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4

Dead Lettebs. 55,531 unclaimed or dead letters were disposed of in the Dead Letter Office. The following table enumerates the number of this class of letters dealt with, year by year, since 1871: —

The property found during the year in unclaimed letters, comprising cash remittances, amounted to nearly £5,000. A considerable number of articles of jewellery were also found in unclaimed packets. It has generally been practicable to return the property to the senders. A large number of book packets and newspapers are received without covers in each mail from the United. Kingdom, and although every effort is made to restore these articles to their owners, a considerable proportion remains undelivered. Much disappointment to the public and trouble to the depart ment would be saved if, in the case of book packets, the senders were to use strong paper covers, and in the case of newspapers, if the addresses were written on the newspapers themselves, instead of on flimsy wrappers. Another cause of disappointment through non-receipt of newspapers from the United Kingdom is, that wheu they are posted later than eight days after the date of issue, they are liable to book-packet rates, and are detained on account of insufficient postage. And again, should any newspaper posted in the United Kingdom exceed four ounces in weight, it is detained unless it bears a double rate of postage. Packets containing articles of wearing apparel, &c, alleged to have been posted in the United Kingdom, are frequently reported by the addressees as missing, and the explanation of the non-receipt is, that only honajide patterns or samples are admissible for transmission through the post at less than letter rates of postage. When articles, obviously not patterns, arc posted prepaid at packet rates only, they are not forwarded, but detained, and, if practicable, returned to the senders. Buildings. The new Government offices erected at Lyttelton are now occupied by the several departments for the accommodation of which the building was erected. The Post Office was transferred to the new offices on the 6th December. The new building at Hokitika was finished and occupied by the department on the 81st January. The Napier Chief Post Office has been completed, and the business of the department transferred to the new premises on the 14th February last. The office is both roomy and convenient, and should be ample for all requirements for years. The alterations necessary for adapting the building formerly known as the Greymouth Hospital to suit the requirements of the Post Office and Telegraph Departments were finished, and the building handed over on the 1-ith March last. The work has been faithfully carried out; and, although the external appearance of the building does not suggest its real character, the internal arrangements are all that could be desired. The want of better accommodation at Invercargill has been felt for some time past, and it was also recognized that the ordinary requirements of the department could scarcely await the erection of the new offices contemplated to be built within the ensuing two years. It was therefore decided to appropriate a portion of the wing of the public buildings already in course of construction, on it being ascertained that desirable offices could thereby be readily and conveniently secured. The necessary fittings were put in hand without delay, and the business of the Post Office was transferred to the new offices on the 29th July last. The Post Office at Timaru has been altered as far as possible to meet the growing requirements of the department. The plan of the building and the limited space at the disposal of the department, precluded alterations on a larger scale. Plans for enlarging the accommodation at the Chief Post Office, Nelson, are in course of preparation, and the alterations proposed will give the department convenient offices. The Post Office will have the exclusive use of the building, the Telegraph having been transferred to new premises erected in Trafalgar Street. The erection of new offices at Christchurch has not yet been commenced, and the remarks made in the last annual report, as to the want of better accommodation, are now still more applicable, owing to the very large increase of business which has taken place. The want of a new Post Office at Wellington is seriously felt. Should business continue to increase at the present rate, it will be absolutely necessary to procure other and more commodious offices. Increased office space is also required at Dunedin. This will be secured so soon as the Telegraph Department vacates its present offices. The want of new offices at Port Chalmers, both from a departmental as well as a sanitary point of view, has been long felt. This want will shortly be supplied, as the erection of the new building is to be proceeded with at once. The Post Office at Gisborne has -been altered, and the accommodation improved. Alterations to the Tauranga Post Office, for the better convenience of the public, have also been made. The requirements of the department at Wanganui have rendered necessary increased accommodati n, which has been satisfactorily provided. Several additions and alterations to other less important offices have also been arranged, and in every case, where necessary, provision has also been made for the requirements of the Insurance Department.

Manner of Disposal. 1871. 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. Opened and returned to the writers Returned unopened to other countries Re-issued Destroyed 17,106 6,192 97 2,173 17,707 5,512 85 2,884 20,602 5,393 75 3,801 26,153 6,828 105 4,227 39,051 10,321 78 6,081 Totals 25,568 26,188 29,871 37,313 55,531