F.-l

XIII

P. and O. and Orient Lines (Federal Mail-service). Dr. £ s. d. £ s. cl. Payments to P. and O. and Orient Lines ... ... 1,503 13 11 Transit charges across Australia ... ... ... 46 18 11 Transit charges across European Continent ... 266 17 11 Gratuities (to and from Australia) ... ... 1,101 17 0 2,919 7 9 Cr. Postages collected in the colony ... ... ... 1,278 14 0 Postages from London and foreign offices ... ... 756 11 3 2,035 5 3 Net loss to the colony ... ... ... ... £884 2 6 The number of letters, books, and newspapers conveyed from and to the United Kingdom by the Peninsular and Oriental and the Orient packets were : Eeceived—33B,33s letters, 200,375 books, and 807,222 newspapers; despatched—62,B9l letters, 7,308 books, .and 31,255 newspapers.

Return showing the several Subsidised Mail Steam Services, the Subsidy Payments for the Year 1892, the Dates when established, and the Date on which each terminates.

Money Orders. Twelve money-order offices were opened during the year—namely, Kaponga, Levin, Manukau, Mount Somers, Oxford North, Puerua, Shannon, Te Kuiti, Waihi, Waikoikoi, Waitaki, Waitekauri. The offices at Babylon, Blackstone Hill, Lichfield, Taupiri, and Waharoa were closed. The total number of money-order offices open at the end of the year was 329. 199,438 money-orders, representing £694,847 4s. 5d., were issued, compared with 195,239 orders for £651,989 19s. 6d. issued in 1891, an increase of 4,199 in number and £42,857 4s. lid. in amount. The orders paid numbered 160,423 of the value ot £612,312 ss. 10d., as against 160,279 orders for £582,661 16s. 7d. paid in 1891, an increase of 144 orders and £29,650 9s. 3d. in amount. The disproportion between the increase in number and amount is accounted for by the fact that from the Ist May, 1892, orders were issued up to £20, instead of £10, as before. The money-orders issued on the Australian Colonies, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Canada, and on foreign countries through the medium of the London Post Office, numbered 58,766, for £154,083 9s. sd. The number of orders drawn abroad and paid in the colony during the year was 19,443, of the value of £70,414 Is. Id. The balance against the colony on foreign money-order account was £83,669 Bs. 4d., compared with £69,935 19s. 3d. in 1891. The telegraph money-orders issued numbered 18,543 for sums amounting to £65,621 4s. 9d., as against 18,800 orders for £62,407 6s. sd. issued in 1891.

Duration of Service. Service. Subsidy or Payment. Number of Voyages peiAnnum. Mileage for Complete Voyage. Cost per Mile. When established. When terminated or when terminable. Auckland and San Francisco Auckland and Fiji New Zealand and South Pacific Islands New Zealand and Chatham Islands Auckland and Great Barrier Helensville and Matakohe Helensville and Dargaville Eawene and Omapere Rawene and Horeke Omapere and Waitapu Bussell and Opua Wellington, Ketu Bay, Maud Island, Maori Bay, Homewood, and Havelock Nelson and Golden Bay Hokitika, Bruce Bay, Paringa, Haast River, Okuru, Okarito, and Jackson's Bay Westport and Karamea Bluff and Stewart Island Bluff and Coal Island Paterson's Inlet and Half-moon Bay Interprovincial Service in connection with San Francisco Line £ s. d. 7,166 10 0 1,690 0 0 Nov., 1885 June, 1880 Nov., 1893 13 13 11,916 2,334 s. d. 0 11-10 1 1-37 1,200 0 0 200 0 0 200 0 0 June, 1885 * 12 4 36 f 52 104 52 - 52 52 156 6,992 1,050 56 118 1 170} 34 12 30 ) 8 0 3'43 0 11-43 1 11-81 Oct., 1891 March, 1893 Dec, 1894 l 450 0 0 [ 200 0 0 Jan., 1881 Jan., 1889 Dec, 1892 Dec, 1892 0 4-53 1 0-15 90 0 0 Jan., 1889 Dec, 1892 1 5-31 180 0 0 150 0 0 Dec, 1891 Nov., 1892 Dec, 1892 26 72 183 130 0 9-08 0 3-85 400 0 0 120 0 0 179 15 0 310 0 0 18 15 0 Jan., 1886 June, 1886 July, 1886 Sept., 1891 April, 1892 Dec, 1892 Dec, 1892 Dec, 1892 March, 1893. Dec, 1892 6 13 52 12 52 280 102 40 80 12 4 9-14 1 9-72 1 8-74 6 5-50 0 7-21 3,000 0 0 Nov., 1886 Nov., 1893 13 :|: On three months' notice.