 47.641 7 5 46,939 17 11 45.317 " 4 45,604 15 2 47,574 9 11 45,285 6 11 42,451 4 4 51,909 6 10 54.543 3 7 69,674 o o 75,235 7 10 88,025 8 9 89,392 11 10 99,076 16 8 102,443 T ° "4,589 3 5 123,375 4 6 135.648 135,556 148,162 172,556 186,052 188,622 155,680 159,579 162,387 172,076 176,427 195.239 199.438 210,957 222,678 243.497 269,566 293.659 318,370 £ s- d. 465,405 I I 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 x lI 651,989 19 6 694,847 4 5 750,929 5 10 776,783 4 » 812,604 r 4 n 902,159 15 7 970,830 14 11 1,029,241 7 7

Where issued. In the Colony. United Kingdom and Foreign Offices. Australia and other British Possessions. Year. No. Amount. Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. No. No. Amount. I , \ 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 £ s - d. 97,275 320,260 19 11 99,523 321,635 3 3 108,916 360,196 4 9 132,232 402,558 12 11 144,227 I 430,446 18 10 146,406 439,870 3 9 113,598 412,276 3 o 119,091 426,194 13 9 122,042 432,056 6 2 127,323 458,469 7 7 130,641 472,967 4 7 138,555 504,834 16 9 140,672 540,763 15 o 146,133 576,358 17 2 I 55,534 608,042 2 11 162,600 635,062 17 11 181,505 717,217 19 1 193,867 762,592 10 3 206,265 798,725 15 8 £ 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 II 635,062 17 II 717,217 19 I 762,592 IO 3 798,725 15 8 3,4 66 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 io,67t £ s- d. 14,811 14 8 14,078 17 3 13,416 1 9 15,553 3 " 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 I 35,238 10 3 36,106 9 10 3.913 4,649 5.O76 5.697 6,755 7.725 9,545 8,963 15.365 15.859 '3.33I 13,604 II,2gi 10,679 10,690 11,520 ii>5°7 11,407 12,753 £ B. 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 44,558 10 10 104,654 107,638 "7,413 141,654 155,517 159,335 129,242 I33,9IO I44.45O 150,651 151.747 160,069 160,115 165,558 175,517 184,058 203,266 215,359 229,689 £ s. d. 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 l6 1 649,904 16 9 680,400 3 6 710,081 4 6 793,607 10 9 837,936 2 5 879,390 16 4

2

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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 1897 and 1898.

Drawn on New Zealand.

I isubd in New Zealand. Where payable. 1897. 1898. Number. Amount. Number. Amount. United Kingdom and Foreign Offices United States of America Canada Cape Colony Ceylon Fiji Germany Hawaii Hongkong India New South Wales Queensland South Australia Straits Settlements Tasmania Victoria Western Australia 28,244 3.043 224 100 53 481 2 244 252 ii,i73 750 767 13 43,158 10,898 39° £ •■ d. 84,593 11 3 7,529 3 6 943 19 ° 361 1 1 358 1 0 1,523 6 6 300 1,326 16 6 1,222 16 8 30,137 14 5 2,567 13 9 1,918 15 6 49 o 9 44,483 15 4 29,326 9 10 1,892 19 7 3,169 230 96 28 59 414 6 •288 250 I3.2 g 3 724 925 22 48,524 11,728 57 1 £ ■■ d. 98,373 3 9 7,520 3 5 877 5 11 333 2 5 68 18 1 211 ig 2 1,235 16 2 11 4 1 1,622 1 8 1,119 8 6 35,839 7 2 2,132 13 8 2,159 17 11 47 1 I 46,712 8 4 29,782 16 2 2,468 4 5 Totals 99,792 208,238 4 8 112,105 230,515 11 it

1895. 1898. Where issued. Number. Number. Amount. Amount. United Kingdom and Foreign Offices United States of America .. Canada Cape Colony Ceylon .. Fiji Germany Hawaii Hongkong India New South Wales Queensland South Australia Straits Settlements Tasmania Victoria Western Australia 9,198 772 143 292 14 £ s - d - 31,431 18 2 3,025 18 11 638 16 11 1,441 3 6 38 3 9 9,500 1,065 177 384 26 116 86 20 5° 123 4.693 7 8l 504 3° 1,150 3.105 1,614 £ s - d - 31,929 2 6 3,662 2 6 715 7 1 2,099 '9 1 65 1 3 232 15 1 4 8 3 5 3 31 19 7 84 o 5 482 8 1 H,349 7 ° 2,838 15 7 1,806 9 10 79 1 o 4,847 o 6 9,566 12 1 7,391 13 10 109 6 15 127 4. O 38 652 532 9 983 2,895 1,707 769 5 4 11 7 10 39 12 11 487 I 7 12,024 ° 8 2,8*13 14 11 1,755 1 6 27 10 6 3.655 17 8 8,808 3 2 8,375 14 10 Totals 80,665 o 8 21,492 75,343 12 2 23,424

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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, 1899.

Year. At Is. At Is. 6d. At 2s. Gd. At 7s. 6d. Number of Postal Notes sold. At 10s. I At 12s. 6d. At 15s. At 17s. 6d. At £1. At £5.» Number. Total. At 5s. Value. Quarter ended 31st March, 1886 1886-87 .. 1887-88 .. 3,019 16,605 22,467 2,046 1,012 2,039 969 2,379 11,566 5,729 13,103 15,553 7,671 17,487 19,741 9,477 21,149 23,550 ! 10,894 I 24,011 25,204 12,229 25,906 29,550 14,019 ! 30,132 33,012 16,072 ' 32,747 37,771 18,096 i 37,687 695 | 992 4,090 5,187 525 2,375 ! 2,866 14,961 17,578 16,542 92.546 122,255 £ a. d. 6,997 5 6 37,659 7 0 12,283 6,647 17,167 9,162 5,278 6,940 2,952 ; 47,729 5 0 1888-89 .. .. ! 27,428 21.900 11.912 6,618 8,243 3,633 19,778 22,596 23,503 149,879 175,023 189,915 56,841 18 0 1889-90 .. .. ! 32,754 25,387 14,478 7,809 9,386 4,158 65,484 2 0 ! 1890-91 .. 35,915 28,559 16,092 7,969 10,172 4,366 69,721 18 6 I 1891-92 .. 42,416 33,722 19,383 9,058 11,611 4,953 j 25,839 220,683 79,325 16 6 1892-93 .. 48,612 38,849 22,038 9,904 12,330 5,369 28,969 33,935 36,601 33,390 32,868 1,192 1,090 247,902 285,389 319,368 349,627 376,796 87,856 18 0 1893-94 .. .. . 56,761 44,706 25,461 11,016 13,800 6,156 101,002 7 6 1894-95 .. .. .. .. . 62,306 49,846 28,975 I 43,829 20,423 43,167 j 11,864 15,567 6,790 \ 112,307 10 0 1895-96 .. .. ; 68,454 56,185 32,801 ! 49,204 ; 22,802 47,787 54,219 j 24,871 51,963 13,601 17,191 7,020 123,368 6 6 1896-97 .. .. | 74,534 62,056 j 35,322 14,365 18,102 7,406 129,011 18 0 1897-98 .'. 81,958 69,981 38,617 | 60,843 ; 26,968 j 55,748 15,463 19,477 7,904 32,179 728 409,866 | 134,378 9 6 72,710 ! 41,991 16,202 19,990 8,193 32,696 ; 673 431,449 139,957 4 0 1898-99 .. .. | 86,529 I 64,386 28,448 59,631 - 659,758 470,467 218,668 462,897 133.932 168,988 357,759 3,683 3,387,240 535,397 303,891 71,800 1,191,642 6 I * First issued on 17th June, 1895.

F.—l

4

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 1898.

Money Orders. Saving! Banks. Office. Issued. Paid. 'f> . Deposits. "5 •a Withdrawals. No. Commission. Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. S o No. Amount. Auckland Aoroa Aratapu Avondale Bombay Cabbage Bay .. Cambridge Clevedon Coromandel Dargaville Devonport Drury Ellerslie Hamilton Helensville Hikurangi Huntly Kaeo Kaihu Kaikohe Kaitaia Kaiwaka Kamo Kaukapakapa .. Kawakawa Kihikihi Kohukohu Kuaotunu Mangapai Mangawai Mangawhare .. Mangonui Matakana Matakohe Matamata Maungaturoto .. Mercer Mititai Morrinsville Mount Eden .. Mount Roskill.. Newmarket Newton Ngaruawahia .. Ohaeawai Ohaupo Okaihau Okupu Omapere Onehunga Opitonui Otahuhu Otorohanga Pahi .. Papakura Paparoa Parnell Parua Bay Pirongia Pokeno Ponsonby Poroti Port Albert .. Puhoi .. I Pukekohe .. ' Raglan Rangiriri Rawene Rotorua Russell Taheke Tairua Taupo Tβ Awamutu .. Te Kopuru Te Kuiti Te Mata Tirau Tokatea Tokatoka Tuakau Up'r SymondsSt. Wade Waerenga Waihon Waipu Waiuku Waiwera 21,711 22 1,000 42 168 205 785 169 2,633 1,345 457 J 74 10 1,166 / s. d. 1,199 11 3 0 13 6 4° 14 3 1 12 o 4 16 3 5 17 6 3° 9 9 5 3O 123 12 3 143 15 9 18 2 9 5 15 6 079 43 10 3 14 10 o 15 14 3 28 11 9 15 15 o 33 6 3 35 o 9 42 17 6 28 19 6 12 10 3 6 8 6 46 13 6 5 10 9 12 18 o 27 11 3 11 1 6 152 10 9 10 17 6 in 3 1 6 12 3 903 440 5 4 ° 8 18 9 6 14 o 706 329 °53 21 9 3 55 14 6 14 7 9 18 8 6 580 3 14 6 4 17 6 21 12 6 36 3 3 16 12 O 10 6 6 21 14 9 8 5 9 8 9 3 7 15 6 12 8 3 7 1 9 629 266 £ s. d. 71,865 10 10 50 11 1 2,989 12 9 90 18 7 399 15 6 555 5 3 2,560 10 1 37° 3 5 7,093 6 7 6,844 3 2 1 1090 3 o 522 18 3 27 2 10 3,220 4 7 1,137 6 o 1,398 18 6 2,167 9H 1,006 13 11 2,755 14 2 1,431 9 2 2,450 19 10 1,242 1 4 802 4 9 576 19 o 2,528 11 6 474 10 6 935 15 5 2,188 14 6 1,306 13 I 0,415 14 3 684 2 6 5,268 16 3 400 19 2 609 3 4 361 18 o 411 o 10 721 19 10 605 5 10 503 3 4 163 o 3 6 15 o 1,222 5 8 2,726 11 3 1,227 18 11 1,073 16 2 451 1 o 248 18 3 480 5 8 i,574 17 6 2,056 6 5 i>137 8 7 57O 12 7 1,188 6 4 511 13 4 561 2 4 572 10 3 590 8 o 593 *5 8 637 7 1 236 3 7 739 1 o 3,064 o 9 620 10 11 21 o 4 1,164 12 7 601 1 11 262 3 10 420 10 o 6,954 9 4 864 o o 76 1 6 3,804 o 2 1,202 4 10 1,047 8 0 2,818 3 3 1,616 15 8 115 2 2 402 18 9 863 9 4 17,487 6 9 772 1 10 954 1 7 368 9 o 49 18 9 415 2 6 1,843 13 o 1,611 16 1 487 10 2 38,222 2 : 3° 147 112 26 588 79 778 1,043 616 147 2 763 152 160 232 75 65 28 65 9 96 49 277 87 64 £ s. d134,063 16 6 700 47 1 6 5 536 18 8 581 10 11 62 3 1 2 ,300 6 o 278 17 11 2,859 o 5 17,242 17 9 1,777 11 2 910 10 2 o 17 6 2,696 3 6 503 7 5 759 14 2 984 17 2 302 17 o 419 19 7 114 5 6 364 2 3 29 13 o 445 12 7 230 1 2 1,024 8 9 382 8 3 285 12 1 618 10 7 243 6 8 596 3 6 198 4 5 608 19 5 218 14 5 221 6 9 331 5 5 273 12 3 502 4 6 121 2 5 306 o 1 385 3 5 400 931 5 io 3,776 5 8 i,I37 17 o 580 15 5 375 10 2 435 9 o 312 6 7 327 1 1 2,956 18 o 87 13 3 1,358 18 10 608 14 4 246 10 1 821 18 1 216 3 4 1,762 1 2 317 8 8 280 18 1 213 i6 1 3,354 l8 7 103 16 4 324 17 11 170 988 19 11 427 13 10 215 o 8 531 '4 4 2,823 2 4 453 13 0 32 3 4 874 3 o 488 19 5 792 1 4 959 9 3 296 4 8 142 9 o 265 15 4 135 15 9 171 14 2 566 5 1 602 6 o +33 13 7 3° H 9 323 9 1 674 5 6 S86 12 o 145 3 5 2,541 8 86 5 13 15 79 12 I78 126 73 7 17,466 16 729 Il8 105 53 646 96 1,727 559 676 62 3 916 250 227 3°9 163 3°5 187 124 78 246 148 285 114 66 £ •• d. 307,980 1 3 102 11 o 4,415 13 1 504 16 o 818 15 o 245 6 o 9,501 6 6 257 6 o 12,613 i° 11 7,552 15 2 3,040 18 9 422 12 8 I 11 0 2,867 3° 9 •• 21,162 9 147 13 62 7 334 3° 559 199 210 34 £ s. d. 369,068 17 3 52 1 o 1,655 3 7 192 2 4 898 17 3 65 19 o 7,458 16 5 130 19 10 5,752 18 9 3,786 11 o I >983 5 7 290 12 o 40 4 95 42 16 3 424 460 780 343 661 290 533 192 375 186 616 146 201 657 348 975 253 972 126 186 103 34 3° 58 23 58 34 16 18 8,840 13 4 1,894 211 2,492 12 o 2,823 12 9 1,150 15 3 1,932 16 8 2,387 1 o 1,992 16 5 1,126 15 o 1,634 J 5 o 1,081 5 o 4,223 9 11 844 16 5 637 1 4 1,793 16 1 461 4 o 5.729 2 0 830 5 o 3,748 5 6 1,299 15 7 i,i53 1 3 636 8 o 1,492 11 o 1,873 17 o 570 17 o 1,040 9 o 81 o o 120 914 7 8 7,376 2 8 1,865 4 8 903 11 4 1,103 1 3 706 3 o 386 15 8 314 14 5 2,913 10 o 1,286 1 11 1,462 9 o 2,270 9 4 413 11 o 993 1 8 1,259 10 o 1,780 2 8 506 5 o 411 4 o 504 2 o 722 14 3 1,399 6 o 1,216 8 o 1300 3,050 7 3 804 5 10 129 19 o 707 14 8 4,481 13 5 866 4 10 30 o o 5,O95' 3 11 878 7 5 3.730 4 7 2,691 8 o 402 19 11 439 9 o 521 7 3 786 19 o 732 3 o 1,066 11 1 783 9 o 826 4 6 ro7 2 o 454 J 9 9 2,022 8 11 1,989 7 o 712 13 o 48 19 M 35 13 17 10 379 146 108 6,150 10 5 1,173 18 11 1,678 o 8 2,560 4 10 625 18 2 1,051 19 1 396 5 10 867 10 7 168 19 o 1,468 18 11 640 6 1 1,146 19 5 686 1 6 1,084 7 4 894 6 o 592 6 o 804 211 509 1 2 779 7 7 926 19 3 391 1 2 205 18 10 373 13 1 917 14 4 309 6 9 902 4 7 3 10 2 o 11 o 122 7 9 2,565 5 o i>344 2 9 347 17 7 922 14 11 112 13 9 10 o o 295 17 7 1,798 1 1 208 6 5 920 17 8 900 12 3 208 2 8 854 7 4 487 6 9 529 14 7 251 o 2 515 14 9 1,912 14 5 3°6 7 4 409 15 9 763 3 1 25 o o 2,186 9 5 652 16 5 81 8 4 568 11 1 4,210 19 11 414 16 3 5 o 3 1,047 18 1 297 4 11 2,320 4 g J.747 7 7 540 2 1 586 4 7 78 1.i 6 350 14 10 276 13 2 539 o 2 94 13 2 260 1 8 37 '" o 128 o o 774 !5 2 1,059 14 q ! 185 o 7 179 67 102 37 61 11 5 23 12 37 21 12 3 10 9 6 9 1 8 5 12 119 54 109 67 39 124 28 46 27 58 44 34 3° 23 35 3° 38 2 114 55 84 61 140 53 49 50 92 118 27 92 130 1 296 1,182 317 100 9i 60 10 36 4 48 24 43 10 234 31 363 130 212 70 102 131 134 298 217 167 74 5 613 1,279 441 3" 158 96 158 259 75<5 305 292 437 214 243 212 3" 208 187 78 377 416 220 10 415 186 128 23 10 4 *9 9 18 95 55 93 45 141 25 5 238 1,248 284 114 i°5 68 2 4 5 4 3 3 8 I 36 118 43 12 15 11 8 10 43 3° 4 7 1 I 27 202 122 30 54 852 14 399 124 53 173 57 510 56 77 43 i>037 r 7 72 2 37 58 3l4 142 274 133 70 140 84 657 47 59 59 259 84 r 43 1 259 88 37 64 491 134 10 441 81 34 36 14 3 3i [08 12 37 26 3i 16 3 16 2 16 14 4 8 23 104 73 40 62 37 102 28 68 36 52 15 59 1 13 23 13 46 5 11 2 23 3 11 3 11 12 13 3 74 12 0 996 066 15 11 6 7 16 3 3 16 3 529 79 8 3 9 5 11 o 14 9 70 o o 13 17 6 13 19 9 35 14 3 15 5 6 1176 4 14 9 11 4 o 95 9 6 8 4 3 ■ 17 19 6 6 16 o o 13 6 3 15 6 23 8 6 20 8 9 4 15 9 241 108 68 139 583 104 5 109 88 T 3 18 11 1 39 12 8 16 95 19 5 81 i6 4 3 21 12 5 7 47 1 I 11 152 46 19 41 287 42 1 72 28 95 108 r 34 i>733 274 16 877 289 338 842 470 46 !47 281 1,091 235 4°9 201 1 9 125 596 539 126 212 134 69 18 49 35 35 103 156 57 7 36 i°5 221 44 45 19 c 7 26 18 4 J 3 400 60 19 102 158 66 86 18 25 10 1 1 43 21 12 45 !7 59 33 30 5 d 108! I I3i 3 6 24 9 25 12 11 2 5 51 8 141 129 42 16 138 289 37 9 6 4 1 7 21 34 31

5

V.— 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 1898 — continued.

