F.—l

XIII

Registered Letters. The number of registered articles dealt with in 1897, compared with the numbers in 1890, 1895, and 1896, is shown below:—

Inland Mail-services. Inland mail-communication throughout the colony has been well maintained, the only stoppage of consequence being the result of the lamentable floods in the Hawke's Bay District of the 16th April, 1897. The Town of Napier was for a time cut off from the surrounding districts, owing to the washing-away of roads and bridges in all directions. Efforts were at once made to restore the mail-services, and by the 19th through communication with Wellington was effected by means of coaches, railway-trollies, &c. Mail-sorting cars of a new and improved pattern have been placed on the express trains between Christchurch and Invercargill. The new cars, which are much larger than the old ones, have materially facilitated the work of the travelling post-offices, and lessened the arduous duties of the sorting-clerks on the trains. On the opening of the through train-service between Wellington and Napier by way of the Wairarapa on the 13th December last a travelling post-office was established between Wellington and Pahiatua on the Government line, and the mail-van from Napier, which previously ran to Palmerston North, was diverted at Woodville to meet that from Wellington at Pahiatua, where the express trains to which the vans are attached cross. This travelling post-office on the through line has proved of great advantage to the service in accelerating the delivery of correspondence, and reducing the number of small mails formerly made up at country offices on the line of route. The travelling post-office on the Wellington-Wanganui-New Plymouth line has, of course, not been interfered with. The number of contracts for inland mails in operation in 1897 was 750, as compared with 723 in 1896. The length of inland postal routes byroad (counted one way only) was 9,112 miles, and the total number of miles travelled 2,049,001, at an average cost of 3-35 d. per mile. In 1896 the respective mileages were 8,683J and 1,893,428, and the average cost 3'44d. per mile. Ordinary trains with mails travelled 2,641,053 miles, as against 2,512,881 in 1896. The sum payable to the Eailway Department for the conveyance of mails by ordinary trains was at the rate of £30,126 13s. per annum. The payment for 1896-97 was at the rate of £29,928 10s. The following mail-services were established during the year:— Auckland — As required : Cabbage Bay Post-office-Steamers. Daily : Northcote Post-office-Wharf (giving Northcote second daily mail). Thrice weekly: Eiverhead Post-office-Wharf; Pukekohe-Patumahoe-Mauku. Twice weekly: Whangarei-Whareora-Kiripaka (twice weekly)-Ngunguru (once weekly). Weekly : Clevedon-Maraetai; Kaihu-Mangatu; Galatea-Te Whaiti; Kaeo-Otoroa; Mangawai-Hakaru-Kaiwaka (giving two last-mentioned places second weekly mail) ; Okupu-Whangaparapara; Putaruru-Lichfield (taking place discontinued railway service); Tairua-Hikuai; Tairua-Ohui; Te Kuiti-Paemako ; TauhoaPort Albert (giving Port Albert twice-weekly mail); Whakapara-Puhipuhi. Blenheim — As required : Havelock Post-office and Wharf; Picton Post-office and Wharf. Thrice weekly : Blenheim-Haveloek. Twice weekly : Kaikoura Eoad-Blind River. Weekly: Blenheim-Lower Awatere-Awatere-Molesworth (giving Awatere twiceweekly service); Blenheim-Robin Hood Bay-Ocean Bay-Port Underwood.

1890. 1895. 1896. 1897. Postal Districts. From Places beyond the '■ Colony. Begisteredin the Colony. Totals. Prom Places beyond the Colony. Begistered in the Colony. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. From Places beyond the Colony. Begistered in the Colony. Totals. Totals. Totals. Auckland Dhames .. Sew Plymouth jisborne . . Napier Wangamii Wellington Nelson Westport .. areymoufch Hokitika .. Blenheim jhristchurch rimaru 'Jamaru .. Dunedin .. [nvercargill 7,119 130 341 I 118 999 211 i 6,129 I 322 ! 112 102 95 92 I 3,659 312 278 4,615 J 1,740 j 34,398 4,781 3,372 2,120 10,911 6,060 30,369 3,430 3,254 8,879 2,579 3,193 20,404 3,551 2,505 19,696 9,819 41,517 4,911 3,713 2,238 11,910 6,271 36,498 3,752 3,366 8,981 2,674 3,285 24,063 3,863 2,783 24,311 11,559 11,042 226 505 228 1,195 397 10,055 1,239 194 365 206 120 4,465 1,510 1,252 5,520 2,579 47,350 7,955 8,576 3,812 16,917 16,300 50,900 6,956 4,409 4,989 3,624 4,447 28,302 4,514 2,569 28,188 14,507 58,392 8,181: 9,081 4,040 18,112 16,697 60,955! 8,195 4,603 5,354 3,830 4,567 32,767 6,024 3,821 33,708 17,086 7,396 1,536 1,323 422 2,944 1,970 7,780 916 768 1,024 512 576 5,760 640 426 4,255 2,176 56,550 12,052 10,503 3,316 23,051 15,495 60,497 7,356 6,136 7,883 3,779 4,368 45,069 5,253 3,433 33,288 17,218 63,946 13,588 11,826 3,738 25,995 17,465 68,277 8,272 6,904 8,907 4,291 4,944 50,829 5,893 3,859 37,543 19,394 12,517 206 830 231 1,379 1,484 11,594 610 196 425 74 66 4,687 232 109 7,392 3,220 62,903 18,038 14,246 4,850 19,545 17,801 54,235 10,279 5,472 6,496 3,444 4,318 53,212 5,478 4,197 37,322 17,866 75,420 18,244 15,076 5,081 20,924 19,285 65,829 10,889 5,668 6,921 3,518 4,384 57,899 5,710 4,306 44,714 21,086 Totals i ._ 26,374 !l69,321 41,098 254,315 295,413 40,424 315,247 355,671 195,695 45,252 339,702 384,954