i—F. 1.

I

1905. NEW ZEALAND.

POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR 1904.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

My Lord,— General Post Office, Wellington, 26th June, 1905. I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the Report of the Post and Telegraph Department for the year 1901, with the usual statement of revenue and expenditure to the 31st March last. I have the honour to be Your Lordship's most obedient servant, J. G. Ward, Postmaster-General and Electric Telegraph Commissioner. His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand.

REPORT. The revenue and expenditure of the Department for the year 1904-5 are shown in the following table: —

A continued expansion of the business of the Department has again to be recorded. The revenue for 1904-5 was estimated to produce £34,000 more than that of the previous yea,;-, but the estimate was exceeded by £18,000, the actual increase in revenue being over £52,000. The success of the penny post becomes more apparent, for although 1903-4 showed the estimated postages at £43,000 more than the previous year, a stili further increase of over £36,000 is disclosed by last year's accounts in respect to all postal matter, the receipts from tiiis source having risen in the year from £290,016 to £326,368. Such expansion, of course, necessitates increased expenditure on salaries, in which, however, it will be found that the rate of progression was only about half that of the increase in postages.

Item. Postal. Telegraph. Total. Receipts. Stamps for postage (estimated) Money-order and postal-note commission Money-order commission received from foreign offices Private box and bug fees Miscellaneous receipts Paid telegrams Telephone exchanges £ s. d. 326,367 19 lj 22,238 13 0 742 12 1 7,983 7 6 25,904 19 7£ £ s. d. £ s. d. 326,367 19 1* 22,238 13 0 742 12 1 7,988 7 6 3,420 0 4 29,324 19 11J 167,681 13 7£ 167,581 13 7 J 79,061 7 4 79,061 7 4 Balance of expenditure over revenue (Telegraph) 383,242 11 4 250,063 1 3 J 633,305 12 7 J 8,914 9 5j Totals 383,242 11 4 258,977 10 9 633,305 12 7J Expenditure. Salaries (classified officers) Salaries (country Postmasters and telephonists and contributions to railway officers) Conveyance of mails by sea Conveytmce of inland mails .. Conveyance of mails by railway Money-order commission credited to foreign offices Maintenance of telegraph-lines Miscellaneous £ s. d. 103,689 17 8 18,762 19 6 56,277 6 4 53,371 6 4 37,015 15 0 2,385 19 6 £ s. d. £ a. d. 178,968 15 2 ,' 282,658 12 S 24,077 19 5 42,840 18 11 56,'277 6 4 53,371 6 4 37,015 15 0 2,385 19 5 30,981 14 G , 30,981 14 6 24,949 1 8 54,389 8 5 258,977 10 9 559,921 1 5 29,440 6 9 Balance of revenue over expenditure (Postal) .. , „ (combined Department) 300,943 10 8 82,299 0 8 73,384 11 2J Totals 383,242 11 4 258,977 10 9 ! 633,305 12 7J