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1883. NEW ZEALAND.

POST OFFICE AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE), FOR THE YEAR 1882.

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

Slß,— General Post Office, Wellington, 16th June, 1883. I have to submit to your Excellency the report on the Post Office and Telegraph Service for the year ended the 31st December, 1882. I have, &c, Thomas Dick, Postmaster-General and Commissioner of Telegraphs. His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand.

EBPOET. As promised in the last report, with the object of securing uniformity the operations of both branches of the department, as disclosed in the several tables, are those for the calendar year ended the 31st December last. The statement of revenue and expenditure given below, however, is for the financial year. It was found more convenient, for purposes of comparison in matters of receipts and disbursements, to deal with the financial year, more especially as the Treasury accounts are made up to the 31st March. As will be observed from the tables appended to the report, there has been a large and general increase in the business of the department; and it may be said that the past year has been more than usually prosperous with the Post Office and Telegraph. The number of letters dealt with was 30,525,579, an increase of nearly five millions, or 19-44 per cent. The number of telegrams of all codes transmitted was 1,570,189, an increase of 131,417 messages, or 9-13 per cent. The revenue shows an increase of £30,105 10s. 2d, or 12-79 per cent, over the previous year's receipts. The expenditure for the year increased at the rate of £21,255 19s. lid., an abnormally large increase. The revenue and expenditure in detail for the year will be found in the following statement: — Statement of the Eevenue and Expenditure of the Post Office and Telegraph Department for the Year ended 31st March, 1883.

Eevenub. £ s. d. Stamps used for postage .. .. 130,000 0 0 Money-order commission collected in the colony .. .. .. .. 8,369 5 8 Money-order commission received from foreign offices .. .. .. 295 10 2 Private box and bag fees .. .. 3,929 1 2 Postage from foreign offices .. .. 24,305 17 2 Miscellaneous receipts (postal) .. .. 5,098 19 9 Ordinary and Press telegrams .. . ;-r 84,876 4 6 Telephone exchanges .. .. .. 5,014 9 0 Miscellaneous receipts (telegraph) .. 2,745 10 9 £264,634 18 2

EXPBNDITUBE. £ S. d. Salaries .. .. .. .. 115,266 0 4 Conveyance of mails by sea .. .. 61,977 6 7 Conveyance of inland mails .. .. 26,049 8 7 Money-order commission credited to foreign offices .. .. .. 1,299 13 0 Maintenance and repairs of telegraph lines, and miscellaneous .. .. 44,642 14 6 Gable subsidies .. .. .. 5,312 7 3 254,547 10 3 Balance of revenue over expenditure .. 10,087 711 £264,634 18 2