Money Orders. Saving! Banks. Ollice. Issued. No. Commission. : Amount. Paid. u a. < ° Deposits. No. Amount. » . Withdrawals. u o I No. Amount. No. Amount. Auckland— cont'd. Waotu Warkworth Wellsford Whananaki Whangarei Whangaroa Wharekawa Whitianga Blenheim Cullensville Havelock Kekerangu Picton Renwicktown .. Spring Creek .. Chbistchukch .. Akaroa ' Amberley Ashburton Bealey Belfast Chertsey Cheviot Coalgate Culverden Darfield Dunsandel Duvauchelle .. East Oxford .. Ellesmere Glentunnel Greendale 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 Whiteclifls Woodend Woolston DUNEDIN Alexandra South Allanton Balclutha Caversham Clinton Clyde Cromwell Dunback Dunedin North Green Island .. Hamilton Heriot Hyde Kaitangata Kelso Lawrence Lovell's Flat .. Macrae's Flat .. Middlemarch .. Miller's Flat .. Milton 51 400 80 6 i,955 195 1 £ s. d. 260 13 16 o 3 8 o ! 076 79 6 6 10 15 o 006 64 14 3 131 7 9 4 J 7 3 29 14 6 826 32 17 9 5 10 9 11 19 9 862 3 6 21 13 3 11 8 3 100 14 o 1 19 o 5 7° 3 3 9 21 19 3 3 4 6 10 o 6 3 n 3 3 8 3 7 5 6 1 8 3 1 1 o £ s. d. 139 13 9 1,098 1 1 190 1 11 19 ° 9 5,994 16 6 667 14 n t 12 o 4,373 19 6 9,076 10 1 329 1 4 2,621 5 6 461 10 4 2,649 14 3 467 18 10 824 14 5 53,299 14 3 1,688 5 5 918 6 o 3,925 13 9 105 5 9 371 3 6 354 I 6 8 6.962 16 5 232 8 10 1,170 7 1 292 4 8 291 18 o 538 o 2 100 1 9 50 o 2 128 17 3 105 1 4 612 8 11 247 IS 5 407 4 8 437 2 IO 1,481 13 10 5,288 17 6 352 13 6 1,381 9 2 440 3 8 269 10 11 1,428 3 I 7,105 o 9 1,318 14 11 414 15 3 r 37 4 x 1,565 13 8 155 o 10 257 3 9 1,323 19 8 3,033 2 10 103 12 5 14-2 17 6 120 3 2 563 o 6 654 1 11 3,825 "3 5 173 10 5 2,513 18 8 216 6 10 190 3 5 773 5 1 93° 11 3 283 2 6 20 8 4 344 19 9 42,577 13 8 4,512 19 8 219 9 3 2.963 7 o 703 15 10 i,937 13 J 1,138 10 4 2,440 16 3 630 13 9 3,642 10 7 354 12 4 929 19 6 605 2 4 1,247 15 6 1 ,931 611 840 10 3 2,789 6 7 208 19 10 1,235 19 5 i>758 5 5 1,264 4 10 2,977 19 °i 26 216 33 £ s. d. 126 14 6 957 3 10 198 18 9 11 £ *■ d. 85 10 o 2,815 14 5 605 o o 50 15 o 14,881 10 3 1,435 11 o 4 98 18 1 539 45 £ s- d. 36 o o 1,307 14 II 306 o 8 360 9,512 18 8 920 17 7 ■(507 94 4 1 12 5 214 13 257 84 7 1,185 112 11 1 "82 2,143 16 7 341 13 8 3 i,43i 2,804 152 813 198 980 137 257 17,392 481 327 2,657 40 177 108 684 77 237 89 93 197 40 32 58 39 208 "x 7 6 1,520 26 219 4 400 34 44 23,091 236 188 1,068 24 47 23 286 22 64 4 1 29 58 7 5 29 X 4 38 21 28 882 o o 5,213 17 7 128 8 1 905 10 6 14 2 9 1,642 15 10 in 14 4 182 7 9 90,202 17 1 797 12 i 580 11 8 3,9" 9 3 85 18 2 156 16 2 76 18 10 1.599 14 9 55 18 5 184 1 4 217 1 11 106 14 3 199 16 10 23 11 6 30 7 9 85 10 o 35 16 7 159 2 6 58 10 4 77 3 o 113 1 n 910 17 5 692 O 2 145 3 6 1,080 5 2 691 8 7 713 16 5 509 1 5 • 3,332 19 8 194 '9 3 127 19 II 238 17 II 1,053 17 4 274 14 7 112 II 10 516 18 II 2,101 15 7 85 o 3 304 6 10 307 1 o 484 10 1 773 6 10 .,600 17 2 160 11 9 2,278 12 4 136 18 10 152 16 10 283 13 10 45O 9 1 61 9 7 5 8 o 474 7 6 106,274 6 8 815 18 8 95 14 9 1,739 5 2 1,037 15 5 455 19 i° 599 2 1 1,164 =8 1 82 9 2 2,497 14 7 443 10 2 37 16 10 156 9 11 279 5 6 813 11 2 187 18 2 2,n6 14 4 29 2 6 327 18 6 306 3 ■ 5 184 2 8 1,895 II 10 46 427 6 40 6 73 21 I 7 4,261 54 44 220 4 17 10 36 5 12 12 7 9 6 4 6 3 3,oi7 27 245 63 491 127 101 40,985 336 297 1,912 39 78 50 334 3i 107 58 55 68 4,485 5 9 40,054 14 2 40 18 o 2,054 12 1 455 16 11 4,668 4 4 540 17 o 597 12 o 553,929 8 2 3,55i 1 9 4,215 3 4 18,672 7 6 475 o o 502 5 o 593 14 10 4,448 9 10 363 17 10 981 14 o 663 13 o 438 19 o 825 16 o 218 19 o 275 9 6 395 11 11 42 6 6 982 16 o 181 2 2 452 9 5 452 14 2 9,883 2 4 5,693 16 11 647 16 11 3,065 16 2 1,056 3 0 512 17 o 2,183 ° ° 18,127 4 4 1,619 5 11 1,126 9 o 483 9 o 4,415 11 1 806 1 o 1,165 14 o 2,563 9 1 22,911 7 10 230 5 o 104 o o 384 2 O 2,207 n ° 2,6l6 3 I 1,295 12 3 1,178 7 1 6,567 9 7 629 9 o 156 7 o 2,340 18 3 2,256 17 6 288 3 o 26 5 0 1,428 12 o 351,739 17 10 1,883 l8 3 522 3 8 8,005 16 1 1,943 8 2 1,796 io 2 890 2 9 2,109 4 ' 238 13 5 2i,700 7 8 1,509 1 7 [83 8 o 470 2 8 228 6 3 2,160 13 6 371 15 2 8,295 J 5 JI 52 10 o 331 H o 1,263 J 5 ° 800 11 o 19 325 3 15 25 2 3 3,4°2 29 9 144 3 1 134 2,335 J 7 III 216 20 l8 34,7 6 9 I2O 122 I,OII 5 26 22 171 '9 32 21 J. , 586 5 2 39,158 15 o 102 6 3 1,124 6 4 107 15 4 3,471 8 11 95 15 7 93 12 6 573,746 19 10 2 ,309 9 o 2,304 11 1 17,943 17 3 433 o o 192 8 4 246 6 8 2,801 15 2 400 10 2 808 13 o 286 17 7 421 3 8 351 o o 815 16 o 46 15 o 121 8 o 249 10 o 233 19 3 68 1 5 142 5 o 663 6 5 6,918 8 10 3,995 7 4 286 18 6 I,93O 15 3 188 18 11 45 14 6 2,005 o 11 11,285 7 9 1,346 18 2 451 5 o 594 4 4 3,938 19 10 130 15 9 388 18 1 1,406 15 11 14,909 1 1 52 10 9 770 359 10 6 1,350 1 10 4,114 7 9 444 18 7 374 3 o 2,080 13 1 433 7 9 43 6 o 536 3 2 1,851 15 2 462 18 2 49 10 7 827 18 4 377, 8 37 9 5 1,656 12 7 215 16 1 4,934 9 5 144 12 8 I 1,122 10 3 786 15 1 1,772 19 6 163 7 II 7,169 16 5 701 16 2 33 9 8 229 14 o 226 5 1 1,277 6 5 705 18 1 5,705 12 6 57 15 5 192 8 5 35O 1 7 541 7 1 6,299 o 3 9 7 4 4 4 6 •'-9 37 82 16 103 36 Hi 80 I ,021 379 58 534 159 192 178 2,278 144 105 235 366 129 81 235 i,4°7 25 62 63 116 262 i54 75 1,812 74 48 176 151 64 4 147 27,677 256 48 637 766 188 108 170 44 4,269 227 30 44 37 314 48 721 14 26 63 79 6491 I 24 33 19 16 12 2 13 9 1 5 9 7 7 3 2 18 6 5 18 o 7 15 6 23 2 9 55 9 9 3 11 6 12 17 3 7 14 o 4 19 o 17 13 9 115 9 9 11 15 6 586 2 18 3 16 16 II 3 11 9 3 12 0 14 9 6 42 7 3 190 289 209 6 15 9 8 13 o 32 8 6 286 40 6 3 3 11 9 3 14 o 11 5 o 920 3 9 6 076 6 12 o 683 13 o| 54 8 6 2 15 3 38 17 6 9 l6 9 23 10 o; 13 4 3 31 12 9 463 73 i° 9 5 10 3 5 17 6 806 12 II 9 22 16 9 9 4 3 36 7 o 2 14 O II 10 6 14 9 3 15 1 o 37 16 6| 9 11 "18 8 12 7 121 83 13 46 8 21 18 2 4 18 103 142 152 530 1,408 87 387 148 128 445 2,357 380 150 79 543 89 92 474 1,100 42 72 52 170 259 1,054 65 875 78 9i 303 253 101 12 183 15,004 1,304 93 1,132 246 704 341 832 166 35 3°3 185 4 1 391 171 204 101 940 53 3 1 72 277 83 136 624 23 96 5° 115 196 129 53 739 46 3° 78 91 12 2 87 27,544 242 28 476 365 99 171 258 26 692 r 43 10 43 78 225 42 570 13 27 64 5o I 497 237 21 J 7 19 59 11 r 9 32 188 2 9 18 29 20 II 174 12 8 21 22 4 6 57 33 5 4 8 3 9 120 9 3 3 24 4 1 16 93 2 2 3 7 19 6 J 3 r 3 29 402 138 23 111 36 13 76 830 61 23 98 141 25 11 125 C34 5 9 25 67 132 28 27 275! 51 7 67 69 43 9 80 40 9 4 1 23 2,979 57 12 87 57 28 ' 2 4 36 9 389 31 5 12 7 5i J 3 in 5 5 5 1 15 2,479 23 3 35 4 10 7 20 24,031 X 34 18 220 38 72 38j 79 22I 941 50 5 15 18 i>773 136 216 256 386 662 152 17 2 6 1 271 1,094 75 372 523 454 1,079 2 8 19 20 113 32 8 48 2 I 5 109 27 263 7 30 30 36 252I 8,570 3 10 50

p.—l

6

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 1898— continued.

Office. Issnei 1. Money Orders. Paid. No. Amount. i 1 = < ° De No. J Deposits. eposits. Amount. Savings Banks. 2 . - 0 < Withdrawals. No. Commission. 1 Amount. No. Amount. Dunedin— cont'd. Mosgiel Naseby Nenthorn Ophir Outram Owaka Palmerston South Patearoa Pembroke Port Chalmers Puerua Roxburgh St. Bathan's .. Seacliff South Punedin Stirling Tapanui Waihola Waikaia Waikoikoi Waikouaiti Waipori Waitahuna Waitati Gisborne Tolaga Bay Waipiro Bay .. Greymouth Ahaura Blackball" Brunnerton Jackson's "Nelson Cr Ngabere Reefton Stillwater Totara Flat HOKITIKA Goldsborough • • Kumara Rimu Ross Stafford 351 i,379 37 770 279 815 710 304 234 i,4°7 123 718 409 191 55O 299 706 141 558 52 402 231 308 96 3,172 155 2.37 3,350] 378 387 601 £ s - d - 12 19 9 39 I? 6 120 25 7 6 9 15 3 20 2 3 23 6 6 9 11 o 880 63 13 o 3 7 3 24 4 6 13 19 o 5 19 9 20 5 9 10 0 3 23 5 3 4 10 9 23 3 o 1 15 0 11 17 6 8 16 9 8 19 9 3 3 3 170 8 6 849 M 2 3 169 4 9 13 1 9 12 18 6 25 19 3 40 15 9 780 3 14 3 92 7 9 3 18 3 5 10 3 7i 5 ° 4 13 6 37 3 6 3 13 6 14 12 o 9 4 3 196 17 3 26 16 6 3 6 6 35 19 ° 6 17 6 5 M 6 250 9 17 g 77 1 3 2 18 6 5 12 o 12 12 9 26 11 3 6 11 8 19 6 oj 10 6 6 4 18 it 34 16 3 14 2 6 21 03 4 14 o 6 14 10 3 17 3 6 10 6 24 12 6 6 13 3 15 17 o 299 9 6 1 12 9 90 o 3 107 1 6 11 17 6 : 3 15 ° 4 17 o 7 10 o 8.5 9 683 J 5 9 9 693 12 9 o 25 16 9 36 7 3 16 16 3 9 3° 8 13 3 £ s - d - 725 7 3 5,790 18 6 105 3 7 2,640 13 7 739 16 9 2,453 8 ! 2,208 8 4 950 8 1 687 8 4 3,852 13 o 345 2 4 2,748 1 10 1,282 16 5 529 13 6 923 1 7 772 6 5 2,069 2 11 353 12 o 2,154 19 o 133 15 5 1,277 o 9 727 12 10 816 6 o 270 6 II 9,824 4 8 459 16 3 651 3 I 10,020 19 5 974 16 1 1,064 ° 6 1,744 17 2 4,210 10 o 674 5 7 276 9 1 5,990 7 8 216 3 1 384 to 3 4,605 6 4 248 4 9 2,293 16 7 170 3 o 932 5 o 68O 12 2 13,253 I2 6 2,076 7 1 190 5 9 2,388 17 10 579 9 10 427 9 7 146 16 9 929 3 11 6,505 8 7 263 o 7 435 14 6 977 15 5 2,263 14 4 665 17 3 i>774 7 11 808 18 11 369 15 11 2,856 15 5 1,231 9 9 1,797 19 11 345 15 11 618 10 10 3°4 7 5 487 1 1 1,808 16 4 476 16 3 1,368 9 11 19,620 11 11 98 14 8 5,817 6 10 6,132 6 6 584 5 3 1,030 o 6 524 14 3 567 7 2 715 2 4 326 10 7 1,500 18 11 540 18 3 1,365 5 8 1,422 4 11 1,944 2 2 1,268 15 2 575 12 3 585 3 6 301 363 5 109 89 205 440 32 51 797 62 1741 68| £ s. d 1,092 11 6 1,403 4 11 87 17 6 456 10 9 362 6 3 891 11 3 1,828 9 2 87 6 11 243 1 o 2,811 11 5 223 1 8 662 10 5 243 4 11 494 12 11 1,225 10 7 241 4 1 629 5 11 163 5 2 469 15 3 35 18 7 789 14 11 167 17 8 737 3 4 481 9 7 4,378 16 5 173 19 2 259 8 1 9,559 15 6 295 4 2 120 11 1 967 10 4 113 15 9 20 o o 80 1 o 2,611 i o 94 10 3 146 8 2 40 39 281 £ s. d. 3,314 M 2 2,332 IO IO 5 1 0 678 13 4 825 19 8 1,156 19 o 3,513 14 1 14 93 74 £ s. d. 1,93° 5 O 1,162 7 3 20 18 327 15 67 124 106 384 8 7 15 26 28 34 III 863 15 10 463 14 3 1,363 7 7 2,568 8 10 13 53 177 15 196 9 40 11 "63 1,691 48 226 60 474 ° 0 11,489 18 6 565 o 0 2,642 7 9 4 2 4 5 o 967 19 o 4,172 1 1 949 14 i' 3,935 6 0 886 13 2 900 5 o 3 99 4 25 3 1 38 10 '7 539 14 96 23 16 197 33 68 223 18 1 6,146 6 10 225 10 3 1,924 9 9 256 9 9 200 12 2 1,248 11 10 702 2 2 1,731 1 6 363 5 4 912 17 1 in 474 72 J70 30 80 10 127 16 53 16 114 1.137 90 321 78 187 17 3 21 32 29 65 10 227 31 124 ro6 1,069 49 44 2,5 6 3 68 38 306 34 22 133 862 1 2 15 76 1,460 15 2 Invercapgili. Arrowtown Balfour Bluff Dipton Edendale Fairfax Fortrose Gore Half-moon Bay Kingston Tjiimsden Mataura Nightcaps Orepuki Otautau Pukerau Queenstown .. | Riversdale . • j Riverton . ■ | Thornbury . • j Waikaka ' Waipahi Wairio Winton Woodlands Wyndham Napier Blackburn Dannevirke Hastings Herbertville .. Kaikora North Kumeroa .. t Makaretu .. j Makotuku Mohaka Norsewood Ongaonga Ormondville .. Porangahau Spit Takapau Taradale Te Aute ■973 246 103 1,879 98 171 1,560 99 939 104 380 255 4,376 718 86 943 204 163 52 289 1,935 86 182 4 17 748 29 39 1,124 31 453 18 237 34 4,863 160 20 3681 37 51 4 1 ! 57 807 i IIO' 166I 4,443 1 7 176 8 4 1,912 12 8 92 12 6 901 o 0 99 16 3 16,724 11 8 827 11 5 97 13 9 i>457 7 I0 104 8 2 157 19 * 103 12 3 266 2 o 2,644 7 3 216 12 3 41 1 o 407 5 6 550 4 6 95 10 11 195 o 2 517 6 10 105 7 10 1,206 17 11 219 3 4 1,247 18 0 42 10 10 88 13 6 136 11 3 94 1 10 865 10 o 240 o 2 553 10 10 i7>053 15 5 o 19 6 2,588 o 6 4>324 18 9 171 11 1 257 7 o 70 9 4 168 15 2 228 3 1 192 13 o 385 4 10 76 16 8 431 5 2 286 17 9 1,626 16 6 201 15 8 462 11 10 200 10 5 18 13 644 13 39 393 11 23 54 39 3 7 J 34 10 Ti no 1 63 14 29 7 747 59 13 74 21 6 73 62 3.993 69 190 2,485 59 108 367 157 33 48 710 27 38 744 31 437 119 184 72 5,138 260 59 462 77 68 25 41 936 41 23 126 284 5° 209 "3 99 324 98 487 fio 1,028 11 6 457 14 o 45,395 10 1 652 8 o 1,685 4 0 33,353 1 3 432 o o 7 8 o 4 5 3, O 36 8 5 988 2 6 306 13 o 107 11 o 8,644 17 5 275 16 o 390 I 4 12,186 13 5 422 2 o 3,839 19 8 1,304 13 o 2,262 6 1 445 9 o 70,656 19 5 2,570 6 1 561 14 o 3,842 12 10 600 3 5 345 17 o 97 4 8 275 12 10 10,834 ° H 202 15 O 177 10 10 1,271 3 o 2,846 6 o 305 15 o 1,719 2 3 663 18 6 774 16 7 3,068 11 8 748 o o 3,938 19 2 309 7 5 101 19 o 2O6 12 O 526 8 o 3,2O2 12 3 1,031 19 o 1,652 17 IO 85,487 16 7 5 6 480 5 14 346 4 7; 17 9 4 86 4 136 2 39 7 10 677 M 4 30 11 6 35 26 3,092 14 64 2,306 21 37 167 35 11 *3 309 '7 17 756 14 219 55 60 34 4, I °5 65 19 176 34 17 10 1,349 3 10 243 3 4 39,488 16 1 85 19 7 607 5 o 38,762 15 8 241 6 1 487 6 9 1,67 1 2 o 272 3 10 67 o o 80 8 8 4,924 10 4 142 15 o 302 8 4 16,084 8' o 302 11 3 3,422 15 5 400 8 5 995 13 7 332 11 8 76,042 11 5 803 13 7 219 13 o 2,354 15 8 369 15 4 293 10 7 147 8 o 107 15 2 9,5 8 ° 3 1 84 13 8 125 5 9 707 14 6 2,708 16 10 102 o 6 1,581 1 3 773 8 9 977 !5 1 i,49o 9 3 484 16 4 3,010 7 8 415 8 9 57 4 5 94 J 9 2 394 *9 5 2,278 4 o 262 13 1 2,260 19 8 95,246 8 9 327 810 167 583 328 123 904 385 607 M5 214 132 '74 679 161 441 6,005 56 2,259 2,169 200 370 156 223 263 MS 470 192 430 410 673 448 232 194 24 46 152 38 299 66 12 164 6 6 28 48 18 25 21 10 5O 15 67 8 3 2 19 54 15 41 923 6 99 7 2 16 29 7 18 10 23 16 21 414 16 6 3C 144 9 75 58 5° 100 47 171 24 10 10 21 83 26 102 5,3&8 357 13 16 47 20 226 15 20 46 232 71 190 6,940 32 7 1 1 8 26 6 35 919 72 164 4,97i 1 774 j 1,301 32 67 19 30 73 49 99 25 122 59 448 57 107 67 201 294 8 16 6 15 15 15 19 I2| I5l 22 63 22 26 865 1,902 74 112 l6 45 93 5° 104 122 S3 61 644 104 160 25 8,726 i o 17,561 15 9 440 18 o 1,649 H ° 81 13 o 311 18 o 697 4 o 418 9 1 1,409 13 10 935 18 0 728 5 o 692 o 2 3,066 18 11 1,747 3 4 581 11 o 515 4 7 ' 87 158 5 6 2 8 11 4 11 ■481 951 13 47 !7 32 40 14 78 5° 56 42 107 50 47 35 5,160 6 5 12,163 8 4 202 18 2 1,315 16 10 119 8 o 382 3 o 614 iy 10 49 1 o 1,286 6 7 791 18 o 760 18 o 824 9 9 450 o 9 1,085 lo 7 138 12 3 408 I 7 1 6 13 13 12 5 6 4

F.—l

7

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 1898 — continued.

