F.—l

Official Coeeespondence. The estimated volume and value of official and other free correspondence posted during 1901 is given in the statement below : —

The estimated value of official correspondence was £62,142. Dead Lettees. The following comparative table shows the number of unclaimed letters, letter-cards, and post-cards dealt with during the undermentioned years :—

The proportion of dead or unclaimed letters, letter-cards, and post-cards to the total number dealt with in the colony was 0-31 per cent., as against 0-34 per cent, in 1900. 24,678 book-packets and circulars were returned to foreign countries ; 35,734 were returned to senders through the Dead-letter Office ; 46,456 were returned by Chief Postmasters : a total of 106,868 book-packets and circulars, as compared with 123,294 in 1900. 481 letters were wrongly addressed; 29 letters were discovered to have been posted with previously used stamps ; 2,106 unclaimed registered letters were dealt with. 2,518 newspapers and 1,386 books and other articles without addresses were received, many of which were subsequently applied for and delivered. 1,951 newspapers were returned to the publishers. 435 letters and 142 letter-cards were posted without addresses. 8 letters with libellous addresses were intercepted. The undermentioned articles of value were found in letters opened in the Dead-letter Office, and returned to senders where practicable : — £ s. d. 347 post-office orders ... ... ... ... ... 959 10 3 31 bank drafts ... ... ... ... ... ... 2,144 8 6 225 cheques ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,954 17 3 2 dividend warrants ... ... ... ... ... 6 12 0 4 promissory notes ... ... ... ... ... 43 8 3 Postal notes ... ... ... ... ... ... 93 9 6 Stamps ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21 18 2 Bank-notes ... ... ... ... ... ... 191 0 0 Gold ... ... ... ... ... 43 0 0 Silver and copper ... ... ... ... ... ... 718 Eepresenting a total of ... ... £5,465 5 7 In addition, 1 ladies' gold watch and chain, 3 silver watches, 1 silver watch and chain, 1 silver keyless watch, 2 keyless metal watches, 2 metal watches, 1 metal watch and clasp, 1 Waterbury watch, 1 gold-mounted silk watch-guard, 1 rolled-gold chain, 1 gold watch-chain bar, 4 silver chains, 2 pairs gold sleeve-links, 1 pair greenstone links, 2 gold scarf-pins, 1 ladies' gold scarf-pin, 1 ladies' gold tie-clip, 5 gold rings, 5 gold brooches, 6 silver brooches, 3 brooches, 3 gold-mounted greenstone brooches, 5 greenstone brooches, 1 pair gold-mounted greenstone

XII

District. Letters. Packets. Registered Articles. Newspapers. Auckland Thames New Plymouth .. Gisborne Napier Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport Greymouth Hokitika Blenheim Christehureh Timaru Oamaru Dunedin Invercargill 333,370 75,489 108,747 31,884 120,116 262,197 1,428,034 109,109 35,828 57,772 18,780 66,001 450,982 97,461 51,064 383,256 239,174 33,735 2,851 15,000 3,468 9,596 6,034 328,798 6,825 440 3,214 2,688 2,964 26,692 3,750 2,080 49,844 18,616 12,164 1,702 1,850 660 2,310 7,518 31,916 5,481 1,443 3,026 1,981 720 13,800 3,194 1,420 9,500 4,180 67,114 33,332 33,570 17,868 54,750 90,970 242,043 40,560 29,224 46,085 27,231 24,756 144,450 32,000 34,164 194,664 79,092 Totals 3,869,264 516,595 102,865 1,191,873

Manner of Disposal. 1884. 1885. 1886. 1887. 1889. 1890. 1894. 1896. j 1898. 1899. 1900. 1901. ipened and returned 68,942 to the writers leturned unopened to 9,134 other countries leissued .. .. 107 )estroyed .. .. 3,986 Returned unopened by | 17,593 Chief Postmasters 66,592 66,729 62,847 62,654 60,540' 61,745 7,779 8,941 63,112 68,872 74,132 76,692 100,036 8,115 8,359 7,287 6,220 7,546 8,899 9,706 9,707 12,251 185 2,872 19,187 251 6,600 21,144 96 5,974 20,185 92 4,340 21,164 141j 130 2,660 j 4,725 21,9311 22,042 148 4,069 26,414 219 3,368 33,273 178 4,536 22,915| 265 4,900 40,282 *5,112 5,705 44,523 Totals 99,762 96,951 103,083 96,389 94,470 93,051 97,583 101,289 114,631 111,467 131,846 167,627 * Including 4,911 troopers' letters.