F.—l

4

The late fee for letters intended to be forwarded from one post office for delivery from another within the colony was reduced from 2d. to Id. The publication of a monthly circular containing official instructions and other notices was commenced on the Ist January last, from which date the usual form of circular was abolished. Comparative Eeturn of Postal Officers for the Years 1882 and 1883. Officers. 1883. 1882. Officers. 1883. 1882. Postmaster-General .. .. 1 1 Chief Postmasters .. 17 17 Secretary .. .. .. 1 1 Postmasters .. .. 13 13 Inspector of Post Offices .. .. 1 1 Clerks and Cadets .. .. 110 106 Accountant, Money Order and Savings Sub-Postmasters.. .. .. 904 870 Bank Department .. .. 1 1 Letter-carriers .. .. 67 67 Clerks in General Post Office .. 6 6 Messengers .. .. 12 12 Clerks in Money Order and Savings Shipping Officers .. .. .... 2 Bank Department .. .. 8 7 Mail Agents .. .. .. 2 2 Totals .. .. .. 1,143 1,106 The sum paid for the carriage of interprovincial and intercolonial mails by unsubsidized vessels was £4,322 16s. 7d. 3,874 private boxes were let, which, together with the fees on 253 private bags, produced a revenue of £3,977 10s. The following statement gives the value of the services performed for other Government departments by the Post Office, for which no payment was received :— Free Official Correspondence.

| ; i n i i ■ The estimated value of this class of correspondence for 1882 was £63,752 16s. sd. Dead Letters. The number of unclaimed letters received and disposed of in the Dead Letter Office during the under-mentioned years is shown in the following table : —

The unclaimed letters dealt with show an increase of 17'09 per cent, compared with the number disposed of the previous year. 4,160 book-packets and circulars were returned to foreign countries, 3,647 were returned to the senders through the Dead Letter Office, and 5,271 were returned by Chief Postmasters : a total of 13,078 book-packets and circulars, against 13,741 in 1882. The under-mentioned articles of value were found enclosed in letters opened in the Dead Letter Office, and returned to the senders where practicable :— te £ s. d. 158 money orders ... ... ... ... ... 564 4 8 37 bank drafts ... .., ... ... ... .. 1,850 6 4 86 cheques ... ... ... ... ... ... 49113 6 2 promissory notes ... ... ... ... ... 50 0 8 Stamps _ ... ... ... ... ... ... 7 14 3 Banknotes ... ... ... ... ... ' ... 168 0 0 Gold ..;-' '.-. 25 10 0 Silver and .copper ... ... ... ... ... 3 14 2| Bepresenting a total of ~, ... £3,161 3 7^

Postal District. Letters. Books. Value. I Postal District. Letters. Books. Value. .uckland 'hames few Plymouth .. risborno fapier Vanganui Wellington felson Vestport Ireymouth lb. 19,110 665 3,605 521 2,239 4,016 173,800 2,633 1,239 6,616 lb. 16,141 1,169 1,027 632 834 3,720 61,656 3,425 1,056J 6,014 £ s. d. 5,694 14 3 217 14 11 1,024 15 11 161 10 5 624 18 0 1,196 17 7 52,852 6 4 820 7 10 365 15 4 1,931 6 0 Hokitika Blenheim Christchurch Timaru Oamaru Dunedin Invercargill lb. 2,430 478 9,371 2,897 1,395 14,366 1,813 lb. 2,939 i 1,521 28,662 3,529 1,100 12,732 1,976 £ 8. d. 745 19 8 178 18 10 3,558 15 1 892 8 1 408 13 8 4,370 5 1 550 15 7 Totals 247,194 147,134 75,596 2 7

Manner ol Disposal. 1870. 1875. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. tpened and returned to the writers leturned unopened to other countries.. leissued lestroyed Returned unopened by Chief Postmasters 17,516 0,688 63 2,960 39,051 10,321 78 6,081 60,977 10,503 240 5,135 11,160 52,038 53,507 9,372 8,539 159 54 3,969 6,189 12,810 14,378 09,452 8,143 67 3,302 15,833 Totals 27,227 55,531 88,015 78,348 82,067 96,797