Money Orders. Saving! Banks. Oflicc. . Issued. Paid. sis. < ° Deposits. 2 . Withdrawals. || - < ° No. Amount. No. Commission. I Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. Napier— continued. 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 Oamaru Duntroon Hampden Herbert Kakanui Kurow Maheno Ngapara Shag Point Thames Golden Cross .. Karangahake .. Katikati Koraata Maketu Miranda Opotiki Paeroa Tauranga Te Aroha Te Puke Waihi Waikino Waiorongomai Waitekauri Whakatane TlMARU Albury Fairlie Geraldine Glenavy Makikihi Orari Pleasant Point.. St. Andrew's .. Studholme Junct. Temuka Waimate Winchester 187 1,228 851 860 194 3,461 108 137 1,021 789 116 us 180 562 260 51 109 205 4,167 1,334 453 932 399 2,266 924 3,222 299 472 247 66 464 130 145 209 4,240 2 1,779 156 47 in 62 845 2,049 722 i,758 397 3,86i 492 in 1, 806 433 3,814 170 350 963 189 80 184 243 251 12 1,083 1,306 67 5,631 81 484 885 234 2,083 1,221 38 54 277 672 168 216 1,210 £ s - d - 7 -3 9 51 13 3 31 12 6 49 10 0 6 6 9 163 1 9 4 2 3 5 9 0 40 4 3 28 15 9 520 3 16 6 8 10 o 19 8 9 12 13 9 1 13 o 4 7 3 7 19 3 179 9 9 48 19 6 16 2 6 42 3 6 22 13 9 89 14 o 42 o 6 122 4 0 6 12 9 14 12 9 706 290 13 15 3 460 5 3° 6 17 6 189 7 9 030 71 6 o 6 12 9 1 19 6 5 1 3 2 14 O 33 12 o 88 12 3 28 6 3 63 o 9 21 14 3 169 15 9 19 8 9 3 16 o 94 1 6 16 o 3 167 2 3 5 5 0 12 14 3 30 8 3 5 7 9 2 11 o 4 9 9 7 12 6 846 on 3 37 3 3 46 12 6 216 256 13 0 2 14 9 20 9 0 30 12 o 9 15 9 98 13 6 43 12 0 1 3 3 1 16 o 10 10 6 29 4 6 4 16 o 7 3 9 42 19 6 in 9 61 8 6 £ s. A. 683 2 5 3,158 2 8 .,260 '2 1 3,IOO 16 7 562 17 5 10,826 9 9 343 TI 5 416 8 o 4,087 16 2 2,394 19 o 408 12 6 311 14 8 658 11 10 1,762 5 3 798 1 3 131 12 2 240 10 3 652 19 IO 12,726 IO I 4,231 II 2 1,379 11 1 2,698 19 11 1,349 16 8 8,397 13 9 2,804 11 1 13,813 7 0 1,482 16 5 1,650 16 o 733 4 o 167 11 1 2,619 5 o 315 3 2 381 3 0 432 6 10 12,969 4 5 17 o o 5,526 14 2 498 11 2 191 6 10 346 9 6 200 II 2 2,814 8 4 6,369 8 1 2,131 o o 5,774 l8 11 i,435 17 6 13,322 16 o 1,492 6 1 304 5 10 6,419 3 3 i,3H 3 9 14,218 o 10 743 18 1 1,275 6 2 3,820 10 5 575 5 9 226 7 8 386 2, 10 641 12 7 962 3 o 36 2 o 4,056 7 3 5,066 12 6 218 6 2 20,069 9 11 193 18 1 1,346 8 10 2,908 18 7 839 1 8 6,733 13 4 5,329 18 o 176 6 10 198 18 4 739 14 7 2,945 5 5 690 11 10 731 1 10 3,285 16 6 III 17 10 7.261 14 6 658 17 1 2,701 o 3 2,388 15 o 1,667 12 6 796 17 5 1,045 11 3 775 1 11 2,317 13 3 20 774 : 251 348 18 4,698 50 81 £ s - d - 75 15 5 2,231 14 11 701 19 5 1,375 4 6 67 16 6 17,841 10 10 232 18 3 278 3 0 662 15 6 877 8 8 156 o 8 108 7 4 525 10 9 793 15 o 202 2 6 47 8 6 201 1 3 464 3 10 17,323 15 2 1,107 12 9 278 15 6 910 9 1 656 6 o 2,812 4 2 918 17 5 10,634 15 4 336 13 10 1,509 17 8 192 8 6 87 o 3 557 17 11 245 19 2 191 14 3 450 4 10 10,482 4 1 8 82 46 79 40 551 406 477 / s. d. 288 14 o 6,670 6 3 3,54i 12 3 4,839 14 11 3 51 14 23 28 255 151 154 £ s. d. 264 12 4 5,899 4 6 2,308 5 1 1,938 1 1 492 9 18 36 66 6 3,729 138 no 243 549 57 7 1 221 233 221 32 42 201 3,362 1,006 135 319 51 939 582 3,246 83 64 97 19 138 55 64 114 4,257 60,636 3 6 1,214 4 9 1,044 9 o 2,919 1 7 4,731 6 10 393 15 o 222 7 o 2,252 10 2 3,422 2 1 i,553 'I 0 298 7 o 541 13 o 2,059 7 ° 51,883 3 8 10,175 19 o 1,269 J 6 10 2,570 16 10 622 9 o 13,008 5 I 5,187 I 9 43,665 16 11 991 9 1 754 1 * 600 6 7 77 12 3 892 6 9 382 5 3 404 15 1 372 18 o 47,529 14 3 ' " I 434 5 1 3,4 20 29 27 99 180 69,271 10 o 663 5 11 645 7 5 2,521 4 6 3,49O 13 3 64 o o 810 10 8 1,208 19 o 2,322 18 o 220 15 6 329 9 7 115 15 8 1,715 12 10 53,791 12 11 5,7O4 17 9 793 18 10 2,031 5 8 471 3 2 8,167 J 7 1 4,036 7 5 45,232 19 11 629 15 2 407 8 9 283 16 10 no 9 1 187 14 10 183 19 4 289 10 5 205 6 4 72,869 19 4 125 243' 3i 28 J 4 21 132 i86 ! 76 10 29 126 3,959 316 73 216 113 644 270 2,762 .11 20 41 21 6 8 27 493 150 18 47 8 8 18 5 1 3 16 484 58 10 22 5 86 41 427 4 45 56 U5 36 15 20 66 3,078 377 85 ■ 122 37 482 219 2,659 51 41 50 J 7 26 18 25 37 4,876 211 59 453 53 3i 106 54 44 131 2,657 92 435 22 11 *4 7 24 8 5 4 4 7 5 6 16 918 14 18 605 221 115 37 5 241 978 633 595 144 419 53 35 183 136 2,193 36 91 333 58 19 42 62 85 1 277 575 31 4,509 9 227 271 68 1,254 262 5 8 61 237 5 33 : 54 23 837 92 102 338 67 24 42 105 182 934 13 11 508 8 4 152 19 5 32 9 o 1,191 17 11 3,857 10 9 2,181 18 9 2,474 11 6 590 2 9 2,120 I 6 223 15 8 167 10 4 708 1 11 649 18 1 7,575 19 11 217. 12 I 273 15 o 1,129 5 10 260 3 3 5i 10 9 179 18 3 260 13 0 394 3 5 400 917 8 5 2,357 16 o 58 9 7 15,759 18 2 43 17 7 869 7 o 1,088 14 4 254 17 o 3,901 14 2 1,042 12 3 16 18 6 2O 5 I 320 8 7 9S7 4 7 20 15 2 134 9 8 654 15 5 60 1 2 2,702 6 8 380 18 11 445 11 7 1,122 10 7 696 16 1 139 19 6 166 16 1 372 12 10 596 6 4 105 17 4 5 3 56 161 658 121 10 14 13 301 825 577 430 1,820 237 36 1,079 112 4,322 . j6 116 611 38 ■ 49 27 80 42 654 732 6,168 5,583 10 1 322 3 o 64 o o 486 o o 59 10 o 3,858 7 11 7,266 19 10 7>!53 4 1 3,844 11 6 431 3 8 14,815 5 2 2,07 1 6 3 106 11 o 8,599 2 9 773 16 1 54,951 17 5 235 17 ° 1,491 16 ro 8,674 o 3 700 10 10 596 3 7 493 16 5 897 3 10 256 14 8 100 75 3 6 434 83 2 25 9 147 508 381 3*3 73 806 97 29 349 46 3.774 6 56 261 12 22 20 41 15 1 4,124 3 11 462 8 II 34 o o 319 13 2 61 7 o 2,436 o 9 5,462 11 11 7,282 o 1 3,420 13 9 709 10 7 8,644 17 6 1,118 17 3 174 8 5 5,507 o 4 729 3 5 79,240 8 1 33 2 10 824 o 8 7,002 11 1 167 14 6 556 9 o 150 19 5 533 9 6 76 1 2 300 4,843 13 0 7,655 3 8 "3 15 4 103,686 17 1 587 19 o 1,179 15 4 2,442 15 9 249 15 3 14,836 10 6 2,606 12 o 112 12 6 29 5 o 990 8 6 3,345 18 2 90 64 19 293 27 7 166 36 89 53 53 9 163 T2 22 57° 1 27 126 IO IO2 II 5 fi 3 6 9 11 54 2 1 7 19 5 4 10 no 7,°32 5 5 7,628 o 6 536 o 6 8S,ioo o 6 323 8 o 2,488 13 8 3,3O6 I 3 808 4 oj 16,370 13 5 3,654 1 10 62 3 o 142 19 o 1,261 o 6 4,682 9 3 21 62 I 249 361 21 5,389 23 99 152 34 595 149 6 9 44 148 Wanganui Alton Bull's Eltham Fordell Hawera Hunterville Hurleyville Kaimanuka Kaponga Manaia Mangamahu Mangaonoho .. Mangaweka Manutahi Marton Normanby Ohingaiti Patea Raetihi Taihape Turakina Waitotara Waverlev 99 16 998 12 49 62 I,O34 74 263 323 116 28 18 2 127 37 20 244 78 8 7 27 95 i,43i 306 22 15 156 480 10 34 43 1,464 229 762 814 416 212 280 264 695 923 29 19 3 36 19 1 8 13 o 4 3 0 13 16 9 10 l 5 3 26 18 9 23 48 5 116 18 42 no 60 172 854 X 74 309 627 82 62 108 120 293 o 9 1,489 5 2 457 3 0 7,792 14 3 1,202 14 1 1,827 12 9 5,762 8 0 1,537 o 3 689 13 6 832 9 6 1,050 14 o 3,691 10 10 1 25 7 5° 14 33 37 4 11 / 12 17 152 25 341 66 120 203 o 9 1,826 o 6 567 7 10 6,317 10 3 1,290 1 2 1,020 16 o 3,893 19 5 893 9 7 561 1 1 661 17 4 554 11 7 3,099 14 7 24 21 18 60 1 202 62 57 44 60 163 453 17

R—l

8

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 1898 — continued.

Money Orders. Saving! Banks. Office. Issued. Paid. si's Deposits. u is Withdrawals. No. Commission. I Amount, No. Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. Wellington Adelaide Road Alfredton Apiti Ashurst Carterton Castlepoint Chatham Islands Courtenay Place Eketahuna Featherston Feilding Fowler's Foxton Gladstone Greytown North Halcombe Hukanui Hutt Johnsonville Kaitoke Kaiwarawara .. Levin Makuri Mangatainoka Manukau Martinborough Masterton Mauriceville .. West Molesworth St. Ngahauranga .. Otaki Pahiatua Palmerston North Paraparautnu .. Petone Pohangina Porirua Rangiwahia Rongotea Sanson ' Shannon Taueru Te Aro Te Nui Upper Hutt .. Waikanae Waituna West Wellington South Whakataki Woodville Westport Addison's Burnett's Face.. Cape Foulwind ' Capleston Charleston Denniston Granity Creek.. Longford Lyell Mokihinui Murchison Seddonville Waimangaroa .. 21,492 343 164 386 402 1,053 56 138; 530 1,015 895! 2,074 397 799 66 S34 372 230 547 "3 125 73 980 452 367 174 674! 2,969 6 236 446 198 866 2,062 4,288 no 1,016 96 168 265 339 214 298 170 2,302 510 a 193 421 90 1,393 3,342 75 178 11 96 373 1,106 429 161 703 23 377 386 3&£ 1,582 7 o 12 4 3 5 7 6 980 12 16 9 46 14 6 226 5 00 22 1 o 32 9 2 36 7 3 87 18 9 « M 3 32 18 3 299 37 5 o 14 11 9 5 19 9 26 4 6 3 18 9 5 1 3 2 10 6 33 8 3 8 18 6 8 2 3 7 19 3 33 16 o I3 1 15 9 036 746 i 16 19 9 830 38 16 o 71 1 o 180 2 9 486 4 1 IS 3 326 800 7 11 9 15 15 o 8 17 6 11 11 0 669 95 6 6 23 2 9 906 o 11 o 680 £ •■ d. 67,135 o 5 601 4 8 534 17 6 1,484 14 8 1,269 4 Io 3,243 3 3 195 13 II 521 10 5 1,209 7 3 3,069 5 o 2,269 6 3 7,186 3 o 1,374 5 4 2,031 7 8 137 3 5 2,434 6 2 1,487 3 o 647 8 7 1,537 1 10 232 2 9 318 6 4 96 16 7 2,324 4 7 1,398 9 8 786 7 ioj 461 4 o 1,695 2 10 12,241 16 7 13 o 8 772 14 7 1,014 2 61 399 4 9 2,752 17 3 8,531 2 9 12,3" 5 5 287 15 6 2,260 5 9 188 6 5 405 18 5 1,191 11 6 979 3 2 677 2 9 865 2 2 304 13 8 1 5,301 15 2 1,604 12 3 764 6 9 34 J 4 6 496 4 7 I,038 3 8 245 10 10 4.220 17 4 9,855 1 8 217 o o 356 7 I 35 13 I 214 5 10 1,181 14 3 3,439 2 9 1,158 11 10 609 on 2,184 I2 7 90 13 5 1,357 10 II 1.221 o 8; 32,763 28 27 56 179 488 3 14 4 265 246 1,118 in 363 8 402 90 28 206 63 40 27 285 61 £ s - d. 131,149 2 o 75 6 10 163 6 4 263 9 11 619 18 4 i,539 1 9 29 4 7 122 3 7 11 3 o 1,143 10 3 813 16 o 3,779 5 11 439 12 4 1,121 13 5 40 13 6 1,423 6 10 312 11 11 269 15 o 1,018 4 10 278 17 9 118 12 1 65 IS 3 939 15 3 372 10 2 399 9 o 240 1 5 395 12 4 5,638 18 4 12 1 3 197 5 7 800 68 11 o 1,271 6 10 2,382 18 1 11,349 8 11 131 10 4 1,214 l6 5 314 o o 155 7 II 256 4 6 165 8 8 194 3 2 235 14 " 67 17 10 414 16 6 397 14 9 290 12 8 4,458 55 7 20 49 100 4 II 88 61 73 233 25 108 8 69 27 20 95 20 36,056 666 33 69 296 777 8 23 806 388 433 1,284 144 676 43 475 !75 63 723 404 119 180 552 58 57 83 246 2,247 5 99 258 201 384 786 3,487 69 1,502 £ ■■ d. 454,007 o 8 I,802 8 4 428 13 8 537 X 7 I 2,173 6 6 6,796 7 8 47 o 0 296 13 o 2,382 6 6 3,791 10 o 4,066 7 5 14,884 9 1 1,981 9 10 3,859 18 9 154 19 5 3,769 18 11 1,260 9 2 378 3 7 7,450 14 6 i,959 14 5 854 16 o 359 15 o 3,7 J 7 3 8 729 7 8 371 6 o 1,263 9 3 1,929 10 5 21,963 1 7 56 o o 1,243 19 11 749 13 6 707 I 8 3 2,846 7 6 8,320 12 7 33,379 8 2 560 1 3 10,014 T 5 4,258 18 4 9 19 43 2 3 10 26 20| 96 9 3O 1 42 16 2 40 9 33,745 107 19 50 155 317 5 85 182 160 523 63 197 9 247 T02 18 :?; s 175 40 40 37 115 1,080 £ s - d ' 505,848 13 11 627 16 2 382 4 o 918 1 8 1,743 6 6 4,793 3 1 14 12 6 21 14 5 352 o 5 2,995 5 7 2,243 2 7 11,414 1 1 1,603 " 3 2,158 17 4 78 13 6 3,148 8 8 1,449 19 6 158 16 11 4,337 11 10 1,11717 1 747 6 o 193 18 5 1,639 1 1 496 16 1 304 13 10 472 18 1 1,219 9 o 16,087 l 7 8 700 1,044 2 1 81 4 8 237 14 II 1,918 9 8 6,419 o o 25,237 6 6 188 o 4 5,818 4 7 4 11 1 i6| 101 61 114 1,671 5 51 2 91 14 8 17 56 359 1 3 4 13 151 23 351 698 3,521 15 29 211 6 7 | I40 550 9 125 10 1 5 16 61 227 2 51 3 93 34 31 166 382 1,623 32 420 41 368 75 39 45 55 78 76 23 132 68 87 25 39 25 27 6 358 27 39 2 "3 149 r 74 124 41 4,666 133 204 3 5 673 8 287 17 6 1,312 11 2 1,384 16 8 1,072 13 5 293 2 o 17,410 14 o; 1,211 O II 1,597 ° Io 22 o o 67 5 o 2,309 11 8 52 13 o 7,213 18 7 29,101 4 o 218 11 o 246 5 o 600 5 5 8 7 17 51 62 51 15 329 60 70 137 19 9 994 J 9 3 1,190 18 4 . 758 12 2 99 9 o 1,488 o 5 1,291 o i 1,249 8 7 63 7 6 15 10 o 369 46 4 9 157 7 o 3 13 3 520 093 3 12 9 16 4 6 50 7 3 18 5 o 6 9 3 25 12 3 o 14 9 16 Q O 15 18 9 13 2 o 26 83 12 137 19 8 353 4 10 31 16 2 2,498 10 3 5,000 3 2 4 61 4 100 16 120 1 801 4 5 200 4,96i 3 3 33,92i o 3 35 10 o 70 3 10 100 730 1,419 9 16 1 100 79 8 11 197 16 7 386 1 7 130 o o 26 7 6 159 5 10 22 5 o 381 7 o 273 5 2 164 16 5 341 5 12 543 2,046 11 56 2 54 302 1 3 342 1,767 4 9 1 2 1 21 49 92 27 8 56 20 58 37 4 33 1 12 186 556 264 15 162 9 94 179 109 2,197 14 10 3,133 13 1 1,688 13 9 190 8 6 1,319 12 3 M9 3 o 600 2 o 1,758 11 10 469 13 o 1 24 I 12 4 42 166 46 9 50 2 25 47 3° 32 o o 683 12 II 2,337 15 7 401 10 11 215 8 o 653 10 6 16 o o 317 12 5 626 15 3 254 5 6 4 i 44 37 10 1 11 1,110 9 51 3 SUMMARY. Postal District of — Auckland 31enheim Hhristchurch Dunedin jreymouth fiokitika invercargill Mapier kelson Sew Plymouth .. Damaru rhames fimaru iVanganui Wellington A'estport £ ■■ d. £ s - d - £ •■ d. £ s - d. £ s - d - 6o,854 5,341 35.34° 38,189 3,564 8,186 3,337 15,214 18,215 7."4 10,475 5,254 18,871 8,712 18,433' 53,65O 7,62i| 318370 3,3" 17 6 224 10 3 1,562 15 8 1,495 10 9 192 15 6 374 18 6 140 II 9 592 10 4 828 18 3 305 3 6 44 1 3 6 183 o 9 815 12 o 330 3 9 763 II I 2,850 19 5 ! 333 7 o 217,029 19 1 16,430 14 9 114,048 8 5 111,469 14 9 10,935 4 o 25,556 18 10 8,930 7 10 45,352 19 6 54,385 2 o 23,033 12 1 33,588 13 9 21,595 12 6 61,128 5 o 32,226 15 3 65,914 4 9 164,583 10 8 23,031 4 5 54,564 2,247 3O,734 35,804 1,162 3,846 1,897 8,261 9,712 5,8i5! 5.591! 3,693 6,452 3,803 8,915 45,4" 1,813 212,508 19 4 8,198 16 10 119,015 11 11 i37,37o 15 1 4,812 3 8 14,008 17 3 7,625 11 4 29,207 o 1 33,181 2 5 22,391 6 1 24,008 o 1 14,206 11 9 26,276 3 11 13,675 15 6 31,799 17 3 174,934 8 2 6,831 13 3 5,349 590 6,036 4,831 696 685 224 i,553 1,891 761 1,019 553 1,644 1,000 2,099 7,764 570 37,7i6 4,071 55,4°8 42,002! 4,252 4,032 1,587 9,554 12,874 5,847 6,394 3,880 10,563 6,759 12,410 60,711 3,689 489,623 14 o 48,412 14 6 690,634 4 9 !456,65i 8 2 47,733 2 1 48,314 15 4 20,461 3 2 "2,533 4 8 140,392 8 8 81,288 17 11 84,717 12 2 48,141 11 o 102,965 5 7 83,504 7 3 147,826 o 6 635,33! 5 5 41,079 12 3 3,920 374 4,206 3,256 499 477 196 1,093 1.358 531 706 480 1,540 726 1,510 5,392 364 28,228 2,719 40,140 28,186 3,17° 2,933 1,138 5,849 8,036 4,112 4,400 2,924 8,178 4>839 7,957 4 I >753 2,202 466,575 14 10 44,153 19 11 667,399 14 8 437,465 9 10 40,182 0 8 46,951 16 8 21,538 8 4 107,730 3 11 131,410 16 10 83,380 2 4 74,997 2 i° 47,531 o 8 113,356 16 4 101,200 8 3 150,957 19 2 620,495 16 2 39,566 5 2 Totals 14747 9 6 880,052 13 11 37,265 281749 3279611 7 5 26,628 196764 3194893 16 7 1029241 7 7 229720

