13

F.—l

MISSING POSTAL PACKETS. During the year 6,276 inquiries for missing postal packets were investigated by the Department, with the result that 3,728 of the packets, or approximately 60 per cent, of the total number, were traced or satisfactorily accounted for. The position regarding responsibility for the delay in delivery may be summarized as follows : Sender responsible for delay, 1,086 ; addressee responsible for delay, 1,329 ; Post Office responsible for delay, 361 ; no delay, or responsibility not fixed, 952. In 2,548 cases the manner in which the packets were disposed of could not be ascertained. Compared with the total number of articles posted, this represents a loss of 0-00102 per cent. As has been mentioned in earlier reports, it is a remarkable fact that postal packets containing bank-notes and other articles of readily negotiable value form a surprisingly large part- of the unregistered mail-matter carried by the Post Office. Such unregistered packets constitute a source of continuous temptation to all persons, outside as well as inside the Post Office, through whose hands they pass. INSPECTION. Inspectors paid 1,854 visits of inspection to post-offices during the year. REGISTRATION OF MOTOR-VEHICLES. During the year ended the 31st March, 1929, 18,739 cars, 4,167 commercial vehicles, and 4,768 cycles—a total of 27,674 vehicles—were registered. The registrations during December, 1928—viz., 2,701 cars, 467 commercial vehicles, and 517 cycles, a total of 3,685 —were higher in number than during any other month since the Motor-vehicles Act, 1924, came into operation. Deputy Registrars of Motor-vehicles were required to collect in the behalf of the Government Statistician returns covering the operations of organized motor-transport services during May and November. Statements of the number of registrations recorded in the central register at the end of each month are now supplied to the Census and Statistics Office for insertion in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics. A special return covering the registration of all trucks in the Dominion was prepared for the Transport Department. The following figures show the number of motor-vehicle registrations (including dormant registrations) as at the 31st March, 1929 : — North Island. Cars .. .. .. .. .. ~ 82,360 Commercial vehicles .. .. .. .. .. 19,809 Cycles .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 21,846 124,015 South Island. Cars .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 48,196 Commercial vehicles .. .. .. .. .. 8,970 Cycles .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15,398 72,564 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 196,579 The above figures do not include those vehicles for which 3,200 demonstration-plates were issued to dealers. Registrations which were cancelled between the coming into operation of the Motor-vehicles Act, 1924, and the 31st March, 1929, are as follow North Island. Cars .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,319 Commercial vehicles .. .. .. .. 1,426 Cycles 2,900 — 7,645 South Island. Cars .. .. .. .. ■ • ■ ■ 2,302 Commercial vehicles .. .. ... .. .. 811 Cycles 2,755 ■ 5,868 Total .. .. .. 13,513 The total number of vehicles registered during the period Ist January, 1925, to 31st March, 1929, was 210,092. The Motor-vehicles Insurance (Third-party Risks) Act, 1928, which prescribes that Deputy Registrars of Motor-vehicles are to collect the insurance premiums payable under the Act, does not come into operation so far as motor-vehicle owners are concerned until the beginning of the 1929-30 relicensing period, which is to commence on the 15th April, 1929. All the necessary preparatory work in connection with the collection of the premiums is well in hand. It was found necessary during the year to obtain more commodious accommodation in which to carry out the work of the Registrar of Motor-vehicles. As the additional space required could not be made available in the General Post Office building, Wellington, the central register and staff were accommodated in Nathan's Buildings, Grey Street, AVellington.