The Daily News FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22. POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 220, 22 October 1909, Page 2

The Daily News FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22. POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT.

The annual report of the Post and Telegraph Department is now in circulation, and contains much that is interesting. From a departmental point of

view the year has been a most prosperous and successful one. An increase has been experienced in almost every class of business, accompanied by an increased revenue. In one item alone has the revenue fallen below that of the previous year: it lias not yet had time to recover from the marked reduction of 50 pel cent, made in . the money-order an! postal-note commission last year, That item, however, has reached 70 per cent, of last year's, and will no doubt easils iceover itself in the same manner as did ' stamps aftc r pinny postage was introduced. The revenue has more than doubled in the past ten years, having risen from £443,770 to £!I13,00J. The expenditure has increased from £300,107 to CAP7,Ii.V2. The balance of revenue over expenditure, which ill 1808-1)0 was £.w,Ji:i, stands this year at £10G,34i These results are altogether satisfactory; the report points out, with a re\enuo frequently varied 'by reduced charges to the public, any bald compari. son between revenue and expenditure is misleading. OI necessity, the expenditure in such a service as the Post and Telegraph must, unless the rates remain fixed, bear a closer relationship to the volume of business than to the value thereof, for the increase in work is proportionately greater than the increase in revenue It should suffice—the Postmaster-General claims—if the public is being well served, that the Department is paying its way. The expenditure has by no means kept pace with the increased volume of business. Owing to the expansion of business 321 offices were added to the permanent classified stall' during the yean, but notwithstanding this, the percentage of increase in salaries of permanent officers is only 0.02 higher than the percentage of increase in revenue, the relative figures being—salaries 11.73, and revenue 11.11 per cent, The main'increase ill expenditure was due to the higher cost of conveyance of mails by railway, and the heavier charges against the mails by sea and miscellaneous ways, The principal sources of revenue—viz.. stamps, telegrams and telephone receipts-have all contributed well towards the £01,3511 by which the revenue exceeds that of last year. Since the close of the year, says the report, the administration of the old-age pensions has been transferred to the Post Office. The change has been' effected so quietly and completely that it has passed almost unnoticed, Only half the number of officers formerly required to administer the office are now employed, and the work is being performed efficiently and effectively. As the result of the investigations of toe Secretary of the Department in England, Europe and America, it is expected that many desired reforms will be brought about, leading also to a considerable saving in the cost of administration. Some interesting figures are revealed in the Savings Bank report. During the year 80,133 accounts were opened and 57.82!) closed. The number of accounts at the end of the year was 342,077, and the proportion per hqad of the population was 1 in 2.05, as compared with 1 in 3.00 at the end of the previous year. The sum of £9,074,075 was deposited during the year, and £9,417,820 was withdrawn. The net amount added by depositors to their savings during the year was therefore £.250,254 excess of deposits, plus £370,806 interest earned and credited, making a total of £030,003. The total amount at credit of depositors increased from £11,523,230 ill the close of the previous year to £12,159,29:) on 31st December last, representing a sum equal to £d2 la 2d per head of Lhc entire population, and £35 10s lid to each depositor. The interest credited to depositors since the Post Office Savings Banks were established in 1807 now amounts to £4,180,(i53. The cost of working the Savings Banks for the year was £27,000, and the cost of management per cent, on the total amount at credit of depositors was 0.22 j per cent., or 4s 3d per £IOO. A reciprocal arrangement has been entered into with the Post Office Savings Bank of Great Britain for the transfer of the balance of Pos|, Office Savings Bank accounts from one country to the othov, and in the period of sixteen mouths since the inception of the system, 189 accounts were transferred from New Zealand to Great Britain, and 195 accounts previously open in that country ware transferred to this Dominion.