POST OFFICE REPORT

Hokitika Guardian, 6 July 1923, Page 4

POST OFFICE REPORT

£10:>,000 SURPLUS. OCEAN .MAIL I.M PROVEM ENTS. WELLINGTON. July I. The Post and Telegraph Department's annual report shows that, last year the number of letters handled was o'.er nine millions fewer than in the previous year. Post cards decreased by 244.000, hut parcels showed an increase of 4.06 per cent. Other articles increased 13.13 per cent. The department dealt with nearly 123.000.0'in letters, besides a mass of other postal matter. Its financial results are declared to show a surplus of £IOO.OOO, based on a. commercial balance-sheet. The cash statement shows the following balances, receipts over pnvments:— Postal £381.163 Telegraph 101,020 Total £672,773 The gross receipts amounted to £2.087.707. Referring to mail services it is stated that satisfactory service has been Maintained over the Vancouver and San Francisco routes, contract times rarely being exceeded. Notwithstanding this the average time taken in transit of mails to and from the United Kingdom over both, routes continues to he high, owing to delays in certain instances between. Vancouver and London, and San Francisco and London, and vice versa. These delays indicate that close connection are not ttluavs possible. Elicits are still b"ing male to effect an improvement in tile time taken for trailsi' of mails between Vancouver and Loudon and San Francisco and London, it ml it is hoped that .:t .satisfactory arrangement will shortly he reached. The average time taken during 1!)22 by mail,, from New Zealand to Louden via Vancouver was thirty-tour ('ays. and via San Ernneis.cn thirty-live days. 'From London to New Zealand via Vancouver the average lime \va-thirty-six (lavs, and via San Eraiicis'.n thirty-seven days. Roth contracts have broil renewed till March. 1!)2I. Towards the end of 1222 tender, wore invited for the perforatum e from .January 1. 11)23. of mail services, contracts for which expired in ’December. 11)22. The tenders received were satisfar tcry and cu the whole a substantial saving was effected. In a number of eases the competition was much keener than has been the case during recent years. With a few exceptions contracts wore let for a period of two years, thus bringing them, into line with the majority of contracts, which will expire in December, 1924. New Zealand’s Post Office Savings Rank deposits equal £32 4s Id for every pci on in the Dominion. There was credited to depositors’ accounts an ante,tint of Cl ,696,626 for interest and the total amount at the credit cf depositors was increased during the period by £618.099. The total balance at the tredit of depositors on March :>|st. 1 923, Was. £ 14.31 It 1.393.

The report stalls that tile lull elici t of the reluct ion in telegraph rates front Eehniatw . 1923. wa- not I<‘lt immediately. The increase in the volume of telegraph traliic in February. 1922. was not great, but the numbers of all elns-es of messages handled in the following month, contoured with March ei the previous year, showed appreciable increases as und-r: - Ordinary telegram. 9 per cent, urgent telegrams 13 per tent, press telegrams 16 per cent, night letter telegrams 296 per cent, 101 l communications 11 per cent. The total number of messages in March, 1923. was 123.812 in excess of the number for March. 1922. end do-pile a substantial rodmiioii in rates the revenue was very little less. Radio business showed a slight decrease during the year, it is mentioned that investigations are P'oeeedittg in eouneetion with the mod : libation of tho radio stations at A wanin' and Apia, with a view to the promotion of a mere el lit ient service between Banine and the Mainland. ( lose \ aleh i-, being kept up.ui ti e ilevi. loam nit of I) iglt- 1 to we r, bu: L'> d :sf anr e radio l( h‘grapliy. and the possible adaptability ol this mean, of e iiutnu n ient ion lo the requirements of tin- Dominion i- be ing carefully studied. It is •• ei a • u.i te,| that more than IJ) !!I n irci.-s a i.t-O or liceiises will lie issued t!iis :■ .I .

I n the mat ter of ■ on:; ■ ' ihe tclenhone exchange -err ice h'is e u ■ titan doubled in extent doting “c he-l ten wars. In R'i i the total number ef telephone stations it. !be Domini .c wa- approxi uatelv 69 tHi:i. T in- yea: there are over |i:'l.:):i:i station-. While it has not l.ecit p. ,-sible to keep pace during recent year.- with till the demands icr telephone emer 9 i- in* len-liug to note that for tin- iltiid yi ai 1 in -u .■■e nm ;■ I: i" h r >r-.l ba - I,ei'it / -tabli-hcl in tin- nujid’i-r ot oev. (oneetflnts, the figures for llte year ended March 1923 being 19.299. Every < Ifort wa- mad" to obtain -ellicieiit snpplie- of i.ita limber lor telegraph and teieoiione arms. In Auckland di--t ,-h t, rata i- obtainabb' in Mitheieut quantities to meet local i< ■< ( u i l < ‘iin * 1 1 1 •-. but in '.Yellin’-',) on dt-lin I. 1 ■ i.• ’t i- Dm otilv u t her nine o' supply <•: -unable rata, this timber i- obtainable Milv in .-in,-ill quantities. The Department is ol.lig"d to place orders lor a siipplv ni A list r.M Imu lijirdwu.od. I iii--is now €-o:nin-JC fnnvnnl ;\l sinproN'iniutt ly t!u.* -nmo prim* pnid i* i