f.— i;

Staff. The total number of officers on the staff on the 31st March was as under :— 31st March, 1902. Postmaster-General ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Classified staff:— First Division ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 Clerical Division ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,139 Non-clerical Division ... ... ... ... ... ... 627 Distributors and messengers ... ... ... ... ... 468 Total, classified staff ... ... ... ... ... 2,238 mployees not on permanent staff:— Country Postmasters and Postmistresses ... ... ... ... 1,601 Nightwatohmen ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 Mail-cart drivers ... ... ... ... ... ... 4 Postmasters and telegraphists or telephonists who are Bail way officers 144 Total ... ... ... ... ... ... 3,990 CoMPABATiVE Beturn of Officers of the Post and Telegraph Department for the Years ended 31st March, 1901, and 31st March, 1902. Mar.3l, Mar. Bl, Mar.3l, Mar.3l, 1901. 1902. 1901. 1902. Postmaster-General .. .. .. 1 1 Brought forward .. .. 108 123 Secretary .. .. .. .. 1 1 Assistant Inspectors of Post-offices .. 3 3 Superintendent of Electric Lines .. 1 1 Chief Postmasters .. .. 17 17 Assistant Secretary and Inspector .. 1 1 Postmasters and Officers in Charge on Controller of Money-orders and Savings- Permanent Staff .. .. .. 119 111 banks and Accountant .. .. 1 1 Clerks (including Telephone Exchange j Chief Clerk .. .. .. .. 1 1 cadettes and cadets in post-offices) (, „.,-. -. Assistant Controller of Money-ordera and Operators (including cadets in telegraph-1 ' ' ' Savings-banks and Accountant .. 1 1 offices) .. .. .. j Clerks in General Post Office— Letter-carriers .. .. .. 227 234 Secretary's Office .. .. .. 16 18 Messengers (Post Office) .. 46 49 Inspector's and Dead-letter Branch .. 6 7 Linemen .. .. .. 73 70 Controller of Money-ordors and Savings- Telegraph distributors and message boys 437 468 banks and Accountant's Branch .. 57 66 Nigbtwatchmen .. .. .. 3 3 Storekeeper and assistants .. .. 7 7 Mail-cart drivers .. .. .... 4 Electrician (also Telegraph Inspector) .. 1 1 Postmasters and telegraphists or teleAssistant Electricians .. .. .. 2 2 phonists who are Railway officers .. 151 144 Mechanicians and cadets .. .. 8 7 Country Postmasters, Postmistresses, Telegraph Inspectors .. .. .. 4 4 and telephonists .. .. .. 1,000 1,601 Carried forward .. ..108 123 Totals .. .. ..3,715 3,990 Provision for increased staff required to overtake the rapidly expanding business was again at times a matter of some difficulty, but has been met by a thorough change in the recruiting arrangements. The policy of the Department of offering inducement to lads and others in the non-clerical division to qualify for promotion lias not been disturbed, and it is gratifying to find that the spirit of emulation thus created has produced an increased desire for self-improvement among juniors in the service, and the consequent discovery of many promising officers. The classes for training telegraph cadets were not carried on throughout the whole of the summer months, but have had again to be resumed. Besides providing staff on account of resignations, deaths, and increased business, the vacancies caused by the fifty-one employees who have gone to South Africa with the several contingents had also to be filled. The positions of these officers are kept open for them, and this had always to be borne in mind when filling the vacancies. Several telegraphists have left this service for South Africa, and others contemplate applying for positions in the Transvaal now that the war has ended. The conduct of officers has been extremely good, and the almost total absence of complaint and the loyalty of the staff on both sides of the service is a credit to its members. A word of acknowledgment should be given to the letter-carriers throughout the colony, particularly those in the principal centres, for the efficient manner in which they overtook the suddenly increased delivery of mail matter which followed the introduction of the penny post. An endeavour has been made to reward the men as a body by making as many promotions as possible from their ranks to the clerical division, and it is hoped by the establishment of a special class of sorters to give promotion to suitable letter-carriers who are not educationally or otherwise qualified for the clerical division. It is intended to introduce to Parliament an amending Classification Bill, which will, among other things, improve the lower grades of the non-clerical division. The employment of night staffs at Wellington and Dunedin having proved an undoubted success, it was decided in September last to appoint a night staff, consisting of a clerk and a messenger, at the Chief Post Office, Auckland. This arrangement enables mails arriving by small coastal steamers during the night to be sorted, and the clearances made from the letter-receivers to be stamped and sorted ready for the morning staff, which has now more time to attend to the despatch of the country mails.

III