E.-i

7

the remittances in notes and gold had been appropriated, but that money orders and bank drafts had not been disturbed. This circumstance is mentioned merely for the purpose of showing the additional security afforded those who send remittances through the post by means of money orders, bank drafts, or cheques. The extent to which bogus companies have been established in the United States, and advertised for purposes of fraud, is well known. The evil had assumed such proportions that the United States Post Office determined, in the public interest, to interfere, and to intercept letters addressed to persons or companies known to have been established and advertised for fraudulent purposes. One of these, the Bodanow Watch-manufacturing Company of Boston, recently advertised very extensively in this colony, and numbers of persons, eager to secure a first-class watch at a moderate price, sent remittances to the so-called company How many remittance letters from New Zealand may have reached the company it is impossible to state, but by recent mails from New York 64 letters addressed to the Eodanow Watch-manufacturing Company, Boston, originating in this colony, and covering bank notes, drafts, money orders on London, and postage stamps, to the value of £163, were returned to this office, which would otherwise have been lost to the senders but for the vigilance of the Post Office officials. It has been estimated that no less than 207 persons or firms were, at the commencement of this year, conducting throughout the United States fraudulent lotteries and other schemes to defraud the public. It therefore behoves the public to be satisfied of the lona fides of advertisers. It is not always possible to detect fraudulent companies in their initial stages. Eegistebed Lettebs. The number of registered letters dealt with shows the large and satisfactory increase of 16,367, or 18'48 per cent, over the number registered in 1879. The increase in 1879 over 1878 was 19,560. The following table gives the number of registered letters received from places beyond the colony, and the number of letters posted for registration in the several postal districts year by year from 1877: —

Buildings. The new offices at Timaru were completed and occupied on the 10th September last. The post office accommodation is most convenient and commodious, and the building, which has been faithfully constructed, is an ornament to the town. The four-dial clock, which is being manufactured in the colony, is expected to be in position and in working order by the end of August. The new offices at Westport were finished on the 16th August last. An office has been erected in Sydenham, a suburb of Christchurch. It was opened for public business on the 17th December last. Buildings at Dargaville, Te Kopuru, Kamo, Ahaura, Takaka, and Greatford have also been completed since the date of the last report. The office at Wanganui has been enlarged, and the accommodation improved. The alterations to the Auckland office have been completed. The department has succeeded in securing increased office space, and improving the accommodation for the public. The offices at the Lower Hutt, Cambridge, and Akaroa have been altered and enlarged. The building erected in January, 1880, at Waitahuna, for the joint accommodation of the post office and telegraph, not being required, was removed in sections and re-erected at Balclutha, on a convenient and central site recently secured by the Government, in preference to erecting an entirely new building, which had been promised. A decided economy was effected by this arrangement. Additions for postal and telegraph purposes have been made to the railway stations at Feilding, Palmerston North, Springfield, Kirwee, St. Andrew, Upper Hutt, Amberley, Hampden, Herbert, Outram, Clinton, Southbridge, Kaitoke, Oxford, Elbow, Normanby, and Helensville. The want of new offices at Wellington continues to be seriously felt. A new building has again been promised. A sum of money is to be placed on this year's estimates, and it is intended that the work shall be put in hand during the current year. It is also proposed to erect new offices at Otautau, Alexandra, Collingwood, Pieton, Castlepoint, and Kihikihi, and to enlarge the office at Hokianga.

1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. Postal Districts. From Places beyond the Colony. Regis''The' 11 TctalsColony, From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in m„ fc *-i„ the TotalsColony. From Places bevond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. Auckland Thames New Plymouth ... Napier Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport G-reymouth Hokitika Blenheim Christchurch Timaru Oamaru Dunedin 1,818 123 186 48.3 1,791 381 52 181 257 88 i,542 8,405 1,051 95' 2,862 10,358 1,273 485 1,685 1,495 767 8,242 10,223 ','74 ','37 3,345 12,149 1,654 537 1,866 ',752 855 9,784 2,055 '45 '79 59' 2,121 362 84 230 2,4 127 2,281 io,374 919 992 3,095 12,510 1,407 697 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 '54 290 627 309 2,743 487 82 182 12,569 922 1,429 3,828 4,004 12,167 1,894 862 1,205 ',343 988 12,640 2,532 ',454 11,889 3,38i I5>3°4 1,076 '.7"9 4,455 4.313 14,910 2,381 944 1.387 1,562 1,120 15,496 2.905 1,630 '5.473 3,863 3.'95 123 334 751 376 2,803 473 108 196 180 188 3.831 418 232 3.442 1,126 '5.625 9" '.939 4.485 4,354 12,894 2,020 1,104 1,776 1,882 1,263 15.873 3.757 1,615 13.136 4,495 18,820 I.034 2,273 5,236 4,730 15,697 2,493 1,212 1,972 2,062 ',45' 19,704 4,i75 ',847 '6,578 5,621 219 132 2,856 373 176 3,584 482 Invercargill 2,59' 234 11,086 2,200 50,860 13,677 2,434 60,587 2,819 444 11,670 9.6i3 3>"9 12,432 3,563 68,978 Totals ... 9,727 57.308 i5,43i 73,107 88,538 17,776 87,129 104,904