West Coast Times. TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1866.

West Coast Times, Issue 278, 14 August 1866, Page 2

West Coast Times. TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1866.

The Postmaster-General has just submitted to Parliament the seventh annual report on the Postal Service in New Zealand, from which we learn that the present arrangements cost the Government a very much larger sum than is covered by the receipts of the department. During the year ending the 3 Wt December list the 1 ostal expenditure amounted tJ L 151,533, whilst the income derived from stamps and fees on letters was less tba:i L48,U00. There is nothing anomalous in this circumstance, considering the. conditions of the colony, its scattered population, the difficulties ' of internal communication, and the circuitous routes that have, in the vast majority of cases, to be travelled by the letter bags. In a young country, with little, more than a fringe of population round its coast*, and with only a few difficult roads intersecting it s interior, it would be an utter impossibility to make the accounts of expenditure and on the postal service balance each other, except on conditions that would be fatal to tho due development of commerce-, aud tho maintenance of healthy fowling remttona between din-

taut portions of the co-iunuuity. Wu can draw i.o parallel between the circumstances of New Zealand and those of the home country. In England the cost of the transmission of letters lias been reduced to an infinitesimal sum, since the general extension of the railway system. Nearly the whole cost of the post office establishment consists in the maintenance of an efficient staff of officials. In this colony, the salary charges arc the lowest item*, the heaviest being the actual cost of transporting mail bags. In any attempt, therefore, to equalise the revenue and expenditure, it would be necessary either to raise tho postage rates to a level that would act as a virtual prohibition upon correspondence, or else to render the service so dilatory and occasional as would render the opportunities of correspondence offered, worthless.

Postal 'communication, characterised by punctuality and rapidity, is precisely one of those enterprises upon which Government can most usefully and most profitably make a liberal expenditure of the public funds. 'If not immediately a reproductive work, it is one virtually and prospectively so. It belongs to the class of public enterprises that create the resources from which they are to find their ultimate repayment. Au efficient postal service, more than anything else, stimulates commerce, and multiplies the trading .transactions from which the General llevcnuc receives its duos. All tint is judiciously and economically spent, therefore, in this direction, is a soitnd investment, having regard to present indh'eet, and to future direct, returns. And looking at the matter from this point of view, there is •nothing unsntisfrctoiy in the ptntr.rnimt that, d'.ning the year ending December Cist the postal rcrvico of tho colony cost it LloljOOO, Hgaiivit vhirli oulj L 18,000 was received — especially as the report states th it this disproportion is being rapidly reduced. The Po:-traas-ter-Geueral says that the history of the department for the year indicates the healthy and steady progress of the colony. There has been a continuous increase in the numbers of letters transmitted, which may be accepted as a proof both of the steady increase of mercantile transact'ons, and of the extension of settlement.

Of the internal efficiency of the departaio.it MrPatersou speaks in assuring term-, such as would lead us to believe that little room is afforded in this direction for the critical comments of the Civil Service Commissioners. He says : — " There is no v district so remote as to be beyond control ; and the smallest •establishment, as well as the largest, is subject to the influence and direction of the central power. While thus a constant supervision is maintained, greater facilities are afforded for the discovery and rewaid of merit and good conduct ; so that by a system of general promotion, irrespective of mere locality, opportunities ara afforded of imparting to the service more of a colonial, than of a simply local character, which is much to be desired."

The subjoined extract from the report will be read Avith interest. It refers to the Money Order Branch of the postal service : — "This branch of the Department has continued to make steady progress during the year. Tne large extent to whio.h the public avail themselves of its "facilities shows th'it its advantages are highly appreciated. Notwithstanding that considerable- reductions appear in the transactions between certain places, there is still, on the whole, such an increase as to warrant the conclusion that the system, as at present administere.l, works satisfactorily. Tho principal reductions have Ikjou in the trans iciior.s with Victoria, both as regards orders issued nnd orders paid. In' 1864, the former were 3826, — L19,G46 9s 4d; and the latter, 523, — L 2865 4s 0"d ; but in 1865 they were 2284.— LT0.897 0s 4d, and 462,— L 2498 lls sd, respectively. There has also been a reduction as l egards South Australia and Western-Australia. The principal advance has been in the transactions between the various provinces within the colony. In 1864 these amounted to 4267,— L19,427 4s 4d, orders isdued ; and 4248, — L 19,417 0s "5d paid. " In 1860 there were 6292 orders issued, — L 29.742 15s Id; and 6177 orders paid,— L27.l2B 19s lOd. The hf:s. also been an increase as regards New South Wale-3 and Queensland. In the transactions with the Uni + cd Kingdom there has been an increase in the number of orders paid, and a decrease in the number issued. The system was not in operation with the Colony of Tasmania till Ist June, 18G5. The exchange against the colony decreased from L 52,079 5s lid in 1864, to L 41,552 lls 4d in I860." '

One other subject referred to in the report is of importance. It relates to the engrafting upjn the post office system, of the Savings Bank, the credit of introducing -which in England is due to Mr Gladstone. The Postmaster-General says :: — <' This important subject made considerable progress during the year under report. Alter mature deliberation a Bill was prepared, and introduced to the General Assembly during last session, and was passed. This Act authorises the establishment of Post Office Savings Banks, under the direction of the Postmaster-General. It also provides that, with the concurrence of the Colonial Treasurer, the Postmaster-Ge-neral should prepare such i egulations as he should deem necessary for the carrying ,of the Act into operation ; such re gulations to be laid before both Houses of the General Assembly at the next ensuing session. The great care necessary in the preparation of regulations for the conduct of such an important institution as the one referred to, so as to preclude as much as possible- auy no- j oessity for N immediate alterations, in j «onjwu>tlon with 'other QirQumst&nm

has delayed the bringing of the Act iiito operation longer limn wns anticipated. These regulations, however, have now been prepared, under the able superintendence of Dr. Knight, who so successfully organised the Money Order system, and arrangements are in progress which will obviate further delay in introducing the provisions of the Act. It is proposed at first to restrict the operations to two or three of the largest of the Post Offices, so that their working may be fully tested before extending them to smaller and more distant districts." We may close this cursory notice of the Report on the Postal Service with the remark, that no public department has • more just or reasonable claims to be liberally dealt with; and in none would public opinion be more inclined to sanction a generous expenditure, provided it be •regulated by sound principles. The time is far distant when the Post Office may be justly regarded as a source of revenue. It is at present maintained for the public convenience, and as a means of not ouly affording facilities of postal communication to satisfy pressing requirements, but of rapidly developing the trading interests of the colony.