F.—l

The estimated net cost of the service for 1889 was £5,291 16s. Bd. 255,956 letters, 164,262 books, and 610,036 newspapers were received from the United Kingdom, &c, by the Direct contract service ; and 158,114 letters, 20,080 books, and 110,080 newspapers despatched. P. and 0. and Orient Lines (Federal Mail Service). Dr. £ s. d. £ s. d. Payments to P. and O. and Orient Lines ... 575 8 1 Transit charges across European Continent ... 30 16 3 Gratuities (to and from Australia) ... ... 208 311 Cr. —— 814 8 3 Postages from London and Foreign offices ... 144 9 11 Postages collected in the colony ... ... 780 3 3 924 13 2 Net profit to the colony... ... ... £110 4 11 The number of letters, books, and newspapers conveyed from and to the United Kingdom, &c, by the Peninsular and Oriental and the Orient packets were : Received, 39,931 letters, 11,596 books, and 39,759 newspapers ; despatched, 6,626 letters, 122 books, and 205 newspapers.

Return showing the several Subsidised Mail Steam Services, the Subsidy Payments for the Year 1890, the Dates when established, and the Date on which each terminates.

TELEGRAPHS. The increase of business disclosed in the last report has been more than maintained during the past year. 1,961,161 telegrams of all codes were forwarded, an increase of 158,174, or 8-77 per cent, over the number forwarded in 1889. The number of telegrams forwarded was in the proportion of 3-13 to each head of the population. For 1889 the proportion in the United Kingdom, was 1-64; Victoria, 2-53; New South Wales, 3-03 ; and Queensland, 3-02. The number of ordinary and delayed telegrams forwarded was 1,541,499 of the value of £77,168 16s. Bd. The number dealt with in 1889 was 1,416,914, of the value of £74,231 ss. 3d. 192,882 press telegrams, of the value of £8,785 7s. lOd. were dealt with, an increase of 20,639 in number and £191 lis. 7d. in value compared with the press business in 1889. The proportion of the press to the ordinary and delayed telegrams was as Ito 8. The average value of each press telegram was lid., compared with Is. OJd. in 1889, and Is. Hd. in 1888. The number and value of telegrams of all codes forwarded during the calendar years 1890 and 1889 were as under :— Ordinary and Delayed Telegrams. Press Telegrams. Government Telegrams. Number. £ s. d. Number. £ s. d. Number. £ s. a. 1890 ... 1,541,499 77,168 16 8 ... 192,882 8,785 710 ... 226,780 26,070 12 7 1889 ... 1,416,914 74,231 5 3 ... 172,243 8,593 16 3 ... 213,830 24,218 9 3 The telegraph receipts for the financial year ended the 31st March last—including telephoneexchange subscriptions, private-wire rents, &c.-—amounted to ,£111,786 17s. 10d., compared with £106,253 17s. lOd, in 1889, an increase of £5,533, or 5-20 per cent,

XIV

Duration of Service. Service. Subsidy or Payment. When terminated or when terminable. Number of Voyages per Annum. Mileage for Complete Voyage. Cost per Mile. When established. Auckland and San Francisco Direct Steam Service Auckland and Fiji Slew Zealand and South Pacific Islands .. STew Zealand and Chatham Islands Helensville and Matakohe Helensville and Dargaville rtawene and Omapere Uawene and Horeke rtussell and Opua STelson and Golden Bay rlokitika, Bruce Bay, Paringa, Haast Eiver, Okuru, Okarito, and Jackson's Bay iVestport and Karamea .. 31ufl and Stewart Island .. interprovincial Service in connection with San Francisco Line interprovineial Service in connection with Direct Contract Steamers .. £ s. d. 12,272 17 2 13,272 8 9 1,690 0 0 Nov., 1885 Dec, 1884 June, 1880 Nov., 1891 Dec, 1891 13 13 13 11,916 23,019 2,384 s. d. 1 7-01 0 10-64 1 1-37 1,200 0 0 200 0 0 I 450 0 0 240 0 0 June, 1885 Jan., 1881 March, 1893 Dec, 1892 8 4 f 52 104 52 - 52 156 72 6,992 1,050 118 1 170 J 34) 1) 130 0 5-15 0 11-43 0 4-53 Jan., 1889 Dec, 1892 1 3-82 150 0 0 Dec, 1892 0 3-85 375 0 0 120 0 0 150 0 0 Jan., 1886 June, 1886 July, 1886 Dec, 1891 Dec, 1892 Dec, 1891 6 13 52 280 102 40 4 5-57 1 9-72 1 5-31 3,500 0 0 Nov., 1886 Nov., 1891 j 3,000 0 0 Dec., 1884 Dec, 1891