9

F.—l

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, 1898.

2-F. 1

Postal Districts. Auckland Blenheim Christchurch Dunedin Gisborne Greymouth Hokitika Invercargill Napier ... Nelson ... New Plymouth Oamaru Thames Timaru Wanganui Wellington Westport of Post Office Number of Average Number Average Savings- Deposits Total Amount of Amount of of With . T , , , , Amount of ,, , _ Excess of Banks received Deposits received Depos.t °< ™™ wt hdrawals eacn Excess ol Deposits w^£|£,£„ Open at during the during the Year, received ,,£f™ Z*" Withdrawal over. Withdrawals "^g^™* the Close Year. B during the """"f, tunng the Year. du during the Year. of the v ra r - the Year. Year. I '. L_ i £ s. d. £ s. d. j £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s . d r TT - 96 37,7.6 . 489,623 14 o ,2 .9 7 ; 28,228 466,575 ,4 ,0 .6 .0 7 23,047 ,„ 2 ... " \ A'VJt ! 6 4 1' 214 " ' 7,0 ! 3 ' 7 ' 9 44) ' s3 19 " ,6 4 9 4,258 14 7 52 55,408 690,634 4 9 ,2 9 3 : 40,140 667,399 ,4 8 16 12 6 23,2,4 ,o 43 42,002 456,65. 8 2 ,0 17 5 28,186 437,465 9 ,0 ,5 ,o s ,£.85 18 4 3 4,25 2 47,733 2 in 46; 3,170 40,182. o 8 12 13 6 1 sci 1 - ■o 4,032 48,3.4.5 4 >' .9 8 2,933 46,95' .6 8 .6 o 2 {$.,8 8. 0 1,587 20,461 3 2 .2 ,7 10 1,,38 21,538 8 4 .8 .8 6 ' ,077 - '" V, ,?'s 54 ' I2,533 i I " 'I 7 S ' 849 '° 7 ' 73 ° •' " '8 8 4 4,803" 09 ' " " lilt T,Hl - , 8 '° '! ' 8 '° 36 '3-.4.0 x6 .0 ,6 7 , 8,8, ,, ,0 13 5,847 8.,288 .7 n ,3 ,8 1 4)1 , 2 83,380 2 4 20 5 6 20Q1 , . 7 6,39.4 84,7.7 .2 2 , 3 5 o 4,400 74,997 , IO „ o .. 9,720" 9 4 » 9 4 S ... 9 3.880 48,141 >. o .2 8 2 2,924 47,53. o 8 .6 5 t 6 IO ,0 4 . 17 10,563 ,02,965 5 7 9 14 1, 8,178 ..3,356.6 4 ,3,7 3 4 IO , OI TO „ - -3 6,7,9 83,504 7 3 .2 7 ■ 4,839 .o.joo 8 3 20,, o :;; °ill l ° l ... 23 .2,4.0 147,826 o 6 ,. ,8 3 7,957 . 5 o,957 '9 2 .8 ,9 5 ', 9 , , 8 g ""' 2 :IZ 35,33 ' s s IO 9 3 4,>753 62 '6 2 .4 .7 3 .4,8,5 9 3 _J »2 3,689 \ 4',°79 .2,1129 2.202 39,566 5 2 I 7 ,9 4 7,,',., 7 f £ s. d. 23,047 19 2 4,258 14 7 23,234 10 1 '9,185 18 4 7,55' ' 5 1,362 .8 8 £ s. d. 1,077 5 2 2,091 4 5 10,391 10 9 17,696 I o 3,<3< '8 8 Average Cost of Cost . 01 ' Manage- each menl Transacduring tlon.DeWith- ; drawal. | £ s. d. £ a d - j £ s - <!• £ s. d. 19,6.0,8 o 5,349 3,920 122,537 777,3.0 5 3; ,4 9,0 ,,998 2.0 590 3741 3,254 79,795 7,, 24.0 5 24,599 o ,0 6,036 4,206 33,590 ! 953,724 5 61 28 7 10 19,876 3 . 4,831 3,256 j 24,393 I 763,92812103. 6 4 '-377 i' 3 696 499! 2) .39 55,350 9 4125,7 6 2,619 'O ii 685 477 3,038 99,818 3 6| 32 17 , ',959 '3 3 224 196 r 1,437 75,'77 6 5! 52 6 4 5,333 '9 " ',553 ',093 [ 6,846 205,380 19 1 30 o o 5.549 5 4 ',891 ',358 : 7,994 217,823 15 i.| 27 4 2 4,269 42 761 531 j 4,932 160,209 o n 32 9 8 2,653 o 6 1,0,9 706 | 4,187 106,666 3 2; 25 9 6 2.550 4 5 553 480 i 2,763 94,357 4 10! 34 3 o 4,496 9 5 ',644 ',540 : 6,09. ,67,305 16 4 27 9 4 4,210 ,0 6 1,000 ; 726 j 4,893 .52,224 .2 8 31 2 3 5,'35 " 7 2,099 j «,S'o 8,4.91 '97,ou 4 5; 23 8 o '9,956 14 7 7,764 ! 5,392 3>,374 ! 778,702 15 3! 24 ,6 s ] '93 2 '5 " i 5/Q ! 364 I 2,08. 72,985 2 3: ,5 , 5 Interest for the Year. Number Number of of Accounts Accounts Opened Closed during during the Year, the Year. Number t. . , , Averacre „ f Total Amount average Accounts sanding to the , A "l? un ' Accounts Credit of all standing t 0 remain- 01 ail the Credit ..r ;.,„ n„„ open Accounts, ' ne <-redlt of "t Close inclusive of «ch open of the Invest to the Account at Yea r Close of the Year. P"* <* * ear - the Year. 4,803 o 9 8,981 11 10 9,720 9 4 610 10 4 14,835 9 3 ',5 '3 7 ' Totals for Colony in 1898 ... ,897 ... „ „ 1896 ... .895 ... .894... 1893 ... „ 1892 ... „ 189, ... „ 1890 ... .889 ... 1888 ... 1887 ... .886 ... ,885 ... 1884 ... 1883 ... .882 ... 1881 ... „ 1880... ,879.. 1878 ... 1877 •■• 1876 ... .875 - .874 ... .873 ... .872 ... .87. ... „ 1870... .869 ... 1868 ... Totals for Colony from ist Feb. to 31st Dec, 1867 409 388 37' 357 348 327 3'8 3" 296 294 290 283 271 256 243 222 207 190 ,78 '65 '47 '38 124 "9 103 97 92 81 70 59 55 46 'fih 49 3 ' 2 ' y ' b " 7 S ■' '2 10 ,96,764 3,194,893 ,6 7 ,6 4 9 j 84,7,7 10 .0 1A',% l'*P' 2,9 l 4 " ' 8 2 ' 79 ' 555 2 ' 89 '' ,6<3 5 8 .6 2 o 296,04916 8 242,283 2,881,152 .6 3 ,, , 7 ,0 ,67,248 2,59, ,558 .9 4 ,5 9 ,0 289 co, 16 .. 217,393 2,794,506 .6 o ,2 .7 . .59,904 2,369.33 t 7 .4 .6 4 425 fn 9 204,545 2,252,862 6 ,, ,, o 3 ,52,1,6 2,268,624 8 4 ,4 ,8 3 9 • Tsl'lll ?'r 8 «'° 89 l l 7 " ' 5 " ' 36 ' 739 2 ' 122 ' 52 ' l6 8 '5 -o 5 263,567 13 .. 186,945 ,,878,270 6 4 ,0 01. ,20,628 .,821,348 18 1 ,5 2 o C 6q 2 , 8 * ,76,971 1,842,987 .5 2 ,0 8 3 ,,,,603 1,693,5,5 9 , ,5 , , ia.q.12 - if .2,938 .,658,543 3 5 .0 3 6 ,06,868 ,,500X7 I I ,4 * I \%%\ rl " 0 > s .„92° ,,5,5,28, ,, 3 9 ,6 ,0 99,, 85 .,457,08. 5 o .4 ,3 9 58,2oS 6 , '45,355 ',544,747 7 'i 10 ,2 6 96,204 ,,.,87,471 1 ,0 14 8 5 15.7.76 6 1 ',lt'all If*'' 5 ' k 5 9 ' 2 8 o 9 ' 962 ''' 82 ' 4 ° 9 7 6 ,3 2 ,0 ,29 7 i.'i3 .. 137,989 1,248,405 6 11 9 o .1 89,182 1,3,6,287 6 4 14 19 8 \'lVf 0i * 2 '° 4 ' ! 4,832 '' 26 4>3°5 8 3 14.8 o 76,695", 4 ,, 2?'6on ' '" 9 " 4 9 9', 80,800 ,,,95,93, o ,, ,4,6 o 31,978,0 5 I2 " 6 °9 ,,178,474 41948 78,405 ,,,295,7,9 ,8 3 .6 .0 6 ■ 29,952 1,325,852 2i, ,0 4 o 69,308 ,,,42,599 o ', ,6 9 8 I .83,25," 2 .0 Ifdl S6 9, °' 2 I 7 9 8 " 6 °' 137 902,195 ' 8 ,5 o , l 28 6 8?7 o'n 8.,660 864,44, .8 .0 .0 ,. 9 57,446 780,504 ,3 4 .3 '■ 8 1 839,7 5 6 7,,865 8.2,399 ,,.... 6 , 54,698 876,180 ,9 3 .6 o 4 393< ' 68?1 4 ' 2 ° '° ' 8 ° 42 >H6 742,053 .4 3,772 20,0,0", 7 9 60,953 681,294 ,32,136 39,363 667,023 7 5 ,6 ,8 10 ,427, I I 57,295 664,134 .2 6 ,, ,, 9 39,486 696.28, 74 ,7 ,2 8 7 ' 9 tAlt i 57 ' 53 4 ° " m 4 36,977 1 729,759 ,7 9 19 '4 8 ::: ,2,627 699,249,4 3 ,3 - 8 29 8 j 6 8 9 20 ,6 5 79,094 « 6 •?' f fol 42 SI ' 4 ' 6 2 2 '' 268 425 ' 901 3 ' 2 ° ° ' 4634 2 ° 3 ,681 43o,8 o o .3,2 o .7,254 313,, 76 7 ,, ,8 3 ol 1,7,700 ,2 , 24,642 3.2,338 ,8 4 ,2 .3 6 ,4,773 261,347 ,6 3 .7 ■ 9 i S099, ?' 4 « 5 7 .2 ,8 o ,,,934 209,509 ,3 2 . .'. I 4 1? 8 . .7,'33 240,898 5 9 ,4 , 2 9,292 .80,5,8 4 1 ,9 8 7 60,380 , 8 13,014 ,94,535 " 6 ,4 ,8 ,, 6,365 ,07,094 ,7 3 .6 ,6 6 87440 ,4 , 6,977 96,372 7 10 13 16 3 i,9'9 26,4,5 '8 9 '3 '5 3 69,956 9 , • • 8,500 / 8,ooo 7,000 7,000 .5,762 1 5 6,500 6,500 5,500 j 5,000 5,000 4,000 4,000 ... 4,000 87,88. ,9 5 4,000 4,000 4,000 ..7,245 14 2 4,000 4,000 3,5°° 3,500 63,781 7 4 3,000 2,500 2,500 32,146 14 10 2,500 72,106 13 9 2,500 2,250 .,800 . •• '>55 6 ',35' 1,264 .,.86 789 822 o 4-26 128,128 16 6 37,265 o 4-29 ,37,240 8 o 36,394 o 4-10 126,497 .6 3 32,982 o 4-45 .29,489 .9 6 30,261 o 4-37 1,4,643 4 11 28,669 o 460 .14,760 1 . 29,755 o 4-29 111,301 13 1 26,232 o 4-16 104,098 17 o 25,131 o 4'45 92,319 o 6 23,719 o 3-79 84,809 17 1 21,778 0 3'97 78,080 6 o 21,307 o 424 67,363 15 3 20,368 o 4'23 65,825 9 6 21,671 o 4-44 62,228 3 1 1 20,661 0 4'57 57>38i 13 7 20,228 o 466 56,046 17 3 20,386 o 482 54,909 13 1. 21,014 o .4-52 42,204 19 o 25,059 O 604 32,822 .2 4 16,137 ° 5-69 31,715 .8 2 15,401 o 5'33 31,664 .2 9 ,3,005 o 5-98 29,193 .4 6 i.,2.35 o 620 28,762 4 7 11,255 o 6-44 28,565 3 5 ,.,273 o 655 26,935 6 8 10,346 o 7-14 20,106 .6 10 7,382 o 7-63 14,71. o 5 6,205 o 823 11,291 10 10 4,615 o 936 9,242 3 11 4,304 o I0 '77 7,4.2 8 o 3,839 0 9-77 4,880 7 3 3,282 1 lO'lS ,,241 S, O 2.S20 ' ! 26,628 169,968 4,957,771 5 5 29 3 5 24,821 1,59,33, 4,744,924 18 1 29 15 7 22,907 i'47,758 4,3'" ,634 .3 5 29 3 7 22,001 .37,68.3 3,895,543 o 3 28 5 ,0 21,930 1129,423 3,340,879 11 4 25 .6 3 ,9,599 ,22,684 3,241,998 7 10 26 8 6 18,171 1,2,528 2,863,670 12 10 25 9 o 17,872 104,467 2,695,447 " 6 25 16 o 17,256 97,208 2,441,876 8 7 25 2 4 15,521 90,745 2,191,451 14 , 24 2 11 '6,543 84,488 2,048,441 10 9 24 4 10 '5>5'5 79,724 ',813,084 18 8 22 14 10 i6,757 74,87' 1,615,979 9 6 21 11 8 16,42. 69,957 1,638,035 ,9 5 23 8 4 |6,447 65,717 .,499>H2 o 7 22 16 3 15,967 j 61,936 1,409,751 ,6 7 22 15 2 '4,505 I 57,517 ,,470,950 .3 6 25 11 5 12,7.8 5.,008 1,2.32,787 .6 9 24 34 12,217 38,667 903,765 16 10 23 '7 6 ,2,786 34,747 787,005 19 o 22 12 1. 9,634 32,132 8,9,071 8 2 25 9 9 8,591 28,761 767,375 17 8 26 13 7 9,472 26,117 723,9'o 17 5 27 14 4 8,681 24,334 727,295 7 8 29 17 9 5,736 21,742 770,836 18 o 35 9 o 3,816 17,132 664,807 5 ,0 38 16 1 3,188 13,566 490,066 7 o 36 2 5 2,383 10,549 357,654 14 6 33 18 1 2,277 8,317 295,372 1 7 35 10 3 1,801 6,290 231,311 5 3 36 >5 5 .,186 4,252 .63,518 15 7 38 9 , 364 2,156 71,197 14 1 o 5 I

10

F.—1

Table No. 6. Balance-sheet of the New Zealand Post Office Account for the Year ended 31st December, 1898.

