REPORT OF THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1409, 21 August 1878, Page 3

REPORT OF THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT.

[By Tklegbaph.] [fbom the ooebespofdent of thk phess ] The nineteenth annual report of the Post Office Department has to-day beon sent up from the printers. The general postal union soheme was first brought under the consideration of the department as far back as September, 1875, but as the original conditions under which the British colonies would bo permitted to join the union were exceedingly unfavourable, this colony, and indeed the whole of the Australasian colonies, decided to refrain from seokiug admission into the general postil union. Terms of a more liberal naturo having subsequently been sub' milted for our consideration, it is now possible for any colony to enter the tinion without suffering a serious pecuniary loss. At the conference, held in Melbourne, in May last, respecting the duplication of the telegraph lines between Australasia and Europe, the general postal union scheme was also discussed, and the following resolution unanimously agreed to—" That the adoption of the amended treaty agreed to by the Berne Postal Convention, be recommended for the favourable consideration of the Governments of Australia and New Zealand." The Postmaster General of New South Wales had occasion a few weeks since to pay an official visit to this colony, and, among other questions discussed, were the terms of "the Berne treaty and the amended proposal of the Imperial Government with respect to the Australasian colonies entering the union. The following memorandum was jointly ngreed to on behalf of the two colonies :—" That the colonies of New South Wales and New Zealand should, in view of the desirability of establishing uniform postal regulations of universal application, calculated to give the public the largest amount of accommodation possible without useless and vexatious restrictions, join the Berne Postal Union, provided, however, that no reduction be made in the rate of postage for the ocean services ; that the cost of the transit of the mails between Ban Francisco and New York or Boston be not charged on colonies, and that tho restrictions which have already or which may hereafter be imposed by local legislation in reference to wholly unpaid correspondence are not interfered with. Although the decision to join the general postal union will entail a small loss of revenue to the colony, it is held that in view of tho many aud highly important advantages

secured under the union soheme, the oolony should be prepared to incur the loss. The inspection of post offices has been carried on vigorously with most encouraging results. The Inspector of Post Offices ha* travelled through the North and South Islands during tho year, and the more important offices have been frequently inspected. The several reports speak favorably of the manner in which the post offices, or at least ■ those in charge of officers of the permanent stuff, >ire carried on. The general conduct of tho officers has been most sal itfactory. Tho absence) of any serious complaint against the department, is an unmistakable proof that the public interests are well cared for. The method of dealing with and of accounting for the postal revenue and other receipts has undergone a very important change since the Ist of January last. The revenue accounts are now dealt with at the General Post Office instead of in the Treasury. The Public Eevenue Act of 1877, which authorised this change, created an account called the " poßt office account," into which i 8 paid all money received on account of postal revenue, or for transmission by money order. or for deposit in the Post Office Saving Bank. This account can only be operated upon by cheque of the Postmaster General, countersigned by the Commissioner of Audit. The accrued postal revenue is paid monthly to the consolidated fund. Tho advantages of the change are the*e— the revenue and other receipts are incorporated in one instead of two accounts The officers of the p:>st office now deal in the first instance with all postal revenue accounts, and a set of accounts formerly sent direct from the chief postmasters to the audit office has been abolished. The change has added considerably to the work of the department in the accountant's office. This new system ' has also made it practicable to discontinue chief postmasters' imprest account!. Incidental and special payments of fixed amounts are now authorised to be paid out of revenue collections, and if this were extended to the payment of salaries of sub postmaster, a saving of both labour and expense would follow. The collection of what is termed unpaid postage, together with the preparation of the necessary accounts, has always been a matter of perplexity to the department. A system recently adopted admits of these postages being collected by the agency of "unpaid dockets," which has this twofold advantage —it ensures an almost absolute check against fraud, and enables the department to abolish the lengthy unpaid postage accounts, which mean a saving of considerable importance. It is the intention to establish an inland parcels post by which merchandise, raw or manufactured, aod many other articles, may be forwarded through tho post at a nominal rate of postage. It is also intended to extend the book packet regulations, so as to include documents which at present can only be transmitted through the post at letter rates of postage. Arrangements of a satisfactory nature have been made with the Imperial Post Office authorities by the Agent-General, for the prompt paymentof the postages due the colony. Hitherto these payments have been irregular and considerably in arrears, for the future quarterly payments of a fixed amount will be made, and any balance in favor of the colony paid over annually. The immediate result of this arrangement has been the payment since September last of no less than £35,968 Os 2d, on account of postages due to the colony by the Imperial Post Office. The reference mado in a former report of the desire of the department to afford facilities for establishing Penny Savings Banks at schools and factories, is now being given practical effect to. The forms, &3., incidental to the inauguration of the system, are being printed, and will be ready for issue to school committees during tho current year. The printing and postage stamps, hitherto under the immediate control of the Government printer, has been placed in charge of the Stamp Department. With the rapidly increasing population in the large centres, it becomes necessary to provide extended deliveries, and the question of establishing "suburban deliveries" is now under consideration. Such deliveries would admit of correspondence being delivered over those suburbs which have a population suffi ciently large to warrant the expense. Where it may not be practicable to carry out this scheme in the ordinary way, deliveries by mounted carriers would bo made.

Tlie gross revonue from all sources for the financial year, ended the 30th ultimo, was £114,191 12s9d, an increase of 11 43 percent, over the receipts of the previous year. The expenditure, inclusive of a sum of £9OOO on account of liabilities, is estimated at £135,389 lis lOd. This is £4846 12s 9i less than the expenditure for the year preceding. The number of letters, newspapers, &c, received and dispatched during the jear shows a satisfactory increase, the increase of letters being 10 91 per cent., and of newspapers 10.62 pep cent. To a-certain, however, the exact increase of letters 81,274 post cards should be taken into account. This gives 1,365/107 letters as the actual increase for the year, equal to 11.60 per cent. The numerical increase of letters ia 1876 over the previous year was 1,342,886, which number, however, includes the post cards. Comparing the number of letters despatched with the population, the average is 14.51 letters to each head of population. In 1875 the average was 14 29, and in 1874,12 08. The newspapers show a decrease of over 5 J per cent, owing principally, it is believed, to the publication of the late Otago " Provincial Government Q-nzette" having been discontinued, over 260,000 copies of which, it is stated, passed through tho post annually. Sixty-three new offices have been oponed, three re opened, and nineteen closed. Thir teen offices have been constituted offices for the transaction of money order and savings bank business.

Judging from results, the circulation of post cards has not diminished the revenue. The receipts on account of local collections for the past year show a larger increase than in any former year. Treating post cards as letters for tho purpose of comparison, it is found that the increase of local letters for 1877 was 22,521 over the increase for the prerious yeur. Although the post cards are nob extensively used, it may be accepted as a fact that they are regarded by the public with favor, as a ready and cheap medium of communication. BEVENTJE AND EXPENDITUBE. The grosa revenue collections for the financial year ended 30th June ult., and the estimated expenditure for the same period are given in the statement underneath : B £ s. d. Revenue collected within the colony 96,664 18 8 On account of imperial postages 15,000 0 0 San Francisco service, payments by non-contracting colonics 2,526 14 1 Balance of expenditure over revenue 21,927 1 0 Total 136,118 13 9 EXPENDITTJBE. Salaries 38,010 8 8 Conveyance of mails by sea... 57,184 15 3 Conveyance of inland mails... 27,612 19 9 Contingencies 4,310 10 1 Estimated liabilities 9,000 9 0 Total 136,118 13 9