The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBERS, 1913. THE POST OFFICE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 32, 8 October 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBERS, 1913. THE POST OFFICE.

The Christchurch "Press," in an ar-

ticle dealing with State trading, remarks that the public has for so long been accustomed to regard the New Zealand Post Office as one of the few

perfect public institutions that there will probably bo general surprise at the fact that bite Post Office does not pay. A return .furnished to Parliament shows that the amount of capital invested in the business of the Post am! Telegraph Department is £3,307,-

917, and that the excess of revenue) over expenditure for the year 19?2-13i was E 98.554. This falls short by' £17,'22! of the interest to be paid on tlfe capital calculated at 3} per cent. The ''Press" goes on to say: The

Post Office' is, of course, essentially ( different from other Government institutions, and cannot be considered an ordinary trading concern. It is not ~,„! has not boon, so considered even by the • strictest opponents of St .to enterprise in other countries, although a lew muddlciheaded people row and then declare that anyone who, approves the State's control of postal business (and everyone does) is bound to aporove State control of any public service. The principles governin,- the matter were settled long ago, and wo need only point out here that certain obvious considerations require that the Post Office shall be publicly controlled, and that its general character requires that the controlling authority shall be the General Government,' the central and universal public authority. The small loss which is Incurred annually is, therefore, ot small account, but there is, of no reason why the«P6st Office should not pay its way. Every loss that is avoided, and every profitable piece ct management, -will enable the authorities to increase the usefulness and efficiency of the postal, telegraph, and telephone services.