THE POST OFFICE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 66, 8 September 1911, Page 3

THE POST OFFICE.

A IUvMAUKAIiLK RECORD. .Seventeen years ago Sir Joseph Ward iiss'Uined tiie ollice of I'lvstnuisler-Oenenvl 'Die revenue for Unit year was £320,058. Last year, for llie first time, il exceeded a million sterling, marking an epoch in the history of the Department. To produce this result, over one hundred million letters ami over eight millions and a.-half of telegrams were dealt with. Considerable increases were necessary in the permanent stall', which now numbers 4331, but the revenue nevertheless exceeded the expenditure by £l-25,196. Postal matter delivered in New Zealand, including that received from abroad, during the vear reached a total of M) 0,3-28,930 letters, 7,805,2.51 post cards, 60,301,836 other articles, and 1,281,253 pswceLs. In all 56!),657 money orders, for £2,457,522 18s od, were issued, and 449,773, for £2,126,588 16s 7d, paid. The increase in the number of orders issued as compared with last year was 30,!)17. During the year 1,606,959 postal notes, of the value of £524,P42 l&s 6d, were wold, being an increase of 17.82 per cent, iin number and 17.27 in amount as compared with the preceding year. The number of British postal orders sold increased from 54.360, valued at £29,676 lis lOd. to 67,76!), for £35.270 7s !)d, and 19,941 ordero, for £13,183 16s 6d, were paid, iia against. 18,326, for £12,411 16s, paid during the previous year. The number of old-age pension payments was 156.557, as compared with 177,5.'!!1 in the ] previous year, t.he respective amounts being £383.302 10s Sd ami £302.49.) Ms. The number of telegrams forwarded was 8,550,055, an increase of 712,165. The number of bureau communications was 2.031,376, as against 1,757.869. On .March 31, 1911, there were 1,1,316 miles of telegraph line and 37.213 miles of wire. The length of submarine cable.s within the Dominion was 368 knots. The number of telephone exchange connections still continues to .increase. Seventy-six post offices were established, and thirteen closed, the number open at the end of the year being 2257. The declared value of parcels received from places outside tlie Dominion in 1010 was €307,200, as against £279.684 in 1000. The ('M<liims duty collected amounted to £60.177 Ills 2d. A post ofliee was established at Victoria Land in connection with Captain Scott's Antarctic expedition, which left Xew Zealand on November 29, 1910. Special stamp?., over-printed "Victoria Land." to (he value of £llH>, were issued for the use of the expedition. An hourly clearance of city and suburban, post-ing-boxes has been established at 'Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin, and in the central portion of the city of Wellington.