3

F.—l

Staff. Comparative Return of Officers of the Post and Telegraph Department for the Years ended 31st March, 1913, and 31st March, 1914. The total number of officers on the staff on the 31st March, 1913 and 1914, was as under: — 31st March, 31st March, 1913. 1914. Postmaster-General ... ... .. ... 1 1 Classified staff, — Administrative Division ... ... ... ... 3 3 Professional Division .. ... ... ... 34 36 Clerical Division ... ... ... ... ...2,262 2,361 General Division ... ... ... ... ... 3,094 3,236 Total, classified staff ... ... ...5,362 5,637 Employees not on permanent staff, — Country Postmasters and Postmistresses ... ... 2,219 2,306 Nightwatchmen ... ... ... ... ... 5 5 Postmasters and telegraphists or telephonists who are Railway officers ... ... ... ... 155 148 Switchboard attendants ... ... ... 40 Total ... ... ... ... ... 7,741 8,136 Health of Staff. The following table gives the average absence of officers on sick-leave : — Numbers Average Absence Average Absence comprised. per Sick Officer. employed. 061 " Days. Days. Men ... ... ... 4,892 12-40 4-23 Women ... ... ... 744 14-32 8-35 Sixteen officers died during the year. Personal. Mr. W. H. Renner, Chief Postmaster, Gisborne, retired on pension during the year after long and faithful service. Mr. J. Comeskey, Postmaster at Upper Hutt, died on the 29th March, 1914, as the result of injuries received while removing a telephone from a building adjoining a burning store, in which an explosion occurred. Postal Union Congress. Mr. W. R. Morris, the-Secretary of the Department, has been appointed to represent the Dominion at the Postal Union Congress which takes place at Madrid in September next. Mr. F. V. Waters, one of the Assistant Secretaries, will act as Secretary during his absence. Mr. R. H. Hooper will accompany Mr. Morris as fonctionnaire attache. Instruction Classes for Officers. The correspondence classes inaugurated in 1910 for the tuition of officers of the Department in technical telegraphy and telephony, and in subjects of the Civil Service Senior and Junior Examinations and the Sixth Standard, were continued during 1913. The total number of students for the year was 474, of whom 172 were technical students. The results of the year's work were most satisfactory. A class of junior officers was established on the Ist June, 1914, for instruction in shorthand and typewriting. In all, fifty lads received instruction at the Telegraph Learners' Schools at Oamaru and Wellington. The special course of lectures on physics held at Victoria College during the 1913 session was attended by seven engineering officers, all of whom achieved satisfactory results. Six officers are similarly attending the College this year Although not dealing with the directly technical side of telegraph and telephone engineering, this •x urse of lectures embraces the fundamental theories and principles underlying the class of work nerally dealt with by telegraph and telephone engineers. Examinations. Since the introduction of professional examinations for engineering officers in November, 1911, seven officers have qualified by examination for the position of Assistant Engineer or Electrician, and ten for the position of Sub-Engineer or Assistant Electrician. Newspaper Postage. By enactment of the Imperial Parliament provision was made in 1913 for the registration at the General Post Office, London, subject to certain conditions, of newspapers published in New Zealand at intervals of not more than seven days. Registration entitles such newspapers to transmission within the British Isles at the newspaper rate of |d. per copy-irrespective of weight.