Jp I

Total opened, 36 ; 4 closed—viz., Jackson's, Nenthorn, Okupu, and Waiotemarama. The number of offices at which postal notes were sold at the end of the financial year was 529, as compared with 497 on the 31st March, 1900. 490,505 notes, of the value of £154,434 Is. were sold, as against 461,447, for £147,686 Bs. 6d., sold during the previous year. The postal notes paid numbered 486,553, of the value of £153,586 125., as compared with 457,767, for £146,778 125., paid during 1899-1900. The postal-note commission amounted to £3,255 19s. 9d. Savings-banks. There were twenty-two offices opened during the year for the transaction of savings-bank business—namely, Addington, Awahuri, Awhitu, Cheltenham, Olive, Colyton, Frasertown, Gimmerburn, Havelock North, Kawhia, Morven, North-east Valley, Otira Railway, Pongaroa, Porootarao, Eoslyn, Strand Arcade, Tadmor, Templeton, Tokatoka, Utiku, and Whangaroa. Pour offices were closed—namely, Jackson's, Nenthorn, Okupu, and Tauhoa. There were 445 offices open at the end of 1900, as against 427 at the end of the previous year. 46,086 accounts were opened and 31,724 closed, the net gain on the year's working being 14,362 accounts. The number of depositors on the 31st December was 197,408, and the proportion of accounts per head of population was one in 3-90, as compared with one in 4-13 at the end of the previous year. The deposits numbered 347,056, representing £4,170,428 15s. 3d., an average of £12 os. 4d. per transaction. The withdrawals numbered 227,079, for £3,827,416' 7s. 3d., an average of £16 17s. Id. for each withdrawal. The net amount added to the depositors' savings during the year was therefore £343,012 Bs. plus £146,169 2s. sd. interest earned, making a total of £489,181 10s. sd. The total amount at credit of depositors increased from £5,320,370 14s. 10d. at the close of the previous year to £5,809,552 ss. 3d. on the 31st December last, representing a sum equal to £7 10s. 9d. per head of the entire population, and £29 Bs. 7d. per depositor. Last year the figures were £7 os. Bd. and £29 Is. 4d. respectively. The interest credited to depositors since the Post-Office Savings-Banks were established in 1867 now amounts to £2,186,962 18s. Bd. The cost of working the savings-banks amounted to 4-39 pence per transaction, or £10,500 for the year. The cost of management per cent, on total amount at credit of depositors was 0-180 per cent., or 3s. 7d. per £100. Average number of deposits per day, 1899 ... ... ... ... 1,025 1900... ... ... ... 1,134 Increase per cent. ... ... ... ... ... ... 10-63 Average number of withdrawals per day, 1899 ... ... ... 676 1900 ... ... ... 742 Increase per cent. ... ... ... ... ... ... 9-76 Average daily amount deposited, 1899 ... ... ... £11,911 14s. od. 1900 ... ... ... £13,628 17s. Id. Average daily amount withdrawn, 1899 ... ... ... £11,167 12s. 10d. 1900 ... ... ... £12,507 17s.lid. On the Ist April, 1900, the fees chargeable to depositors in connection with the repayment of savings-bank deposits by telegram were reduced to 6d. for ordinary and Is. for urgent messages. 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 £222,305 Bs. O-Jd., as compared with £192,376 13s. 4|d.—an increase of £29,928 14s. Bd., or 15-56 per cent. The following is a comparison of the traffic in paid telegrams during the last six 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 1900-01 ... 3,534,444 „ 11-88 „ ... 126,382 „ 1049 Tblbgkaph Business. Table showing the number of telegrams forwarded, and the revenue derived therefrom, during the four quarters of the financial years 1899-1900 and 1900-1901 respectively : —•

XXII

Number of Telegrams forwarded. Eevi jnue. m a go §8 M p. Quarter. Year ended Year ended 31st March, 31st March, 1900. 1901. Increase per Cent. 1899-00. 1900-01. 'une quarter September quarter )ecember quarter darch quarter ... 715,127 701,965 832,126 909,875 827,137 793,385 924,231 989,691 15-66 13-02 11-07 8-77 £ s. 26,149 4 25,667 12 30,082 17 32,483 9 d. 0 o £ s. d. 29,359 6 10 27,905 3 li 32,675 14 2i 36,441 10 4 12-28 8-72 8-62 12-18 3,159,093 3,534,444 11-88 ill4,383 2 1 126,381 14 6 10-49