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name of the office of destination, in place of by the names of the addressees, as formerly. The system, which has been in full working-order since the beginning of the present year, is found to economise time, and to considerably expedite the handling of registered correspondence throughout the Dominion. In July, 1907, it was decided to prohibit the transmission through the post, unless enclosed in covers, " tinselled" cards, being cards ornamented with tinsel, mica, powdered glass, or similar substances. The postage on Hansard has been reduced to Id. per pound bulk rate.; on other general Government publications weighing less than 1 lb. per copy, to 2d. per pound bulk rate ; and on the School Journal and Schoolmates, to 2d. per pound bulk rate. These rates apply within New Zealand only. The newspaper and printed-matter portion of mails at Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Wellington, for despatch to places within the Dominion are from the Ist February, 1908, closed half an hour instead of an hour earlier than the letter portion. Newspapers posted in New Zealand are held for delivery at post-offices for one month only, in place of three months as heretofore, since the 7th November, 1907. Newspapers received from places beyond New Zealand are retained for the same periods as letters. Sanatoria are now included in the list of institutions to which single copies of newspapers may be sent free of postage. If more than one paper is enclosed, a charge of Id. is made for each extra copy. Boxes have been placed in the chief post and telegraph offices in the four centres for the reception of written suggestions of officers of the Department for improvements in the service. A number of the suggestions so received has been adopted. In the list of arrivals and departures of mails the name of the circulating office as well as that of the head office now appears in the Post and Telegraph Guide Supplement against the name of each post-office. ! -.; -A private bag may now be rented by several persons, the first holder paying the usual initial rate of £2 per'annum, and every other person joining in at the rate of 10s. each. From the Ist January, 1908, all Government Departments are charged for the use of private letterboxes.

POST OFFICE. Articles posted and delivered. The number of articles posted in the Dominion and received from places outsiele the Dominion during the year 1907, as compared with the number in 1906, was as under : — Letters— 1907. 1906. Increase. Posted in the Dominion .. .. .. 77,648,184 71,875,390 Received from places outside the Dominion .. 5,952,132 5,526,807 83,600,316 77,402,197 6,198,119 Letter-cards— — Posted in the Dominion .. .. .. 1,814,241 1,682,369 131,872 Post-cards — Posted in the Dominion .. .. .. 6,091,748 5,109,754 Received from places outside the Dominion .. 630,268 683,054 6,722,016 5,792,808 929,208 Book and pattern-packets— Posted in the Dominion .. .. .. 21,208,925 21,112,390 Received from places outside the Dominion .. 2,572,740 2,781,819 Decrease. 23,781,665 23,894,209 112,544 Newspapers— Posted in the Dominion .. .. .. 17,974,047 17,051,359 Received from places outside the Dominion .. 7,443,026 6,665,072 Increase. 25,417,073 23,716,431 1,700,642 Pnrcsls Posted in the Dominion .. .. .. 680,935 352,209 Received from places outside the Dominion .. 121,002 95,962 801,937 448,171 353,766 The letters increased 8-01, letter-cards 7-84, post-cards 16-04, newspapers 7-17, other printed matter and pattern-packets decreased 0-47, and parcels increased 81-57 per cent. In 1906 letters increased 11-11, letter-cards 15-92, post-cards 58-66, newspapers 0-38, other printed matter and pattern-packets 0-78, and parcels 14-32 per cent. The average number of letters posted per head of population was estimated to be 84-48, or 86-46, including letter-cards. The averages in 1906 were 80-25, or 82-13 including letter-cards. The Post Office receipts for the year amounted to £478,388 Bs. 3|d., an increase of 9-04 per cent. The expenditure was £351,443 14s. lid., an increase of 7-22 per cent. The balance of postal revenue over expenditure was £126,944 13s. 4|d.