Balances on 1st January, 1898. Transactions. Balances on 31st December, 1898. Balances on 1st January, 1898. Cr. Dr. Trans, C r . Dr. Cr. Dr. Cr. Dr. Momy Oedeb Accounts:- £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s d £ .. d. Money orders (General) .. 21,20719 9 •• 1,110,98711 21,111,12313 o 21,0711711 United Kingdom, &c. .. 14,893 8 3 •• 100,85911 1 107,679 811 8,07310 5 United States of America .. 693 13 2 •• 7,576 1 6 8,26019 7 8 15 1 Canada .. .. .. ■• 5*17 ° 88613 7 772 18 6 61 18 1 .. Gape of Good Hope .. . .. ■• 66° 6 2 ° 3 2,153 5 o .. 1,2821011 Ceylon .. .. .. 16 1 7 •■ 7° *9 5 6 5 *4 3 21 6 9 •• Pi« .. .. .. 213 o 4 233 18 4 .. 20 18 o Germany .. •■ 488 8 10 .. 1,241 19 9 1.333 4 3 397 4 4 Hawaii .I 8 8 7 23 11 32 2 9 •• *7 10 3 Hongkong 509131° •• 1,64015 7 2,083 4 1 67 5 4 . India 25713 5 •• i,i« o 5 1,149 5 5 233 8 5 New South Wales .. .. 2,695 8 o .. 36,3121010 38,22314 8 784 4 2 .. Queensland .. .. • «• 213 12 o 3,161 611 3,18316 2 .. 236 1 South Australia .. .. 141 8 3 •• 2,338 2 1 2,520 7 S .. 40 17 4 Straits Settlements .. .. 33 7 7 •• 47 10 6 79 16 11 1 1 2 Tasmania 979 12 8 .. 47,014 * 9 47,369151° 62318 7 Victoria 2,396 9 9 •• 31.97° 3 3 32,994 12 5 1,378 07 Western Australia .. .. .. 1,"5 3 9 7.584" \ 7,459 110 .. 98914 Commission .. .. •• 543 *5 ° 1,58413 6 1,6541511 .. 613 17 5 Sayings-Bank Accounts:— ■ 1 Deposits and withdrawals ..4,744,92418 1 .. 3,4°7,740 3113,194,89316 7 4,957,771 55 Transfers .. .. .. 1,91915 8 .. 198,3" 9 ° 198,95613 9 1,2741011 Postal Accounts:— ' ' „ Stamps .. .. 116,51916 oA .. 363,705 3 H 369,4 J 7 17 I 110,807 28 Postal Guides .. .. 026 .. 368 10 o 359 2 6 9 10 o .. Postalnotes .. .. 71,80110 7 .. 145,439 12 7* 144,09612 7 73,144™ 7 J Private box and bag rents .. .. •• 5.5H 10 0 5,51410 o Money-order commission .. .. - 14*795 16 ° J4.795 16 o .. .. Postal revenue .. .. .. 1,243 9 5 264,184 8 1 263,88915 4* •• 94816 Telegraph Accounts:— . New South Wales Telegraphs 2,735 3 7 '• 33,8491011 35,32716 7 1,2561711 New Zealand* Australian Cable 74714 5 •• 9,"5 5 ° 9,2601811 602 06 Telephone-exchange receipts .. .. ..- 38,791 16 2 38,791 16 2 Maintenance of private wires.. .. ■• 1,338 11 6 1,338 n b Registration of code addresses .. •• 3°4 \ 6 364 26 .. Telegraph revenue .. .. 1,420 1 oj .. 187,46318 5* 187,967 97 916 9 11 General Accounts: — . ... Post Office Account .. .. .. 110,81318 34,328,72013104,307,79515 6 .. 89,8881911 Postmasters and Telegraphists ., 246,44319 9*6,307,774 4 ioj 6,304,360 7 °i •■ 243,030 1 iij Investments .. •• •• 4,673,046 7 8 2,218,066 o o 2,514,974 00 .. 4,969,954 7 8 Accrued interest on investments .. 40,560 12 5 40,560 12 5 46,260 11 .. 46,260 1 1 Miscellaneous receipts-general 75413 *i •• 3,08312 5* 3,346 13 10 j 491 11 9 J Foreign postage .. .. 13,970 10 8 ... 14,25219 8 14,48919 6 13,7331010 Miscellaneous expenses .. .. 39,°37 J 9 523,051 6 o 474,44016 7 9,573 7 8 General Post Office Pine Fund 100 .. ■• ■• 100 Cable subsidies .. .. .. •• 2,178 o 8 2,178 08.. For other Departments— Advances to Settlers .. 4, "2 1 11 .. 345,64514 o 344,987 5 o 4,770 10 it Alcoholic Liquors Act .. .. ■ • 60 12 6 60 12 6 Arms Act Licenses .. .. .. •• 201 o o 151 o o 50 o o Clerks of Court .. .. •• •■ 1 ° ° J ° ° County Clerks .. .. . • • • 335 15 6 335 15 6 Customs dues (H.M.C.) .. 105 5 8 .. 1,184 9 7 1,242 3 5 47 " 10 duty (parcels) .. 940 810 .. 13,30211 4 13,021 2 9 1,22117 5 Education Department .. .. •• 100 100 Factories Act .. •• •• •• 21 o o 21 o o Fishing licenses .. .. 28 15 o .. 274 5 o 283 10 o 19 10 o Game licenses .. .. .. •• 2,234 8 o 2,234 8 o Geraldine County Council .. .. .. 477 6 4 477 6 4 Goldfields revenue .. .. 030 .. •• •• 030 Government Audit .. 3 13 4 •• 14 o o 17 13 4 .. Government Insurance .. 2,772 no .. 30,412 o 2 30,860 510 2,32316 2 Government Printer.. .. 8 14 1 .. 451 8 5 34615" "367 Harbourmasters .. .. .. •• W ' 5 182 7 1 134 14 4 Hospital and charitable aid .. .. .. o 10 7 o 10 7 Income-tax 120 16 4 .. 71,964" 1 72,010 00 75 7 5 Land-tax .... .. 337 6 o .. 207,154 9 o 206,915 15 3 575 19 9 Lunacy .. •• •• 500 .. 66 17 2 68 17 2 300 Machinery 32313 6 .. 3,68412 6 3,791 13 6 216 12 6 Mining Act 3.M5 15 o .. 1,265 3 o 1,26918 o 3,141 00 Miners' Guides .. .. 110 .. 030 .. 140 New Zealand Consols .. .. .. 20,415 o o 20,415 00 Official Assignee .. .. 0126 .. • • "00 0126 Public baths .. .. 29 15 4 •• 423 9 2 401 8 8 51 15 10 PublicTrust .. •• 5,46018 7 .. 264,3781b 7 263,587 5 7 6,25211 7 Railways 1,226 311 ..' 11,9191111 12,36516 9 77919 1 Registration of births, &c. .. 213 10 o .. 2,14318 o 2,15616 o 200 12 o Rents .. •• •• 20 19 10 .. 210 19 3 228 8 10 3 10 3 Sanatorium, Hanmer Plains .. .. ... 788 1 9 702 1 1 86 o 8 Sheep-rates .. .. .. •• 20 > 2 44 6 o 19,670 3 o 574 3 o Registration of electors ... .. .. 160 160 Valuation revenue .. .. .. .. 3,322 2 8 3,174 4 9 147 17 " Profitandloss .. .. 95,773 5 3 •• 225,644 5 10 191,230 o 130,187 11 1 Cr. Totals .. .. 5,113,738 11 9*5,113,738 11 9*20,693,406 19 8120,693,406 19 845,353,283 16 11 5,353,283 16 11 1

h\— l.

Table No. 7. Securities, &c., standing in the Name of the Postmaster-General on Account of the Post-Office Savings-Bank Fund on the 31st December, 1898.

11

Description of Securities, Ac. Nominal Value. Value at Cost Price. Accrued Interest on 31 st December, 1898. "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. 3,643 16 7 " The Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Act 1896" Debentures, 3 per cent. 35,000 0 0 35,000 0 0 437 5 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, 3J per cent... 54,300 0 0 54,300 0 0 630 0 7 " 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 1870" Debentures, H per cent. 8,100 0 0 8,100 0 0 The District Railways Purchasing Acts, 1885 and 1886, Debentures, 4 per cent. 42,000 0 0 36,076 17 8 418 17 0 The District Railways 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 oent. 5,200 0 0 4,342 0 0 43 17 7 "The Government Loans to Looal Bodies Act 1886" Debentures, 3J per cent. 231,000 0 0 231,000 0 0 2,450 1 9 Greyrnouth Harbour Board Debentures, 4 per oent. 100,000 0 0 100,000 0 0 2,000 0 0Hamilton Borough Debentures, 5£ 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 *1,368 9 10 "The Immigration and Public Works Loan Aot 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 Publio Works Loan Act 1870 " Debentures, 4 per cent. (Imperial guaranteed) 400,000 0 0 400,000 0 0 1,315 1 4 Inscribed Stook, 3 per cent. 1,707,140 O 0 1,707,140, 0 0 12,768 9 -5 The Land for Settlements Aots, 1892 and 1894, Debentures, 4 per cent. 129,100 0 0 129,100 0 0 863 0 4 " The Land for Settlements Aot 1894 " Debentures, 3f per cent. 376,690 0 0 376,690 0 0 2,203 7 7 " 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 oent. 264,000 0 0 264,000 0 0 2,661 14 0 " The Lands Improvement and Native Lands Acquisition Act 1894 " Debentures, 3J 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 Rivor Board Debentures, 5 per cent. 1,000 0 0 1,000 0 0 20 16 5 Oamaru Borough Consolidated Loan 1893 Debentures, 5 per cent. 13,800 0 0 13,800 0 0 345 0 0 Oamaru Harbour Bonds, 54 per cent. 32,000 0 0 32,000 O 0 |1,617 15 1 Patea Harbour Board Debentures, 4£ per cent. 10,000 0 0 10,000 0 0 225 0 0 Thames Borough Debentures, 6 per oent. 6,500 0 0 6,500 0 0 190 3 10 Thames Harbour Board Debentures, 4 per cent. 10,000 0 0 10,000 0 0 99 14 6 '■ The Public Revenues Act 1893 " (Treasury bills), SI per ceut. 349,200 0 0 349,200 0 0 Westport Harbour Board Debentures, 4 per cent. 421,050 0 0 421,050 0 0 8,040 13 7 Accrued interest on Post Office Account 436 8 4 Totals 14,987,556 0 0 |4,969,954 7 8 46,260 1 1 * Includes five half-yearly interest-payments of £250, f Includes half-yearly interest du , and £50 balance of : to 31st July, 1898, £881 i sixth not yet paid ),

F.—l.

Table No. 8. POST-OFFICE SAVINGS-BANKS.

Table No. 9. Return showing the Total Number of Post-Office Savings-Bank Accounts open on the 31st December, 1898, classified according to the Balances at Credit, compared with the Number open at the end of 1897.

12

Balance-sheet for the Year ended 31st December, 1898. Dr. £ s. d. I Balance to credit of depositors, 1st January, 1898 4,744,924 18 1 Deposits during 1898 .. .. 3,279,611 7 5 Interest credited depositors, 1898 .. 128,128 16 6 Cr. £ e. d. Withdrawals during 1898 .. .. 3,194,893 16 7 Balance to credit of depositors, 31st December, 1898 .. .. .. 4,957,771 5 5 £8,152,665 2 0 £8,152,665 2 0 Liabilities < Dr. £ s. d. Balance to credit of depositors, 31st December, 1898 .. .. .. 4,957,771 5 5 Amount of accumulated profits invested 12,183 2 3 and Assets. ] Or. & s. d. Securities (vide Table No. 7).. .. 4,969,954 7 8 £4,969,954 7 8 £4,969,954 7 8 Profit ai rid Loss. Dr. & s. d. Balance forward, 1st January, 1898 .. 95,773 5 3 Interest received .. £179,134 17 8 Interest accrued on 31st December, 1898 .. 46,260 1 1 225,394 18 4 Profits derived from sale of securities .. 249 7 6 Cr. £ s. d. Interest credited to depositors, 1898 ..128,128 16 6 1897 accrued interest written off .. 40,560 12 5 Paid Public Account, for expenses of management .. .. .. 8,500 0 0 Savings-bank profits carried to revenue .. 13,000 0 0 Interest on securities purchased from other departments .. .. .. 1,040 11 1 Balance to next account .. .. 130,187 11 1 £321,417 11 1 £321,417 11 1

Auckland Blenheim Chrisfcchureh .. Dunedin Gisborne Greymouth Hokitika Invorcargill Napier Nelson New Plymouth.. Oamaru Thames Timaru Wanganui Wellington Westport Postal District. 1.5,780 2,568 25,131 17,478 1,602 2,149 , 874 4,823 5,945 3,590 3,122 1,882 4,485 3,577 6,564 24,175 1,444 i Not exceeding £20. Exceeding £20 and up to £50. 2,517 277 3,346 2,807 255 342 180 851 842 467 476 308 694 510 843 I 3,051 235 1,682 172 2,144 1,723 142 210 119 519 518 344 269 232 411 308 456 1,833 156 Exceeding £50 and up to £100. Exceeding' Exceeding Exceeding .£100 and £200 and £300 and up to £200. up to £300. up to £400. 1,563 588 197 136 i 54 24 1,800 681 240 [ 1,510 557 > 142 ! 81 27 17 203' 89 ! 22 150 07 ! 16 447 147 ■ 29 440 146 55 327 134 39 203 75 21 246 08 13 311 i 109 35 319 120 '28 346 I 129 37 1,406 522 180 153 : 60 16 ; Exceeding: £400 and I up to £800. 1 111 I 15 120 99 0 10 11 16 28 16 11 9 22 15 22 120 8 it g> *i H.S ! 98 8 : 128 82 9 13 20 14 20 15 10 5 24 16 22 87 9 Total. 22,537 3,254 33,590 24,393 2,139 3,038 1,437 6,846 7,994 4,932 4,187 2,763 6,091 4,893 8,419 31,374 2,081 Totals, 1898 125,190 18,001 11,238 ._ . ' , 1 , 9,641 ! 3,573 1,111 I 9,837 j 3,314 1,039 639 645 575 598 169,968 159,331 Totals, 1897 117,'201 16,562 10,135

13

F.-l

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.

FROM LONDON VlA SAN FRANCISCO. Auckland. Wellington. Dunedin. Sydney. Melbourne. 1898. January February March April May June July July August September October November December Date of Despatch from London. 1898. 22 ' February 24 12 I March 17 12 I April 12 9 j May 1 1 7 J June 8 4 ! J ul .V 5 2 , August 3 30 August 30 27 September 27 24 October 27 22 November 23 19 I December 21 1899. 17 January 18 Date of Arrival in Auckland No. : Date of of Despatch from ' Days, i London. 1898. 1898. 33 January 22 February 2; S3 ! February 12 March 18 31 Marcli 12 April 13 32 April 9 May 12 I 32 May 7 June 9 31 June 4 July 6 32 July 2 August 5 31 July 30, September 1 31 August 27 ! September 28 33 September 24 October 28 32 October 22 November 24 32 November 19 December 22 1899. 32 December 17 January 19 : Date of Arrival in Wellington. No. Date of of Despatch from j Days. London, 1898. 1898. 34 January 22 February 27 34 February 12 March 20 32 March 12 : April 14 33 A P«1 9 Ma y "3 May 7 i June io 32 June 4 ! July 8 34 July 2 August 6 33 July 30 I September 2 32 August 27 ! September 29 34 September 24 \ October 30 October 22 November 25 November 19 | December 24 [899. 33 December 17 January 21 Date of Arrival in Dunedin. ■ No. ) Date of of ! Despatch from Days. London. 1898. 36 January 22 36 ; February 12 33 ! March 12 34 April 9 34 i May 7 34 June 4 35 July 2 34 July 30 August 27 36 September 24 34 October 22 3 5 November J 9 Date of No. Arrival in of Sydney. Days. 1898. February 28 j 37 March 21 I 37 April 16 35 May 15 I 36 June '3 J 37 July 9 . 35 August 8 37 September 3 . 35 October 1 35 November 1 38 November 28 37 December 26 37 1899. January 23 37 Date of Arrival in Sydney. Date of Date of Despatch from Arrival in London. Melbourne. 1898. 1898. January 22 ; March 1 February 12 : Marct) 22 March 12 April 18 April 9 May 17 May 7 June 14 June 4 July 1 1 July 2 August 9 July 30 September 5 August 27 October 3 September 24 November 2 October 22 November 29 November 19 j December 27 1899. December 17 January 24 i No. of Days. 38 38 37 38 38 37 38 37 37 39 38 38 35 ! December 17 38 Maximum Minimum Average ■ •■ I 3 1 3'"9 2 34 32 36 33 3454 ; 38 35 3638 39 37 3777 TO LONDON VIA SAN FRANCISCO. ?■: ELKOURNE. Stdxet. Dunedin. Wellington. Auckland. Date of Despatch from Melbourne. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Davs. Date of Despatch from Svdnev. Date of Arrival in London. No. Date of of Despatch from Davs. Dunedin. 1898. 38 , January 19 35 February 16 36 ; March 16 S-, J April 13 36 May 11 35 June 8 37 ! July 6 37 August 3 37 August 31 38 September 28 37 October 26 November 2 3 Date of Arrival in London. No. Date of of Despatch from Days. ■ Wellington. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from Auckland. Date of Arrival in London. So. of Days. 1898. Januarv February March April May June July July August September October November 15 12 9 7 4 2 3° 24 22 '9 1898. February 24 March 2 1 April 19 May 16 June 14 July 1 1 August 10 September 7 October 5 November 3 j November 30 December 30 1899. January 26 | 1898. 1898. 40 ■ January 17 February 24 37 February 14 March 21 38 March 14 April 19 37 April 1 I May 116 38 I May 9 June 14 37 j June 6 July 11 39 July 4 August io 39 ■ August 1 j September 7 39 i August 29 October 5 40 '. September 26 . November 3 39 : October 24 November 30 41 November 21 December 30 40 ' December 19 January 26 1898. February 24 March 2 1 April 19 May 16 June 14 July 1 1 August 10 September 7 October 5 November 3 November 30 December 30 1899. Januarv 26 1898. 36 January 21 February 1 ! 34 March 18 33 I A P ril '5 34 J May 13 33 J uile ,o 35 J«ly 8 35 August 5 35 September 2 36 September 30 35 ; October 28 37 : November 25 36 I December 23 1898. February 24 March 21 April 19 May 16 June 14 July 11 August 10 September 7 October 5 November 3 November 30 j December 30 1899. January 26 31 32 3' -J 32 3> 33 33 33 34 33 i 35 34 ! 1898. 1898. Januarv 22 February 24 February 19 March 2 1 March 19 April 19 April 16 May 16 May 14 June 14 June 11 i July 1 1 July 9 j August 10 August 6 September '7 September 3 October 5 October 1 I November 3 October 29 j November 30 November 26 ; December 30 1899. December 24 I January 26 33 3° 3i 30 3' 3° 32 32 3* 33 32 34 December ■7 38 i December 21 j 33 Maximum Minimum Average 41 1 39 35 37 33 ■ 3477 35 3' 32'77 34 3° 3177

Table No. 11.-VANCOUVER MAIL-SERVICE. Statement showing the Number of Days occupied in the Delivery of Mails between London and the under-mentioned Places by the Vancouver Mail-service.

