THE POST OFFICE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3171, 23 August 1917, Page 9

THE POST OFFICE

GOOD YEAR OF BUSINESS INCREASE IN RECEIPTS Tho PosUnas'lcr-Goneral :Sir Joseph Ward), in his introduction to the ;inivual report of tho Post and Telegraph Department for tho year 1016-17, states:— "Tho noblo resp-Miso of tho officers of. all ranks to tho call of tho Empire in its task of overcoming oui* common foe - again stands out as tho brightest achievement of tho year. No, fewer than 1675' aro now with the.Expeditionary' forces.'. Some havo won distinction: raid honours, . whilo many, I regret to say, havo been killed in action and many wounded. No effort lias been spired l>y tho Department to meet in cvory way possible tho needs of both tho soldiers and their ,tov latives and friends -in 'all -matters coming within tho scopo of its activities. "In spito of this heavy call upon the stait it has rot yot been found necessary to curtail the services in any way, nor has tho Department, up to tho present, claimed exemption for _ any officers required for military service. "Tho War .Loan. Certificate scheme,, which was entrusted by me:to-tho"De-partniont, has proved a great success, tho sum of £1,410,066 having been so far raised towards'the War Loan "by tho salo of these certificates.. ■ "The year is tho first during tho wholo of which tho increased chaises imposed on account of tho war havo been in force, and tho revenue reached the very large sum of .£1,809,317. Of this £134,0(10 may bo said to represent tho increase duo to the special war tax on mail matter and telegrams. "The Savings Bank business shows '.-a remarkable .increase, not alone in deposits, but also, in tho net savings for. the year; £2.618,088 was 'added to tho savings, ■which, together -with £5i7,856 interest credited, equals £3,436,844, andbrings the total balance- up to £25,603,209. "Generally tho business in all branches of the service ias'boeh well maintajned, tho excess of receipts over expenditure being .£488,507." ■ - '• The report of tho Department shows that the total receipts, for tho financial year 1910-17 was '.£1,609.317, and tho payments .£1,370,809., The receipts exceeded those of 1915-16 by .£118,560.- Tho balance of receipts over payments was £438,507, as against £399,235 in ■ 1915-16 and£112,209 in 19t4 ; lo. ■' Tho number of articles delivered in tho Dominion, including those received. from places beyond, during, the yoar. 1916 was as follows:-: Letters and' letter-cards, 121.609,306, an increase of 2,066,896 over tho previous year s total; p05tcard5,..4,602,910. (a decrease, of 475,813); other articles,- 46,456,046 (a decrease of 2,072,330); parcels, 2,981,302 (an increase of 95,353). ~"•.,. The work performed in connection with the payment of allotments made by.members of "tho. New Zealand military forces has assumed • very. large proportions,, the number-of payments jnade.amouiiting to the large total of -405,255 for- £2,164,780." ,■' Thero is still a steadily increasing number of bureau communications, which are to some extent" takihg : the .'place'of'telegrams, for while the'i'umber of ordinary telegrams decreased 1 from 6,002,131 'in 1915-16 to 5,742,739,, in 1916-17, tho. number of bureau - messages' increased from. 8,963,801 to 4,382,823. Thus whilß the number of telegrams -fell off by 319,392,- the - bureau ■' communications' increased by 419,022. "While ordinai-y telegrams show., the above-mentioned decrease, the increased ' rates produced an . increased. reveniio tKrefroni of £8644. The number of Press telegrams fell froin 383,155 to 304,192, but tho, revenue derived there- ■ from on account of the increased rates, was £25;873; as against: £24,417 in 1915-16. The telephone exchango revenue received' was £317,275,' an increase of £29,728 «i last'year's figures. The dumber of. telephone connections at the. ten principal telephone exchanges on March 31 1917, was as . follows:—Auckland, 7766; Wellington, 7724; Christchurch, 5913; Dunedin, 4934; Wanganui, 1658; Gisborne,'l6sl; Napier, 1549; Hastings, 1455;' 'Invercargill, 1451; Palmerston North,' 1329.''-- '■ ' ~ ::.- '.' . 'V'...