V.-l

The increase in the number of inland parcels posted over the number posted in 1889 was 15,479, or 15-16 per cent. The postage collected amounted to £6,822 9s. 7d., compared with £5,143 lis. 5d., the postage collected in 1889. The following table shows the number of parcels exchanged with the United Kingdom and the Australian Colonies during 1890 : —

The declared value of the parcels received from places outside the colony was £13,834. The Customs duty collected amounted to £2,375 19s. 3d. In 1889 the declared value was £11,766, and the duty collected £1,701 6s. 4d. The declared value of the parcels despatched to places beyond the colony was £3,831. The foreign parcel-post, through the intermediary of the London Post Office, was extended to the i\.rgentine Republic, Bermuda, Seychelles, Mexico,. Fiji, Siam, Morocco, Greece, Heligoland, Madagascar, and Natal. Free Official Correspondence. The estimated value of the official or free correspondence for the year is given in the statement underneath: —

The estimated weight was over 220 tons. The estimated value of the free correspondence for 1889 was £82,353 10s. 9d. There was, therefore, a decrease of £14,879 13s. Bd. in value. Registered Letters. The number of registered letters dealt with, compared with the numbers in 1885, 1888, and 1889, is shown below :—

VII

Number of Parcels. Country. Received. Despatched. Inited Kingdom and Foreign Offices, via London ... Victoria South Australia Jasmania Vestern Australia 13,491 1,426 71 45 2 I 2,693 751 88 128 19 Totals 15,035 3,679

Postal Districts. Letters. Books. Value. Postal Districts. Letters. Books. Value. Auckland Chames tfew Plymouth .. jisborne Napier vVanganui Wellington STelson vVestport jreymouth lb. oz. 24,637 15 2,543 12 3,596 10 1,694 1 3,787 14 6,553 2 110,453 2 2,919 12 1,406 0 1,050 14J lb. oz. 16,300 10 2,241 11 1,100 0 3,760 0 6,075 14 6,465 15 212,354 8 1,161 0 915 0 6,897 Hi £ s. d. 7,408 0 3 755 3 7 996 1 7 577 1 8 1,212 12 7 1,973 14 5 42,176 3 10 821 1 0 405 8 8 670 3 4 Hokitika Blenheim Christchurch .. Timaru Oamaru Dunedin Invercargill lb. oz. 1,671 0 2,735 4 10,245 6 5,834 0 2,121 7 8,107 11 3,065 10 lb. oz. 400 0 6,695 0 15,243 4 3,923 0 2,187 0 12,919 2 2,111 10 £ s. d, 458 18 6 958 19 . 3,240 4 i 1,690 10 C 638 12 . 2,594 3 '. 896 17 _ Totals 193,023 8J 300,751 5& 67,473 17

1885. 1888. 1889. 1890. Postal Districts. llaocs tared i u Colony. Col°^ Totals. muz E^isbeyoTd *«*"» Colony. OolonyTotals. From -,_,„„,„ Places ,EeX bX ld &° m Colony. Col °^ Totals. From -r, ; „ Colony. Col °^- Totals. Auckland Thames .. New Plymouth Gisborne .. Napier Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport .. Greymouth Hokitika .. Blenheim Christehurch Timaru Oamaru .. Dunedin .. Invercargill 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 2,876 922 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 3,551 1,030 6,345 4,783 23,975 2,991 1,483 2,960 2,080 1,594 17,395 3,593 2,263 18,382 8,275 7,485 169 331 106 1,008 207 5,138 367 73 157 190 159 4,161 451 353 4,498 1,445 25,205 2,729 2,544 1,513 6,690 3,988 23,036 2,592 2,492 6,258 2,331 1,808 16,250 2,757 2,230 13,679 7,215 32,690 2,898 2,875 1,619 7,698 4,195 28,174 2,959 2,565 6,415 2,521 1,967 20,411 3,208 2,583 18,177 9,360 7,574 152 298 S6 1,014 243 5,911 347 93 110 149 101 3,871 373 280 4,480 1,344 26,108 3,389 3,345 1,577 7,782 4,240 25,817 3,123 2,517 9,650 2,490 2,422 17,655 2,547 2,076 14,576 8,874 33,682 3,541 3,643 1,663 8,796 4,483 31,728 3,470 2,610 9,760 2,639 2,523 21,526 2,920 2,356 19,056 10,218 7,119 130 341 118 999 211 6,129 322 112 102 95 92 3,059 312 278 4,615 1,740 34,39S 4,781 3,372 2,120 10,911 6,060 30,369 3,430 3,254 8,879 2,579 3,193 20,404 3,551 2,505 19,696 9,819 41,517 4,911 3,713 2,238 11,910 6,271 36,498 3,752 3,366 8,981 2,674 3,285 24,063 3,963 2,783 24,311 11,559 Totals 25,625 106,173 131,798 26,298 124,017: 150,315 26,426 138,188 164,614 26,374 169,321 195,695