F—l

PATRIOTIC FUND : CONTRIBUTIONS BY POST OFFICE STAFFS The Post Office Patriotic Fund was wound up on the 30th September, 1945, up to which date a total of £22,321 had been contributed by the staff. The National Fund benefited to the extent of £14,884 and the Provincial Fund by £7,437. OVERSEAS POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH CENSORSHIP The circulation of all overseas telegrams and the diverting of mails through the censorship authorities ceased on the 3rd and 6th September, 1945, respectively. ANNUAL HOLIDAYS ACT, 1944 The Post Office undertook the work associated with the operation of the Annual Holidays Act, 1944, and up to the 31st March, 1946, 24,230 holiday pay-cards, valued at £44,055, had been redeemed. POSTAL SERVICES INLAND MAIL-SERVICES The contracts covering the performance of inland mail-services in the Grisborne, Masterton, Napier, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wanganui, and Wellington Postal Districts expired on the 31st December, 1945, and were relet for a further term of two years nine months commencing Ist January, 1946. The change from the usual three-yearly contract period was made to obviate the work involved in re-letting contracts coinciding with the busy Christmas period. At the end of December, 1945, there were 38,408 rural boxes, which represents an increase of 1,425 compared with the figures on the 31st December, 1944. AIR MAILS Inland The weight of letters carried by air within New Zealand during the twelve months ended the 31st March, 1946, was 199,223 lb. In addition, 32,204 parcels were conveyed by the inland air services. In order to improve the air-mail connections between New Plymouth and Auckland and New Plymouth and Wellington, arrangements were made as from the 14th May, 1945, for mails to be conveyed by R.N.Z.A.F. aircraft operating a daily service between the places mentioned. Trans-Tasman Air Service The weight of mail-matter despatched from New Zealand by the trans-Tasman service during the year was 90,170 lb. In the reverse direction the weight of mailmatter carried totalled 99,405 lb. The average weight of mail carried on each trip was 519 lb. From the 2nd July, 1945, to the 21st August, 1945, and from the 24th September, 1945, to the 22nd January, 1946, the frequency of the service was four times weekly. During the remainder of the year the service operated on a thrice-weekly basis. Empire Air Service The Empire air service has continued to operate regularly throughout the year. Until June, 1945, the service terminated at Perth, Western Australia, the connecting links between that point and New Zealand being provided by Australian National Airways operating between Perth and Sydney, and by Tasman Empire Airways

8