CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2656, 30 December 1915, Page 2

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

BY POST & TELEGRAPH ' LAST WEEK'S TRAFFIC War influences and the increased chargcs levied by the Government impart a special interest to tho Christmas post and, telegraph traffic this year. The information supplied by the Post and Telegraph authorities takes the form of a comparative statement of the business transacted at various offices between December 21 and 24 in the years 1914 and 1915 respectively. The figures for 1914 showed a decrease compared with those for 1913, this falling off being, fairly attributable to the existing war conditions. There was during the Christmas season of 1914 no war levy, so tho fact that tliero was a recovery iu the volume of business done this year points to the conelusion that the additional post and telegraph charges now in force are a negligible factor so far as their influence on tho public patronage of the Post and Telegraph Office is concerned. Where, however, decreases are shown, a reason may be found'in the effect the war has had on the community generally. There is, of course, the further probability that numbers who at this season of the year were accustomed to invest lavishly in Christmas gifts and to expiate many sins of omission in the way of letter-writing by posting numerous Christmas cards, have considered the various patriotic funds had a superior claim to their "spare cash. Tho large decrease shown in the number of telegrams transmitted at Wellington, and Christchurch is duo to the fact that during the past year translators have been installed at Wellington. This enables Auckland to communicate directly with Christchurch and Dunedin, Wellington ceasing to act as a transmitting station as hitherto. For instance, all Christchurch and Dunedin work went through Wellington last year, while this year there was direct communication.. The declines in the number of bags and hampers forwarded and received is counter-balanced by the increase, in the sala, of stamps, so that, it is pointed out, the actual volume of business lias not suffered. The business transacted throughout the whole Dominion for the four days— December 21 to December 24 inclusive— was as follows: — . 1914. 1915. Dec. ±1 £ Percent. Stamp sales 22,354 24,924 *11.49 Bags and ham- ■ pers forwarded and received ... 50,952 46,356 9,02 Telegrams forwarded ... 98,910 87,643 11.39 Telegrams received .... 116,994 107,401, 8.2 Telegrams transmitted 116,093 144,054 13.27 Tho following are the details of the business kt- the four chief centres for the four days, Decomber 21 to December 24:— STAMP SALES: Increase • per 1914. 1915. cent. Auckland 4,242 5,329 25.62 Wellington ... 5,543 5,787 4.4 Christchuroh .. 3,181 3,328 4.62 Dunodin ........ 2,339 2,545 8.81 BAGS AND' HAMPERS FORWARDED AND RECEIVED. • Decrease , . 1914; 1915. percent, i Auckland 9,629 8,375 18.02 Wellington .... 13,315 12,522 • 5.95 Christchurch .. 8,400 5,984 29.83 Dunedin 4,120 4,626, *12.28 x lncrease. .. TELEGRAMS FORWARDED. Decrease 1914. 19.15. percent. Auckland 18,122 15,993 11.75 Wellington .... 24,916 23,768 4.61 Christchurch .. 12,645 9,466 25.14 Dunedin 8,454 8,179 3.25 TELEGRAMS RECEIVED. ''' Decrease 1914. 1915. percent. Auckland 22,593 21,627 4.28 Wellington .... 24,649 23,267 5.61 Christchurch .. 19,661 17,423 11.38 Dunedin ....... 11,772 11,128 5.47 -TELEGRAMS TRANSMITTED. Decrease 1914. 1915. per cent. Auckland 29,555 29,169 1.31 Wellington .... 35,947 28,684 20.21 Christchurch ... 22,597 18,697 17.26 Dunedin 14,987 13,392 10.64