The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 1868.

Southland Times, Issue 998, 5 August 1868, Page 2

The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 1868.

The ninth report on the Postal Service, recently placed on the table of the General Assembly, and a copy of which is now before us, supplies a fund of interesting information. "W"e learn that the chief alterations made during the year have been such as would reduce the departmental expenditure, without impairing the efficiency of the service. It aa yg .-i- Notwithstanding these reductions, the business of the Post Office has not shared the depression generally prevailing throughout New Zealand. In the number of letters received and despatched, in the number of Post Office money orders issued and paid, and especially in the amount of the deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank, a very considerable increase has taken place ; the postal revenue of the colony ia considerably augmented, and its postal expenditure considerably diminished' The total amount of business transacted through the medium of the Post-Office is stated to be: — letters _jl r -i__i J.— ioot» r -0,x0a,000 , I^. S.OOO, 2,353,856. Letters received during the year 1867, 2,408,331 ; in 1866, 2,404,788. Newspapers despatched in 1867, 1,390,368 ; in 1866, 2,413,511; Newspapers received in 1867, 1,670,520 ; in 1866, 1,959,528. The Postal Eevenue, oxclusive of money order commission, was, for 1867, £55,331 18s Id; in 1866 £47,836 10s 6d. During the six months from Ist January to 30fch June, 1868, we are informed, fifty-seven new Post-Offices have been opened and five offices closed ; and that although the number of additional offices is large, and affording greatly increased accommodation to the public, the cost has been but slight, the office of postmaster in most cases having been taken without salary or for a very trifling remuneration. Prom tables 16 and 17, we find that the average number of letters received ! by each individual in New Zealand is about one-half of the average of the "United Kingdom, and nearly twice that of the colonies of Victoria and New South "Wales. "With respect to newspapers the colonies show a much larger Consumption than Great Britian, especially New Zealand. But we find there is a great difference in the statistics, in respect to both letters and newspapers, in the different provinces of this colony. Nelson has the smallest correspondence in proportion to its population, and Canterbury the largest. In newspapers also, it has the least, while Hawke's Bay and Otago receive the largest number. There are many other branches of the Post Office services, the Dead-letter Office, Savings Bank, &c, commented upon in the report that space prevents our giving in detail, therefore for the present we shall simply give the totals. The return of ordinary letters receivedatthe Dead Letter Office, show for 1866, 115,139, and 1242 registered; for the year 1867 there were 92,085 ordinary letters, and 1203 registered. Upon opening these letters, property was found consisting of bills of exchange, cheques, bank notes, &c, &c, to the extent of, in 1866, £7822 13s 2d, of this amount only £3126 19s 6d was claimed ; in 1867, the amount was £4695 15s 4d, of which ouly £2849 16s lOd was claimed. With reference to Post Office Savings' Banks, the report says: — At the date of my last report, the system of Post Office Savings' Banks had been but recently introduced. Its progress since that time

has been eminently satisfactory." * * * , It will be seen that "in nearly | every instance the amount of deposits has gone on steadily increasing, until the aggregate has risen from ,£3IBO 2s 2d, on the Ist March 1867, to the sum of £104,168 6s 2d, on the 31st May, 1868." This is certainly a most gratifying result. The most important portion is that wMeH ■■— hcka — reference to .the Panama, Suez, and inter-Colonial Mail Services. It points out that the Panama line has, during the year, performed its contract work without interruption. It says : — " The voyages from Sydney to New Zealand and Panama, have been accomplished with uniform punctuality, in no instance has the homeward bound steamer failed to reach Panama in time for the mail to Southampton." In the outward service it states that some Blight irregularities have taken place, owing to the disorganisation of the "West India Mail Service, arising from the loss of some of the vessels of that line, but predicts that as other steamers are now provided, no further hitch is likely to arise. It speaks hopefully of the future, and says : — " In connection with this subject the progress of the railway now being constructed- across the continent of North America possesses great interest- I can see no reason why, upon the completion of this railway (Pacific Line) which is expected to take place in the year 1870, mails should not be delivered in Sydney via New Zealand within forty-two days from Liverpool or Southampton, and there can be little doubt that the traffic between the Australian Colonies and California would afford ample remuneration to a line of steamera of the highest class." The writer complains that the Colony of Victoria and others in the Australian group have not become parties to the contract with the Panama Company; and says: — "the payment of twenty-shillings per pound upon the gross weight of mails conveyed for the non-contracting colonies, has produced a contribution so merely nominal, that if those colonies cannot be induced to assent to a considerable modification of the present arrangement, it deserves serious consideration whether they should not be altogether debarred from availing themselves of the service." It strongly condemns the thirteen mails a month arrangement of the Suez line asuselessto this colony, and continues ; — " Under these circumstances and looking to the necessity which exists for the strictest economy in every branch of the public service, the G-overnment is of opinion that the expense which is entailed _unon the Colony, byi-ihe maintenance of inter-colonial and interprovincial steam services for the collection and distribution of the Suez mails should no longer be incurred. It is proposed, therefore, to discontinue these services and to receive and forward the Suez mails by unsubsidized vessels." It also states that this being the intention of the Q-overnment, notice has been given for the discontinuance of the service between Melbourne and Port Chalmers, and such notice will expire on the 12th of next month. There are many other items of interest contained in the report to which we shall refer on a future occasion. The substance only of the document is now given.