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Suez-Brindisi, New South Wales Packet Service. Dr. £ s. d. £ s. a. Payments to New South Wales ... ... 7,353 3 5 Intercolonial service, &c. ... ... ... 981 17 4 8,335 0 9 Ob. Postages from London Post Office ... ... 2,508 5 6 Postages collected in the colony ... ... 725 9 5 3,233 14 11 Net cost to the colony ... ... ... £5,101 5 10

218,898 letters, 125,976 books, and 625,599 newspapers were received from the United Kingdom, &c, by the Suez-Brindisi service; and 16,750 letters, 1,009 books, and 1,635 newspapers despatched. The payments made for the year for the transmission of correspondence by the Torres Straits Mail Service amounted to £10 15s. 2d. 12,542 letters, 161 books, and 9,891 newspapers were received from the United Kingdom, and 62,838 letters, 7,072 books, and 32,126 newspapers were despatched to the United Kingdom, by direct steamers. Money Orders. Money-order business was extended to 22 offices, namely, Paparoa, Kaeo, Darfield, Pukerua, Methven, Bannockburn, Portobello, Fordell, Goldsborough, Petone, Pukerau, Fairlie Creek, Eiversdale, Bombay, Tuakau, Devonport, Parnell, Ponsonby, Upper Symonds Street, Papakura, Greytown South, and Taupiri. The money-order office at Pahautanui was closed. The total number of money-order offices open at the end of the year was 243. 186,052 orders for £572,666 ss. 2d. were issued during the year, as compared with 172,556 orders for £541,132 15s. sd. in 1883, an increase of 13,496 orders for £31,533 9s. 9d. 155,116 orders for £475,199 14s. Bd. were paid, against 141,438 orders for £439,869 19s. Id. in 1883, the increase being 13,678 orders and £35,329 15s. 7d. The number of money orders issued for payment in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, Canada, and the Australian Colonies was 41,825 for £142,219 6s. 4d. 11,290 orders for £45,108 19s. were issued in those countries for payment in New Zealand. The balance against the colony was, therefore, £97,110 7s. 4d. In 1883 the excess of foreign orders issued in the colony over those paid was £99,721; in 1882, £104,665; and in 1881, £97,605. The telegraph was used for the transmission of 16,496 orders for £65,241 Is. 7d., against 16,261 orders for £64,735 6s. 7d. in 1883, an increase of 235 orders for £505 15s. The revenue from money-order commission was £9,525 3s. Bd., against £9,022 10s. 6d. for the year 1883, an increase of £502 13s. 2d. Arrangements have recently been completed for the exchange of money orders between New Zealand and certain foreign countries and British colonies through the medium of the London Post Office, which hitherto were not included in any money-order system with New Zealand. The following are the countries to which the new arrangement applies : Foreign Countries. —Belgium, Denmark, Danish West Indies, Dutch East Indies, Egypt, German Empire, Holland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland. British India (including the agencies of the Indian Post Office at Aden, Bagdad, Bunder Abbas, Bushire, Busrah, Guadur, Jask, Linga, Muscat, and Zanzibar). British Colonies. —British America: Newfoundland.. Other Colonies: Bermuda, Ceylon, Falkland Islands, Hong Kong (including the agencies of the Hong Kong Post Office at Amoy, Canton, Foo Chow, Hankow, Hoihow, Ningpo, Shanghai, and Swatow), Straits Settlements. South and West Africa: Cape Colony, Gambia, Gold Coast, Lagos, Mauritius, Natal, St. Helena, Seychelles, Sierra Leone. West Indies : Antigua, Bahamas, Barbadoes, British Guiana, Dominica, Grenada, Honduras (British), Jamaica, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Tobago, Trinidad, Turks Island ; Cyprus, North Borneo. The rates of commission to be paid by the remitters are the same as on money orders payable in the United Kingdom, but a deduction by way of commission is made by the London Post Office from the amount of each order for arranging the payment at the office of destination. This deduction is at the under-mentioned rates : For sums not exceeding £2 sterling, 3d.; for sums exceeding £2 but not exceeding £5, 6d.; for sums exceeding £5 but not exceeding £7, 9d.; for sums exceeding £7 but not exceeding £10, Is. The arrangement only came into operation in March last, and there has not been time to observe to what extent it meets the public convenience. Savings-Banks. During the year 22 additional savings-bank offices were opened and 1 office closed. The total number of savings-bank offices open at the close of the year was 242. 20,228 new accounts were ppened against 20,386 in 1883 ; and 16,447 accounts closed against 15,967 the preceding year. The number of open accounts on the 31st December last was 65,717 against 61,936 at the close of 1883. Of these, 48,262 had balances at credit of under £20; 8,352 of from £20 to £50 ; 4,791 of from £50 to £100; 3,179 of from £100 to £200; 754 of from £200 to £300; 225 of from £300 to £400, 84 of from £400 to £500; and 70 of over £500. 2—F. 1.