p.—l

III

Comparative Return of Officers of the Post and Telegraph Department for the Years ended 31st March, 1904, and 31st March, 1905. Mar. 31, Mar. 31, Mar. 31, Mar. 31, 1904. 1905. 1904. 1905. Postmaster-General .. .. .. 1 1 Brought forward .. .-. 125 130 Secretary .. .. .. .. 1 1 Assistant Inspectors of Post-offices ' .. -1 4 Superintendent of Electric Lines .. 1 1 Chief Postmasters .. .. ..17 17 Assistant Secretary and Inspector .. 1 1 Postmasters and Officers in Charge on Controller of Money-orders and Savings- permanent staff .. .. ..116 111 banks and Accountant .. .. 1 1 Clerks (including Telephone Exchange, Chief Clerk .. .. .. .. 1 1 cadettes and cadets in post-offices) | . ~..„ . , fi( . Assistant Controller of Money-orders and Operators (including cadets in telegraph-r ' Savings-banks and Accountant .. 1 1 offices) ) Clerks in General Post Office— Post Office Sorters .. .. 13 18 Secretary's Office .. .. .. 18 19 Letter-carriers .. .. .. 273 285 Inspector's and Dead letter Branch .. 7 8 Messengers (Post Office) .. ..66 77 Controller of Money-orders and Savings- Linemen .. .. .. 76 69 hanks and Accountant's Branch .. 69 73 Telegraph message-boys .. .. 524 525 Storekeeper and assistants .. .. 10 10 Nightwatohmen .. .. .. 3 2 Master cable steamer " Tutanekai " .. 1 * Mail-cart drivers .. .. .. 4 4 Electrician .. .. .. .. 1 1 Postmasters and telegraphists or teleAssistant Electrician .. .. .. 1 1 phonists who are Railway officers .. 160 168 Mechanicians and cadets .. .. 6 6 Country Postmasters, Postmistresses, and Telegraph Inspectors .. .. .. 5 5 telephonists.. .. .. .. 1,713 1,760 Carried forward .. .. 125 180 Totals .. .. ..4,454 4,639 - Now treated as attached to Marine Department. The conduct of the staff has on the whole been satisfactory. There have, however, been several cases of serious misconduct necessitating criminal prosecutions. Regret has again to be expressed that so small a proportion of the younger officers qualify for the Civil Service examinations.

Health of Staff. The following table gives the average absence of officers on sick-leave: —

The principal causes of absence on account of sick-leave were pulmonary troubles, nervous debility, and surgical operations. The fact that the average absence on sick-leave is increasing appears to point to the urgent necessity for the appointment of Departmental medical officers. Tnere were four deaths. Appeal Board Seven appeals were dealt with by the Board of Appeal in April last year, of which two were reported against, four reported upon in favour of the appellants, and one reported upon partly in the appellant's favour. One was a question of departmental arrangements, in which the Post-master-General was unable to agree entirely with the Board's finding, three were on the subject of the promotion of the officers appealing, and the fifth referred to the promotion of specially qualified officers. Under " The Public Officers' Appointment and Powers Act, 1904." subsection (2) of section 5 of " The Post and Telegraph Department Act, 1894," has been amended so as to provide that the non-elective members of the Board shall be such persons as the Governor from time to time appoints. Mr. John McGowan, Commissioner of Taxes, who had rendered valuable service as Chairman of the Aopeal Board from its inception, died in September last. The late Mr. McGowan possessed the full confidence of the Administration and the service, and his sudden death was keenly regretted. Mr. F. \V. Waldegrave, Under-Secretary. Justice Department, has been appointed Chairman in the place of Mr. McGowan, and Mr. Logan, Superintendent of Electric Lines, reappointed. Newspaper Postage. As announced in last year's report, the London Post Office agreed, subject to certain conditions, to deliver in the United Kingdom without surcharge newspapers posted in New Zealand prepaid Id. each, irrespective of weight. . The penny rate on newspapers from New Zealand has now been extended to the following countries : Ascension, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Honduras, Caicos Islands, Canada, Ceylon, Egypt, Falkland Islands, Federated Malay States, Gambia, Gibraltar, Hongkong, Jamaica, Johore, Labuan, Leeward Islands, Malta, Mauritius, Natal, Newfoundland, North Borneo, Orange River Colony, St. Helena, Sarawak, Sierra Leone, Southern Nigeria, South Sea Islands, Straits Settlements, Transvaal, Trinidad, Turks Islands. The Australian Commonweal h Post office was unable to see its way to agree to a penny rate irrespective of weight, in place of the present charge of Id. for the first 20 oz. and fd. for each additional 10 oz.

Numbers comprised A (Principal Offices). average Absence per Average Sick-absence per Sick Officer. each Officer employed. Men ... Women 1,451 201 Days. Days. 20-64 6-80 ' 24-33 15-74