The Westport Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1873.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1117, 21 October 1873, Page 2

The Westport Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1873.

Among tbe numerous official reports, all more or less elaborate, furnished by the various heads of government departments, not the least interesting is the report on the Post Office as submitted by the Postmaster-General. The efficiency of the postal and telegraphic service, as expanded, improved, and perfected under the Hon. Mr Vogel's administration, atones for many deficiencies elsewhere, and the facts and figures voluminously set forth in the annual report thereon are in themselves convincing proof of the exercise of no mean talent and energy of purpose, The preface of the report states " That it is gratifying to be able to report continual and steady progress has been made by the department during the past year. The revenue has more than realised expectations, while the expenditure has been considerably less than that estimated. Forty three new post offices have been opened, and two have been closed ; several new mail services have been established, and postal communication by fourhorse coach between Tauranga and Taupo is now an accomplished fact, thus completing a chain of postal communication from Tauranga to Wellington. During the year there wore 223 inland mail services in operation, 06 being performed by coach and mail cart, 102 on horseback, 10 on foot, 38 by water, and seven by railway. The aggregate of the distances to be travelled for the 223 services was 6768 miles, and tbe total number of miles travelled was 1,180,361, at a cost to the department of £21,838, an average of about 4jd per mile."

Tho excess of letter circulation in 1872, as compared with that of 1871,

was 876,81(5. The number of letters received iu 1871 having been 3,290,990, and the number despatched 2,781,707; while in 1872 the corresponding numbers were 9,588,07.3 and 3,970,470. The " dead letters " passing through the office iu 1572 amounted to the large number of 20,188, a fact no doubt attributable to the nomadic habits of life still adopted by a large section of the New Zealand population. Of this number of dead letters 17,707 were opened and returned to the writers — a duty which in itself entailed sour.e considerable labor and careful painstaking attention. While tho uncertain movements of one section of the community is shown by the constantly accumulating dead letters, the increased number of registered letters transmitted during the year, indicates the circulation of much valuable property. Of registered letters 39,707 were received and forwarded during the year as against 34,679 in the previous year. The reduction of inland postage on newspapers from one penny to one halfpenny has not, according to the Postmaster's report, been taken advantage of to the extent anticipated. A result that will surprise few when it is remembered that the free circulation of newspapers in the colony, in force a few years since, did not materially increase the numbers sent through post. On the Ist January next another experiment in cheapened postage will be made by reducing the rate on intercolonial letters from three pence to two pence, and it is rumored that an inland rate of one penny may be experimentally adopted. The work of the department is performed by a staff of officers numbering 307, including mail agents, postmasters, sub-post-masters, clerks, letter carriers, messengers, and shipping officers, ruled and controlled by the Postmaster, his secretaries, and inspector. Of the thorough efficiency of this large and scattered staff of officials, the public have daily proof. The inadequate rate of pay given them is the one great defect in the New Zealand postal service.