F.—l

The following table shows the total number and the weight of inland, intercolonial, United Kingdom, and foreign parcels posted during the years 1889, 1890, and 1891: —

The postage collected amounted to £8,267 3s. lid., compared with £6,822 9s. 7d. collected in 1890. The number of inland parcels posted was 157,465, compared with 117,613 in 1890. The increase in the number of inland parcels posted over the number posted in 1890 was no less than 39,852, or 3388 per cent., compared with an increase of 1516 per cent, in 1890 over 1889. The following table shows the number of parcels exchanged with the United Kingdom and foreign countries via London, and the Australian Colonies during the years 1890 and 1891: —

The declared value of the parcels received from places outside the colony was £23,385 13s. 7d. The Customs duty collected amounted to £3,835 3s. lid. In 1890 the declared value was £13,834, and the duty collected £2,375 19s. 3d. The declared value of the parcels despatched to places beyond the colony was £4,193 9s. lid. as against £3,831 in 1890. _ The rate for intercolonial parcels has been reduced to Bd. for the first pound and 6d. for each additional pound, in the place of Is. 2d. for the first two pounds and 7d. for every additional pound. An exchange of parcels has been arranged with Queensland. New South Wales is now the only Australian colony which has not an intercolonial parcel post. The parcel-post system has also been extended to a number of additional foreign countries, through the intermediary of the London Post Office.

Free Official Correspondence. The estimated value of the official or free correspondence for the year is given in the statement underneath:—

ji— h\ l.

ix

1889. 1890. 1891. Postal Districts. Number. Weight. I Number. Weight. Number. Weight. Auckland Thames New Plymouth Gisbome Napier Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport Greymouth Hokitika Blenheim Christchurch .. Timaru Oamai'u Dunedin Inveroargill 19,468 1,199 878 ! 770 5,354 3,344 20,856 3,707 ; 868 1,630 1,182 ; 1,785 ; 17,370 1,760 854 20,303 3,138 lb. oz. 53,351 11 3,053 1J 2,341 14 1,969 0 13,802 2 j 7,862 8 J 55,910 9 11,013 18J 1,859 14 4,024 Hi 3,394 5" 4,008 15 48,403 14 3,807 1 1,873 14 57,366 11 7,722 12J 21,882 1,491 1,007 938 6,265 4,035 25,893 4,723 1,077 2,509 1,413 1,846 19,383 2,013 859 22,500 3,458 lb. oz. 57,912 10 3,661 8 2,674 3 2,570 6 17,075 14 9,503 8 74,544 2 13,370 7 2,332 4 6,243 13 3,924 5 4,357 11 58,708 4 4, 774 8 2,123 3 05,329 13 7,477 5 30,126 1,756 1,630 1,149 7,707 5,497 35,427 5,892 1,464 2,998 1,776 2,058 26,312 2,634 1,224 29,995 4,637 1b. oz. 74,503 8 4,269 12 3,745 13 2,990 10 20,917 7 12,528 12 106,175 0 15,366 2 3,268 6 7,252 12 4,622 7 5,128 15 74,162 2 5,431 6 2,577 11 79,783 0 9,911 8 Totals 281,766 13 121,292 336,643 12 162,282 432,635 3 104,5S6

Number of Parcels. Country. Eeco: :ved. Dospa: iohed. United Kingdom and Foreign Offices, via London ... Victoria South Australia Tasmania ... ... ... ... * 7i... Western Australia 1890. 13,491 1,426 71 45 2 1891. 17,115 1,649 113 76 14 1890. 2,693 751 88 128 19 1891. 3,253 1,176 107 250 31 Totals 15,035 18,967 3,679 4,817

Postal Districts. Letters. Books. Value. Postal Districts. Letters. Books. Value. Aucklana Thames New Plymouth .. Gisbome Napier Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport Greymouth lb. oz. 23,606 9 2,401 2 4,433 10 1,379 7 3,322 5 6,949 8 106,350 2 3,023 12 1,680 0 1,682 8 lb. oz. 19,945 8 2,386 0 6,100 0 3,990 0 7,170 0 7,914 0 209,900 0 1,2G0 0 890 0 7,750 0 £ s. a. 5,943 16 9 713 11 9 1,886 2 2 563 3 8 1,125 3 0 2,101 1 5 39,280 4 1 845 2 4 477 16 4 572 13 4 Hokitika Blenheim Christehuroh .. Timaru Oaraaru Duncdin Invercargill lb. oz. 1,560 0 3,237 15 7,899 15 5,753 8 2,097 0 9,056 10 2,619 15 lb. oz. 342 0 8,569 0 31,188 10 3,627 0 1,983 0 7,402 8 2,501 14 £, s. a. 427 9 8 1,119 15 8 #,841 5 2 1,628 17 11 619 1 10 2,636 14 4 797 16 11 Totals 187,053 14 322,925 C. 63,579 16 4