F.—l

It will be of interest to compare the revenue and expenditure year by year for the past ten years as shown in the table below. The figures for 1881-82—the first year after the amalgamation of the post-office and telegraph services—are also given :—

Statement showing Revenue and Expenditure of the Post and Telegraph Department for the Ten Years ended 31st March, 1901, and for the Year 1881-82.

The revenue of both branches for 1900-1, after making due allowance for the loss on the penny-post for the first three months of 1901, exceeded that of the previous year by £15,590 3s. lfd., the rate of increase being 3 - 19 per cent. The expenditure increased by £27,823 15s. 4d., or 7-13 per cent. The balance of revenue over expenditure was £85,564 2s. 6|d., as compared with £97,797 14s. 9d. for 1899-1900. Adding the value of the free official correspondence and Government telegrams, there is a credit balance on the year's transactions of £203,129 Bs. BJd. The amount payable to the Bailway Department for the conveyance of mails was £32,951 19s. 6d., against which the sum of £23,441145. 9d. was received by this department for the postage on railway correspondence, private-box rents, transmission of railway telegrams, and maintenance of railway telegraph-wires. £9,129 was contributed by the Post Office on account of salaries of Eailway officers who also act as Postmasters and Telegraphists or Telephonists, leaving a balance in favour of the Eailway Department of £18,639 4s. 9d. 36,185,045 letters were posted, equal to 4739 letters to each head of the population—an increase of 1,152,593. The number of forwarded telegrams of all codes was 3,898,128 —an increase of 428,497. 83 post-offices were established (including 4 reopened). The number of post-offices open at the close of the year was 1,686. 369,834 money-orders, for £1,214,852 16s. 5d., were issued, and 264,018 orders, representing £1,042,348 4s. 5d., paid. 490,505 postal notes, of the value of £154,434 Is., were sold. £4,170,428 15s. 3d. was deposited in the Post-Office Savings-Banks, and £3,827,416 7s. 3d. withdrawn. The total amount to credit of depositors on the 31st December last was £5,809,552 ss. 3d., as compared with £5,320,370 14s. 10d. at the close of the previous year. 986 inland-mail services (excluding services by railway) were in operation during the year. At the close of the year there were 7,249 miles of telegraph-line and 20,682 miles of wire. The net expenditure on telegraph construction was £50,100 19s. 7d. There were 8,210 telephone-exchange connections on the 31st March last. The subscriptions received amounted to £49,117 os. Bd. Staff. The total number of officers on the staff on the 31st March was as under: — 31st March, 1901. Postmaster-General ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Classioed Staff. First Division ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 Clerical Division ... ... ... ... .., ... 1,020 Non-clerical Division ... ... ... ... ... ... 600 Distributors and Messengers ... ... ... ... ... 437 Total, Classified Staff ... ... ..: ... ... 2,061 Employes not on Permanent Staff: — Country Postmasters ... .... ... ... ... ... 1,500 Nightwatchmen ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 Postmasters and Telegraphists or Telephonists who are Eailway officers 151 Total ... ... ... ... ... ... 3,715

II

Year. Revenue. Expenditure. Balance of Revenue over Expenditure. £ s. 234,529 8 a, o £ s. 233,291 10 a. 4 £ s. 1,237 17 d. 8 1881-82 L891-92 L892-93 L893-94 L894-95 l895-96 :896-97 1897-98 .898-99 :899-1900 .900-1901 320,058 1 318,758 10 344,676 12 357,449 14 365,727 6 392,117 1 408,383 15 445,770 7 488,245 16 503,835 19 3 4 3 9 5 0 3 1 4 268,343 1 1 278,394 9 1 293,704 7 3 299,971 1 4 332,325 4 8 353,699 14 5 364,403 3 1 390,197 8 6 390,448 1 7 418,271 16 11 51,715 0 40,364 1 50,972 5 57,478 13 33,402 1 38,417 6 43,980 12 55,572 18 97,797 14 85,564 2 2 3 0 5 9 7 2 7 9 6* Total for ten years £555,264 16 2*