D.—No. 2

STATEMENT of commission chaeged on the issue of money oedees on the united kingdom, THE SEVERAL AUSTRALIAN COLONIES, AND OFFICES WITIIIN THE COLONY OF NEW ZEALAND.

Via, p. ii.

There were many difficulties felt in the first instance in establishing the money order system, especially the impossibility, arising from the number of Ports in New Zealand and the want of frequent and rapid communication, of Foreign Offices from the Postmaster-General's Department of the monthly transactions at all the different Money Order Offices of the Colony. It was impossible to centralize the business, and an arrangement had to be made, to suit the peculiar circumstances of the Colony, both as regards advices and keeping accounts. Dr. Knight, the Auditor of Public Accounts (into whose Department under any plan the " accounts must ultimately come) undertook in the first instance the duty of organising the money order system in New Zealand, which now works very satisfactorily, although it has been in operation a short time only, and the Postmasters generally had no previous experience to guide them. A very full report of the system, as it is at present in operation, by Dr. Knight will be found in the appendix. STEAM SERVICE. The Mail Steam Service of New Zealand is large and expensive. This Colony is the most remote from the great centre of commerce, wealth and civilisation. The disadvantage of distance under which it labours can be mitigated or overcome only by Steam. No sooner was the Representative form of Government established than immediate steps were taken to connect New Zealand with the civilised world, and its different Provinces with each other, by Steam. It was with no little difficulty and after no inconsiderable lapse of time that this was achieved by one small Inter-Provincial Steamer and one Steamer between Sydney and Cook's Straits. This has gradually grown with the growth of the Colony into a Steam Fleet which, however large it may be apparently, is not yet large enough to satisfy the ever increasing wants of a Colony, the rapid development of which is almost unprecedented. The European Mails for New Zealand when they arrive at Melbourne are despatched as follows : —A steamer leaves Hobson's Bay at once for Dunedin, with the Mails for the Provinces of Southland, Otago, Canterbury, Wellington, and Hawke's Bay. The Southland Mails are landed in passing at the Bluff. A steamer waits at Port Chalmers the arrival of the boat from Melbourne, when she leaves with the Mails for Canterbury, Wellington, and Hawke's Bay. This boat completes the Inter-Provincial service by going on to Auckland. The Mails for Auckland, Taranaki, Nelson, and Marlborough, go on from Melbourne to Sydney, where a steamer is in waiting to bring them on at once to Auckland. On the arrival of the boat from Sydney at Auckland, a Steamer is in waiting at Manukau to convey the Taranaki, Nelson, and Marlborough portions of the English Mail to their respective destinations. The New Zealand Mails for Europe are despatched as follows :— A steamer leaves Auckland for Sydney on the 1st of every month, which takes the bulk of the Auckland Mail. A steamer leaves Nelson for Sydney on the 13th of each month ; and at Nelson a Steamer arrives from Manakau by the 12th, bringing a Supplementary Auckland Mail to the 7th, and the Taranaki Mail to the 8th. A Steamer leaves Auckland on' the 6th of each month for Port Chalmers, by the East Coast route ; she calls at all intermediate ports, and arrives there before the departure of the "Aldinga" for Melbourne, which leaves on the 18th. The

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PAPEES EELATING TO

For sums For sums For sums not exceeding; ,not exceeding not exceeding Two Pounds. Five Pounds. Ten Pounds, £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Between the United Kingdom and New Zealand 0 10 0 2 6 0 5 0 „ New Zealand and Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia & Western Australia 0 10 0 2 0 „ The several Money Order Offices within the Colony of New Zealand 0 10 0 2 0