#.— f.

14

FROM LONDON VIA VANCOUVER. Wellington. Sydney. Auckland. DuXEDIN. Melbourne. Date of Despatch from ■ London. Date of Arrival in Auckland. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Wellington. No. Date of of Despatch from Days. London. Date of Arrival in Dunedin. No. Of Days. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Sydney. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Melbourne. No. of Days. 1898. 1898. January 29 March 9 February 26 April 6 March 26 May 7 April 23 Ma)" 31 May 21 ; June 27 June 18 ' July 25 July 16 August 23 August 13 Sept. 18 September 10 October 17 October 8 November 15 November 5 December 11 1899. December 3 ' January 10 December 31 \ February 8 39 39 42 38 37 37 38 36 37 33 36 1898. January 29 February 26 March 26 April 23 May 21 June . 18 July 16 August 13 Sept. 10 October 8 ! November 5 1898. March 8 April 3 May 5 May 29 June 25 July 23 August 22 Sept. 17 October 16 November 14 December 10 1899. January 9 February 7 • 38 36 40 36 35 35 37 35 36 37 35 1898. January 29 February 26 ; March 26 April 23 I May 21 '• June 18 July 16 August 13 Sept. 10 October 8 November 5 1898. March 9 April 4 May 6 May 31 ! June 27 ; July 25 August 23 Sept. 18 October 17 November 15 December 11 1899. January 10 February 9 39 37 4 1 38 37 37 38 36 37 38 36 38 4° 1898. January 29 February , 26 March 26 April 23 May 21 June 18 July 16 August 13 Sept. 10 October 8 November 5 December 3 December 31 1898. March 12 April 8 May 10 June 3 June 30 July 27 August 26 Sept. 21 October 21 November 18 December 14 . 1899. January 13 February 11 i 42 4 1 45 4 1 40 39 41 39 4 1 41 39 41 42 1898. January 29 February 26 March 26 Apri 23 May 21 June 18 July 16 August 13 Sept. 10 October 8 November 5 1898. March 14 April 9 May 11 June 4 July 1 July 28 August 27 Sept. 22 October 22 November 21 December 15 1899. January 14 February 13 44 42 46 42 4 1 40 42 40 42 44 40 38 39 December 3 December 31 37 38 December 3 I December 31 December 3 December 31 42 44 Maximum Minimum Average 3800 40 35 3654 ! 4i ! 36 37-85 i 45 39 4O92 46 40 42 23 TO LONDON VIA VANCOUVER. SlELBOUKNE. Sydney. DrNEDIX. Wellington. Auckland. Date of Despatch from Melbourne. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from Sydney. Date of Arrival in London. Xo. of Days. Date of Despatch from Dunedin. Date of Arrival in London. Xo. Date of of ' Despatch from Days. ; Wellington. Date of Arrival iu London. Xo. of : Days. Date of Despatch from Auckland. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. 1898. January . 1 February 4 March 5 March 25 April 22 May 21 June 17 July 15 August 12 September 9 October 7 November 4 1898. February 14 March 19 April 19 May 8 June 4 July 2 July 29 August 27 Sept. 24 October 22 November 19 December 14 1899. January 11 44 43 45 44 43 42 42 43 43 43 43 40 1898. 1898. January 3 February 14 February 5 March 19 March 7 April 19 March 26 May 8 April 23 June 4 May 23 July 2 June 18 July 29 July 16 J August 27 August 13 i Sept. 24 Sept. 10 : October 22 October 8 November 19 November 5 ; December 14 1899. December 3 i January 11 42 42 43 43 42 40 41 42 42 42 42 39 1898. January 7 February 9 March 11 March 30 April 27 May 2(5 June 22 July 20 August 17 Sept. 14 October 12 November 8 1898. February 14 March 19 April 19 May 8 June 4 July 2 July 29 August 27 Sept. 24 October 22 November 19 December 14 1899. January 11 38 38 39 39 38 37 37 38 38 38 38 36 35 1898. 1898. January 8 ' February 14 , February 12 March 19 I March 12 April 19 March 31 May 8 ! April 28 June 4 May 28 July 2 June 23 July 29 July 21 August 27 August 18 Sept. 24 Sept. 15 October 22 October 13 November 19 November 10 ! December 14 1899. December 8 January 11 37 35 38 38 37 35 37 37 37 37 34 1898. 1898. January 6 i February 14 February 7 March 19 March 10 | April 19 March 29 May 8 April 26 June 4 May 26 July 2 June 21 July 29 July 18 ; August 27 August 15 I Sept. 24 Sept. 12 I October 22 October 10 November 19 November 7 December 14 1899. December 5 January 11 39 40 40 40 39 37 38 40 40 40 40 37 37 December 2 40 39 I December 7 34 Maximum Minimum A verage •• ! 45 ■• 4° 42'6q 43 39 41'46 39 35 37-62 38 34 3631 ■ I 40 37 3900

15

F.-l

Table No. 12.-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 Line.

FROM LONDON BY THE P. AND O. PACKETS. Melbourne. Sydney. Bluff. Christchorch. Wellington. Auckland. Date of Despatch from London. Date of Arrival in Melbourne. No. j Date of of I Despatch from Days. London. Date of Arrival in Sydney. No. of Days. Date of Date of Despatch from i Arrival at London. Bluff. - Date of Date of Despatch from i Arrival at London. Bluff. No. Date of Date of No. of Despatch from Arrival in of Days. London. Christchurch. Days. 1898. 1898. 40 Jan. 7 Feb. 17 41 39 Jan. 2 1 March 2 40 39 ! Feb. 4 J March 16 40 38 i Feb. 18 March 30 40 40 . March 4 April 14 41 38 March 18 April 26 39 41 i April 1 I May 11 j 40 43 April 15 May 27 42 38 April 29 June 8 j 40 40 May 13 June 21 1 39 42 May 27 July 7 41 38 June 10 July 18 38 45 June 24 1 August 5 : 42 42 July 8 j August 17 , 40 38 July 22 : August 30 39 42 August 5 Sept. 14 40 42 August 19 Sept. 29 , 41 39 Sept. 2 October 12 40 43 Sept. 16 October 27 41 42 : Sept. 30 Nov. 8 39 38 : October 14 Nov. 22 39 42 October 28 Dec. 8 41 38 Nov. 11 D . 2o| 39 1899. 38 ■ Nov. 25 Jan. 3 ' 39 39 Dec. 9 Jan. 19 I 41 39 Dec. 23 Feb. 1 I 40 j Date of Date of ' No. Date of Despatch from Arrival in of Despatch from London. Wellington. Days. London. 1898. 1898. 1898. Jan. 7 Feb. 12 36 ! Jan. 7 Jan. 21 March 2 40 ! Jan. 21 Feb. 4 March 16 40 j Feb. 4 Feb. 18 March 30 40 Feb. 18 March 4 April 13 40 I March 4 March 18 April 27 40 j March 18 April 1 May 10 39 ' April 1 ; April 15 May 25 40 ' April 15 ; April 29 June 7 39 I April 29 May 13 I June 20 ' 38 i May 13 May 27 July 5 39 ' May 27 j June 10 July 17 37 June 10 June 24 1 August 4 J 41 June 24 July 8 August 16 I 39 July 8 July 22 [ August 28 37 July 22 i August 5 Sept. r3 39 August 5 i August 19 Sept. 27 39 August 19 Sept. 2 October 11 39 Sept. 2 Sept. 16 ; October 25 39 Sept. 16 Sept. 30 ; Nov. 9 ! 40 Sept. 30 , October 14 Nov. 20 37 October 14 October 28 Dec. 6 39 October 28 Nov. 1 r Dec. 20 39 Nov. 11 1899. Nov. 25 Jan. 4 j 40 Not. 25 Dec. 9 j Jan. 17 39 Dec. 9 Dec. 23 I Jan. 31 | 39 Dec. 23 Date of Date of Despatch from Arrival in London. Auckland. No. of Days. 1898. Jan. 7 Jan. 21 Feb. 4 Feb. 18 March 4 March 18 April 1 April ; j April 29 May 13 May 27 June 10 June 24 July 8 July 22 August 5 August 19 Sept. 2 Sept. 16 Sept. 30 October 14 October 28 Nov. 1 1 1898. 1898. Feb. 5 I 29 I Jan. 7 Feb. 22 ! 32 i Jan. 21 March 6 30 Feb. 4 March 21 31 Feb. 18 April 5 32 March 4 April 19 32 March 18 May 1 30 April ! May 18 ' April 15 May 31 32 April 29 June 14 32 May 13 June 27 ' 31 May 27 July 10 30 June 10 July 24 30 : June 24 August 8 3' J u 'y 8 August 21 30 July 22 Sept. 4 30 ! August 5 Sept 19 31 . August 19 October 4 32 Sept. 2 October 17, 31 Sept. 16 Oct. 31 31 i Sept. 30' Nov. 13 30 October 14 Nov. 27 30 ' October 28 Dec. ] 2 31 Nov. 11 1898. Feb. , 7 Feb. 23 March 8 March 22 April 6 April 20 May 3 May 19 June 1 June 15 June 28 July 12 July 26 August 9 August 23 Sept. 6 Sept. 20 October 5 October 18 Nov. 1 Nov. 14 Nov. 28 Dec. 13 3' 33 32 32 I 32 ; 34 I 33 ; 33 I 32 j 32 ! 32 32 32 i 32 32 33 32 32 3' 32 33 32 32 1898. 1898. Jan. 7 j Feb. 16 Jan. 21 I March 1 Feb. 4 J March 15 Feb. 18 March 28 ] March 4 ; April 13 I March 18 Aprii 25 I April 1 j May 12 April 15 May 28 J April 29 June 6 j May 13 June 22 I May 27 July 8 j June 10 July 18 June 24 August 8 July 8 I August 1 g i July 22 I August 29 August 5 Sept. 16 August 19 Sept. 30 Sept. 2 1 October 11 Sept. 16 October 29 Sept 30 Nov. 1 1 October 14 ! Nov. 2 1 October 28 ; Dec. 9 Nov. 1 1 Dec. 19 1899. Nov. 25 Jan. 2 Dec. 9 Jan. 17 Dec. 23 i Jan. 31 1898. Feb. 14 Feb. 28 March 14 March 28 April 12 April 25 May 9 May 23 June 7 June 20 July 4 July 18 August 2 August J5 August 29 Sept. 12 Sept. 26 October 10 October 24 Nov. 7 Nov. 2 1 Dec. 5 Dec. 19 1899. 38 39 38 38 38 39 08 38 38 38 38 38 38 Nov. 25 Dec. 27 32 ■ Nov. 25 i 1899. Jan. 9 31 Dec. 9 Jan. 23 31 Dec. 23 Dec. 28 1899. Jan. 3 39 Dec. 9 Dec. 23 Jan. 10 Jan. 24 Jan. 16 Jan. 30 38 38 Maximum Minimum Average .33 29 30-96 34 3' 3"3 45 38 40-12 ; 42 38 4008 4' 36 3900 39 38

F.^-l

16

Table No. 12.-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. Date of of Despatch from I Days. Bluff. Date of Arrival in London. No. Date of of Despatch from Davs. Svdney. " Date of Arrival in London. No. Date of of j Despatch from Days. 1 Melbourne. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. i8g8. January 3 j January 17 January 24 February 7 February 24 March 7 March 21 April 4 April 18 May 2 May 16 May 30 June 14 June 28 July 11 July 25 August 8 August 22 Sept. 7 Sept. 19 October 4 October 17 October 31 November 14 1898. February 13 j February 27 March 6 March 20 April 6 ! April 16 i April 30 -May 15 May 29 June 13 June 27 July 11 July 25 August 8 August 21 ! Sept. 4 ! Sept. 18 j October 2 October 16 October 29 November 12 November 26 December 10 December 24 1899. January 8 January 21 41 41 40 4° . 41 42 42 42 41 41 41 41 41 39 40 39 40 4° 40 1897. 1898. Decfember 31 February 13 i 44 1898. January 15 , February 27 : 43 January 22 March 6 43 February 5 ! March 20 43 February 22 ! April 6 j 43* March 5 April 16 I 42 March 19 ; April 30 '< 42 April 2 j May 15 43 May 5 June 13 39 May 30 Jul}' 11 I 42 June 11 July 25 ; 44 June 25 August 8 ; 44 July 22 Sept. 4 i 44 August 9 Sept. 18 40 August 24 Oct. 2 39 Sept. 3 I Oct. 16 43 Sept. 17 Oct. 29 . 42 October 5 ; November 12 38 October 15 ; November 26 42 November 16 • December 24 38 November 25 j January 8 ; 44 December 14 : January 21 38 December 24 | February 4 I 42 1898. 1898. January 3 February 13 January 19 : February 27 February 9 March 20 February 22 April 6 March 8 Apri 16 March 22 ■ April 30 April 7 May 15 April 19 I May 29 April 30 ! June 13 May 16 June 27 May 31 July 11 June 11 July 25 June 27 ; August 8 July 12 j August 21 July 22 I Sept. 4 August 23 October 2 Sept. 2 October 16 October 4 ] November 12 November 5 December 10 November 15 : December 24 1899. December 13 i January 21 December 27 February 4 4 1 39 39 43* 39 39 38 40 44 42 4 1 44 42 40 44 1 1898. 1898. January 10 February 13 January 24 February 27 February 1 ; March 6 February 15 ! March 20 March 1 April 6 March 15 April 16 March 29 April 30 April 12 ! May 15 April 26 j May 29 May 10 j June 13 May 24 ; June 27 June 7 July 11 June 21 July 25 July 5 ! August 8 July 19 i August 21 August 2 j Sept. 4 August 16 ; Sept. 18 August 30 < October 2 Sept. 13 : October 16 Sept. 27 j October 29 October 11 November 12 October 25 i November 26 November 8 j December 10 November 22 , December 24 1899. December 6 , January 8 December 20 j January 21 1899. January 3 February 4 1898. 34 January 11 34 1 January 25 33 \ February 2 33 February 16 36* March 2 32 March 16 32 i March 30 33 April 13 33 I April 27 34 j May 11 34 May 25 34 June 8 34 June 22 34 Jul}' 6 33 July 20 33 ; August 3 33 August 17 33 August 31 33 Sept. 14 32 Sept. 28 32 : October 12 32 October 26 32 November 9 32 , November 23 1898. February 13 33 February 27 33 March 6 : 32 March 20 32 April 6 35* April 16 31 April 30 31 May 15 32 May 29 32 June 13 33 June 27 33 July 11 33 J ul y 25 33 August 8 33 August 21 32 Sept. 4 32 Sept. 18 32 October 2 ■ 32 October 16 32 October 29 31 November 12 31 November 26 31 December 10 31 December 24 j 31 1899. January S 32 January 21 31 40 44 39 35 39 November 28 December 15 41 37 39 33 December 7 32 : December 21 1899. 32 I January 4 December 26 February 4 | 40 39 February 4 31 Maximum Minimum Average .. 42 37 40-56 I 44 4I-83 44 35 40-45 36 32 3304 35 31 : 32-04 I i * Ss." China " ashore at Perim.

F.-l

Table No. 13.-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.

3—F. 1.

17

FROM LONDON BY THE ORIENT LINE. Melbourne. Sydney. Bluff. Christchurch. Wellington. Auckland. Date of Date of j No. Date of Despatch from Arrival in of Despatch from London. Melbourne, j Days. London. Date of • No. Date of Arrival in i of Despatch from Melbourne. , Days. London. Date of No. Date of Arrival in of Despatch from Sydney. Days. London. 1898. 1898. Feb. 17 34 Jan. 14 March ' 3 34 Jan. 28 March 16 33 Feb. 11 j March 30 Feb. 25 April 13 ! March 1 1 April 27 33 " March 25 May 111 33 : April 8 ' May 25 33 ■ April 22 I June 8 33 May 6 : June - 22 33 May 20 ! July 8 j 35 June 3 July 21 34 June 17 August 3 33 July 1 August 17 33 July 15 ; August 31 33 '■ July 29 Sept. 14 33 ! August 12 Sept. 29 34 August 26 October 11 32 Sept. 9 October 26 33 Sept. 23 Nov. 14 38 October 7 Nov. 22 32 October 21 Dec. 7 I Nov. 4 Dec. 22 i 34 Nov. 18 1899. Jan. 5 34 ! Dec. 2 Jan. 18 ; 33 j Dec. 16 ! Feb. 2 i 34 J Dec. 30 Date of Arrival at Bluff. 1898. Feb. 2 1 March 8 March 2 1 I April 3 I April 21 I May 6 , May 17 I May 31 ; June 16 June 28 July 18 July 29 August 8 August 24 : Sept. 9 ■ Sept. 19 October 11 I October 20 | October 31 I Nov. 21 Nov. 28 ; Dec. 16 i Dec. 27 1899. 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. Date of Date of No. of Despatch from ! Arrival in of Days. London. Auckland. Days. 1898. 1898. 1898. Jan. 14 J Fcb 16 i 33 Jan. 14 Jan. 28 J March 2 : 33 Jan. 28 Feb. 11 March 15 32 Feb. 11 Feb. 25 March 29 I 32 Feb. 25 March 11 ■ April 12 I 32 ! March 11 March 25 April 26 ; 32 : March 25 April 8 ; May 10 32 April 8 April 22 May 24 ; 32 I April 22 May 6 June 7 ] 32 | May 6 May 20 June 21 32 : May 20 June 3 July 7 34 June 3 June 17 I July 20 33 ■ June 17 July 1 , August 2 32 J July 1 July 15 J August 16 32 J July 15 July 29 August 30 J 32 j July 29 August 12 , Sept. 13 J 32 1 August 12 August 26 ; Sept. 28 I 33 August 26 Sept. 9 October 10 31 j Sept. 9 Sept. 23 October 25 j 32 Sept. 23 October 7 Nov. 13 j 37 October j October 21 ; Nov. 21 1 31 ' October 21 Nov. 4 Dec. 6 32 Nov. 4 Nov. 18 Dec. 21 33 Nov. 18 1899. Dec. 2 Jan. 4 j 33 ; Dec. 2 Dec. 16 Jan. 17 j 32 | Dec. 16 Dec. 30 Feb. 1 j 33 i Dec. 30 39 37 4' 39 39 39 45 42 4= 42 4' 45 38 42 39 1898. Jan. 14 Jan. 28 Feb. 1 1 Feb. 25 March 11 March 25 April 8 i April 22 May 6 May 20 June 3 June 17 July . July '5 1 July 29 August 12 August 26 Sept. 9 Sept. 23 I October 7 i October 21 j Nov. 4 Nov. 18 1898. Feb. 23 March 9 March 24 April 6 April 22 May 7 Ma, 18 June 2 June 18 June 29 July 15 July 29 August 9 August 23 Sept. 8 Sept. 20 October 8 October 21 Nov. I Nov. 22 Nov. 30 Dec. 15 Dec. 28 1899. 40 1 40 40 j 43 43 40 4' 43 40 42 I 4 2 39 j 39 i 4' 39 43 42 39 46 ; 40 4.1 40 1898. 1898. Jan. 14 Feb. 25 Jan. 28 March g Feb. 11 March 22 Feb. 25 April 9 March 1 1 April 19 March 25 j May 6 April 8 j May 16 April 22 \ June 1 May 6 June- 17 May 20 June 29 June 3 ] July 14 June 17 ; July 28 July 1 I August 9 July 15 August 22 July 29 : Sept. 6 August 13 Sept. 19 August 26 ' October 7 Sept. 9 October 20 Sept. 23 Nov. 2 October 7 , Nov. 20 October 21 ! Nov. 30 Nov. 4 Dec. 13 Nov. 18 Dec. 29 1899. Dec. 2 Jan. 11 Dec. 16 Jan. 23 Dec. 30 Feb. 9 1898. 189S. 42 Jan. 14 March 1 46 40 Jan. 28 March 12 43 39 Feb. 1 t March 2 1 38 43 Feb. 25 ; April 5 39 39 March 11 . April 18 j 38 42 March 25 May 3 j 39 38 April 8 May 17 j 39 40 April 22 i May 30 38 42 May 6 1 June 13 38 40 May 20 ' June 27 I 38 41 June 3 July 18 : 45 41 June 17 July 30 43 39 July 1 i August 8 38 38 July 15 August 22 38 39 July 29 Sept. 5 38 38 August 12 Sept. 19 38 42 August 26 October 8 I 43 41 Sept. 9 October 18 t 39 40 Sept. 23 October 3 1 ! 38 44 October 7 ! Nov. 2 1 45 40 ' October 2 1 Nov. 28 j 38 39 Nov. 4 Dec. 12 41 Nov. 18 Dec. 31 j 43 1899.' 40 Dec. 2 Jan. 13 42 38 Dec. 16 J Jan. 23 38 41 Dec. 30 ; Feb. 7 ! 39 1 Jan. 9 ! Jan. 24 I Feb. 7 38 39 39 Dec. 2 Dec. 16 Dec. 30 Jan. io Jan. 25 Feb. 8 39 40 40 I r~ 1 ' : Maximum Minimum Average ■ ••• i 3< ... 32-46; • 3.V4& 46 37 40" 12 46 4085 44 ••• 46 38 ». 38 4027 ... 39-91 i 46 i 38 ;39'96 1

