13

F.—l

value, iti addition to the fixed registration fee. Redirection charges on insured letters redirected from one country to another have been abolished. This was made possible as a result of the decision to abolish accounting for insured letters. Congress dealt with many other matters, but the foregoing may be regarded as the principal results. The changes instituted by the Congress come into force on the Ist October, 1925. Arrangements for the holding of the Congress were admirably carried out. The Swedish House of Parliament at Stockholm was at the entire disposal of the delegates, who were hospitably treated by the Government and the people as a whole. Before Congress disbanded a special committee composed of representatives of several Administrations was set up to study ways and means of shortening the sittings of future Congresses. The next Congress will meet in London in 1929. MOTOR REGISTRATION. Under the Motor-vehicles Act, 1924, which came into operation on the Ist January, 1925, the work of registering and of licensing motor-vehicles, and supplying registration-plates, is entrusted to the Post and Telegraph Department. The scheme has involved the Department in a considerable amount of additional work. This was especially heavy in the months of January and February. Throughout the year the work requires the full time of several officers in the General Post Office and chief post-offices, and the part time of many officers at sub-offices. The amount of work involved will more readily be appreciated when it is pointed out that up to the end of March approximately 100,000 motor-vehicles of all descriptions had been registered and licensed. In addition, many notifications of change of ownership, notifications of change in situation of garage, and applications for dealers' registration-plates had been dealt with. The Department has catered well for motorists in the direction of affording them every reasonable facility for registering their vehicles without undue delay or inconvenience. Most permanent Postmasters have been appointed Deputy Registrars of Motor-vehicles, and are thus enabled to accept applications for and issue registration certificates, licenses, and registration-plates. In addition, each Postmaster who has not been appointed a Deputy Registrar, but is in charge of a money-order office, and each Postmistress in charge of a money-order office, has been authorized to accept applications for registration and license, and to collect the prescribed fees. The applications accepted by such officers are dealt with by the nearest Deputy Registrar, who forwards the required documents and registration-plates to the Postmaster or Postmistress concerned for delivery to the vehicle-owner. Motor-vehicles may be registered and licensed at almost every village in the Dominion. It can safely be said that no other Department of State could have made such complete arrangements. The system of operation drawn up by the Department has worked smoothly from the commencement. In view of the fact that the Register of Motor-vehicles is the first of its kind in the Dominion, the successful and smooth working of the system is a matter for satisfaction. For its work in connection with motor registration the Department receives in respect of each annual license issued the sum of Is. 6d. This sum is deducted from the amount of the license fee. Fuller information regarding motor-registration is given in the annual report to Parliament of the Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs. CINEMATOGRAPH-FILMS. Owing to their highly inflammable nature, cinematograph-films have long been looked upon as dangerous goods for carriage by post. In England and other countries cinematograph - films are accepted for transmission by post only under very stringent conditions as to packing. It was felt that the New Zealand Post Office regulations regarding the transmission of cinematograph-films required to be altered considerably to provide adequate safeguards. As the result of a conference between officers of the Railway and Post and Telegraph Departments, which was also attended by the CTiief Inspector of Explosives and representatives of film houses, it was decided to accept films for transmission by post within the Dominion only when the films are packed in special fireproof containers. The same class of container is used irrespective of whether the films are forwarded by post or by rail. Whether it is intended that a container should be forwarded by post or by rail is indicated by a coloured label attached to the container. As the container, in effect, takes the place of a Post Office parcel receptacle, when forwarded by post it is carried free of charge, postage being charged only on the weight of the films enclosed. The new system came into operation on the Ist November, and it is satisfactory to be able to report, after four months' working, that no complaints concerning it have been received. As regards films posted in the Dominion for transmission to places beyond the Dominion, it is sufficient if such films are enclosed in tin boxes, which must in turn be enclosed in strong outer wooden boxes, or wrapped in a stout material which is not a good conductor of heat. GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS : POSTAGE-RATES. There are for Government publications and books for lightkeepers posted in bulk special postagerates, known as " bulk rates," which vary from 2d. to 3d. per pound of separate packages weighed together. The system was introduced in 1907 to meet the convenience of a Government Department which desired to post under the system packets each weighing 2 lb. With the growth of the system, publications of very light weight, as well as those weighing 2 lb. or more, were posted at bulk rates. With the posting at bulk rates of packages of light weight the Post Office lost a considerable amount of revenue. For instance, sixty-four separately addressed packages, each weighing £ oz., if posted at the bulk rate of 3d. per pound brought in by way of postage only 3d., while the same sixty-four packages if posted singly at ordinary printed-paper rates brought in by way of postage 2s. Bd.