F.—l

The several subsidised mail sea-services, the subsidy-payments for the year 1901, the dates when established, and the date on which each terminates are shown as follows :—

Buildings. The alterations carried out at the Auckland Chief Post-office have been entirely satisfactory, and the accommodation is now convenient and sufficiently commodious, it is believed, for many years. The acquiring of the land adjoining the General Post-office, Wellington, to enable additions to be made to the building for the growing requirements of the service is being arranged for. Notwithstanding the location of the money-order office and the post-office savings-bank in temporary quarters, every other branch of the post and telegraph, service at Wellington is still in need of increased accommodation, and additions to the present building are urgently required. At Christchurch the business has quite outgrown the present accommodation, and enlargement and rearrangement of the building have become imperatively necessary. The necessary steps are being taken to utilise the rooms recently occupied for Court purposes at Dunedin for providing improved accommodation for the chief post-office. New chief post-offices are proposed for Greymouth and Nelson, and additions to the buildings at New Plymouth, the present accommodation having become much too small for the business. New buildings are also proposed at Bull's, Bltham, Woodville, Carterton, Hunterville, Palmerston North, and Levin. A suitable site has now been acquired at the latter place. The business of the Department also demands buildings at Tuparoa, Tokomaru Bay, Norsewood, Urenui, Taihape, Waikaka, and Whakatane. New offices at Spit, Eaetihi, Te Puke, Paparoa, and Dargaville, and an addition to the tele-graph-office at Dunedin, are being proceeded with. The following general repairs, additions, &c, were carried out during the year:— Completion of new building, furniture, &c, Alfredcon ; completion of new building, Aratapu ; completion of new building, furniture, &c, Ashburton ; alterations, furniture and fittings, and purchase of site for and erection of caretaker's cottage, Auckland ; postal accommodation at rail-way-station, Avondale ; alterations, additions, furniture, and fittings, Blenheim; asphalting, &c, Bluff; completion of new building, furniture, &c, Caversham ; erection of strong-room, renovations, repairs, &c, Christchurch; additions, alterations, &c, Clyde; additions, alterations, furniture, &c, Cromwell; repairs and painting, Dannevirke ; purchase of land, erection of new building, &c, Denniston ; purchase of laud for and erection of building for Pacificcable Station, Doubtless Bay; additions, alterations, and renovations, Dunedin; completion of new building, Eketahuna; completion of new building, furniture, fittings, &c, Jb'eilding; painting, repairs, furniture, &c, Foxton; new building (in course of construction), Gisborne; erection of new building, Gore; completion of new building, furniture, fittings, &c, Hamilton; new building, furniture, and fittings, Hanmer Springs ; renovations, drainage, new clock, &c, Hawera; new building, Inglewood ; additions, Kai-iwi; Postmaster's residence, Kaikoura ; completion of new building, fittings, &c, Karangahake ; erection of new building, Kawhia ; erection of new office at railway-station, Leeston ; additions, Lyttelton ; installation of drainage, lineman's storeroom, &c, Masterton ; temporary office building, Mercer; purchase of land, Mornington; new building, furniture, fittings, &c, Motueka; completion of new building, Naseby ; additions, &c, New Plymouth ; repairs and renovations, Newton ; erection of new building, One-

XIX

Duration ol Service. Service. Annual Subsidy or Payment. When When terminated established. termi ° n r a " b i e . Number of Voyages per Annum. Mileage for Complete Voyage. Cost per Mile. Auckland and San Francisco Auckland and Fiji Auckland and South Pacific Islands Vuckland and Devonport Auckland and Great Barrier Dargaville and Tangiteroria Helensville and Matakohe Helensville and Dargaville ntoreke, Kohukohu, Rawene, Waitapu, and Opononi tueeell and Opua Nhangaroa and Totara North iVellington, Ketu Bay, Homewood, Maori Bay (and other offices), and Havelock kelson, Motueka, Totaranui, Takaka, and Collingwood iVestport and Karamea .. and Little Wanganui Hokitika, Okarito, Bruce Bay, Paringa, Haast, Okura, and Jackson's Bay jyttelton and Chatham Islands (including Pitt's Island) 31uff and Half-moon Bay £ s. a. 18,958 0 0 1,690 0 0 1,200 0 0 60 0 0 250 0 0 100 0 0 April, 1871 June, 1880 June, 1885 Aug., 1863 Oct., 1891 Nov., 1893 May, 1903 Dec, 1902 Dec, 1902 Dec, 1902 17 13 12 939 52 52 ( 52 \ 104 52 11,850 2,334 6,992 6 120 46 118 ) 170 } 48 s. d. 1 6-92 1 1-37 0 3-43 0 2-56 0 9-62 0 1003 I 550 0 0 Jan., 1881 Dec, 1902 0 554 233 0 0 Jan., 1889 Dec, 1902 1 10-40 90 0 0 25 0 0 350 0 0 Jan., 1889 Jan., 1891 Dec, 1891 Dec, 1902 Dec, 1902 Dec, 1902 104 52 26 16 2 183 1 098 1 5-65 125 0 0 Dec, 1902 ■ m 130 0 4-44 j- 400 0 0 ( June, 1886 { Jan., 1895 Jan., 1886 Dec, 1902 Dec, 1902 Dec, 1902 36 12 6 102 ) 82 f 384 1 862 6 2-50 600 0 0 300 0 0 Mar., 1902 6 1,050 0 11-43 31uff, Te Oneroa, and Cromarty .. 245 0 0 I 360 0 0 I 300 0 0 4,577 0 0 July, 1886 April, 1893 Nov., 1901 Nov., 1886 Dec, 1902 Nov., 1901 Nov., 1902 Mar., 1901 52 12 12 13 ) 48 208 I 1 11-56 2 10-62 2 4-85 Lnterprovincial service in connection with San Francisco line