F.—l

AVERAGE NUMBER OF LETTERS POSTED PER UNIT OF POPULATION. 1923, 96-2 ; 1922, 93-5. NUMBER OF POST-OFFICES IN DOMINION. Offices opened during year, 35 ; offices closed during year, 52; offices remaining open on 31st December, 1923, 2,126.

NUMBER OF POSTAL PACKETS POSTED IN THE DOMINION FOR THE YEARS. 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1923.

NUMBER OF POSTAL PACKETS POSTED PER HEAD OF POPULATION FOR THE FIRST TWELVE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD.

UNDELIVERABLE POSTAL PACKETS. The following is a comparison of letters anel other articles desalt with as undeliverable during the year, compared with those dealt with during 1921 : —

The proportion of uneleliverable letters to the total number of letters delivered was 0-43 per cent., as against 0-46 per cent, in 1922. MISCELLANEOUS. 1923. 1922. Letters anel letter-cards posted without addresses .. .. .. .. 16,173 11,553 Letters imperfectly and insufficiently addressed .. .. .. .. 20,823 17,849 Letters bearing libellous addresses intercepted .. .. .. .. 56 63 Registered letters unclaimed .. .. .. .. .. .. 9,047 8,604 Newspapers received without addresses .. .. .. .. .. 3,893 4,331 Other articles received without addresses .. .. .. .. .. 3,635 4,371 Newspapers returned to publishers as undeliverable .. .. .. 27,780 23,642 Articles bearing previously used, stamps ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 104 66

18

Year. Returned direct Returned direct Returned to other Returned to other Destroyed to Senders to Senders Administrations Administrations (Senders unknown through Chief J through Dead through Chief through Dead and Conterrts of Offices. Letter Office. Offices. Letter Office. no Value). Total. Letters. .923 . . .922 .. 239,807 225,439 50,184 [ 36,857 16,810 275,553 201,465 I 46,061 I 32,272 25,664 j 569,097 581,015 Other Articles. 923 .. | 922 .. I 127,907 4,193 40,653 19,725 .. I 108,101 3,266 34,467 6,996 192,478 152,830