F.—l.

61 post-offices were established, 1 reopened, and 14 closed. The number open at the close of the year was 1,353. There were 752 inland mail-services in operation during the year, at a cost of £26,042 3s. Id. The number of telegrams of all codes forwarded was 2,033,800 —a decrease of 35,891, or 1-73 per cent. In the matter of telegraph construction, 154 miles of line were erected, compared with 34 the previous year On the 31st March last there were 5,961 miles of line, and 14,881 miles of wire, under the control of the department, exclusive of the telephone-exchange wires, the latter comprising 261 miles of poles and 4,472 miles of wire. The net expenditure on telegraph extension amounted to £19,228 19s. 222,678 money-orders, valued at £776,783 4s. lid., were issued, and 174,810 orders, amounting to £678,556 Is., were paid. 310,360 postal-notes were sold, representing £112,003 2s. 6d.—an increase of 33,255 in number, and £11,995 7s. in amount over 1893. The deposits in the Post-office Savings-banks amounted to £2,252,862 6s. lid., and the withdrawals to £2,268,624 8s. 4d. The total sum standing to the credit of depositors on the 31st December, 1894, was £3,340,879 lis. 4d., as against £3,241,998 7s. lOd. at the end of 1893. The telephone-exchange subscribers or connections on 31st March, 1895, numbered 4,616. The subscriptions received amounted to £21,552 12s. lOd. The following table and return give the numbers of offices and officers of all classes on the 31st December last :—

Comparative Beturn of Officers of the Post Office and Telegraph Department for the Years 1893 and 1894. 1893. 1894. 1893. 1894-Postmaster-General .. 1 1 Chief Postmasters 16 16 Secretary 1 1 Postmasters and Officers in Charge on PerSuperintendent 1 1 manent Staff 163 162 Assistant Secretary and Inspector 1 1 Clerks (including Telephone Exchange Assistant Inspector of Post-offices .. 11 Cadettes and Cadets in Post offices) 373 395 Sub-Inspectors of Post-offices 2 2 | Operators (including Cadets in Telegraph Controller of Money-orders and Savings-banks offices) 326 320 and Accountant 1 1 | Country Postmasters and Telephonists 1,086 1,147 Telegraph Inspectors 3 3 Letter-carriers 141 153' Telegraph Sub-Inspectors 2 1 Messengers (Post Office) 21 23 Electrician 1 1 Linemen .. 62 67 Mechanicians and Cadet 4 4 Telegraph Message Boys 212 219 Clerks in General Post Office — Nightwatchmen 2 2 Secretary's Branch 9 9 Postmasters and Telegraphists or Tele-Dead-letter Branch 5 5 phonists who are Railway officers 133 135. Money-order and Savings-bank Branch .. 20 22 Sorters in Clearing-room 13 13 ] Totals 2,603 2,709 Storekeeper and Assistants .. 5 4 |

II

Per; lane: it Offices. ountr , Iffices! Clerks and Postal Cadets.* Operators (including Cadets).t Lei can bter■iers. as |.g J, o •j 5 o 1 I I sg <el a a §S .Ph £a O O IS Telei Messe graph jngers. Postal Districts. J5 ! *© ; I! a) g 03 5 ■— ■ ci en W i §.S : ? a Te Offi 1° ,|.s J8"S >leiph ,ces. g DQ as o « O CD i IS Eh ■a a II © o s & o 3 § 3 3 Pμ . a< I * oH o Combinet Railway <D O 3t Q a o © O O » O o3 i o a> ■ ll a) at T3 O S3 Ph 4J o !■&! §g be B o n o i, 1 3 ffl <s a o I H 4» O as P GQ 1 & a <3 i : ! EH O s o H 4s o O S o P O O a o F 3 c o Auckland Blenheim Christchureh Dunedin Gisborne Greymouth Hokitika Invercargill Napier Nelson New Plymouth Oamaru Thames Timaru Wanganui Wellington Westport i i i i i i i i 23 6 10 1 I 3 7 10 4 4 ■ 1 ' 8 4 i 7 12 I * 12 28 18 13 2 3 1 4 5 1 8 3 4 1 3 3 169 19 103 69 12 24 23 76 31 14 20 10 20 31 36 53 11 93 8 22 61 13 6 7 32 18 22 9 9 11 3 13 39 12 7 1 2 0 2 6 1 1 1 4 1 7 1 1 20 6 11 6 26 1 65 7 56 57 4 6 2 21 20 7 5 5 6 7 11 82 4 1 2 8 2 25 25 34 28 2 5 3 7 24 8 4 6 7 7 14 50 3 2 I 3 1 9 44 7 13 I 19 1 4 3 12 6 8 1 8 4 12 14 4 19 2 19 17 2 2 "I I 2 3 3 3 17 1 7 1 6 C 2 1 1 4 3 2 2 1 2 1 1 14 2 15 15 3 3 2 s 5 2 3 3 3 4 40 3 19 2 12 10 4 5 5 1 3 9 3 8 5 1 2 1 3 3 1 1 1 4 1 3 20 1 J 1 11 6 6 3 1 1 1 1 3 10 5 2 ! 4 2 4 17 1 3 2 13 1 : i 2 6 3 2 8 14 2 1 3 g 1 1 5 1 2 1 3 22 2 Totals 1 721 30 252 68 162 106 47 I J23 129 90 67 5 5 8 lias 99 18 6 14 378 32 24 110 365 'Post-office c: ielegraph operatii t Telegraph oj lerki ig.a >erat b, te md 1 tors. ilegrs }elegi , cler] iph < •aph fcs, ai coun desj nd ci tter jatc! adet clei i cle 3 pri :ks, irks inci] telep ind d: ially e thone istrib , angagi exc ito] id i] ;hani rs. a tell ;lerks, cadet: 3 in pc ISt-Offll 3e, ci bdets not >rini jipally engag< >d in igri tph opi )rating