9

F.—l

the total number of accounts, 45,042 had balances at credit not exceeding £20; 8,586 from £20 to £50; 4,359 from £50 to £100; 2,894 from £100 to £200; 730 from £200 to £300; 201 from £300 to £400; 70 from £400 to £500; 54 of £500 and over. The following table shows the balances (classified) at the credit of depositors in the several postal districts on the 31st December last, and the total number of each class of account compared with those for the previous year :— Table showing the Number of Savings-Bank Accounts open at the Post Offices in the several Postal Districts on the 31st December, 1883, with Balances at Credit, classified. Also, the Total Number of Accounts compared with those for 1882.

127,609 deposits, amounting to £1,178,474 4s. Id., were received for the year. Each deposit averaged £9 4s. Bd., and the average in 1882 was £10 45.. 78,405 withdrawals, for £1,295,719 18s. 3d., were made. The average amount of each was £16 10s. 6d., against an average of £16 9s. Bd. in 1882. The total amount at the credit of depositors on the 31st December last was £1,409,751 16s. 7d„ against £1,470,950 13s. 6d. at the close of 1882, a decrease of £61,198 16s. lid. The withdrawals for the year exceeded the deposits by £117,245 14s. 2d., while in 1882 the deposits were £183,253 2s. lOd. in excess of the withdrawals. The interest credited to depositors amounted to £56,046 17s. 3d., against £54,909 13s. lid. in 1882. The average cost of each Post-Office Savings-Bank transaction, deposit or withdrawal, for the year was 4§d.; and since the Savings-Bank system was introduced in 1867, 6d. 651 " stamped-card " accounts were opened during the year. Tho number of such accounts opened in 1882 was 852. TELEGRAPHS. The year's business was but slightly in advance of that for the previous twelve months—a result due no doubt to the trade depression which prevailed at many of the business centres. The total number of messages transmitted during the year increased only I*B6 per cent., while the receipts from the ordinary and Press telegrams fell off by £368 Bs. lid. 1,599,400 forwarded messages of all codes were dealt with, against 1,570,189 in 1882, an increase of 29,211 messages. The increase in 1882 over 1881 was 131,417 messages. 1,379,483 ordinary and Press messages, of the value of £81,401 15s. 9d., were transmitted, being an increase of 17,666 messages, or 1*29 per cent., but a decrease, as already stated, of £368 Bs, lid. in value. The number of ordinary telegrams forwarded was 1,221,590, of the value of £72,868 16s. The number forwarded in 1882 was 1,207,219, of the value of £73,036 ss. 7d. 157,893 Press messages, for which £8,532 19s. 9d. was received, were transmitted. In 1882 the number was 154,598, and the amount paid £8,733 19s. Id. The revenue derived from the Press messages for the year 1883 was equal to about one-twelfth of the value of all classes of messages, slightly more than an eighth of the revenue from the ordinary telegrams, and an eleventh of the total value of both ordinary and Government messages. It has been calculated that the 157,893 Press messages had seven times the number of words contained in the 1,221,590 ordinary telegrams, and .twice as many words as the 1,379,482 ordinary and Government messages. The number of telegrams of all codes, and their value, dealt with during 1883, compared with the previous year's messages, are given below: — Ordinary Telegrams. Press Telegrams. Government Telegrams. Number. £ s. d. Number. £ s. d. Number. £ a. d. 1883 1,221,590 72,868 16 0 157,893 8,532 19 9 219,917 21,555 19 2 1882 1,207,219 73,036 5 7 154,598 8,733 19 1" 208,372 20,608 11 11 T ( 14,371 ... 3,295 ... 11,545 947 7 3 inciease ■■■|l'lBp.c. ... 2-13 p.c. ... 5-54 p.c. 4-59 p.c. -r, f ... 167 9 7 ... 200 19 4 Decrease...} ... o'22p.c. ... 2-29 p.c. 2—F. 1.

Postal District. Not exceeding £20. Over £20 and under £50. Over £50 and under £100. Over £100 and under £200. Over £200 and under £300. Over £300 and under £400. Over £400 and under £300. Over £500. Total. Auckland Blenheim Christchurch Dunedin 3-isborno 6,064 820 9,232 8,982 240 963 668 1,080 1,632 2,012 857 814 1,514 1,185 1,702 6,168 509 1,009 127 2,518 1,416 58 159 101 341 298 267 158 206 228 279 235 1,121 65 626 86 931 803 25 120 78 149 153 149 86 111 139 153 142 559 49 435 54 586 543 15 72 46 110 103 113 74 64 106 94 90 360 29 121 10 174 108 1 21 9 27 28 27 26 17 25 13 12 102 9 35 3 56 32 1 7 1 3 5 6 7 1 6 2 6 29 1 6 1 16 15 1 1 1 2 4 4 2 1 3 19 10 8,296 1,101 13,532 11,909 341 1,345 904 2,314 2,225 2,579 1,212 1,214 2,022 1,730 2,194 8,355 603 jlreymouth hokitika invercargill Napier kelson Sew Plymouth .. 3amaru Phames Kmaru Wanganui Wellington Westport 2 2 2 1 2 3 9 1 1 4 4 7 45,042 8,586 4,359 2,894 730 201 70 51 61,936 Totals for 1882 41,724 7,112 4,333 3,008 886 237 121 96 57,517