F.—l.

The following table and return give the number of offices and officers of all classes on the 31st December last: —

Comparative Betuen of Officers of the Postal and Telegraph Department for the Years 1886 and 1885. 1880. 1885. I ■ 188 °- 1885 ' Postmaster-General .. .. .. 1 1 Mail Agent (permanent) .. ~ 1 1 Superintendent .. .. .. .. 1 1 Storekeeper and Assistant .. .. 2 A Secretary .. .. .. .. 1 1 Chief Postmasters .. .. .. 17 17 Inspector o£ Post Offices .. .. .. 1 1 Postmasters and Officers-in-Charge on PerAssistant Inspector of Post Offices .. 1 1 manent Staff .. .. .. 294 262 Accountant 1 1 Clerks and Cadets 197 199 Telegraph Inspectors .. .. ..3 3 Operators .. .. .. .. <517 Telegraph Sub-Inspectors .. .. 3 3 Country Postmasters .. .. .. 801 770 Electrician .. .. .. ..1 1 Letter-carriers .. .. ..104 97 Mechanicians .. .. .. .. 3 3 Messengers (Post Office) .. .. 13 14 Clerks in General Post Office— Linemen .. .. .. ..47 50 Secretary's Branch .. .. ..7 7 Telegraph Message Boys .. ..201 206 Dead Letter Branch .. .. ..33 —- —- Money Order and Savings Bank Branch.. 17 16 Totals .. .. A 044 l.jbl Sorters in Clearing-room .. .. .. 7 6 POST OFFICE. The increase of business was much greater than there was reason to anticipate. The number of letters posted increased by no less than 1,729,667 ; and the total increase in the number received and posted was 2,254,737. The number of letters, post-cards, book-packets and pattern-parcels, and newspapers delivered and posted during the year, compared with the number dealt with in 1885, was as under: — 1886. 1885. Increase. Letters—Delivered 19,896,448 19,371,378 Posted 18,188,144 16,458,477 38,084,592 35,829,855 2,254,737 Post-cards—Delivered 692,276 653,722 Posted 741,611 666,211 1,433,887 1,319,933 113,954 Books ana parcels—Delivered .. .. .. 1,747,941 1,670,708 Posted .. .. .. 1,719,718 1,595,252 3,467,659 3,265,960 201,699 Newspapers—Delivered 7,479,209 7,685,370 y Posted 6,844,838 6,548,508 14,324,047 14,233,878 90,169 The letters increased 6-29, post-cards 8-63, books and parcels 6-18, and newspapers 063 per cent.

III

Postal Districts. CD O £ o A Pi zi Ei CU "O H a CQ O Ph CQ eg s CQ O ft !», a o o zn CD tc PI «a A o M H CD el o ft CD o H X a CD Clei-ks and Postal Cadets. Operators (including Cadets). 41 WW it O cci ■a a in rH +n O S « &° © CQ OS a o Ph 4= H o O Letter-carriers. o 'feci O Si xa Telegraph Message Boys. o A o Town. Country. Town. Country. Town. Country. to a CQ CQ CD 3 Town. Country. Auckland Thames New Plymouth .. Gisborne Napier Wanganui Wellington Blenheim Nelson Westport Greymouth Hokitika Christchurch Timaru Oamaru Dunedin Invercargill 53 11 6 1 19 12 25 6 12 5 4 3 50 17 10 40 20 187 26 14 20 35 20 60 18 31 20 21 26 106 28 12 105 72 1 13 33 1 2 1 12 8 40 1 5 25 6 5 3 25 13 37 34 9 3 7 3 29 7 8 26 7 9 7 53 11 6 1 19 12 25 6 12 5 4 3 50 37 10 40 20 187 26 14 20 35 20 60 18 31 20 21 26 106 28 12 105 72 17 2 2 1 3 3 8 1 2 1 1 1 15 2 2 14 2 4 1 2 16 4 3 3 6 4 30 3 4 2 3 2 16 3 3 14 3 11 3 2 1 1 1 *3 6 5 12 1 2 1 2 3 i 2 2 7 7 2 3 1 3 1 14 2 1 17 6 2 i 'l i i l l l i 2 3 33 5 3 34 8 1 3 3 1 10 1 2 1 6 3 'l 1 2 2 12 1 7 6 3 1 Total on 31st) Dec., 1886 j Total on 31st) Dec, 1885 J 294 801 10 30 191 6 247 70 294 279 801 770 77 71 27 26 13 14 119 121 82 85 279 770 10 25 193 6 230 65