E.—No. 1.

NEW ZEALAND POSTAL SERVICE,

V

Eegistered Letters. The decrease in the business of thisbranch of the Department during IS6B, was, in the last report, said to be possibly " accounted for by the general commercial depression prevailing throughout the colony." There has again been a slight decrease. It seems not unfair to consider that the registration of letters is less resorted to now than formerly, because of an increased confidence in the safe transmission of letters by the ordinary post.

RETURN of the NUMBER of LETTERS REGISTERED at the various Post Offices in the different Provinces in New Zealand, during the years 1866, 1867, 1868, and 1869.

The Eegistration Fee on letters addressed to the United Kingdom, Australian Colonies, and British Possessions in the East, has been reduced from one shilling to sixpence; and to British Colonies and Eoreign Countries, in transit through the United Kingdom, from one shilling and sixpence to tenpence. Monet Orders. The detailed statements as to Money Orders issued and paid in the colony during the year, as per Tables No. 1 and 2 (appended) show a considerable increase, both as to issue and payments, over the year 1868. This increase is almost wholly on the Issues and Payments within the colony, which amount respectively to £63,897 Is. lOd. and £63,821 against in 1868, £54,342 18s. 6d. and £54,349 Bs. 3d. The issues on Eoreign Governments, as well as the payments of their issues on New Zealand, show little change as compared with the previous year. The issues on the United Kingdom amounted to £39,939 Bs. 6d.; its issues on the colony being £5,640 18s. Bd. On the Australian Colonies, the issues amounted to £23,381 14s. 7d., whilst their issues on New Zealand amounted to only £6,371 19s. Bd. thus showing that remittances to the amount of about £34,300 were required to be made to the Imperial Post Office ; and about £17,000 to the several Australian colonies, to balance the accounts for the year. The total Issues during the year amounted to £127,218 4s. lid., against £118,211 3s. Bd. during 1868. The total Payments amounted to £75,833 18s. 4d. against £67,536 12s. 6d. during 1868, or an increase on issues of £9,007 Is. 3d,, and on payments of £8,297 ss. lOd. Post Office Savings Bank. A very marked increase has taken place in the business of this branch of the department, both in the number and amount of Deposits and Withdrawals. The Deposits during the year amounted £240,898 ss. 9d., against £194,535 lis. 6d. during 1868. The amount of principal withdrawn was £179,599 10s. 6d. against £106,567 6s. Id. in 1868. Tables 4 to 10 (appended) supply details of these transactions. The number of New Accounts opened was 3,839, as against 3,282 in 1868. The number of accounts closed was 1801 as against 1186 ; and the Interest paid on closed accounts was £918 13s 7d, as against £527 lis 2d. The number of transactions with the Bank during 1869, was 26,425, as against 19,379 during 1868, being an increase of 7,046. The number of acknowledgments issued was 13,789, against 10,261 in 1868. The balance of the year's transactions remaining in deposit on the 31st December, was £61,298 15s. 3d. In 1868 it was £87,968 ss. sd. The larger increase of withdrawals, during the year, is doubtless chiefly attributable to the excited and unsettled state of the mining population ; although the reduction on the Ist of April, from five to four per cent, interest allowed on deposits, may, in some degree, have contributed to that result. 2

1866. 1867. 1868. 1869. ToP: laces ToP: laces ToP) i aces To Pi laces. Peovinoes. Totals. Totals. Totals. Totals. Without the Colony. Within the Colony. Without the Colony. Within the Colony. Without the Colony. Within the Colony. Without the Colony. Within the Colony. Auckland ... raranaki lawke's Bay (Vellington ... kelson ilarlborough Canterbury ... )tago louthland ... (Vestland ... 1,309 232 165 988 572 170 6.217 2,960 329 5,190 327 363 2,604 841 565 6,302 5,711 483 6,499 559 528 3,592 1,413 735 12,519 8,671 812 850 168 157 916 811 124 5,467 2,810 422 4,048 210 444 3,088 1,191 435 5,565 4,761 832 4,898 378 601 4,004 2,002 559 11,032 7,571 1,254 1,175 93 127 839 1,430 117 1,286 2,734 303 2,602 4,248 167 532 3,280 1,029 446 2,307 3,279 704 1,445 5,423 260 659 4,119 2,459 563 3,593 6,013 1,007 4,047 5,163 183 555 3,313 1,009 464 1,281 3,293 545 1,245 2,006 62 114 684 802 82 2,364 2,342 241 1,968 7,169 245 669 3,997 1,811 546 3,645 5,635 786 3,213 Totals ... 12,942 10,665 27,716 22,386 35,328 11,725 20,574 32,299 10,706 17,437 28,143 17,051