F.—l

2

Receipts and Payments for the Years 1881-82, 1891-92, 1901-2, 1911-12, and following Years.

Staff. Comparative Return of Persons employed in the Post and Telegraph Department on the Ist April, 1922 and 1923. The total number of persons employed on the Ist April, 1922 and 1923, was as under : — Ist April, Ist April, Permanent staff — 1922. 1923. Administrative Division .. .. . . ~ 4 4 Clerical and Engineering Divisions .. .. .. 3,351 3,271 General Division .. .. .. .. ..4,302 4,267 7,657 7,542 Temporary staff .. .. .. .. .. 429 395 Casual stafi .. .. .. .. .. .. 799 861 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 8,885 8,798 Non-permanent staff — Country Postmasters and Postmistresses .. .. 2,120 2,087 Postmasters who are Railway officers . . . . . . 123 118 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 11,128 11,003 Health of Permanent Staff. The following table gives the average absence of officers on sick-leave : — Number Average Absence Average Absence on Staff. per Sick Officer. for eac , h °? cer r employed. Days. Days. Men ... ... ... 6,480 10-29 4-35 Women ... ... ... 1,062 12-58 784 Twenty-two officers died during the year. Disposal of Surplus Staff. As the staff available during the year was found to be in excess of requirements, the services of twenty-five officers who were regarded as not being up to a reasonable standard of efficiency were terminated on the completion of three months' notice. In order to absorb the services of the surplus clerical officers, arrangements were made during the year to employ approximately one hundred clerks and telegraphists in the Engineering Branch on construction and maintenance work. As vacancies occurred in the Clerical Division the officers were withdrawn from the Engineering Branch, and at the end of the year only twenty-five clerks and telegraphists were being employed on construction work. Reduction of Salaries. In accordance with the Public Expenditure Adjustment Act, 1921-22, the salaries of officers were reduced from the Ist July, 1922, as follows: Salaries which on the 31st December, 1921, exceeded £190 per annum but did not exceed £800 per annum, a reduction of £10 per annum ; salaries not exceeding £190 per annum, a reduction of £5 per annum,

Year. lleceipts. Payments. Balance of Receipts over Payments. Uxcess of Payment* over lieccipts. £ 234,529 £ 233,291 £ 1,238 £ 1881-1882 1891-1892 320,058 268,343 51,715 1901-1902 488,573 465,756 22,817 1911-1912 1,087,710 988,911 98,799 1912-1913 1913-1914 1914-1915 1915-1916 1916-1917 1917-1918 1918-1919 1919-1920 1920-1921 1921-1922 1922-1923 1,107,820 1,269,921 1,359,059 1,695,757 1,809,317 1,837,260 1,972,539 , 2,106,995 2,590,441 2,811,535 2,087,708 I 1,069,272 1,173,314 1,246,850 1,296,522 1,370,810 1,489,446 1,702,048 1,944,161 2,591,786 2,451,571 2,114,994 98,554 90,007 112,209 399,235 438,507 347,814 270,491 102,834 359!904 572,774 1..345