F.—l.

Return showing the several Subsidised Mail Steam Services, the Subsidy Payments for the Year 1891, the Dates when established, and the Date on which each terminates.

TBLEGEAPHS. 1,968,264 telegrams of all codes were forwarded, a.n increase of 7,103 over the number forwarded in 1890. The telegrams forwarded were in the proportion of 3-13 to each head of the population. The number of ordinary and delayed, telegrams forwarded was 1,558,492, of the value of £77,954 6s. sd. The number dealt with in 1890, was 1,541,499, of the value of £77,168 16s. Bd. 187,623 press telegrams, of the value of £9,590 ss. 6d. were dealt with, a decrease of 5,259 in number, but an increase of £804 17s. Bd. in value, compared with the number and value for 1890. The proportion of press to ordinary and delayed telegrams was as 1 to 8 - 31, and the average valueof each press telegram Is. O-27d. compared with 10'93d. in 1890. The number and value of telegrams of all codes forwarded during the calendar years 1891 and 1890 were as under : — • ,-. Ordinary and Delayed Telegrams. Press Telegrams. Government Telegrams. Number. s. d. Number. £ s. d. Number. £ s. d. 1891 ... 1,558,492 77,954 6 5 ... 187,623 9,590 5 6 ... 222,149 24,840 5 7 1890 ... 1,541,499 77,168 16 8 ... 192,882 8,785 710 ... 226,780 26,070 12 7 The telegraph receipts for the financial year ended the 31st March last, including telephone exchange subscriptions, private-wire rents, &c, amounted to £110,163 13s. lid., compared with £111,786 17s. 10d., a decrease of £1,623 3s. lid., or 1-45 per cent. In explanation of the decrease of revenue, it may be stated that the receipts from telegrams, show an apparent falling-off of £2,530; the telephone exchange subscriptions, owing to the reduction in the rates, w T ere £1,929 less than the estimate ; and the private-wire rents fell off £600. The expenditure was £114,644 15s. 9d., compared with £104,391 3s. 10d. in 1890-91, an increase of £10,253 11s. lid. or 9-82 per cent. Of the increase, about £5,000 may be put down as increments to salaries under the classification, £2,800 on account of additional telegraph material used for repairs, &c, and about £2,000 in connection with the introduction of new telegraph forms. The total value of the services performed by telegraph for the year, inclusive of £24,840 ss. 7d. for Government telegrams, and £940, fees collected on money-order telegrams, was £142,474 Is. 4d. There was, therefore, after deducting the expenditure, a credit balance of £27,829 ss. 7d. on the year's transactions, which gave a return of 4-13 per cent, on the capital cost. 30,785 urgent telegrams, of the value of £4,178 11s. 6d., were forwarded, a decrease of 4,882 in number and £571 ss. 10d. in amount, on the figures for 1890. 562,927 delayed telegrams were forwarded, compared with 530,324 in 1890, an increase of 32,603 or 615 per cent. The proportion of delayed to ordinary telegrams was equal to 5654 per cent., compared with 54-36 per cent, in 1890. The delayed system, apparently, is steadily replacing ordinary telegrams, and, of course, keeping down the receipts. 222,149 Government telegrams, of the value of £24,840 ss. 7d., were forwarded, a decrease of 4,631 in number and £1,230 7s. in amount, compared with the number and value in 1890. The value of telegrams forwarded by each Government department will be found in Table No. 21.

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Duration of Service. Service. Subsidy or Payment. Number of Voyages per Annum. Mileage for Complete Voyage. Cost per Mile. When established. When terminated or when terminable. Auckland and San Francisco Direct Steam Service Auckland and Fiji lew Zealand and South Pacific Islands .. Jew Zealand and Chatham Islands Auckland and Great Barrier lelensville and Matakohe Helensville and Dargaville Jawene and Omapere Uawene and Horeke iussell and Opua kelson and Golden Bay .. ilokitika, Bruce Bay, Paringa, Haast River, Okuru, Okarito, and Jackson's Bay iVestport and Karamea .. 31un* and Stewart Island .. !nterprovincial Service in connection with San Francisco Line Interprovincial Service in connection with Direct Contract Steamers .. s, s. a. 7,201 2 11 2,420 13 10 1,090 0 0 Nov., 1885 Dec, 1884 June, 1S80 Nov., 1892 Dec, 1891 13 12 13 11,916 23,019 2,334 s. d. 0 11-10 0 2-10 1 1-37 1,200 0 0 200 0 0 200 0 0 I 450 0 0 [ 290 0 0 June, 1885 Oct., 1891 Jan., 1881 March, 1893 Sept., 1892 Dec, 1892 8 4 52 I 52 t 104 ( 52 \ 52 [ 156 72 6,992 1,050 50 118 ) 170 J 34 12 8) 130 0 5-15 0 11-43 1 4-48 0 4-53 Jan., 1889 Dec, 1892 1 7-12' 150 0 0 Dec, 1892 0 3-85 400 0 0 120 0 0 225 0 0 Jan., 1880 June, 1886 July, 1886 Dec, 1892 Dec, 1892 Dec, 1892 0 13 52 280 102 40 4 9-14 1 9-72 2 l-'JO 3,000 0 0 Nov., 1880 Nov., 1S92 13 3,000 0 0 Dec., 1884 Doc, 1891 12