POST AND TELEGRAPH REVENUE.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 February 1916, Page 2

POST AND TELEGRAPH REVENUE.

INCREASE FOR LAST QUARTER OP ■m,357. RESULT OF WAR CHARGES. Wellington, February 2. The Postmaster-General (Sir Joseph Ward) communicated to-day some information regarding the revenue of the Post and Telegraph Department for the quarter ended December 31 last. "This," said the Minister, "is the first quarter in which results of the war charges on postal matter and telegrams have been obtained. "Postages alone sh»w an increase of about £03,000. Should this rate he maintained the increase for a year will be at the rate of, say, £250,060. "The money-order commission again shows a considerable increase, and the money-order returns indicate that over £IOO,OOO more was sent by the public than in the same quarter of 1914. , "The postal note business shows the usual steady increase. "The revenue from telegrams has exceeded that of the same quarter of last year by £15,'264. This rate, if maintained, would give, an increase of about £OI,OOO for twelve months, which, in view of the reduction in the number of press messages handled, may be considered satisfactory, and quite up to the estimate.

"The press messages have been reducced in number from 116,827 in. December quarter, 1914, to, 88,875 in the quarter just ended, but the amount received in payment for them has increased from £5701 to £G3«.

"The ordinary telegraph business has fallen off somewhat, but the additional charge of 2d par message has increased the revenue by over £ 19,600. "Bureau communications, ■which were not affected by war rates, have continued to increase, producing a corresponding increase in revenue. "The telephone exchange figures show that the amounts received during' the quarter were not, nearly so large. This is due to the alteration in dates of payment which has affected recent quarters and led to a very considerable increase in the September quarter. It will be some months before the figures of corresponding quarters can be properly compared. "The net result is that the total revenue of the Department for December quarter has exceeded that of the December quarter, 1914, by £44,357. a result which may be regarded as eminently satisfactory. "The Savings Bank rc&ilts have already been announced. The deposits amounted to no less than £3,458,953, and tlio withdrawals to £3,201,040, :thc excess of deposits being £257,913. In December. 1014, the excess of deposits was £433,347. It must, however, be borne in mind that during the December quarter, 1915, very heavy withdrawals were made from the Sayings Bank for the purpose of investment in the Dominion 4% per cent. loan. Had it not been for this there is no doubt that the excess of deposits would have exceeded that of the previous year.'!