F.—l

XIV

Registebed Letters. The number of registered articles dealt with in 1907, compared with the numbers in 1890, 1900, 1906, and 1907, is shown below :—

Official Correspondence. The system of payment by official stamps for the postages and telegrams of Government Departments inaugurated on the Jlst January,'|l9o7,*;has ?now been sufficiently long-in existence to prove its utility. i. s ' I \ Owing to the cordial co-operation of all the [Departments concerned system? has [worked smoothly and well. As was anticipated, payment ,by official j stamps] hasTlargely produced both the number" of letters and telegrams, the increasing bulk of which former franking system becoming aj heavy burden upon the resources and staff of the Post and Telegraph Department. The [postages prepaid or paid on delivery on official letters last year amounted to £21,611, and the revenue [from telegrams to £9,093, or £31,704 in all. In 1906 the value of free letters was £56,898, and of [telegrams £24,168, or £81,066 in all. It is evident that many unnecessary telegrams must have been sent under the old system, and the present reduction in number has released for the pressing demands of the rapidly increasing public business an equivalent in time to the services of a considerable number of telegraphists. This applies also, but to a much less extent, to postages, as the Government Departments have benefited very considerably by the initial rate for letters being applied to any weight up to 4 oz. In order to lighten the work of Departments posting large quantities of letters or circulars at one time, such letters are accepted unstamped, provided that the total postage is paid in one sum. There is also an arrangement whereby unstamped letters posted throughout the Dominion, which were formerly franked by officials upon receipt, may be delivered and the postage thereon collected from the Department to which they are addressed. To further facilitate accounting it is proposed to issue at an early date credit notes, which may be used when posting large quantities of mail-matter. These will take the place of the high-value stamps, and be accepted in lieu thereof from Departments in prepayment of postage.

Dead Letters. The following comparative table shows the number of unclaimed letters, letter-cards, and postcards dealt with in the Dead-letter Office and by Chief Postmasters during the undermentioned years :—

1890. 1900. 1906. 1907. Postal Districts. \ 9 9 • tr} • ; o3*3 o £ q o Stjfl S-B'a ■ all '&.s§ | |jgfi mo cc Od fl a °a * 9 2 ■a 5 a 9 o « a 9 © - oA fl cti += O Totals. E^'S a £.1 10 a 9 a $J3 a CO 9 2 « n 9 ® _: fd m 0 5 9 9 111 l-sl Totals. Totale. Totals. Auckland Blenheim Christchurch Dunedin Gisborne Greymouth Hokitika Invercargill Napier Nelson New Plymouth .. Oamaru Thames Timaru Wanganui Wellington Westport 7,119 92 3,659 4.615 118 102 95 1,740 999 322 341 278 130 312 211 6,129 112 34,398: 3,193! 20,404 19,696 2,120' 8,879 2,579 9,819 10,911 3,430 3,372, 2,505| 4,781; 3,551] 6,06» 30,369 3,254 41,517 3,285 24,063 24,311 2,238 8,981 2,674 11,559 11,910 3,752 3,713 i 2,783 : 4,911 [ 3,863 6,27i; 36,498 3,366 18,108 116 5,404 6,954l 42l| 680 94 3,352 1,659 . 644 1,310 120 267 1,196 2,151 9,513 354 101,533 6,371 49,049 44,003 7,193 ; 11,606 4,344, 24,989 26,685 14,726 16,903 8,880 19,912 9,973 24,980 85,915 6,974 119,641 6,487 54,453 , 50,957 i 7,614 12,286 4,438' 28,341; 28,344 ! 15,370,' 18,213 9,000 20,179 11,169] 27,131 ! 95,4281 7,328] 26,929 786 12,919 10,648 626 633 555 6,588 3,378 1,895 2,8391 147 324 1,2261 3,085 22,731 589 1 178,876, 12,395 96,843 58,654; 9,7361 13,181 ! 13,3121 32,593j 50,883 21,817 22,317, 8,094| 23,1281 15,265 39,931 171,662! 9,283 205,805 13,181 109,762 69,302! 10,362 13,814' i 13,867 39,181 54,261 23,712 25,1561 8,241; 23,452; 16,491 42,966 194,393 9,872 22,799 897 10,252 10,632 412 393 634 8,745 - 3,159 2,168 I 2,938 792 3"24 1,737 5,545 34,263 1,438 163,2611 12,793 53,710; 11,4961 12,121 6,371, 31,509 36,680 15,762 22,106 8,598 22,834 13,856 46,048 154,189 9,145 |186,060 13,690 106,285 j 64,342 11,908 j 12,514 7,005 40,254 39,839 17,930 25,044 9,390 23,158 15,593 51,593 188,452 10,583 ! 823,640 Totals 126,374 169,321 195,695 464,036 516,379 95,848 107,128 716,51252,343 777,970: 873,818

Manner of Disposal. 1884. 1885. 1890. 1896. , 1898. 1899. | 1900. 1901. j 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. 1907. I I I I Opened and returned 68,942,66,592 60,540, 63,112 68,872 to the writers ] . Returned unopened to 9,134:8,115:7,779: 7,546 8,899 other countries Reissued .. .. 1071 185 141, 148 219 Destroyed .. .. 3,986 2,872 2,660 4,069 3,368 Returned unopened by 17,59319,187 21,931 26,414 33,273 Chief Postmasters Totals .. 99,76296,95193,051 i01,289114,631 ! 74,132; 76,6921100,036107,476 9,706 9,707 12,251: 14,401 178 265 *5,112 113,373 4,536 4,900 5,705! 0,249 22,915 40,282 44,523, 54,285 j 111, 167 131,846' 167,627195,784 107,271 18,176 203 9,579 93,920 119,642 26,048 234 12,167 85,670 125,106137,210 26,943+32,062 265! 358 18,060 27,575 97,267,117,666 i 267,641314,871 162,103 44,875 336 29,216 153,942 229,149 243,761 390,472 * Including 4,911 troopers' letters. I Including 13,180 troopen were detained as being posted contrary to the regulations. i' letters. X Including 1,000 post-ci a'ds bea] •ing imitation postage-stamps which