POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5734, 15 August 1879, Page 6

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

TWENTIETH ANNUAL REPORT.

Notwithstanding the commercial depression which has within the past year made itself so severely felt throughout the colony the business, of the Post Office Department has not suffered. Indeed, it may be assumed that the postal revenue has been augmented from many of the effects produced by the late and existing state of trade. The returns show a large increase of business in all branches. The cash receipts for the financial year ended 30th June ultimo amounted to £129,906 13s. 5d., against £114,191 12s. 9d. for the previoutf!year, the increase being £15,715 Os. Bd., or 13’76 per cent. The total expenditure for the same period is estimated at £142,708 Is. Bd. The department’s expenditure for the financial year 187778 was £136,118 13s. 9d. From the following statement of the number of letters, newspapers, &c., received and despatched, it will be seen that the increase for the year has been exceedingly large : ISTS. 1879. Letters—" Received .. 8,236.002 7.110,765 Despatched .. 7,288,699 5,935,105 Post Cards—Received .. 116,674 81,274 Despatched 137,509 41,030 Book Packets—Received 505,294 461,622 Despatched 413,855 280,057 Newspapers—Received.. 5,097,907 4,805,785 Despatched 4,312,459 3,260,520 —the letters increased 18’92 per cent., post cards 107'83 per cent., book packets 23 "84 per cent., and newspapers 16'66 per cent. The average number of letters posted in proportion to the estimated population was 16'85 to each person. In 1875 the average was 14'29, and in 1877, 14-51. The increase of post cards is very marked, and the extent to which they have been used by the public has exceeded the most favorable estimate. The first balancesheet of the post office account, being for the year ended 31st December, 1878, has been prepared, as required by the Public Revenues Act, 1878. The transactions amounted to nearly five millions pounds sterling. The securities held by the department on the 31st December, in trust for the Savings Bank depositors, represented the sum of £756,310 10s. 2d., nominal value, and the interest received and accrued on the investments {vide Table No. 6) was £36,390 3s. 2d. Interest to the amount of £31,664 12s. 9d. was credited the depositors. The profit for tile year, after deducting expenses, was £2747 11s. 3d., which will be paid into the Consolidated Fund. The requisite books in connection with the establishing of penny savings banks at schools have been forwarded to the Education Department for issue to the several Education Boards and school committees, who have the power to decide whether the system shall or shall not be introduced in the public schools under their control. The payment of postage-stamp poundage to sub-postmasters not on the permanent staff of the department has been abolished ; but an equitable increase has been made to the salaries of these officers. The inspection of departmental stores, &0., has recently been brought within the control of the department. The duty of examining post office property, stores, &c., will now devolve upon the departmental officers. The department has not yet entered the General Postal Union—a reference to which was made in last report. Nothing further will be done until the question of Imperial * postage payments to the colonies has been equitably settled The completion of the railway line between Christchurch and Invercargill has brought about improved changes in the matter of the transit of mails by railway. Carriages specially fitted up as travelling post offices, and in the charge of postal officers, are attached to the express trains running between Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill. The increase of telegraph business at -Wanganui and Masterton made it necessary to place the post office and telegraph services under separate control. This course will also be followed with respect to the office at Foxton. A room at the lower barracks, Mount Cook, Wellington, has been adapted to the requirements of a branch post office. Money order and savings bank, as well as telegraph business, is also transacted at this office. The parcels post regulations, so far as relate to the transmission of articles within the colony, have been extended. Any article of merchandise, &0., not likely to damage the mails or injure the officers of the department, is now accepted. The weight of any parcel must not exceed 51b. The inland book-post regulations have also been extended, and arenowof a very liberal character. The absence of any general system of streetnumbering is a serious drawback, but it is hoped that regulations providing for the numbering of all premises within the chief centres of population will ere long be adopted. Nine additional money order and savings bank offices were established during the year. Sixty-five offices were established, and the total number open at the close of the year was 814. The conduct of the officers, generally has been good ; and on the part of the public there is a disposition to recognise that their interests are carefully studied by the officers of the department. It is gratifying to be able to state that

complaints from the public are comparatively few, and not of a serious character. BEVENCE AND EXPENDITURE, The gross cash revenue for the financial year ended 30th June ultimo, and the estimated expenditure for the same period, are given in the statement underneath : Revenue. £ s. d. Sale of postage stamps 101,402 10 8 Money order commission .. .. 0.902 10 0 Fees for private boxes and bags,. .. 3,017 0 0 .Miscellaneous receipts 728 9 0 Imperial postage receipts .. .. 15,000 0 0 San Francisco Service, payments by non-:outracting colonies .. .. 2.555 14 9 Balance of expenditure over revenue.. 12,801 8 3 £142,708 1 S Expenditubu; Salaries 40,505 14 0 Conveyance of mails by sea .. .. 50,502 14 6 Conveyance of inland mails .. .. 29,395 19 9 Contingencies 5.953 12 8 Estimated liabilities 10,230 0 0 £142,703 1 8 The total revenue, £129,906 li is. 5d., shows an increase of £15,715 os. Bd., or 13'76 per cent. The sum collected within the colony for the sale of postage stamps, &c., was £112,050 18s. Bd., being an increase of £15,386, or 15'90 per cent, over the local receipts for the previous year. The balance of expenditure over revenue as shown by the foregoing statement amounts to £12,801 Bs. 3d., against £21,927 Is. for the year 1877. Taking into account the sum of £56,176 os. lOd. for official postage, the gross earnings of the department for the year amount to £186,082 14s. 3d., or £43,374 12s. 7d. in excess of the expenditure.