A.—3.

Postal. The following figures show the postal business transacted during the year, the total volume of business amounting to £10,311 4s. 8-|-d. (a record), as against £4,697 7&. 4d. for the previous year. £ s. d. Money-orders issued .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,768 18 5 Money-orders paid .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,420 8 9 Savings-bank deposits .. .. .. .. .. 2,139 17 0 Savings-bank withdrawals .. .. .. .. .. 574 7 3 New Zealand postal notes issued .. . . .. .. 112 18 7 New Zealand postal notes paid .. .. .. .. 8 18 11 British postal orders paid .. .. .. .. .. 125 Miscellaneous payments .. .. .. .. .. 879 10 8-| Stamp-sales .. .. .. .. .. .. 405 2 6 £10,311 4 8J The amount of business transacted during the year is easily a record, and is due almost entirely to the fruit industry, which it has been possible to develop through the Government placing the " Hinemoa " in the Niue Service to replace the former schooner connection.

Return of Postal Business transacted during the Five Years 1923 to 1928, inclusive.

Meteorological. Summarized, the readings for 1927 are as follows : Barometer : Mean for year, 30-03. Thermometer : Highest, 91, in February ; lowest, 57, in July ; mean maximum, 88-25 ; mean minimum, 62-75. Rainfall, 99-36 in. Rain fell on 180 days. Rainfall for first quarter, 60-99 in. (a record). Maximum rainfall for any one day, 7-25 in. on 21st February. The hurricane season passed without any serious blow. Except for a south-westerly gale and heavy seas experienced during the first week in February, shipping could have been worked throughout the season.

Meteorological Return for the Year ended, 31st December, 1927.

22

I I ! 1923-24. ! 1924-25. 1925-26. : 1926-27. j 1927-28. j I J I ; I £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Money-orders issued .. .. 846 14 3 1,132 16 0 1,523 6 8 1,894 10 0 2,768 18 5 Money-orders paid .. .. 547 15 0 966 16 3 836 4 10 312 13 11 3,420 8 9 Savings-bank deposits .. 2,017 14 0 1,632 14 0 2,643 15 0 1,006 14 0 2,139 17 0 Savings-bank withdrawals .. 626 11 0 300 11 3 222 17 11 112 16 11 574 7 3 New Zealand postal notes issued .. 90 3 11 48 15 8 62 10 3 111 10 0 112 18 9 New Zealand postal notes paid .. 5 17 6 159 11 10 11 6 12 4 8 18 11 British postal orders paid .. 700 210 5 16 3 914 125 Miscellaneous payments .. .. 1,038 1 8 911 8 1 909 5 0| 837 18 10 879 10 8^ Stamp-sales .. .. .. 386 6 3 252 2 9 424 16 0 405 10 0 405 2 6 Totals.. .. .. 5,566 3 7 5,248 11 7 6,640 2 10| 4,697 7 4 10,311 4 8£

I Temperatuie. i ota j Number of Maximum Month. I Barometer. - —j , Rainfall Days Rain on any Maximum. Minimum. with Rain. one Day. Deg. Fah. Beg. Fah. Inches. Inches. January .. .. 29-96 90 67 28-12 I 25 ! 4-82 February .. .. 29-93 88 62 21-05 16 ' 7-25 March " .. .. 30-02 91 68 11-82 1 23 2-76 April .. .. 30-02 90 60 6-22 1 16 1-71 May .. .. 30-04 88 64 6-25 ■ 13 2-04 June .. .. 30-10 87 58 0-55 10 0-30 July .. .. 30-19 86 57 0-99 12 0-22 August .. .. 30-10 88 60 2-39 j 13 1-07 September .. .. 30-13 87 61 2-10 8 0-76 October .. .. 30-08 88 62 5-91 12 2-33 November .. .. 29-98 87 65 4-97 12 1-77 December .. .. 29-95 89 69 8-99 20 1-57 Totals .. .. .. .. 99-36 180 ; Means .. 30-03 • 88-25 62-75 8-28 15 I ' I ( .