F.—1.
1882. NEW ZEALAND.
POST OFFICE AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE), FOR THE YEAR 1881-82.
Presented to loth Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.
Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 24th June, 1882. I have to submit to your Excellency a general report on the operations of the Post Office and Telegraph service of New Zealand for the year 1881-82, being the first combined report issued since the services were amalgamated on the Ist January, 1881. I have, <fee, Walter W. Johnston, Postmaster-General and Commissioner of Telegraphs. His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand.
E E P O E T. The results which have followed the amalgamation of the Postal and Telegraph services, gauged by the experience of the past year, have been satisfactory, and, as seemed advisable, the consolidation of offices was extended. The business of the department shows a large and satisfactory increase for the year. This may be accepted as additional evidence of renewed commercial activity and the expansion of trade generally. Improvements in the service and increased facilities from time to time have been carried out, and otherwise the requirements of the public received every reasonable consideration. The increase in the number of letters dealt with was 2,733,463, or 1197 per cent., and the telegrams of all codes 134,060, or 10-27 per cent. The gross receipts of the department exceeded the previous year's by £11,936 14s. 5d., or 5 36 per cent. The revenue and expenditure for the year are set forth in the following statement: — Statement of the Eevenue and Expenditure of the Post Office and Telegraph Department for the Tear ended 31st March, 1882.
Revenue. £ s. d. Expenditube. £ s . d. Sale of postage-stamps ... ... 120,98117 0 Salaries ... ... ... ~, 111,209 10 7 Money order commission collected in the Conveyance of mails by sea ... ... 57,727 8 9 colony ... ... ... ... 7,714 9 5 Conveyance of inland mails ... ... 25,504 17 6 Money order commission received from Money order commission credited to foreign foreign offices ... ... ... 287 1 5 offices ... ... ... ... 1,252 18 7 Private box and bag fees ... ... 3,680 3 6 Maintenance and repair of telegraph lines 18*.292 13 4 Postage from foreign offices ... ... 17,940 011 Cable subsidies ... ... ... 5,250 0 0 Miscellaneous receipts (Postal) ... ... 3,538 11 5 Miscellaneous,— Ordinary telegrams ... ... ... 71,529 9 7 Postal ... ... £5,768 19 11 Press telegrams ... ... ... 7,089 9 9 Telegraph... ... 8,285 1 8 Miscellaneous receipts (Telegraph) ... 1,768 5 0 14 054 1 7 Balance of revenue over expenditure ... 1,237 17 8 £234,529 8 0 £234,529 T"o
_ That the revenue exceeded the expenditure by £1,237 17s. Bd. is a matter for congratulation ; but, taking into account the value of the services performed for other departments (i.e., official postage, £58,584 13s. Bd., and Government telegrams, £22,737 16s. 4d.), the gross earnings of the department for the year will be found to have exceeded the expenditure by no less than £82,560 7s. Bd. The revenue for the current year has been estimated at £245,000. In further commenting on the general progress of the service, it will be more convenient, perhaps, that each branch be reported upon separately. It should be remarked, however, that, while the Post Office tables embrace the operations of that branch during the calendar year ended the 31st December, 1881, those relating to the Telegraph are for the financial year ended the 31st March last. This want of uniformity was unavoidable, but future reports will deal only with the results of the calendar year. POST OPEICE. The business of this branch, as disclosed in the several tables appended, continued to increase, and was much greater than estimated.
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