F.—l

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

POST OFFICE. Articles posted and delivered. The number of articles posted in the colony and received from places outside the colony during the year 1905, as compared with the number in 1904, was as under: — Letters— 1905. 1904. Increase. Posted in the colony .. .. .. 64,750,510 60,639,233 Received from places outside the colony .. 4,914,431 4,480,327 69,664,941 65,119,560 4,545,381 Letter-cards— ■ •— Posted in the colony .. .. .. 1,451,320 1,381,874 69,446 Post-cards— Posted in the colony .. .. .. 2,942,953 2,053,363 Received from places outside the colony .. 708,074 257,188 3,651,027 2,310,551 1,340,476 Books and pattern-packets— Posted in the colony .. .. .. 21,347,921 17,976,214 Received from places outside the colony .. 2,359,980 2,131,707 23,707,901 20,107,921 3,599,980 Newspapers— Posted in the colony .. .. ..17,288,829 15,404,618 Received from places outside the colony .. 6,337,533 6,096,126 23,626,362 21,500,744 2,125,618 Posted in the colony .. .. .. 313,617 289,617 Received from places outside the colony .. 78,400 67,887 392,017 357,504 34,513 i The letters increased 698, letter-cards 5"03, post-cards 5802, newspapers 989, other printed matter and pattern-packets 179, and parcels 965 per cent. In 1904 letters increased 761, letter-cards 17 - 63, post-cards 5897, newspapers 9 - 16, other printed matter and pattern-packets 2 - 76, and parcels 912 per cent. The average number of letters posted per head of population was estimated to be 74-43, or 76-09 including letter-cards. The averages in 1904 were 71 - 76, or 734 including letter-cards. The Post Office receipts for the year amounted to £410,967 3s. 7d., an increase of 723 per cent. The expenditure was £302,145 19s. 2d., an increase of o'4o per cent. The balance of postal revenue over expenditure was £108,821 4s. sd. The estimated value of free correspondence of other Government departments was £94,252 ss. 7d. The gross earnings of the Post Office for Ihe year were therefore £505,219 9s. 2d., and the credit balance £203,073 10s, ii—F. 1. -

IX

Postal District. Number of Payments. 1904-5. 1905-6. Amount. Number of Payments. Amount. Auckland... Blenheim... Christchurch Dunedin .... ... Gisborne ... Greymouth Hokitika ... Invercargill ... Napier Nelson New Plymouth Oamaru ... Thames ... Timaru ... Wanganui Wellington Westport... 27,769 1,748 20,959 21,600 1,226 6,268 6,081 9,481 5,325 3,620 2,614 2,512 5,457 4,352 4,067 12,640 3,245 £ s. d. 38,871 5 11 2,480 18 4 29,008 5 8 30,217 4 2 1,736 0 4 9,243 17 6 8,849 19 4 13,292 17 8 7,394 5 4 4,852 9 4 3,629 9 1 3,527 15 3 7,842 8 7 6,045 15 9 5,814 2 1 17,919 2 2 4,744 14 4 28,016 1,695 22,369 21,791 1,249 6,016 5,972 9,454 5,213 3,337 2,866 2,591 5,521 4,518 4,182 12,916 3,312 £ a. 50,265 11 3,055 3 40,155 0 39,247 4 2,246 18 11,206 19 11,065 1 17,102 15 9,213 0 5,755 0 4,987 11 4,682 6 10,126 7 8,060 13 7,641 11 23,383 0 6,166 10 d. 5 0 9 2 5 8 7 6 6 6 0 7 6 7 9 6 1 Totals 138,964 £195,470 10 10 141,018 £254,360 16 6