F.—l

Return for same Period of Payments and Amounts in each Postal District.

New Postage-stamps, etc. In connection with the inauguration of universal penny postage by New Zealand, a new Id. stamp was designed and printed in London, and issued in the colony on the Ist January last. On the plates coming to hand, the printing was undertaken by the Stamp-printing office. The stamp is of carmine colour. In the top corners are rosettes, below which are the words " New Zealand." A graceful female figure, representing New Zealand, stands in the foreground against a globe. In the background Mount Egmont is faintly outlined, and a mail steamer is shown in the middle distance. Underneath are the words " Universal Postage," and below this " One Penny." The English print was on unwatermarked paper, but in the New Zealand print watermarked pa/per has been used. The perforations vary. A 1-J-d. postage-stamp die was engraved in America, and the stamp printed and issued in the colony. The stamp is khaki-coloured, and symbolizes New Zealand's response to the Empire's call for troops. The Queens-head stamps were finally withdrawn from sale to the public on the 31st July last. In connection with the suppression of so-called trading-stamp companies by Act, discount stamps have been printed by Government, and are sold at money-order offices to traders. The stamps, which cannot be used in prepayment of postage, are redeemed in quantities of the value of not less than Is. when attached to cards provided for the purpose. An experimental issue of booklets containing twelve and thirty stamps at Id. has been made, and although the sale has for the present been confined to the Chief Post Offices the number purchased is sufficient to indicate the popularity of the scheme. Each leaf contains six stamps, and is separated from the next leaf by a piece of waxed paper, the covers of the booklet being utilised for announcing the rates of postage and other postal information of a useful nature. A ■ charge of Jd. is made for the cost of binding, &c. It will not be possible to supply the booklets to all post-offices until a plate is obtained which will enable the stamps to be printed in blocks of six. New stamp-perforating machinery has been imported by the Government Printer, and is now being set up. The reduction of the postage on post-cards to places within the Postal Union, from lij-d. to Id., necessitated the issue of new postal cards, which are similar in design to the former issue with the exception that the translation of the heading in French as required by the Postal Union Convention has been added. To commemorate the introduction of universal penny postage, a limited supply of specially designed post-cards bearing the Postmaster-General's greetings was issued to prominent personages throughout the Empire. A further series of pictorial post-cards is about to be issued. As, however, the manufacture of pictorial post-cards has during the last month or two been taken up briskly by private firms, it is probable that the Post Office will, after a small quantity of illustrated cards has been printed from the present blocks, discontinue issuing any but plain cards. The object of Government in issuing pictorial post-cards was to advertise the scenery of the colony ; but it would appear that the pastime of collecting pictorial post-cards, which has become popular in Europe during the last few years, is now being taken up in New Zealand. Some of the cards turned out by private firms are very creditable.

VI

1899-1900. 1900-1. Postal District. Number of Paymonte. Amount. Number of Payments. Amount. Auckland... Blenheim... Christchurch Dunedin ... Gisborne ... Greymouth Hokitika ... Invercargill Napier Nelson New Plymouth Oamaru ... Thames ... Timaru ... Wanganui Wellington Westport... 24,845 1,523 15,718 16,822 990 4,912 5,134 6,187 3,402 3,859 2,420 2,231 4,837 2,992 2,820 9,177 2,580 £ s. d. 34,871 5 6 ' 2,104 3 4 22,315 8 10 23,897 2 11 1,475 5 0 7,219 3 4 7,524 6 8 8,933 18 4 4,678 18 4 5,325 0 0 3,421 1 9 3,218 15 0 6,983 10 0 4,281 3 4 4,083 18 4 13,227 0 9 3,773 17 1 31,799 1,813 19,575 20,755 1,579 5,792 5,710 7,803 5,286 4,257 2,926 2,707 5,942 3,989 3,756 11,058 3,397 & s. a. 45,058 1 0 2,528 12 1 27,742 4 8 29,730 6 10 2,330 1 0 8,596 4 7 8,451 10 5 11,317 4 5 7,193 16 6 5,873 3 4 4,168 5 10 3,941 4 8 8,664 9 8 5,705 1 6 5,394 17 1 16,036 12 8 4,995 14 4 Totals 110,449 £157,333 18 6 138,144 £197,727 10 7