The Globe. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 997, 5 September 1877, Page 2

The Globe. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1877.

In yesterday’s issue we referred at some length to that part of the report of the Post Office department in which a comparison is made between the !San Prancisco and Suez routes. But the modifications of the contract which have recently been made tend to still further increase the usefulness of the San Prancisco service. As our readers are aware, some time ago proposals were made on behalf of the contractors to modify the service. These are briefly summarised in the report as follows: —That the calling at Kaudavau shall be abandoned, and the contractors relieved from performing the Coastal service. The route to be San Prancisco, Auckland, and Sydney, and vice versa , the Post Office department undertaking at its oavu expense to collect and distribute the mails along the New Zealand coast. The time between San Prancisco and Auckland and Sydney to be 550 hours and (>74 hour§ respectively. The contractors to receive a gross subsidy of £72,500 a year, of which New South Wales agrees to pay £-10,000, and New Zealand £32,500. To the payment made by this colony, of course has to be added the cost of the Coastal service, at present carried out tor £SOOO per annum, which increases the colony’s liability on account of the San Prancisco service to £37,500, as against £44,975 paid when the Coastal service was carried out by the contractors with the main boats. The altered route admits of the mails from London being delivered in New Zealand two days earlier than the dates given in the time table, while the ontAvard mails are despatched from Auckland tAvo days, and from all other ports one day, later than was the case Avhen the steamers were required to call at Kandavau. The contractors, we are informed, contemplate making arrangements Avhich Avould admit of the Australian and New Zealand mails being conveyed between New York and San Prancisco in five days, and they are also disposed to agree to despatch their steamers from San Prancisco for Auckland and Sydney immediately on the arrival of the London mails from Ncav York. Should these arrangements be carried out, the time between Auckland and London could be reduced to thirty-seven days. Turning to another part of the report, Ave find that 11,77u,737 letters were despatched and received, and 7,902,748 newspapers. Out of these. 59,070 dead or unclaimed letters were disposed of, 44,007 being returned to the Avriters,B3 re-issued, 9703 returned unopened to other countries, and 5217 destroyed. The percentage of care loss people in this colony is evidently quite as great as at home, as the following particulars of the number of articles of value enclosed in letters dealt Avith al the dead letter office will shoAv. Thirty-six letters Avere posted without any addresses whatever, and out of these four had valuable .enclosures to the amount of £1506 10s, and two

contained other articles of value. Letters dealt with at the dead letter office contained 105 money orders to the value of £ 101 18s 3d; forty -eight bank drafts, representing £2OIB 3s 8d; twenty-one cheques, for a total amount of £155 Os Sd ; bank notes, £O3 ; gold, £7; &c. In addition to these, six gold rings, one gold pin, seven pairs of earrings, two gold brooches, one pair gold sleeve links, two gold lockets, two sets gold studs, one gold chain, one hair bracelet, and two parcels gold dust, were received in the dead letter office.

Still dealing with statistics, we find that eighty-one post offices were established during the year, three reopened, and eight closed. There are now 731 post offices in the colony, or one for every 515 people. On December 31st there were fourteen chiefs or head postmasters, thirteen second class, and (381. sub-post officers. The stall employed numbered in all 855. Several of the existing postal districts are to be re-arranged, and it is the intention to create additional divisions, and for the future all officers in charge of postal districts will be designated as “ Chief Postmasters.” We learn that the introduction of the post-card system has been very satisfactory. Post-cards were first issued on November Ist last, and on December 31st, 92,500 were sold to the public. Since then they continue to be largely used, and the Postmaster-General does not think that the revenue has suffered, as the post-cards are to a large extent used for purposes which were formerly effected by agency other than that of the post office. The transactions of the Money Order and Savings EankDepartments are also summarised, from which we find that the business of both departments lias increased during the year, as compared with the former one. Notwithstanding the great demand for money for investment in various shapes, we find that the amount to the credit of depositors on December 31st was £723,910 17s sd, and that the sum of £28,7(32 Is 7d has been credited to the accounts of depositors for interest during the year.