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Bond fide trade catalogues for delivery within the colony are transmitted at the same rates of postage as magazines. Rate-notices and receipts of local government bodies are now accepted at book-rates. Eeply post-cards were introduced on the Ist July, 1886. Postage-stamps of not less than 10s. in value are now permitted to be re-purchased by Postmasters in charge of money order offices, at a discount of 5 per cent. The completion of the Wellington and Manawatu Eailway Company's line in November last secured through communication by rail between Wellington and New Plymouth. In anticipation of a large increase of postal work, provision was made for post-office vans, in the charge of postal officers, being attached to the trains. The arrangement has been found of great convenience. Only twice a week do the trains run through in the day. The extension of the Napier Railway-line to Woodville admits of mails being delivered in the day between Napier and Wellington, via Palmerston, and also between Wanganui and Napier. The Inland Parcel Post system commences to-day, Ist October. The maximum weight of a parcel has been fixed at 111b., and the following are the rates of postage:— s. d. Not exceeding lib. in weight ... ... ... ... ... 0 7 Exceeding lib., but not exceeding 21b. ... ... ... ... 0 10 21b., „ 31b. ... ... ... ... 1 1 31b., „ 41b 1 4 41b., „ 51b 1 7 51b., „ 61b 1 10 61b., „ 71b. ... ... ... ... 2 1 71b., „ 81b. ... ... ... ... 2 4 81b., „ 91b. ... ... ... ... 2 7 91b., „ 101b. ... ... ... ... 2 10 101b., „ 111b. ... ... ... ... 3 1 To places not served by railway, coach, or steamer, only parcels which do not exceed 51b. in weight may be sent. The sum paid for the carriage of mails by unsubsidised vessels was £5,519 4s. Id. 3,487 private boxes were let, which, with the fees on 297 private bags, produced a revenue of £3,988 ss.

Free Official Correspondence. The estimated value of the official or free correspondence for the year is given in the statement underneath: —

The estimated value of the free correspondence for 1885 was £70,214 15s. 8d.

Registered Letters. The number of registered letters dealt with, compared with the numbers in 1883, 1884, and 1885, is shown below: —

Postal Districts. Letters. Books. Value. Postal Districts. Letters. Books. Value. Auckland Thames Gisborne New Plymouth .. Napier Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport Greymouth lb. oz. 22,217 0 791 3 3,181 0 921 5 2,287 10 6,396 13 138,782 9 3,299 3 1,532 5 1,671 14 lb. oz. 15,711 14 1,042 5 624 0 1,600 0 4,797 8 5,814 0 274,260 0 2,360 0 332 8 1,032 12 £ s. d. 6,528 1 11 248 4 7 265 16 4 928 5 9 929 19 0 1,905 12 4 49,960 4 6 967 6 6 419 14 0 480 5 2 Hokitika Blenheim Christchurch .. Timaru Oamaru Dunedin ' .. Invercargill lb. oz. 1,944 8 1,946 12 11,0S9 13 3,331 i 1,754 3 20,040 1 3,113 6 lb. oz. 841 0 3,844 0 11,401 0 2,975 0 1,875 0 12,788 4 3,675 6 £ s. d. 546 11 4 652 11 7 3,337 7 0 990 0 0 530 5 8 5,796 10 6 1,119 15 9 Totals 224,300 13 344,974 9 75,006 11 11

1883. 1884. 1885. 1886. Postal Districts. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. Auckland Thames .. New Plymouth Gisborne .. Napier Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport .. Greymouth Hokitika .. Blenheim Christchurch Timaru .. Oamaru .. Dunedin .. Invercargill 4,964 292 401 155 973 522 3,252 988 80 194 174 209 4,256 506 277 4,425 1,230 115,831 3,337 2,738 1,024 4,574 4,845 16,945 2,707 1,014 2,106 1,602 1,319 13,678 2,865 1,985 12,358 5,837 94,825 20,795 3,629 3,139 1,179 5,547 5,367 20,197 3,695 1,094 2,300 1,836 1,528 17,934 3,371 2,262 16,783 7,067 5,803 217 560 141 1,037 316 3,654 969 61 133 185 112 4,429 341 228 4,677 1,456 19,852 2,913 3,266 903 4,518 4,898 18,250 3,065 1,290 1,911 1,333 1,397 17,297 3,311 1,638 12,192 7,649 25,655 3,130 3,826 1,044 5,555 5,214 21,904 4,034 1,351 2,044 1,518 1,509 21,726 3,652 1,866 16,869 9,105 5,890 205 675 108 892 283 4,757 559 45 125 173 181 3,717 440 316 5,645 1,614 22,124 2,879 2,S76 922 5,453 4,500 19,218 2,432 1,438 2,835 1,907 1,413 13,678 3,153 1,947 12,737 6,661 28,014 3,084 8,551 1,030 6,345 4,783 23,975 2,991 1,483 2,980 2,080 1,594 17,395 3,593 2,263 18,382 8,275 5,346 212 551 111 934 185 4,452 326 66 159 177 112 4,048 512 324 6,108 1,729 18,702 3,850 2,675 1,133 6,769 5,081 20,942 2,410 2,105 3,126 2,014 1,421 13,825 2,942 2,048 13,069 8,040 24,048 4,062 3,226 1,244 7,703 5,266 25,394 2,736 2,171 3,285 2,191 1,533 17,873 3,454 2,372 19,177 9,769 Totals 22,898 117,723 24,319 105,683 130,002 25,625 106,173 131,798 25,352 110,152| 135,504