F.—l

1,647,540 letters and post-cards, 786,065 books, and 1,549,800 newspapers were received from, and 1,811,708 letters and post-cards, 251,702 books, and 351,302 newspapers were despatched to, the United Kingdom via San Francisco. The average time within which mails were delivered by the San Francisco service was—From Auckland to London, 3039 days, as against 3078 in 1904; and from London to Auckland, 3L06 days, as compared with 3055 days in the previous year. The shortest delivery was made in 29 days. Peninsular and Oriental and Orient Lines (Federal Mail-service). „ Dr - £ s. d. £ s. d. Payment to P. and O. and Orient lines ... 1,034 15 4 Transit charges across Australia ... ... 162 14 0 Transit charges across Europe ... ... 326 19 1 Gratuities (to and from Australia) ... ... 2,023 13 10 3,548 2 3 Cr. Postages collected in the colony ... ... 1,877 7 1 Postages, &c, from London and foreign offices ... 1,531 16 4 3,409 3 5 Net cost to the colony ... ... ... £138 18 10 The number of letters and post-cards, books, and newspapers conveyed from and to the United Kingdom by the Peninsular and Oriental and Orient packets was: Received—l,l9l,osB letters and post-cards, 465,220 books, and 1,909,962 newspapers; despatched—l77,2s7 letters and postcards, 19,339 books, and 28,272 newspapers. The maximum, minimum, and average number of days within which the mails were delivered at and from London and Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Bluff during 1905 by the San Francisco service and by the Peninsular and Oriental and Orient lines was : San Francisco Service. P. and O. Line. Orient Line T , , Max. Mm. Average. Max. Mm. Average. Max. Mm. Average. London to Auckland .. 34 30 31-06 .. 42 35 36-93 42 37 38-33 Auckland to London .. 34 29 30-39 .. 40 35 38-93 !.' 44 38 41-00 London to Wellington .. 35 31 32-29 .. 40 36 38-18 41 38 39-19 Wellington to London .. 35 30 31-39 .. 43 38 41-08 .. 46 40 43-52 London to Dunedin.. .. 36 32 33-35 .. 43 36 39-18 43 39 39-32 Dunedin to London.. .. 36 31 32-39 .. 41 39 40-08 45 42 42-33 London to Bluff .. .. 37 33 34-10 .. 42 35 38-43 .. 42 38 38-57 Bluff to London .. .. 37 32 33-14 .. 40 38 39-33 .. 44 41 41-58 The several subsidised sea mail-services, the subsidy-payments for the year 1905, the dates when established, and the date on which each terminates are shown below :

(a) Payment for IS voyages was actually made during the year. V 2 £ U , bS -f y m< f eaß , e ? fe y £W a year from 16th February, 1906, and Whatanihi included in service, (o) Subsidy reduced by £50 from Ist January, 1906. (tt) Service diminished in frequency from weekly on reletting of service on 25th January, 1906. Mrvice on atoclMa^wSf ted from anci Cromarty included in service on 15th June, 1905. Subsidy reduced by £59 on reletting of

XVIII

Duration of Service. Service. Subsidy or Payment. Annual Number of Mileage for Complete Voyage. Cost per Mile. When established. When terminated or terminable. per Annum. Auckland and San Francisco Auckland and Fiji Auckland and South Pacific islands Auckland and Devonport Auckland and Great Barrier Dargaville and Tangiteroria Helensville and Matakohe Helensville and Dargaville Horeke, Kohukohu, Rawene, Koutu, Rangi Point, and Opononi Russell and Opua Russell and Waitangi Whangaroa (all boating in harbour) Wellington, Ketu Bay, Homewood, Maori Bay (and other offices), and Havelock Wellington and Motueka Havelock and Bulwer Nelson, Totaranni, Takaka, and Collingwood kelson and Croixelles Westport and Karamea Westport and Little Wanganui .. Hokitika, Okarito, Bruce Bay, Paringa, Haast, Okura, and Jackson's Bay Lyttelton and Chatham Islands (including Pitt Island) Lyttelton and Pigeon Bay Bluff and Half-moon Bay Bluff and Rviapuke Island( a ) £ a. d. 20,508 9 5 1,690 0 0 1,200 0 0 60 0 0 250 0 0 100 0 0 150 0 0 450 0 0 147 0 0 Mar., 1870 June, 1880 June, 1885 Aug., 1863 Oct., 1891 Nov., 1893 Jan., 1881 Jan., 1881 Jan., 1889 Nov., 1906 Dec, 1906 Dec, 1906 Dec, 1906 Dec, 1906 Dec, 1906 Dec, 1906 17f) 13 12 939 52 52 52 104 52 5,925 2,334 6,992 6 120 46 118 170 48 s. d. 3 10-15 1 1-37 0 3-43 0 2-56 0 9-62 0 10-03 0 5-87 0 5-42 1 2-13 102 0 0 10 0 0 44 0 0 ( 700 0 0 Jan., 1889 Jan., 1904 Dec, 1906 Dec, 1906 Dec, 1906 Dec, 1906 156 52 (as required) 26 16 14 0 9-81 0 3-30 Dec, 1891 183 | 210 j 64 130 '. 710 0 0(») 137 10 0 100 0 0 Nov., 1902 Jan., 1904 Dec, 1906 Dec, 1906 Dec, 1906 43 26 104 1 0-21 1 7-83 0 1-78 60 0 0 f 450 0 0(«) | 400 0 0 600 0 0 Jan., 1904 | June, 1886 } Jan., 1895 Jan., 1886 Dec, 1906 Dec, 1906 Dec, 1906 Dec, 1906 52 36 12 6 44 102 | 82 t 384 0 6-29 1 10-55 5 2-50 300 0 0 Mar., 1906 6 1,050 0 11-43 225 0 0 245 0 0 45 0 0 j 234 0 0 ( 175 0 0 4,000 0 0 July, 1886 Sept., 1903 Dec, 1906 Dec., 1906 Dec, 1906 156 52 26 14 48 26 0 8-57 1 11-56 1 3-95 Bluff and Te Oneroa( e ) interprovincial service in connection with San Francisco line I April, 1893 Nov., 1886 May, 1906 12 208 1 5-63 Nov., 1906 17