THE POST OFFICE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2809, 29 June 1916, Page 9

THE POST OFFICE

ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report of the Post and Telegraph Department Btatcs that the war has not seriously affected the business of the Department, although necessarily it has added largely to Ihe cost of administration. The war has seriously hindered the introduction of automatic telephone exchanges. Tho total revenue for the Department was J51,695,757, an increase of ■£i13G,G97 over the preceding year. .The rccord of enlistments from the Department .was 1013 out of a staff of 7198, permanent and temporary officers. The increased telegraph charges produced a diminution in the number of telegrams, but the extra revenue won was .£24,180, and "urgents," although fewer, produced .£155 more revenue. The "Press" telegrams fell from 471,455 to 383,155, but tho revenue for the last half of the year was £'24,417, as against .£22,328 in the preceding term. Free Government messages increased as usual, and amounted to 127,841, of a value of J9085 at ordinary rates. "When the report was presented in the House by tho Postmaster-General, Mr. Wilford asked whether the number of letters and telegrams sent had increased during the past year. Mr. Poolo said that the regulations in regard to the posting of newspapers abroad should be made known to the public.

Mr. Pearce suggested that the cliarge for telegrams should hare been raised to ninepeaice. As it was . stated that every telegram sent at sixpence represented a loss, the increase in the charge could not be regarded as taxation. Mr. Hudson asked why there should be any differentiation in telephone bureaux charges between town and country. Sir Joseph Ward said that the information asked for by Mr. Wilford could not Ijo given without having a special return prepared. In 1911 letters and lettter-cards increased by 4.76 per cent., post-cards decreased 1.57 per cent., whilst other articles increased by 6.56 per cent.! parcels had increased by 17.58 per cent, lie thought, that since then there had been a decrease in letters, but he could not give the exact information. As to the regulations governing the sending of newspapers abroad, the information could bo obtained at any post office, but ho would give instructions to make the particulars moro widely known. He could not see his way to make a further increase in the charge for telegrams; they should not look upon the revenue obtained from telegrams as the only result of cheap telegrams, as directly and indirectly, they did much to benefit _ the country. He could not make any differentiation in the charges for soldiers' telegrams and others, as it would be quite impossible to chock the message. In reply to Mr. Hudson, he said that the only differentiation betweou town and country in regard to telephone charges was that, in respect to distances. The Hon. R. H. Rhodes asked whether the number of telegrams sent had increased since the rates were, raised. Sir Joseph Ward said that on the whole there had been an increase, althoush Tress telegrams, as was anticipated, showed n, decrease.