P.—l

Revenue and Expenditure. The revenue and expenditure of the Department for the financial year 1911-12 are shown in the following table : —

The total revenue exceeded that of 1910-11 by £50,444 13s. 9d, and the expenditure exceeded the expenditure of 1910-11 by £74,842 4s. Bd. The excess of revenue over expenditure is less than it was last year by £24,397. This is due to the increased cost of sea services and the smaller proportional increase in the amount received for postages. Postal matter delivered in New Zealand, including that received from abroad, during the year reached a total of 106,143,040 letters, 6,829,563 post-cards, 53,555,632 other articles, and 1,714,369 parcels. 607,764 money-orders, for £2,759,393 Bs. 5d., were issued, and 483,043, for £2,416,958 15s. 10d„ paid. The increase in the number of orders issued as compared with last year was 38,107. The postal-note business continues to increase. During the year 1,821,566 postal notes, of the value of £574,979 18s. 6d., were sold, being an increase of 9-27 per cent, in number and 9-53 in amount as compared with the preceding year. The number of British postal orders sold increased from 67,769, valued at £35,270 7s. 9d., to 88,528, for £45,687 10s. 6d„ and 23,429 orders, for £15,458 18s. 6d.. were paid, as against 19,941,'f0r £13,183 16s. 6d., paid during the previous year. The savings-bank deposits (£11,627,367 14s. 3d.) exceeded the withdrawals (£10,662,045 15s. 2d.) by £965,321 19s. Id. There has been added £472,874 18s. sd. as interest, making a total increase of £1,438,196 17s. 6d., and bringing the whole amount at credit up to £15,543.186 16s. Bd., a sum which equals £14 9s. Id. her head of the--population. The number of old-age-pension payments was 194,623, as compared with 186,857 in the previous year, the respective amounts being £406,255 I6s. 4d. and £383,392 10s. Bd. The total number of telegrams forwarded was 9,063.133, an increase of 702,486, or 840 per cent., over the business of the previous year. The number of bureau communications continues to show a marked increase, being 2,360,914, as against 2,031,376. The amount expended on telegraph-extension was £147,692, with liabilities amounting to £111,372 on account of works for which the authority of Parliament was granted too late for the necessary expenditure to be brought within the financial year. On the 31st March, 1912, there were 11,805 miles of telegraph-line and 39,370 miles of wire. The length of submarine cables within the Dominion was 372 knots. The number of telephone-exchange connections still continues to increase.

2

Item. Postal. Telegraph. Total. Revenue. Stamps for postage .. kloney-orrler and postal-note commission Money-order commission received from foreign offices Private box and bug fees Miscellaneous receipts Paid telegrams Delephone exchanges .. .. . . .. ... £ s. d. 562,622 1 6 23,S58 7 11 753 15 1 12,778 0 4 13,239 19 4 2, s. d. £ s. d. 562,622 1 6 23,858 7 11 753 15 1 12,778 0 4 20,142 10 11J 288,431 16 6J 179,123 18 8 6.902 11 7£ 288,4S1 16 6J 179,123 18 8 Totals 613,252 4 2 474,458 6 10 1,087,710 11 0 Expenditure. Salaries (classified offioers) .. Salaries (country Postmasters and telephonists, and contributions to Railway Department) Conveyance of mails by sea Conveyance of inland mails .. Conveyance of mails by railway t'loney-order commission credited to foreign offices ilaintenance of telegraph and telephone-lines Miscellaneous £ s. a. 221,450 19 11 20,469 0 0 87,068 1 6 68,964 0 10 62,024 9 4 2,384 16 9 £ s. a. 336,403 0 0 32,196 0 0 •' £ a. d. 557,853 19 11 52,665 0 0 87,068 1 6 68,964 0 10 02,024 9 4 2,384 16 9 48,012 9 11 109,938 14 3 56,833 6 7 48,012 9 11 53,105 7 8 Balance of revenue over expenditure 510,194 14 11 94,057 9 3 469,716 17 7 4,741 9 3 988,911 12 6 98,798 18 6 Totals 613,252 4 2 474,458 6 10 1,087,710 11 0