F.—l

X

Old-age Pensions. The following is a comparative return showing the number and amount of old-age pension payments made each month for the two years ended 31st March, 1904 : —

Return for same Period of Number of Payments and Amounts in each Postal District.

POST OFFICE. Aetici.es posted and deliveeed. The number of articles posted in the colony and received from places outside the colony during the year 1903, as comparedjwith the number in 1902, was as under: — Letters 1903 - 1902 - Increase. Posted in the colony Wl! , ? 3 * 53,278,875 Received from places outside the colony .. 3, 963, 115 3, 410, 381 60,512,647 56,689,256 3,823,31)1 LeU p r ostedhTthe colony 1,174,810 1,025,375 149,435 Post-cards — Posted in the colony 1,377,987 1,239,004 Received from places outside the colony .. 75,476 63,163 1,453,463 1,302,167 151,296

1902-3. .903-4. Month. Number of Payments. Amount. Number of Payments. Amount. April May June July August September October ... November December 12,295 12,471 12,321 12,481 12,401 12,392 12,453 12,348 12,418 12,325 12,386 12,385 £ s. d. 17,389 3 6 17,647 16 .9 17,428 17 10 17,629 8 10 17,523 12 9 17,505 3 8 17,596 19 4 17,441 3 11 17,562 1 0 17,416 4 10 17,507 6 3 17,496 5 2 12,272 12,201 12,060 12,124 12,040 11,989 12,064 11,925 11,938 11,829 11,883 11,601 £ s. 17,343 0 17,237 12 17,051 17 17,148 13 17,010 8 16,934 11 17,001 1 16,827 8 16,824 16 16,651 7 16,760 14 16,351 3 d. 8 1 3 1 8 0 7 2 8 6 4 8 January ... February ... March Totals 148,676 £210,144 3 10 143,926 £203,142 14 8

Postal District. 1902-3. Number of Payments. 1903-4. Amount. Number of Payments. Amount. Auckland... Blenheim... Christchurch Dunedin ... Gisborne ... Greymouth Hokitika ... Invercargill Napier Nelson New Plymouth Oamaru ... Thames ... Timaru ... Wanganui Wellington Westport... 31,903 2,007 21,182 22,706 1,380 6,524 6,278 9,429 5,710 4,233 2,950 2,960 5,885 4,611 4,628 12,796 3,494 £ s. d. 44,623 11 5 2', 811 7 6 29,671 9 10 32,008 18 4 1,966 6 3 9,612 6 0 9,227 6 8 13,343 9 2 7,861 15 10 5,684 11 6 4,097 4 6 4,275 2 2 8,511 12 9 6,479 19 10 6,634 1 0 18,246 1 11 5,088 19 2 29,529 1,931 21,108 22,168 1,324 6,467 6,115 9,598 5,524 4,032 2,646 2,752 5,702 4,418 4,175 13,054 3,383 £ s. d. 41,396 14 10 2,688 18 4 29,395 0 9 31,221 19 7 1,872 4 4 9,513 18 5 8,954 15 11 13,500 13 10 7.680 0 2 5,419 0 11 3.681 12 1 3.939 11 4 8,182 6 2 6,136 17 3 6,007 5 8 18,611 4 7 4.940 10 6 Totals 148,676 £210,144 3 10 143,926 £203,142 14 8 —