p.—l.

5

postal service had developed to so large an extent as is disclosed by the following comparative statement for the years 1871 and 1880 : — 1871. 1880. Estimated population ... ... ... ... ... ... 256,034 484,864 Number of inland mail services, exclusive of railway services ... ... 184 423 Number of services performed by railway ... ... ... ... 4 51 Total number of miles travelled ... ... ... ... ... 1,050,368 2,631,568 Annual cost .. ... .. ... ... ... ... £23,000 £35.062 Average cost per mile ... ... ... .. ... ... sid. 3jd. Number of chief post offices ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 16 Number of sub-post offices ... .. ... ... ... ... 483 840 Number of officers (inclusive of Sub-Postmasters) ... ... ... 599 1,060 Number of letters posted .. ... ... .. ... ... 3,296,990 11,861,456 Number of letters received for delivery ... ... ... ... 2,784,707 10,963,012 Number of post cards ... ... ... ... ... ... (Nil) 334,384 Number of parcels and book-packets ... ... ... ... (Included as news) 999,781 Number of newspapers posted ... ... ... ... ... 2,308,634 4,621,647 Number of newspapers received for delivery ... ... .. ... 1,871,150 5,651,260 Number of letters posted to each head of population ... ... ... 12-87 24-46 Number of registered letters dealt with ... ... ... ... 34,679 104,905 Number of dead letters disposed of ... ... ... ... ... 25,568 88,015 Kevenue from sale of postage stamps .. ... ... ... ... £38,629 £113,227 Total cash revenue ... ... ... ... ... ... ... £47,055 £'5°,315 Expenditure ... ... ... ... ... ... ... £89,953 £i4!,358 Number of money order and savings bank offices ... ... ... 81 178 Number of money orders issued ... ... ... ... ... 36,291 135,648 Amount ... ... ... ... ... ... ... £157,398 £465,405 Number of money orders paid ... .. ... ... ... 17,976 104,107 Amount ... ... ... ... ... ... ... £47,068 £35°>3'3 Number of telegraph orders issued ... ... ... ... ... 2,469 H,497 Amount ... ... ... ... ... ... ... £11,230 £58,334 Money order commission ... ... ... ... ... ... £2,608 £7,944 Number of savings bank deposits ... ... ... ... ... 24,642 81,660 Amount deposited ... ... ... ... ... ... ... £312,339 £864,442 Number of savings bank withdrawals ... ... ... ... ... 14,770 57,446 Amount withdrawn... ... ... ... ... ... ... £260,222 £780,504 Number of accounts remaining open at end of year ... ... ... 10,549 38,667 Balance to credit of depositors at end of year ... .. ... £357,655 £903,766 Number of savings bank acknowledgments issued ... ... ... 19,959 81,660 It need only be remarked that, while the revenue for the ten years increased 219'44 per cent., the increase of expenditure was but 57'14 per cent. Beventte and Expenditure. For the first time in the history of the postal service of the colony the revenue more than balanced the expenditure. Dealing with the financial year ended 3.lst March last, the cash receipts were £8,957 2s. in excess of the expenditure. The revenue for the year was estimated to yield £145,000 ; the actual receipts, however, amounted to £150,315 Bs. 7d., or £5,315 Bs. 7d. more than the estimate. The sum appropriated for postal services was £151,652, while the total expenditure amounted to £141,358 16s. 7d., or £9,293 13s. sd. less than the appropriations. The total postal revenue, and also the expenditure on account of departmental services for the financial, year just ended, are shown in the following return : — Kevenue. £ a. d. Expenditube. £ g. d. Sale of postage stamps ... 113,227 10 11 Salaries ... ... ... ... 43,197 7 6 Money-order commission ... ... 7,732 14 n Conveyance of mails by sea ... ... 56,004 3 1 Private box and bag fees .. ... 3,328 10 o „ inland mails ... ... 29,882 13 6 Miscellaneous receipts ... ... 960 12 4 Payments to Railway Department ... 205 10 o Postage from foreign offices ... ... 25,066 o 5 Contingencies ... ... ... 5,268 12 6 Estimated liabilities ... .. ... 6,800 o o Balance of revenue over expenditure .. 8,957 2 o £150,315^8 7 £150.315 8 7 The sum received on account of postage from foreign offices was increased by the fact that a balance of former years, amounting to £7,447 6s. lid., was paid by the Imperial Post Office in February last, and treated as a receipt of the year. On the other hand, however, no portion of the Savings Bank profits, amounting to £2,359 3s 3d., and which had accrued, was paid over. Last year's receipts were £3,143 15s. lid. less than the revenue collected for the twelve months ended 31st March, 1880, and which amounted to £153,459 4s. 6d. It should be explained that in 1880 no less than £27,243 13s. 3d. was received on account of foreign postage, of which £8,087 18s. 6d. was a balance of previous years, and a further sum of £6,982 15s. sd. Savings Bank profits for the years 1878 and 1879 was also paid over, and included in the accounts of 18s0. Dealing, however, with the postal revenue collected within the colony i.e., receipts from the sale of postage stamps, money-order commission, private box and bag rents, &c, and which more accurately determine the normal increase, the revenue of the past year exceeded that of 1879-80 by £6,017 4s. 6d., or 546 per cent. The postagestamp sales increased £5,642 Bs. 4d., or 5'14 per cent. ; and the money-order commission, and private box and bag fees and ordinary miscellaneous receipts by £251 10s. 2d. and £223 ss. lOd. respectively As previously stated, the cash receipts for the year amounted to £150,315 Bs. 7d. Add to this the sum of £64,302 135., the estimated value of the service performed by the Post Office for other departments in the free transmission of official correspondence, and £214,618 Is. 7d. is shown as the gross earnings of the department. After deducting £141,358 16s. 7d. on expenditure account, £73,259 15s. represents the apparent profit for the year.