F.—l

The neglect by members of the public to register packets containing readily negotiable articles is a problem which exists in every postal administration in the world. The problem has become so acute that in some countries legislation has been passed making it a criminal offence to post in unregistered covers articles of value. While it should be made clear that at no time has the question of providing similar legislation been considered in the Dominion, the desirability of greater use being made of the registration facilities provided by the Department cannot be stressed too strongly. In the event of an unregistered packet containing valuable articles being reported missing, suspicion inevitably falls upon each person through whose hands the packet would pass, commencing with the person by whom it would be posted and ending with the person to whom it would be delivered. In the event of a registered packet being reported missing—a very rare occurrence—the Department's system permits of the point of loss being determined definitely. In addition, some further degree of security is offered by this system inasmuch as compensation is paid by the Post Office for any registered packet lost in the post. That the people of the Dominion are not making full use of the registration system is evidenced by the number of unregistered packets containing value reported missing each year, and also by the number of packets handled in the Dead Letter Office opened, are found to contain bank-notes and other readily negotiable value. POST OFFICE. ARTICLES DELIVERED. The number of articles delivered in the Dominion, including those received from places beyond New Zealand, during the year 1924, compared with the number in 1923, was as under :• — 1 <)'24 102'! Increase 1 1 Per. Cent. Letters .. .. .. .. 135,795,141 129,463,663 4-89 Post-cards .. .. .. 3,909,557 3,653,179 7-02 Parcels .. .. .. .. 3,644,506 3,544,650 2-82 All otheifarticles .. .. .. 71,362,283 59,201,429 20-54 214,711,487 195,862,921 AVERAGE NUMBER OF LETTERS POSTED PER UNIT OF POPULATION. 1924, 103-7. 1923, 96-2. NUMBER OF POST-OFFICES IN DOMINION. Offices opened during year, 16 ; offices closed during year, 75 ; offices remaining open on 31st December, 1924, 2,071. UNDELIVERABLE POSTAL PACKETS. The following is a comparison of letters and other articles dealt with as undeliverable during the year, compared with those dealt with during 1923 : —

The proportion of undeliverable letters to the total number of letters delivered was 0-45 per cent., as against 043 per cent, in 1923. MISCELLANEOUS. 1924. 1923. Letters and letter-cards posted without addresses .. .. .. .. 17,352 16,173 Letters imperfectly and insufficiently addressed .. .. .. .. 20,335 20,823 Letters bearing libellous addresses intercepted .. .. .. .. 42 56 Registered letters unclaimed .. .. .. .. .. .. 8,762 9,047 Newspapers received without addresses .. .. .. .. .. 4,540 3,893 Other articles received without addresses .. .. .. .. .. 3,937 3,635 Newspapers returned to publishers as undeliverable .. .. .. 28,881 27,780 Articles bearing previously used stamps ~ ~ ~ ~ .. 77 104

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Returned direct Returned direct Returned to other Returned to other Destroyed v , to Senders to Senders Administrations Administrations (Senders unknown ,,, , , 6al ' through Chief through Dead through Chief through Dead and Contents of ° a ' Offices. Letter Office. Offices. Letter Office. no Value). I ' J L _ Letters. 1924 .. 235,015 ! 272,653 i 44,854 35,564 14,688 002,774 1923 .. 239,807 j 225,439 j 50,184 | 36,857 16,810 569,097 Other Articles. 1924.., 130,363 6,013 [ 72,926 19,481 .. i 228,783 1923.. | 127,907 4,193 ! 40,653 19.725 ! .. | 192,478