F.-l.

6

7 letters with obscene and libellous addresses. 58 letters imperfectly and wrongly addressed. 612 refused letters. 4 letters with previously-used postage stamps. Reference was made in the last report to the amended regulations under which unclaimed letters, having the names and addresses of the writers or senders printed on the address side of the covers, were returned unopened by Chief Postmasters to the senders, instead of being forwarded to the Dead Letter Office for the purpose of being opened and returned to the writers. It was ascertained, however, that, while the principle of returning unopened this description of letters was appreciated by the public, the requirement that the name of the writer or sender must he printed on the address side of the envelope prevented general advantage being taken of the regulations. On reconsidering the matter, it was decided to extend the regulations, which, as amended, provide that the names and addresses of the senders may be either written, printed, or embossed on the address side or on the fly of the envelopes. "With respect to the return of "special request letters," i.e., letters having the names and addresses of the senders written, printed, or embossed on the address side or on the fly of the envelopes, in addition to a request on the address side that the letters should be returned if not claimed within a stated period, the regulations also provide for their return unopened to the writers or senders. Such letters, however, cannot be returned unless they shall have remained in the Post Office to which addressed at least ten days. Letters of this class originating at hotels, clubs, or places of public resort are forwarded to the Dead Letter Office for disposal, unless, in addition to the printed or embossed address on the cover, the name of the actual sender also appears. These extended regulations came into force on the Ist January last. It is of importance, particularly to commercial houses, that letters which cannot be delivered to the addressees should be returned to the senders as speedily as possible. The public would greatly assist to secure this by more generally affixing their names and addresses upon the covers of letters they may forward through the post. The period during which letters posted in the colony for delivery within the colony (but not having on the covers the address of the writers or senders) remain unclaimed prior to being sent to the Dead Letter Office for return to the writers, has been reduced from two clear months to one clear month. No alteration has been made in the period during which foreign letters are retained at post offices as " unclaimed." Registebed Lettees. The total number of articles registered during the year was 88,538, against 68,978 registered in 1878, an increase of 19,560, or 2835 per cent. The increase is unusually large. The number of letters registered in the previous year was only 8,391 over the number registered in 1877. The increase is believed to bo largely due to the exhibition of enamelled notice-plates at nearly all the post offices, directing public attention to the fact that no letters, &c, containing money, coin, or other valuable enclosure should be posted without first being registered. Over 700 of these plates (600 of which serve also as a sign for the Post Office) have been affixed over the posting boxes of the more important post offices. Notwithstanding the increase of registered articles, an unusually large number of letters containing bank-notes has been delivered through the post as ordinary letters. This is particularly the case with letters addressed to the promoters of racing " sweeps " and " consultations ;" and the department is now considering how best the evil may be checked, more especially with the desire to relieve its officers from undue temptation. Return of the Number of Registered Letters received from Places beyond the Colony, and the Number of Letters Registered in the several Postal Districts during the Tears 1876, 1877 1878, and 1879.

18J6. 1877. 1878. 1879. Postal Districts. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. Prom Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony, tals. \.uckland ... rhames STew Plymouth ... Sf apier kVangamii Wellington kelson iVestport Jreymouth lokitika Blenheim 3hristchurek L'imaru 1,799 290 i 230 483 2,134 320 146 602 391 175 3,139 6,468 887 517 2,286 7,946 685 409 1,451 1,195 665 5.846 8,267 1,177 747 2,769 10,0S0 1,005 555 2,053 1,589 840 8,985 1,818 123 188 483 1,791 381 52 181 257 8S 1,542 8,405 1,051 951 2,862 10,358 1,273 485 1,685 1,495 767 8,242 10,223 1,174 1,137 3,345 12,149 1,654 537 1,866 1,752 855 9,784 2,055 145 179 591 2,121 362 84 230 214 127 2,281 10,374 919 992 3,095 12,510 1,407 69? 1,420 1,636 740 10,786 12.429 1,064 1,189 3,686 14,631 1,769 781 1,650 1,850 867 13,067 2,735 154 290 627 309 2,743 487 82 182 219 132 2,856 373 176 3,584 4S2 12,569 922 1,429 3,828 4,004 12,167 1,894 862 1,205 1,343 938 12,640 2,532 1,454 11,889 3,381 15,304 1,076 1,719 4,455 4,313 14,910 2,381 944 1,387 1,562 1,120 15,496 2,905 1,630 15,473 3,863 )amaru Duuedin 5,270 681 6,024 2,824 11,294 3,505 2,591 234 11,086 2,200 13,677 2,434 60,587 2,819 444 9,613 3,119 12,432 3,563 Totals 15,663 37,203 52,866 9,727 50,860 11,670 57,308 15,431 68,S78 73,107 88,538