p.—l

IX

The Advances to Settlers Office receipts amounted to £439,590 13s. 4d., and payments to £452,810 2s. sd. Fees, &c, were also collected on account of the Audit Office, Hospitals and Charitable Aid, County Councils, Harbourmasters, Alcoholic Liquors Act, Licensing Act, auctioneers' licenses, fishing licenses, industrial schools, Lunacy Department, Miners' Guides, public baths, property-tax, Factories Act, gum-licenses, Education Department, and the Treasury; and an election deposit of £10 was made through the Post Office. The payments made by the Post Office on behalf of the Treasury were £471,861 Bs. 9d. The gross receipts dealt with during the year were —-Departmental, £9,007,021 10s. Bd.; on account of other departments, £1,505,390 os. 4d. : total, £10,512,411 11s., as compared with £7,644,390 Bs. Bd. for the previous year. The payments were —Departmental, £8,885,376 ss. 10d. ; on behalf of other departments—to individuals, £1,226,544 Is. 6d.; to Government accounts, £346,966 Is. Id. : a total of £10,458,886 Bs. 5d., as against £7,529,187 Is. 9d. dealt with the former year. The gross receipts and payments were therefore £20,971,297 19s. 6d., as compared with £15,173,577 10s. sd. for 1896. Deliveries by letter-carriers were established at : Christchurch—Belfast ; New Brighton (by subsidised carrier), to include whole of borough and suburbs as far as Chriatchurch City delivery ; Westport—Denniston, twice daily (by subsidised carrier); Harben and Waimangaroa, daily (by subsidised carrier). Letter-carriers' deliveries were extended at: Auckland—Chief Post-office and suburbs, so as now to include Kingsland, Morningside, Mount Albert, Point Chevalier, and Mount Eoskill districts ; Whangarei—to include south-west portion of town lying between Waiarohia and Wharowharo Streams ; Christchurch —Christchurch Suburbs, to include Bromley district ; Lyttelton—to take in whole borough; Greymouth—Chief Post-office, to include the hospital on the south and Shakespeare Eoad on the east; Napier—Waipawa, to extreme northern boundary of town; Nelson —Chief Post-office, to beyond the bridge, Nile Street East; Thames —Chief Post-office, to take in Moanataiari Creek Eoad, Waiotahi Creek and Waiokaraka Creek Eoad, Irishtown, Hill Street, Hape Creek, and Parawai; Wellington—Masterton, to include Kuripuni. The Thames-Kuranui-Tararua delivery was abolished. Deliveries were increased in frequency at : Christchurch—Christchurch Suburbs, to twice daily in Waltham and Sydenham districts; Greymouth —in upper part of town from once to twice daily. The designations of offices were changed as follows : Auckland—Mangawhara to Hinuera ; Blenheim —Hocquard's to Te Puru, North-west Bay to Tira-ora ; Greymouth—Blackball Mine to Blackball, Upper Blackball to Minerva ; Napier—Moss Side to Tarewa; New Plymouth—Palmer Eoad to Mahoe ; Oamaru —Waitaki South to Waitaki; Timaru—Waitaki to Glenavy ; Wellington—Makakahi to Konini ; Westport —Harben to Waimangaroa Junction. Names were corrected as follows: Auckland—Harapipi to Harapepe, Mangare to Mangere, Mangare Bridge to Mangere Bridge, Papatoitoi to Papatoetoe, Porooterau to Porootarao, Wairangi to Waerenga, Wangaparoa to Whangaparaoa, Wangaruru to Whangaruru; Napier—Kuripapanga to Kuripapango ; Oamaru —Hakateramea to Hakataramea, Kokoamu to Kokoamo; Thames—Kaiawa to Kaiaua ; Wellington —Uruwai to Utuwai. Fourteen newspapers were registered for transmission by post, and nineteen ceased publication. Fourteen receiving-boxes were established at : Auckland—Cambridge, 1; Whangarei, 1. Christchurch—City, 1; Belfast, 1 ; Bromley, 1. Dunedin—City, 2. Napier—Town, 2. Nelson--Town, 1. Oamaru —Town, 1 (reopened). Thames—Waihi, 1; Waitekauri, 1. Wellington— South Karori, 1. Five receiving-boxes were closed: Auckland—Cambridge, 1. Dunedin—Kaitangata, 1, Thames—Waihi, 1; Waitekauri, 1. Wellington—City, 1. Seventy-eight post-offices were established (of these nine were reopened offices) and twenty closed :— Opened. Ahiaruhe, Wellington Mahau, Blenheim Pukeroa, Wanganui Allendale, Chrisfcchurch Mangatu, Auckland Pukewhau, Thames Aparima, Invercargill Maratoto, Thames Punihu Stream, Wanganui Ataahua, Christchurch Maryville, New Plymouth Putaruru, Auckland Auroa, Wanganui Matau, New Plymouth Eewa, Wellington Awatoto, Napier Mawhitiwhiti, Wanganui Rockville, New Plymouth Blind River, Blenheim Merino Downs, Dunedin Rona, Wellington Courtenay Place, Wellington Nireaha, Wellington Rukumoana, Wanganui Cricklewood, Timaru North-west Bay, Blenheim Tallaburn, Dunedin Cryer'a Landing, Thames Nydia Bay, Blenheim Tallaburn (reopened), Dunedin Elaine Bay, Blenheim Ohui, Auckland Te Oneroa, Invercargill Elsthorpe, Napier Omarama, Oamaru Te Whaiti, Auckland Greenvale, Invercargill Oneroa, Auckland Te Wharaki, Thames Henley West, Dunedin Opitonui, Auckland Three Springs, Timaru Highbank, Christchurch Orari Bridge, Timaru Tokarahi, Oamaru Hikuai, Auckland Oropi, Thames Totaratahi, Oamaru Hinemoa, Wellington Otoroa, Auckland Upper Blackball, Greymouth Hocquard's, Blenheim Overdale, Christchurch Utuwai, Wellington Hopai, Blenheim Paemako, Auckland Waianakarua, Oamaru Hukanui, Wellington Pahiatua (railway), Wellington Waihakeke, Wellington Inaha, Wanganui Parkville, Wellington Waimaru, Blenheim Island Cliff, Oamaru Peep-o'-Day, Wellington Waipatukahu, Thames Kaiparoro, Wellington Piripiri, Wellington Wallaceville, Wellington Kairanga, Wellington Ponga, Auckland Whangaparapara, Auckland Komata, Thames Puhipuhi, Auckland Whetukura, Napier Koru, New Plymouth Pukepito, Dunedin Wylie's Crossing, Dunedin

ii—F. 1.