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Comparative Ketubn of Officees of the Postal and Telegbaph Depaetment for the Years 1888 and 1887. 1888. 1887.-| 1888. 188 T. Postmaster-General .. .. 1 1 Sorters in Clearing-room .. .. 9 9 Superintendent .. .. .. .. 1 1 Storekeeper and Assistants .. .. 3 2 Secretary .. .. .. .. 1 1 Chief Postmasters .. .. .. 16 17 Inspector of Post Offices .. .. 1 1 Postmasters and Officers in Charge on PerAssistant Inspector of Post Offices 1 1 manent Staff .. .. .. 260 264 Controller of Money Orders and Savings Banks Clerks and Cadets .. ■ .. .. 203 194 and Accountant .. .. .. 1 1 Operators .. .. .. .. 294 292 Telegraph Inspectors .. .. ..3 3 Country Postmasters and Telephonists .. 885 844 Telegraph Sub-Inspectors .. .. 3 3 Letter-carriers .. .. .. 103 104 Electrician .. .. .. .. 1 1 Messengers (Post Office) .. .. 14 14 Mechanicians .. .. .. 3 3 Linemen .. .. .. 46 46 Clerks in General Post Office — Telegraph Message Boys ~ .. 197 189 Secretary's Branch .. .. .. 7 7 ! Dead-Letter Branch .. .. ..3 8 Totals .. .. 2,071 2,016 Money Order and Savings-Bank Branch .. 15 15 ! POST OFFICE. The Post Office business was considerably greater than, in 1887, while the actual work overtaken included a variety of important duties performed for other branches of the public service. 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 1887, was as under:— 1888. 1887. Increase. Letters—Delivered .. .. .. .. 20,895,316 20,666,445 Posted .. .. .. .. 19,502,704 18,711,329 40,398,020 39,377,774 1,020,246 Post-cards—Delivered .. ... .. .. 820,391 758,056 Posted .. .. .. .. 833,706 849,637 1,654,097 1,607,693 46,404 Books and sample-packets—Delivered .. .. 2,362,230 2,065,492 Posted .. .. 2,366,078 2,254,213 4,728,308 4,319,705 408,603 Newspapers—Delivered .. .. .. .. 8,461,453 8,131,175 Posted .. .. .. .. 7,741,39(3 7,250,148 16,202,849 15,381,323 821,526 The letters increased 2-59, post-cards 289, books and sample-packets 9-46, and newspapers 5-34, per cent. The increase in 1887 was—Letters 3 - 4, post-cards 1212, books and sample-packets 24-57, and newspapers 7 - 38, per cent. The average number of letters posted per head of population was estimated to be 32-22; in 1887 the average was 29-31. The revenue for the financial year amounted to £214,352 os. Bd., compared with £207,954 19s. sd. for 1887-88, an increase of £6,397 Is. 3d., or 3-08 per cent. The expenditure was £161,214 14s. lid., against £172,364 18s. 9d..for the previous year, a decrease of £11,150 3s. 10d., or 6-47 per cent. The expenditure was therefore £53,137 ss. 9d. less than the revenue; but this balance is fairly reducible by a sum of £13,573 due for conveyance of mails by sea, but which was not claimed in time to be brought into the accounts before the close of the year. The value of the free 0.P.5.0. correspondence is estimated at £75,087 Bs. 7d., an increase of £3,122 2s. Id. over the value for the previous year. The approximate weight of the correspondence was over 248 tons. The cash receipts and the estimated postage value of the free correspondence amounted to £289,439 9s. 3d.; the expenditure, as already stated, was £161,214 14s. lid.: there was, therefore, a balance of £128,224 14s. 4d. in favour of the Post Office. The credit balance for 1887-88 was £107,555 7s. 2d. £1,261 Is. 3d. was collected in fees for registration of births, deaths, and marriages. Fees under the Live Stock Acts, amounting to £14,840 Bs., were also collected at post-offices, as well as £3,284 in fees for certificates in connection with the inspection of machinery. 25,343 payments on account of the property-tax, for £249,753 3s. lid., were received at postoffices. £933 13s. was collected in respect of the issue of game licenses. The amount paid for the carriage of mails by unsubsidised vessels was £6,270 16s. 3d. 3,717 private boxes were let, which, with the fees on 301 private bags, produced a revenue of £4,187 10s. Extended letter-carriers' deliveries were provided at Auckland, Wellington, Cambridge, and Devonport. A delivery by letter-carrier has been established at Otahuhu, and the delivery at Patea discontinued. 10 additional receiving-boxes were established, viz. : 1 at Eotorua, 1 at Nelson, 1 at Te Aroha, 2 at Christchurch, 2 at Dunedin, 1 at Invercargill, 1 at Auckland, and 1 at Avondale. 4 receiving-boxes were closed, viz.: 1 at Auckland, 1 at Patea, 1 at Invercargill, and 1 at Waitotara,

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