_\—l

18

Table No. 13.-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). Auckland. Wellington. Bluff. Sydney. Melbourne. i Date of Despatch from Auckland, Date of Arrival to London. ». r Date of o£ i Despatch from ua>s - , Wellington. Date of Arrival in London. •vj f ! Date of n , °- Despatch from j • s - Bluff. Date of Arrival in London. xi r Date of oydney. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. Date of Despatch from Melbourne. Date of Arrival in London. No. of Days. 1898. 1898. January 10 ! February 19 January 31 March 13 February 15 March 28 February 28 April 9 March 17 ] April 23 March 28 May 8 April 12 May 22 April 25 ] June 4 May 11 J June 20 May 23 July 5 June 8 July 19 June 20 August 1 July 5 I August 14 July 18 August 30 August 3 Sept. 11 August 15 Sept. 25 August 30 October 9 Sept. ' 12 October 23 Sept. 27 November 6 October 11 November 21 October 27 December 3 November 7 ! December 17 1899. November 23 January 1 December 3 January 17 December 21 ! January 28 4° 4 1 37 40 4° 4° 43 4 1 40 43 39 41 4C 41 40 4* 37 40 1898. l< 1898. January 8 February 19 February 2 March 13 February 14 March 28 February 26 April 9 March 12 April 23 March 26 May 8 April g May 22 April 25 June 4 May 12 June 20 May 25 J u ly 5 June 6 July 19 June 22 August 1 July 2 I August 14 July 15 ! August 30 August 4 j Sept. 11 August 13 Sept. 25 42 39 42 42 43 43 40 39 41 43 40 43 46 38 43 43 38 42 45 1898. January 11 February 1 : February 15 ; March 1 March 15 March 29 April 12 I May 21 J July 2 August 2 : August 13 1 Sept. 13 Sept. 23 October 14 October 25 I November 25 December 3 December 20 1898. February 19 March 13 March 28 April 9 April 23 May 8 May 22 July August 14 39 40 4 1 39 39 40 45 43 1898. 1898. January 17 : February 19 February 8 ! March 13 February 22 March 28 March 8 April 9 March 22 | April 23 April 5 [ May 8 April 19 ! May 22 May 3 I June 4 May 17 June 20 May 31 July 5 June 14 July 19 June 28 1 August 1 July 12 ■ August 14 July 26 ; August 30 August 9 Sept. 11 August 23 Sept. 25 Sept. 6 October 9 Sept. 20 j October 23 October 4 j November 6 October 18 November 21 November 1 December 3 November 15 1 December 17 1899. November 29 , January 1 December 13 January 17 December 27 January 28 33 33 34 32 32 33 33 34 35 35 34 33 35 33 33 33 35 33 34 32 32 1898. January 18 February 9 February 23 1 March 9 March 23 April 6 April 20 ' May 4 I May 18 i June 1 I June 15 I June 29 July 13 July 27 August 10 August 24 Sept. 7 j Sept. 21 October 5 October 19 November 2 November j6 1898. February 19 I 3 2 March 13 3 2 March 28 33 April 9 31 April 23 3 1 May 8 \ 32 May 22 3 2 June 4 31 June 20 33 July 5 34 July 19 34 ; August 1 33 August 14 32 August 30 34 i Sept. 11 32 Sept. 25 3 2 ' October 9 3 2 October 23 32 November 6 3 2 November 21 [ 3 J December 3 3 1 December 17 . 3 1 1899. January 1 3 2 January 17 34 January 28 31 Sept. 11 Sept. 25 4° 43 Sept. 24 : November 6 October 23 November 6 November 21 December 3 40 44 38 39 October 26 December 3 November 5 December 17 1899. 39 45 December 3 1 January 17 1899. January 1 January 17 January 28 37 45 39 33 35 32 November 30 December 14 December 28 I Maximum Minimum Average 45 37 40-40 * 1 38 4 i7° 45 37 40-61 35 32 I 33-24 34 31 32-24

19

P.—l

Table No. 14. 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, 1898.

Posted in the Colony. Received from Places outside the Colony. Total Correspondence dealt with. 'ostal rid :s. Books, &c. Newspapers. cards" Books > &c - Newspapers. car'dt **-* Letters. Lettercards. Post-cards. Parcels. Letters. Parcels. Letters. Books, &c. Newspapers. Parcels. I Auckland Thames New Plymouth Gisborne Napier Wanganui Wellington .. Nelson Westport Greymouth .. Hokitika Blenheim Christchurch Timaru Oamaru Dunedin Invercargill .. 5.558,592 753,207 1,082,627 250,744 1,738,607 1,609,075 6,620,471 624,572 235.989 426,608 224,731 359,060 4,893.031 876,083 519,246 4,620,135 2,073,097 148,382 18,746 31,226 8,O47 47,619 7 6 >5°5 I73.O56 21,268 2,964 6,838 3.874 8,476 143. 117 34.944 22,373 III, 267 58,929 280,436 3O,576 64,870 2,964 77.324 122,226 211,991 30,966 1,989 13.117 4,810 10,582 51,064 31,356 189,644 85,280 3,348,683 203,931 335,426 91,780 741,585 920,283 2,738,359 195,208 64,974 184,392 24,635 1,682,668 359,151 139,880 2,533,739 679,120 2,336,451 37,453 202,267 2,775 327,301 2,427 91,130 1,766 466,180 7,832 420,654 6,660 1,791,673 40,028 195,052 J 4,907 123,656 J 1,766 173,758 2,575 82,654 2,094 in, 865 1,580 1,812,447 28,636 144,469 1,613 112,073 1,016 1,798,147 30,172 682,682 4,259 388,901 52,714 75,734 ! 17,548 ! 121,542 1 112,585 463, 142 43.7IO 16,514 29,857 15,726 25,129 342,312 6i,3i5 • 36,337 323,309 145,066 16,160 1,710 J 3,905 i 169 1 4.3 8 9 6,954 12,284 1,767 114 ; 741 ! 273 57O II,03O 1 2,907 I 1,789 l 10,907 4.845 I 532,680 907.077 32,397 78,485 53,105 : 127,056 14,362 36,156 117,561 181,002 147,203 165,311 434,081 697,843 31,056 75.725 10,202 47,957 29,194 67,448 3,806 32,061 15,169 43,401 267,123 700,016 56,946 56,092 22,156 43,500 403,287 ! 698,820 107,642 ] 265,078 5,694 406 374 209 1,216 982 6,180 761 198 375 304 231 4,336 351 150 4,569 708 I . I 5,947.493 148,382 ; 296,596 805,921 18,746 j 32,286 1,158,361 31,226 I 68,775 268,292 8,047 3, r 33 1,860,149 47,619 j 81,713 1,721,660 76,505 129,180 7,083,613 173,056 I 224,275 668,282 21,268 ! 32,733 252,503 2,964 ' 2,103 456,465 6,838 > 13,858 240,457 ! 3,874 ; 5,083 384,189 ! 8,476 j 11,152 5,235,343 M3, "7 J 201,285 937,398 34,944 I 53, 97 1 555,583 I 22,373 , 33,145 4,943.444 111,267 ; 200,551 2,218,163 : 58,929 90,125 3,881,363 236,328 388,531 106,142 859,146 1,067,486 3,172,440 226,264 75,176 213,586 28,441 111,486 1,949,79' 416,097 162,036 2,937,026 786,762 3,243,528 j 280,752 454,357 127,286 ! 647,182 585.965 2,489,516 270,777 171,613 241,206 "4,715 155,266 2,512,463 200,561 155,573 2,496,967 947,760 15,095,487 43, r 47 3,181 2,801 i>975 9,048 7,642 46,208 5,668 1,964 2,950 2,398 1,811 33. O 72 1,964 1,166 34.641 4.967 Totals 32,465,875 30,260,204 917,631 I.399.45O 14,340,13! 10,872,459 1177.559 0,872,459 1177,559 : 2,271,441 j 180,514 16,549 2,277,970 4,223,028 ;27,O44 34,737. 3 J 6 [917,631 1,479,964 16,618, IOI 204,60; Previous year 757,172 10,177,089 ,173,856 0,177,089 1173,856 : 2,012,719 2,276,389 14,084,256 123,698 32,272,923 757, 172 1,341,821 14,627,832 14,261,345 1,325,272 12,351,443 197.55'

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Table No 15. 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, 1898.

Parcels. Articles exempt from Postage. Articles subject to Postage. Service. Letters. ! Lettercards. Ordinary. | | I Post-cards. Single. Eeply paid. Packets, including Printed Matter (except Newspapers), Commercial Papers, and Samples of NewsMercbandise. papers. Ordinary, i Kegistered. I ! I _ ■. . Kegistered Newsletters. J Packets. Sttclee. papers. Number, i Weight. Postage. Declared Value. ! : Posted. 1,380,469 1,350 14,901 2,692 13,633,024 7 138,165 31 234,597 i 8,708,287 2,599,046 864 502,230 j 31,663 : 1,953 | j 779,525 4,584 j 1,131 j 72,443 1,065 599 Lb. 878,840 169,018 591,467 1,237 4,518 11,027 £ s. a. £ s. 9,925 6 8 a. Inland 27,871,449198,894 672,601 60,737 917,631 I 26,389 5,480 321 5 0) [ 9,245 0 495 12 8lj 0 Intercolonial .. International .. 940.101J 20,924 29,484,151280.555 917,631 3,297 2,340 j 4,023 i 9,705 Totals .. 1,396,720 J 2,730 14,005,786 b,990, 042 2,635,293 290, 94S 882,417 177,559 ,612,199 10,742 4 i\ 9,245 0 0 35,166 74,107 Beceived. Intercolonial .. International .. Totals .. .. 1,000,017| 14,549 .. 1,198,917 25,890 .. 2,198,934! 40,439 61,405 18,928 127 983,627; 1,284,125 2,033 1,507,997 4,773 2,712,389 27,704 3,342 2,909 737 I i,194 9,221 27,237 ; 1,282 3 4 ) \ 57,627 0 0 17,823 : 58,865 2,340 6 8 j 54 375 413 I 1,448 80,333 181 2,267,752 6,806 4,220,386 | 31,046 3,284 1,150 2,642 27,044 86,102 i 3,622 10 0 57,627 0 0

21

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Table No. 16. 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, 1898.

Postal Districts. Letters. Letter-cards. Post-cards. Rooks, &o. Newspapers. Parcels. Auckland Fhames Sew Plymouth .. jisborne Napier .. Wanganui Wellington kelson .. Westport "ireymouth Hokitika Blenheim 3hristclmrch Fimaru.. )amaru Dunedin [nvercarpill 3,053,885 380,654 3°4> IX 7 no, 172 513,906 4<M,335 2,369,979 179,214 78,787 166,621 83,023 89,464 1,726,441 250,088 Mi,777 1 ,439,262 466,777 86,377 10,764 8,599 3,"5 14,532 13,130 67,120 5,o68 2,228 4i7" 2,347 2,529 48,727 7,072 4,009 40,672 13,199 "2,773 36,3*6 35,722 2,834 21,648 36,027 85,090 9,590 3,973 9,403 4,859 6,040 86,442 17,866 9,556 86,806 49,499 605,320 127,826 100,824 12,301 150,185 294,040 394,160 51,427 11,819 56,501 16,120 38,172 615,546 105,637 32,345 517,351 175,454 671>439 142,841 200,087 30,824 124,294 193,116 602,616 99 > !03 39,431 46,182 57,995 44,601 434,866 62,413 24,894 400,077 168, 5CJ7 9,739 3,080 2,634 1,860 6,282 4,000 io,353 2,532 1,491 3,008 874 875 4,803 1,016 1,064 5,442 1,163 Totals n,8i8,5O2 334,199 287,120 614,444 3,305,028 3,343,37 6 60,216 Previous year .. II ,197,988 597,234 58,360 2,842,976 3,075,085

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22

Table No. 17. 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.

Year ended Number of Miles of Line. Number of Miles of Wire. i i: ' Private, Govern- £ , and Press. , ment. Number of Telegrams forwarded during the Year. warded Total. — Telegraph Revenue from all Sources. Value of Government Messages. Total Value of Business done during the Year. Cost of „ . Maintenance Cost of of Maintenance Unes> _ °. f excluding S Stations. i Australian c able Subsidy. Total Expenditure. Cost of Main. tenancc of Lines per Mile. 1 Tariff in Operation. 30th June, 1866 1867 699 1,390 757 ; 1,498 13 i 24,761 21 I 55,621 : 2,746 1^.331 27,407 70,952 £ s. d. £ s. d.| £ s. d. 5,561 19 2 483 3 2 J 6,045 2 4 9,070 10 1 3,770 4 8 12,840 14 9 11,652 3 7 6,672 o 3 18,324 3 10 £ *■ d. £ s. d. 3.934 3 4 2 ,443 2 11 8,017 14 7 2,541 4 11 6,377 6 3 10,558 19 6 3 9 10 3 7 1 • Mileage tariff. 1868 1,110 : 2,223 31 72,241 26,244 98,485 9,489 17 10 5,406 7 3 14,896 5 1 4 17 4 1869 1,329 I 2,495 45 106,070 50,097 156,167 18,520 10 4 13,430 11 9 31,951 2 1 17,218 1 4 12,252 6 o 29,470 7 4 1 14,266 12 7 8,547 4 9 ! 22,813 17 4 6 8 6 1870 1871 1872 1,661 2,897 1,976 3,247 2,185 3,823 2,356 J 4,574 56 122,545 ; 72 ! 253,582 81 344,524 62,878 59,292 67,243 185,423 312,874 411,767 22,419 8 8 j 9,876 17 6 32,296 6 2 28,121 10 o 11,043 3 9 ' 39, I 64 13 9 39,680 18 9 11,105 2 ° 5°,786 o 9 46.508 18 10 ji2,6i8 11 6 ' 59,127 10 4 55,301 12 3 13,679 10 9 68,981 3 o 62,715 10 4 16,154 6 o 78,869 16 4 65,644 15 3 (17,024 8 9 82,669 4 o 16,417 7 414, 120 4 10 21,254 4 3 n>344 3 8 23.593 9 9i 3,858 19 7 I 3O.537 12 2 32,598 7 11 32,452 9 4 8 9 11 5 19 6 423 Mileage tariff in operation up to ist Sept., i86g j uniform as. 6d. tariff from ist Sept., i86g, to 31st March, 1870; and is. tariff from ist April, 18J0. 1 i873 93 j 485,507 83,453 568,960 27,040 18 10; 9,479 5 4 38,801 19 4 15,021 17 11 45,814 11 4:14,240 19 7 61,696 14 521, 074 8 8 I 36,520 4 2 4 1 11 1874 2,530 ' 5,782 105 645,067 107,832 752,899 53.823 17 3 6 3 II 1875 2,986 6,626 127 ■ 786,237 130,891 J 917, 128 60,055 I0 " 4 16 4 From ist November, 1873, address and signature given in free. 1876 3,154 7,247 142 890,382 ; 160,704 1,051,086 82,771 3 1 5 18 10 1877 3,259 : 7,423 1 155 ; 952,283 j 172,159 1,124,442 63,353 IO I0 1 8 o 81,284 18 10 5 12 11 1878 3,434 I 8,035 182 11,065,481 I 194,843 1,260,324 73,284 1 10 19,148 12 4 j 92,432 14 2 85,402 o 2 126,949 2 2 112,351 2 4 58,120 3 3 119,707 6 3 : 77,827 9 6 73,002 2 o [27,021 3 8 100,023 5 8 78,828 19 8 22,737 16 4 101,566 16 o 69,340 1 818, 259 4 9 ! 87,599 6 5 5 10 o 1879 3,512 8,117 195 11,201,982 ! j 246,961 1,448,943 79,502 o 5)17,299 7 10 96,801 8 3 5O9 31st March, 1880 3-638 9,333 214 j 824,734 183,675 j1,008, 409 68,651 10 io;i4,758 4 5 78,224 1 8123,154 8 3 I 83,409 15 3 4 3 4 „ 1881 3,758 9,587 227 j1,058, 342 J 246,370 i > 3°4.7 1 2 101,378 9 11 667 1882 3,824 J 9,653 234 1,215.849 222,923 ji,438, 772 69,165 5 o|i8,292 13 4 I 87,457 18 4 4 J 7 4 t

Table No. 17— 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.

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Note.—Tariff, 1890 : is. for ten words, and free address and signature up to ten words ; delayed telegrams, 6d. 1892 : For twelve words, and free address and signature, ordinary telegrams, is.; delayed, 6d. Later in 1892 the number of words in text and signature made eighteen. 1896 : First twelve words, 6d. ; each additional word, id.; address and signature paid for.

For the Financial Years ended 31st March, 1895, to the 3 1s t March, 1899.

