F.—l

XXII

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 —3,066,706 letters and postcards, 902,517 books, and 3,705,326 newspapers ; despatched —1,682,468 letters and post - cards, 206,978 books, and 194,294 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 1907 by the San Francisco service and by the Peninsular and Oriental and Orient lines was : — San Francisco Service. P. and O. Line. Orient Line. Max. Mm. Average. Max. Mm. Average. Max. Mm. Average. London to Auckland •• f{ 45 36 41-25} " 41 37 37 6 9 42 37 38-35 Auckland to London .. * 38 30 33-60 .. 41 36 38-50 .. 42 37 40-48 London to Wellington .. *j 4 * jjjj .. 42 35 38-77 .. 40 38 39-23 Wellington to London .. • 35 35 35-00 .. 42 35 37-55 43 37 38-04 London to Dunedin .. *|** 37 7 J .. 41 38 38-65 .. 40 38 38-65 Dunedin to London .. * 36* 36 36-00 .. 42 38 39-77 .. 44 41 42-15 London to Bluff .. •■f { 48 40 45-00} " 40 38 38 1 5 ' 39 38 38 1 5 Bluff to London .. .. * 37 37 37-00 .. 41 38 39-27 .. 43 41 41-65 * Oceanic Steamship Company. t Weir Line. The several subsidised sea mail-services, the subsidy-payments for the year 1907, the dates when established, and the date on which each terminates are shown below :—

TELEGEAPHS. The International Telegraph Conference of 1908 opened at Lisbon on the 4th May. A report of the Conference proceedings will appear later. The report of the Superintendent of Electric Lines on his visit to Great Britain and other countries to'examine into telegraph and telephone methods, was presented by command of His Excellency the Governor to both Houses of Parliament on the 25th October, 1907. Inland telegrams from the 16th May, 1907, and intercolonial and international cable messages from the" 21st October, 1907, bearing an unregistered code address have been delivered to the ascertained addressee on the payment of a fee of 6d., 2s. 6d., and ss. respectively.

Duration of Service. Servioe. Annual Subsidy or Payment. Number of Voyages per Annum. Mileage for Complete Voyage. Cost per Mile. When established. When terminated or terminable. Auckland and San Francisco Auckland and Fiji Auckland and South Pacific islands Auckland and Devonport Auckland and Great Barrier Auckland, Whangaroa, and Mangonui Dargaville and Tangiteroria Helensville and Matakohe Helensville and Dargaville Horeke, Kohukohu, Rawene, Koutu, Rangi Point, Opononi, and Omapere Russell and Opua Wellington, Ketu Bay, Homewood, Maori Bay (and other offices), and Havelock Wellington and Motueka £ s. d. 2,819 0 7 1,690 0 0 1,200 0 0 ] 60 0 0 250 0 0 126 0 0 Mar., 1870 June, 1880 June, 1885 Aug., 1863 Oct., 1891 Nov., 1907 Feb., 1907 Dec, 1909 Dec, 1909 Nov., 1908 5 13 12 939 52 52 5,925 2,334 6,992 6 120 368 s. d. 1 10-84 1 1-87 0 3-43 0 2-56 0 9-62 0 1-58 90 0 0 150 0 0 500 0 0 Nov., 1893 Jan., 1881 Jan., 1881 Dec, 1909 Dec, 1909 Dec, 1909 104 52 156 46 118 170 0 4-51 0 5-87 0 4-52 96 0 0 120 0 0(») l Jan., 1889 Dec, 1909 104 48 0 5-77 70 0 0 I 600 0 0 ( 97 10 0 j 100 0 0(») 1 102 10 Of-) I 107 10 0( d ) 99 0 0 Jan., 1889 ( Dec, 1891 ( Nov., 1902 [ Jan., 1907 Dec, 1909 Dec, 1909 (asrequired) 26 183 | 210 ) 0 10-44 Dec, 1909 43 Picton, offices in Sounds, and Havelock Dec, 1909 26 164 0 6-05 Nelson, Totaranui, Takaka, and Collingwood Nelson 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) Bluff and Half-moon Bay Bluff and Ruapuke Island Bluff and Cromarty Interprovincial service in connection with San Francisco line New Zealand and Australia (Wei- I lington-Sydney) \ Dec, 1909 104 130 0 1-76 100 0 0 I 450 0 0 Jan., 1904 j June, 1886 ( Jan., 1895 Jan., 1886 Dec, 1909 Dec, 1909 Dec, 1909 Dec, 1909 52 36 12 6 44 102 I 82 f 384 0 10-49 1 11-20 600 0 0 5 2-50 300 0 0 Mar., 1908 6 1,050 0 11-43 300 0 0 45 0 0 275 0 0 719 5 0 July, 1886 Sept., 1903 April, 1893 Nov., 1886 Dec, 1909 Dec, 1908 Nov., 1908 Mar., 1907 52 26 12 6 48 26 208 0 4-85 1 3-95 2 2-44 6,500 0 0 15,000 0 0( e ) ) Dec, 1906 June, 1908 26 52(s) 1,200 4 9*69 (a) Subsidy incraased. 1st August, 190' ncluded and subsidy increased, 27th (e) Suusidy and frequency increased, 2641 7. C>) Pin, May, 1907. i July, 1907. )hia included and subsidy increased, (d) Waihohonu included and subs 15th May, I! tidy increas 107. (< ed, 1st Dee, ) Hikoekoea imber, 1907.