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1879. NEW ZEALAND.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT. (TWENTIETH ANNUAL REPORT.)

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

Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 18th July, 1879. I have the honor to submit to your Excellency the Twentieth Annual Eeport on tho Postal Service of New Zealand. I have, &c, J. T. Fishee, His Excellency Sir Hercules George Eobert Eobinson, Postmaster-General. G.C.M.G., Governor of New Zealand.

EEPOET. Notwithstanding the commercial depression which has within the past year made itself so severely felt throughout the colony the business of the Post Office Department has not suffered. Indeed, it may be assumed that the postal revenue has been augmented from many of the effects produced by the late and existing state of trade. The returns show a large increase of business in all branches. The cash receipts for the financial year ended 30th June ultimo amounted to £129,906 13s. 5d., against £114,191 12s. 9d. for the previous year, the increase being £15,715 Os. Sd., or 1376 per cent. The total expenditure for the same period is estimated at £142,708 Is. Sd. The department's expenditure for the financial year 1877-78 was £136,118 13s. 9d. From the following statement of the number of letters, newspapers, &c, received and despatched, it will be seen that the increase for the year has been exceedingly large: — 1878. 1877. Increase. Letters—Received ... ... ... 8,236,062 7,119,765 Despatched ... ... ... 7,288,699 5,935,105 15,524,761 13,054,870 2,469,891 Post Cards—Received ... ... ... 116,674 81,274 Despatched ... ... ... 137,509 41,030 254,183 122,304 131,879, Book Packets—Received ... ... ... 505,294 461,522 Despatched ... ... ... 413,855 280,657 919,149 742,179 176,970 Newspapers—Received ... ... ... 5,097,907 4,805,785 Despatched ... ... ... 4,312,459 3,260,526 9,410,366 8,066,311 1,344,055 —the letters increased 1892 per cent., post cards 107-83 per cent., book packets 2384 per cent., and newspapers 1666 per cent. The average number of letters posted in proportion to the estimated population was 1685 to each person. In 1875 the average was 1429, and in 1877, 1451. The increase of post cards is very marked, and the extent to which they have been used by the public has exceeded the most favourable estimate. The first balance-sheet of the Post Office Account, being for the year ended 31st December, 1878, has been prepared, as required by " The Public Eevenues Act, 1878 " (Vide Table No. 5). The transactions amounted to nearly five millions pounds sterling.