23

Year ended Number Number of of Miles of ■ Miles of Line. Wire. c JjO S Number of Telegrams forwarded during the Year. Cost of Total Value Co3t o( - Maintenance Government 1 Business done ' Main « nance Lines, Messages. during Stations excluding the Year. Stations. Australian Cable Subsidy. Total Expenditure. Cost of Maintenance of Lines per Mile. Tariff in Operation. Private, i Governand Press, j ment. Total. Revenue from all Sources. 31st Dec, 1882 1883 : 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 I 3.974 4.°74 4.264 4,463 4,546 4,646 4,79° 4.874 5,148 5,349 5,479 5,513 9,848 i°,°37 10,474 i°,93i 11,178 ",375 11,617 11,827 12,812 13.235 13.459 13.515 264 302 33° 375 412 437 473 489 52° 573 6i5 j 640 £ s. d. 1,361,817 208,372 1,570,189 1 90,633 11 2 219,917 1.599-4°°. ■ 93.822 3 3 1.433.458 220,847 11,654,305 95,634 5 5 1,533,406 240,867 1,774,273 101,652 8 o 1,583,717 252,549 1,836,266 106,638 12 2 i>589.771 243.623 1,835,394 106,548 4 o 1,548,233 '217,630 1,765,863 106,311 11 6 I .589. I 57 213,830 11,802,987 106,462 18 4 1,734,381 226,780 1,961,161 110,696 17 8 1,746,115 222,149 |i,968, 264 117,633 15 9 1,686,064 1218,079 1,904,143 ,103,813 8 6J 1,825,646 244,045 2,069,691 112,465 15 9 £ s. d. 20,608 11 11 21,555 !9 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, 34 2 7 ° 28,317 7 10 / s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 111,242 3 1 J 73,554 9 122,451 6 3 115, 378 2 5 j 73,054 4 619,210 6 6 116,490 5 o 70,036 6 2j2o,O4i 15 10 126,512 17 o 77,082 4 4:20,900 6 2 I 33.9 I 9 J 6 11 77,473 IO 7i 2I .4 o2 18 2 136,753 15 10 : 76,580 10 0:21,321 2 9 129,476 5 5 72,201 13 5123,262 1 o 130,681 7 7 75,426 9 726,007 1 5 136,767 10 3 ; 76,845 1 1027,546 2 o 142,474 1 4 j 85,658 4 1128,986 10 10 128,155 J 5 °4j 87,472 13 329,580 10 11 140,783 3 7 I 92,109 17 0129,141 6 o £ s. d. : £ s. d. 96,005 15 4 J 5 17 5 92,264 11 o i 4 16 8 90,078 2 o I 4 18 4 I 97,982 10 6 ; 4 15 9 i 98,875 8 9 : 4 15 11 97,901 12 9 4 13 9 I 95,463 14 5 5 o 1 IOI ,433 " ° ! 5 8 7 i°4,39i 3 10 , 5 13 ° 114,644 15 9 J 5 12 7 J 117,053 421580 121,251 3 05 5 9 J From 1st November, 1873, address and signature given in free. From 1st Jan., 1886, - delayed telegrams posted to addressees immediately after their receipt at offices of destination.

g Number of Telegrarr £ during the Y Number O ■ of «S g Miles of u~ Wire. Js° Private, GovernI £ and Press. ment. j I Number of Telegrams f during the Yeai forwarded r. Revenue (including Miscellaneous Receipts), j i ! Year ended Number of Miles of Line. cms Receipts). Telephone. i Value of Government Messages. Total Value of Business done daring the Year. Total Expenditure (excluding Cable Subsidy]. Remarks. Total. Telegraph. 31st March, 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 £ s. d. £ s. d. ! £ s. d. I £ s. d. 5,g6iJ 705 1,802,182 231,618 1 2,033,800 j 88,459 10 11 ; 21,552 12 10 [ 26,050 7 5 ■ 136,062 11 2 6 .245i *5>7 6 4i 743 1,899,632 224,579 ; 2,124,211 | 97,178 14 oh 25,933 12 9 i 25,843 11 11 , 148,955 18 6,284! i6,47oj 780 2,285,001 235,168 : 2,520,169 100,385 16 1 29,248 ig 5 : 23,118 2 6 152,752 18 o 6,484 18,024 2 4 2,469,415 226,818 i 2,696,233 99,798 8 10J, 36,422 6 8 . 24,504 9 8 160,725 5 i\ 6,736 18,746 878 2,717,548 243,190 \ 2,960,738 105,576 6 o 39,718 7 7 25,500 5 10 j 170,794 19 5 i i I I I I 143,665 14 o 153,484 6 8 j 165,198 13 5 173,152 16 6 Cable subsidy, 6,492 11 8 4.774 5 5 3,972 8 1 1,849 2 9 1,427 19 11

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Table No. 18. 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, 1899.

Table No. 19. Return of Paid Telegrams of all Codes forwarded during the Twelve Months ended 31st March, 1899, and the Revenue received.

Table No. 20. Return of the Number and Value of Telegraph Money-orders issued within the several Postal Districts during the Year, ended 31st December, 1898.

Postal Districts. Revenue derived from Private and Press Messages. Value of Government Messages. Total Value of Messages of all Codes. Number of Private and Press Messages. Number of Govt. Messages. Total Number of Messages of all Codes. Auckland Blenheim Christchurch Dunedin Gisborne Greymouth Hokitika Invercargill Napier Nelson New Plymouth Oamaru Thames.. Timaru Wanganui Wellington Westport £ ■• d17,263 3 10 1,540 on 12,313 4 oj 13,785 o o^ 2,086 13 9J 2,669 14 6| i,2ii 5 4i 5,854 10 6 5,911 3 3 2,285 7 4 3,"4 4 I* 1,618 7 10J 3,666 14 ill 2,270 7 10 5,426 16 94 17,868 16 ioj 1,869 Io 5 £ s - d. 3,142 1 6 338 18 o i,552 2 7 1,546 17 5 303 4 2 552 3 1 294 10 3 700 7 1 771 13 3 572 11 11 645 2 5 166 12 5 558 4 6 267 6 5 672 5 6 12,934 ° 9 482 4 7 £ *. d. 20,405 5 4 1,878 18 11 13,865 6 7J I5,33i 17 5* 2,389 17 11J 3,221 17 74 1,505 15 7i 6,554 17 7 6,682 16 6 2,857 19 3 3,759 6 64 1,785 o 34 4,224 19 54 2,537 14 3 6,099 2 3§ 30,802 17 74 2,351 15 o 459,006 39.700 293,690 353,697 48,670 62,224 27,974 166,669 148,017 134.138 77,247 34,665 99,792 54,964 147,190 525,144 44,761 37.916 5,214 20,133 18,373 3,988 6,780 2,765 8,591 10,136 8,846 7,384 2,166 9,213 3,655 8,833 82,442 6,755 496,922 44,914 313,823 372,070 52,658 69,004 3o,739 175,260 158,153 142,984 84,631 36,831 109,005 58', 619 156,023 607,586 51,516 2,960,738 General Post Office receipts 100,755 2 6 349 9 IO 25,500 5 i° 126,255 8 4 349 9 10 2,717-548 243,190 Totals, 1898-99 Totals, 1897-98 101,104 I2 4 96,537 6 9i 25,500 5 10 24,504 9 8 126,604 J & 2 118,440 4 4J 2,469,415 243,190 226,818 2,960,738 2,696,233

June Quarter, 1898. September Quarter, 1898. December Quarter, 1898. March Quarter, 1899. 'ot.ils. Class of Telegrams. Number. Revenue. Number. Revenue. Number. Revenue. Number. Revenue. Number. Revenue. Ordinary .. Urgent Press £ s - d - 534,205*29,560 19 8j 29,494; 2,480 5 51,699, 2,077 1 II 31,886! 803 6 10 499,780 23,227 53,227 33,38i £ •• d. 27.851 4 3i 1,935 4 4 2,832 II 3$ 851 6 2 587-553 56,680 36,861 i s. d. 30,510 2 8 2,015 4 9 2,657 18 6 952 18 4 ,20,849 29,690 56,177 41,812 £ s - d - 33.72519 ij 1,957 3 54 2,573 210 1,119 7 ° 2,242,387 ii3>438 217,783 H3,94° / s. d. 121,648 5 9J 8,387 18 5 10,140 14 6£ 3,726 18 4 Bureau jross totals Less other J lines and I credits J 647,284134,921 14 4 jio,722 13 9i 609,615 33,47° 6 1 10,461 19 3 712,121 36,136 4 3 9,904 5 gj 748,528 39,375 12 5 12,059 15 9 2,717,548 143,903 17 1 43,148 14 7 J. P.O. receipts Met totals, 1898-99 Net totals, 1H97- -<jN 647.28424,199 ° 64 349 9 10 609,615 23,008 6 10 712,121 26,231 18 5^ 748,528 27,315 16 8 2,7i7,548| 100,755 2 6 349 9 10 I 647,284(24,548 10 4 i 609,615 23,008 6 10 712,121 26,231 18 5J 748,528 27,315 16 8 2,717,548 101,104 12 4 581,18723,189 13 1 553,898 21,732 13 54 643,801 25,182 7 6 690,529 26,432 12 9 2,469,415 96,537 6 9i

Districts. Number. Telegraph Commission. Value of Order*. Auckland Blenheim Christchurch Dunedin Gisborne Greymouth . • ; Hokitika Invercargill Napier Nelson New Plymouth Oamaru Thames Timaru Wanganui Wellington Westport 6,458 856 2,692 2,401 838 i,525 427 i,i47 2,818 707 ■ 1,468 276 2,869 480 2,644 6,455 i>143 £ •• d322 18 o 42 16 o 134 12 O 120 I O 41 18 0 76 5 o 21 7 o 57 7 o 140 18 o 35 7 ° 73 8 o 13 16 o M3 9 ° 24 o o 132 4 o 322 15 o 57 3 ° £ ■■ d. -24,225 6 8 2.443 J 3 2 9,199 15 :i 8,811 8 ti 2,800 6 9 4,985 5 8 1,338 11 8 3.3O5 16 8 8,222 4 o 2,225 7 3 4,990 11 o 780 2 o 9,122 l8 I 1,418 2 5 7.431 3 I 19,934 J 7 6 3,387 2 4 Totals, 1898 35i204 1, 760 4 o 114,622 13 1 Totals, 1897 i,68o 1 o 113,584 17 8 33,601

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Table No. 21. TELEPHONE EXCHANGES. Return showing the Capital Cost, Working-expenses, and Revenue of the Telephone Exchanges, Year by Year, from the Date of their Establishment.

4—F. 1.

S a £ ° Capital Cost for Instruments, Wire, Poles, Labour, Freight, Superintendence, &c. Working-expenses. Year. Balance of Revenue over Workingexpenses. Annual Kate per Cent. yielded on Capital Cost. Average Cost of Total for all - each Con- Connections, nection. Salaries and Allowances of Clerks, &c. j Materials and Linemen. *Wear-and- T ?l n t t '-I' ue1 ' tear, &c, Ll ft h ! i ' ? a Per, Ten per Cent. B £™. 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. d. 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 0 379 8-17 1883 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 1S87 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 53,849 11 6 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 17,613 4 0 3,315 10 0 2,249 7 0 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 6,695 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 7,658 7 11 393 1 6 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 16 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 9,2S5 0 0 4,253 11 4 11,684 11 0 817 19 5 26,041 1 9 -3,420 1 9 Loss. 1896 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 13,429 19 1 1,856 13 2 34,991 2 8 -5,742 3 3 Loss. 1898 5,787 24 11 6 142,218 11 8 36,422 6 8 14,181 18 0 11,834 2 11 7,110 18 7 1,881 11 11 35,008 11 5 1,413 15 3 0-99 1899 6,203 24 5 3 150,490 18 9 39,718 7 7 15,030 7 1 16,190 4 0 7,524 10 11 1,861 2 3 40,606 4 3 -887 16 8 Loss. » This column includes 5 per cent, for wear-and-tear, and 5 per cent, for debenture capital, except in 1897-98 and 1898-99, in which years only 5 per cent, for debenture capital ls included.

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Table No. 22. Return of the Cost of Maintenance of Telegraph Lines for the Year ended 31st March, 1899.

Table No. 23. Statement showing the Expenditure on, and the Cost of, Telegraph Construction during the Financial Year ended 31st March, 1899.

District. No. of Miles. Travollingoxpenses of Inspectors and Linemen. Extra Labour. Value Cost of of Material Material purchased. issued from Stores. Salaries of Inspectors and Linemen. Total Cost of Maintenance. Average Cost per Mile. £ s. d. 833 11 10 1,004 16 10 610 1 2 980 18 6 700 0 11 81 19 3 66 17 10 £ s. d. 1,624 16 2 1,547 17 9 839 15 10 913 9 10 771 9 4 1,372 17 7 322 12 9 & s. d362 4 2 242 14 4 170 6 9 231 7 6 558 19 11 47 5 2 114 3 7 £ a. d. 422 0 1 3,136 18 1 1,498 18 5 270 19 10 441 5 5 432 9 8 £ s. a. 2,575 0 0 3,151 0 0 1,767 0 0 1,765 0 0 1,531 0 0 £ s. d. 5,817 12 3 9,083 7 0 4,886 2 2 4,161 15 8 4,002 15 7 1,934 11 8 503 14 2 £ s. d. Luckland Vellington lehon ianterbury )tago .. 'ables .. itores .. 1,749 J 1,732 874J 867 1,513 Totals 6,736 4,278 6 4 7,392 19 3 1,727 1 5 6,202 11 6 10,789 0 0 30,389 18 6 4 4 6

Line. Expenditure. Material from Stores. Total Expenditure during the Year. Telephone exchanges,— Ashburton Auckland Blenheim Christchurch Dunedin Gisborne Greymouth ... Hastings Invercargill ... Masterton Napier Nelson New Plymouth Oamaru Pahnerston North Thames Timaru Wanganui Wellington ... £ S. d. 13 3 0 1,071 9 0 0 3 6 152 19 5 65 0 0 29 12 7 6 15 0 25 9 8 28 12 4 9 11 6 15 14 6 1 13 0 12 3 10 8 19 0 15 17 6 4 2 0 4 10 34 8 9 402 11 8 £ s. d. 57 5 6 3,346 17 9 0 6 7 152 4 2 533 16 11 155 18 10 42 9 0 79 4 2 71 14 2 32 3 4 70 8 9 0 11 0 103 8 2 65 19 9 38 12 11 25 16 9 11 4 1 219 17 6 1,362 0 6 £ s. d. 70 8 6 4,418 6 9 0 10 1 305 3 7 598 16 11 185 11 5 49 4 0 104 13 10 100 6 6 41 14 10 86 3 3 2 4 0 115 12 0 74 18 9 54 10 5 29 18 9 15 5 1 254 6 3 1,764 12 2 Total exchanges New copper wires,— Wanganui-New Plymouth Kaikoura-Waitaki Waitaki-Dunedin Auckland-Mokau Auckland- Whangarei Whangapoua-Opitonui ... Waihopo Loop Line Paeroa-Paeroa Eailway ... Kaeo-Saies 1,902 7 3 233 10 8 293 15 4 15 2 4,458 7 3 16 1 6 53 0 0 7 19 0 7 19 5 4 0 4 6 19 0 6 6 9 6 0 0 16 6,369 19 10 771 14 11 0 11 2 2,117" 3 8 8,272 7 1 1,006 5 7 294 6 6 1 5 2 6,575 10 11 16 1 6 65 6 1 14 11 4 7 19 5 4 0 4 31 8 8 12 9 8 9 6 0 3 14 11 6 2 5 82 14 8 405 2 7 189 5 6 75 18 9 641 6 0 219 19 3 254 10 8 55 11 9 12 6 1 6 12 4 Aoroa Upper Onehunga Bureau Kerikeri Great North Eoad Arch Hill Bureau Waipapa Toko-Strathmore Inglewood-Tarata Bell Block-Lepperton ... Dannevirke-Weber Ormond-Te Karaka Te Karaka—Whatatutu ... Moawhango 25 6 11 12 3 2 2 16 0 379 1 1 30 17 6 20 10 5 471 4 3 219 19 3 101 11 8 14 18 3 3 13 5 6 2 5 79 18 8 26 1 6 158 8 0 55 8 4 170 1 9 152 19 0 40 13 6

F.—l.

27

Table No. 23—continued. Statement showing the Expenditure on, and the Cost of, Telegraph Construction during the Financial Year ended 31st March, 1899 — continued.

By Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB99.

Line. Expenditure. Material from Stores. Total Coat during the Year. Ormondville-Man gatera... Feilding Eaoecourse Otaki Eaoecourse Murutai Seatoun Dreyerton Cunningham's ... Molesworth Street Colling wood-Bainham ... Belgrove-Tophouse Eenwicktown-Kaituna ... Eeef ton-Crushington Westport-Cardiff Owen Junction Ngahere-Blackball Greymouth-Stillwater ... Orari-Geraldine Ashburton-May field Eangiora-Fernside Eangiora-Ashley Bank ... Papanui Bealey Linton Downs ... Kaiapoi -Woodend Waikari-Ha warden German ©ay Ngapara-Tokarahi Wairio-Wrey's Bush Hyde-Kokonga Windsor Balclutha-Warepa Drummond-Heddon Bush Colac Bay-Eound Hill ... Merrivale-Clifden Invercargill-Otautau B weburn-Eanf urly £ s. d. 1 16 6 "a 19 o "3 1 7 9 10 244 0 9 66 1 6 63 12 9 80 15 9 82 14 0 13 2 46 2 5 125 9 11 6 14 0 12 5 9 £ s. d. 81 17 8 14 9 2 19 1 3 4 9 9 4 17 2 3 12 0 50 15 4 79 1 2 102 3 4 21 8 0 0 18 0 26' 0 0 172 16 8 7 19 6 16 5 3 4 18 16 1 £ s. d. 81 17 8 1 16 6 14 9 2 23 0 3 4 9 9 7 18 9 9 10 3 12 0 294 16 1 145 2 8 165 16 1 102 3 9 82 14 0 0 18 0 13 2 26 0 0 46 2 5 298 6 7 14 13 6 28 11 0 4 18 1 6 1 0 4 0 20 0 5 192 9 7 0 16 2 2 17 4 134 6 7 28 19 9 4 17 10 126 16 2 96 12 1 102 2 4 282 3 3 361 16 0 9 2 0 0 4 0 12 3 6 112 7 7 0 2 6 2 8 8 129 6 3 7 16 11 80 2 0 0 13 8 0 8 8 5 0 4 28 19 9 4 11 12 9 8 19 16 11 38 12 3 61 18 10 283 8 11 0 16 9 114 6 6 76 15 2 63 10 1 220 4 5 78 7 1 9 2 0 Cable No. 3, Oterangi-White's Bay 9,801 12 925 15 8 2 11,163 15 4,709 3 8 0 20,965 8 5,634 18 4 2 Purchase of material 10,727 17,823 7 10 6 2 15,872 18 8 26,600 6 6 Total expenditure to 31st March, 1898 28,550 14 800,735 4 0 9 Total cost of lines during 1898-99 £829,285 18 9 £26,600 6 6

NORTH ISLAND NEW ZEALAND Map shewing Telegraph and Telephone Lines

MIDDLE ISLAND NEW ZEALAND Map shewing Telegraph and Telephone Lines