P.—l.

Eegisteeed Lettebs. The number of registered articles dealt with in 1902, compared with the numbers in 1890, 1900, and 1901, is shown below :—

Inland Mails. The inland mail-service contracts have been performed without serious interruption. A general reletting of contracts for the triennium 1904-6 takes place this year. The contract for a twice-weekly steamer service between Wanganui and Pipiriki, in addition to that carried on by Messrs.-Hatrick and Co., referred to in last year's report as having been let to the Wanganui Settlers' Eiver Steamship Company, was allowed to lapse on the 15th September owing to the company going into liquidation. On the 28th January last the frequency of the Wanganui Eiver steamer mail-service was increased as far as Pipiriki from twice to five times weekly during the tourist season, and once to twice weekly during the remainder of the year. The contract entered into between the PostmasterGeneral and Messrs. Hatrick and Co. in 1896 was, in so far as it related to the service between Wanganui and Pipiriki, terminated on that date, a new contract being entered into between the Department of Industries and Commerce and the company. A further extension of the railway travelling post-office in the Auckland district is to take place immediately. Under the new arrangement sorting-vans will be run through from Auckland to Thames, and vice versa. This will materially relieve the work of the Chief Post-office, by throwing the distribution of a large quantity of mail-matter on the travelling post-office and reducing the number of small mails hitherto made up at Auckland. The number of contracts for inland mails in operation in 1902 was 685. There were in addition 452 services not under bond. The length of inland postal routes by road (counted one way only) was 10,562 miles, and the total number of miles travelled 2,645,407, at an average cost of 3-38 d. per mile. In 1901 the respective mileages were 10,310 miles and 2,518,094, at an average cost of 3-37 d. per mile. Ordinary railway-trains with mails travelled 3,272,855 miles. The estimated sum payable to the Eailway Department for the conveyance of mails by ordinary trains was £43,012 12s. San Feancisco Mail-sebvice. The authority the House of Eepresentatives gave Government to renew for eighteen months the arrangement with the J. D. Spreckels and Bros. Company for the performance of the San Francisco mail-service expired with May of the present year. Temporary provision has been made to continue the service until the House has had an opportunity of considering the question of renewal. There have been no serious delays for which the contractors could be charged, but the vexation is still experienced of a few hours' late arrival of the steamer at San Francisco with the Homeward mails being followed by a late arrival of days in London. Delays on the Atlantic and with the United States railway services have been responsible for a number of late deliveries at Auckland. A contract dated the 30th June, 1902, embodied generally the decision of the House of Eepresentatives, and made the usual provisions for safeguarding the interests of the colony in so far as the sailings from New Zealand were concerned. Clause 9of the contract was the subject of considerable discussion : the Government, being desirous of obtaining the maximum delay of the vessels in San Francisco to await the arrival of the English mails, contended for a detention of ninety-six hours, as provided in previous contracts. Ultimately the period was fixed at seventytwo hours, subject to the consent of the United States Government, which alone could sanction such an arrangement. This was given. It is not, however, expected that the period of seventytwo hours will need to be availed of in holding a vessel for the mails.

XIII

1890. 1900. 1901. 1902. Postal Districts. Prom Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Register the ta Totals - Colony. From Bb _ 1r . riaces tered i n the Colony. C ° 10^Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. Auckland Thames New Plymouth .. Gisborne Napier Wanganui Wellington Blenheim Nelson Westport Greymouth Hokitika Christchurch Timaru Oamaru Dunedin Invercargill 7,119 130 341 118 999 211 6,129 92 322 112 102 95 3,659 312 278 4,615 1,740 34,398 4,781 3,372 2,120 10,911 6,060 30,369 3,193 3,430 3,254 i 8,879 2,579 20,404 3,551; 2,505: 19,696 9,819 41,517 4,911 3,713 2,238 11,910! 6,271! 36,498 3,285 3,752 3,366 8,981 2,674 24,063 : 3,863 2,783 24,311 11,559 ! 18,108 267 1,310 421 'i 1,659 I 2,151 ; 9,513 116 644 354 680 94 5,404 1,196 120 6,954 : 3,352 101,533 19,912 16,903 7,193 26,685 24,980 85,915 6,371 14,726 6,974 11,606 4,344 49,049 9,973 8,880 44,003 24,989 119,641 20,179 18,213 7,614 28,344 27,131 95,428 6,487 15,370 7,328 12,286 4,438 54,453 11,169 9,000 50,957 28,341 18,577 302 1,498 421 1,952 2,364 13,595 116 1,018 880 602 503 5,690 1,260 116 7,746 5,107! 117,891 22,768 18,306 6,468 26,404 32,707 106,859 8,071 14,814 8,518 13,776 6,634 56,399 10,736 7,815 53,324 26,071 136,468 23,070 19,804 6,889 28 ,'356 35,071 120,454 8,187 15,832 9,398 14,378 7,137 62,089 11,996 7,931 61,070 31,178 18,779 297 1,890 426 1,904 2,390 15,953 372 1,220 882 527 562 6,430 1,100 136 7,986 5,580 120,739 20,057 19,736 6,651 26,282 33,212 96,336 7,736 16,919 8,431 7,955 6,643 51,215 13,174 6,094 53,411 31,233 139,518 20,354 21,626 7,077 28,186 35,602 112,289 8,108 18,139 9,313 8,482 7,205 57,645 14,274 6,230 61,397 36,813 Totals 26,374 i 169,321| l_ |l95,695; 1516,379 61,747 1537,561 599,308 66,434 52,343 464,0361 525,824 592,258