p.—l

XX

Two offices were closed —namely, Omapere and Whananaki. There were 427 offices open at the end of 1899, as against 409 at the end of the previous year. 41,362 accounts were opened and 28,284 closed, the net gain on the year's working being 13,078 accounts. The number of depositors on the 31st December was 183,046, and the proportion of accounts per head of population was one in 4-13, as compared with one in 4-33 at the end of the previous year. The deposits numbered 313,783, representing £3,644,980 9s. 10d., an average of £11 12s. 4d. per transaction. The withdrawals numbered 206,940, for £3,417,298 19s. Bd., an average of £16 10s. 3d. for each withdrawal. The net amount added to the depositors' savings during the year was therefore £227,681105. 2d. phis £134,917 19s. 3d. interest earned, making a total of £362,599 9s. sd. The total amount at credit of depositors increased from £4,957,771 ss. sd. at the close of the previous year to £5,320,370 14s. lOd. on the 31st December last, representing a sum equal to £7 os. Bd. per head of the entire population, and £29 Is. 4d. per depositor. Last year the figures were £6 14s. Bd. and £29 3s. sd. respectively. The interest credited to depositors since the Post-Office Savings-Banks were established in 1867 now amounts to £2,040,793 16s. 3d. The cost of working the savings-banks amounted to 4-38 pence per transaction, or £9,500 for the year. The cost of management per cent, on total amount at credit of depositors was 0-179 per cent., or 3s. 7d. per £100. Average number of deposits per day, 1898 ... ... ... ... 921 1899... ... ... ... 1,025 Increase per cent. ... ... ... ... ... ... 11-29 Average number of withdrawals per day, 1898 ... ... ... 643 1899 ... ... ... 676 Increase per cent. ... ... ... ... ... ... 5-13 Average daily amount deposited, 1898 ... ... .. £10,717 13s. 7d. 1899 ... ... ... £11,911 14s. Od. Average daily amount withdrawn, 1898 ... ... ... £10,440 16s. 7d. 1899 ... ... ... £11,167125.10 d. TELEGRAPHS. The total value of the telegraph and telephone business for the year ended the 31st March last, including Government telegrams and miscellaneous telegraph receipts, was £192,376 13s. 4d., as compared with £170,794 19s. sd.—an increase of £21,581 13s. lid., or 12-64 per cent. The following is a comparison of the traffic in paid telegrams during the last five years:— Number. Value. 1895-96 ... 1,899,632 ... ... ... £92,289 1896-97 ... 2,285,001 Increase, 20-29 per cent. ... 97,453 Increase, 5-60 per cent. 1897-98 ... 2,469,415 „ 8-07 „ ... 96,537 Decrease, 0-94 1898-99 ... 2,717,548 „ 10-05 „ ... 101,104 Increase, 4-73 1899-00 ... 3,159,093 „ 16-25 „ ... 114,383 „ 13-13 Telegraph Business. Table showing the number of telegrams forwarded, and the revenue derived therefrom, during the four quarters of the financial years 1898-99 and 1899-1900 respectively:—

The number of telegrams of all codes forwarded during last financial year was 3,469,631 —an increase of 508,893, or 17-19 per cent., over 1898-99. The proportion of telegrams per head of population was 4-70, as compared with 4-02 the previous year. The number of ordinary telegrams forwarded was 2,578,863, of the value of £89,716 15s. 2d., compared with 2,242,387, for £78,499 lis. 2d., in 1898-99 —an increase of 336,476 and £11,217 4s. Od. The urgent telegrams numbered 127,576, of the value of £8,412 15s. 7d. —an increase of 14,138 in number and £24 17s. 2d. in amount. 255,362 Press telegrams, of the value of £10,770 13s. 9d., were forwarded in 1899-1900, as compared with 217,783, valued at £10,140 14s. 6d., forwarded in 1898-99—an increase of 37,579, or 17-26 per cent., in number, and 6-22 per cent, in value.

Number of Telegrams forwarded. Revi Quarter. Year ended Year ende 31st March, 31st Marcl 1899. 1900. Year ended 31st March, 1900. Increase per Cent. inue. CD -43 CO CJ go a g 1898-99. 1899-00. June quarter September quarter December quarter March quarter ... 647,284 609,615 712,121 748,528 715,127 701,965 832,126 909,875 10-48 15-15 16-85 21-56 £ s. d. 24,548 10 44 23,008 6 10 26,231 18 5| 27,315 16 8 £ s. 26,149 4 25,667 12 30,082 17 32,483 9 d. 04 0* 0 0 6-52 11-56 14-68 18-92 2,717,548 3,159,093 16-25 101,104 12 4 114,383 2 1 13-13