LOBBY GOSSIP AND NEWS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 37, 12 September 1901, Page 20

LOBBY GOSSIP AND NEWS.

The Government have been advised that Colonel Henry bai declined to accept the position of Commandant of the New Zealand forces.

Eaoh inquest held in this Colony costs the taxpayer about £1 15s.

On an average every man, woman and child in this Colony posted nearly a letter per week for the financial year ending March 31. The total letters eeut by post was close on 37,000,000. There is on average a telephone exchange oonneoted for every 100 persons in New Zealand.

There was to the credit of depositors in the Post Office Saving! Bank on December 31 last £5,809,552. From a comparative estimate made regarding the increase of letters carried by the Post Office since the introduction of the penny postage the Postmaster-General believes the net loss on postage will be only a little over half the original estimate, which was £80,000. Last year was a record one in coal mining in New Zealand, the output being over 1,000,000 tons. Of this quantity more than one-third was produced by the Westport Coal Company's mines. The gold produoed in the Colony last year was valued at £1,439,802, and silver close on £39,000.