F.^l

VIII

The increase in 1893 was—Letters 2-91, post-cards 490, books and pattern-packets 6-60, and newspapers 538 per cent. The average number of letters posted per head of population was estimated to be 38-02, in 1893 the average was 3893, The Post Office revenue for the financial year 1894-95 was £247,437 lis., as against £231,480 12s. the previous year an increase of £15,956 195., or 6-89 per cent. The expenditure during the year was £164,180 os. 9d., compared with £170,053 3s. sd. for 1893-94. The lesser expenditure, it may be explained, was due to the fact that £6,976, conveyance of mails by sea, could not be finally charged, and several other payments, owing to the last day of the financial year falling on a Sunday, could not be made, within the year The revenue was £83,257 10s. 3d. more than the expenditure. The estimated value of the free official correspondence was £59,074 10s. 2d. The total estimated value of the earnings of the Post Office business may therefore be put down at £306,512 Is. 2d., leaving a credit balance of £142,332 os. sd. on the year's business after deducting the expenditure. £6,095 6s. 6d. Customs duties were collected upon articles received from beyond the colony through the post. £1,496 10s. were received for the sale of game-licenses. Goldfields revenue amounted to £57 165., and £755 10s. in fees for the sale of miners' licenses, were received on behalf of the Mines Department. Renewal premiums to the amount of £23,575 9s. 2d. were collected from policy-holders of the Government Insurance Department. Income-tax, £52,834 14s. Id., and £211,021 15s. 7d. land-tax, were paid at post offices during the year The fees collected under the Live-stock Acts reached a total of £17,623 6s. Machinery fees amounting to £4,050 were received. Receipts on behalf of the Public Trust Office amounted to £118,694 12s. 7d., and the payments to £119,149 12s. lOd. The fees collected for registration of births, deaths, and marriages were £1,819 os. 9d. Fees on account of Hospitals and Charitable Aid, under the Licensing Act, for the Government Printer, for gum-licenses, public baths, Miners' Guides, and oyster licenses were also collected. Payments on behalf of the Treasury to the extent of £381,307 ss. 4d. were made. The gross receipts for the year were Departmental, £4,364,311 Bs. 3d. ,on account of other departments, £821,954 os. 2d. total, £5,186,265 Bs. sd. The payments were Departmental, £4,296,318 10s. 4d. , for other departments, to individual claimants, £515,134 19s, Id. and to Government accounts, £327,807 19s. 4d. total, £5,139,261 Bs. 9d. The gross receipts and payments were therefore £10,325,526 17s. 2d. To the work of the Post Office has been added that of the receipt and payment of moneys under the Advances to Settlers and New Zealand Consols Acts. The work in connection with the former has already assumed large proportions. During the year 1,112 visits of inspection of post-offices were made by the Inspectors. The distance travelled was 17,922 miles. It is with regret that the death of Mr John Grubb, Assistant Inspector of Post-offices, which took place at Auckland on the 19th of May last, has to be recorded. Mr. Grubb joined the department on the Ist of August, 1863. He was conscientious and painstaking, and gave the department practical evidence throughout his long service of thorough earnestness in his work. Letter-carriers' deliveries were established at Auckland (extra delivery in principal streets at 3.5 p.m.), Carterton, Danevirke, Devonport (second daily delivery to include more populous parts), Dunedin (delivery of letters and telegrams by subsidized carrier from Green Island and Abbotsford), Otaki, Pahiatua, Waipawa, Woodville. Letter-carriers' deliveries were extended at Christchurch—Addington delivery to Halkelt Street and upper part of Wilderness Road, Gore—to south side of Toronto Street, Invercargill— suburban delivery in South Invercagill Otahuhu (subsidized) —to include the whole district, Palmerston North —to extend over the whole borough Port Chalmers —to include part of Mansfordtown , Timaru —to include Sandietown. The delivery was altered at Rangiora—the half-holiday changed to Thursday. Sixty-one post-offices were established, one reopened, and fourteen closed during the year, as under :■ — Opened. Adelaide Road, Wellington. Lowclifie, Christchurch. Pohokura, New Plymouth. Akatore, Dunedin. Maharahara East, Napier. Popotunoa, Dunedin. Ashwick Plat, Timaru. Mangaeturoa, Wanganui. Port Robinson, Christchurch. Belfield, Timaru. Mangatoki, Wanganui. Raetihi, Wanganui. Blackball Mine, Greymouth. Maraetaha, Napier. Rowan, New Plymouth. Castle Hill, Christchurch. Maramarua, Auckland. Seddonville, Westport. Chasland's, Invercargill. Marohema, Wanganui. Silverhope, Wanganui. Copper Creek, Hokitika. Mataura Island, Invercargill. Strathmore, New Plymouth. Cromarty, Invercargill. *Maunganui Bluff, Auckland. Tahakopa, Dunedin. Domett, Christchurch. Moana, Greymouth. Te Roti, Wanganui. Glenledi, Dunedin. Morere, Napier. Te Tua, Invercargill. Gordon, Thames. Ness Valley, Auckland. Te Uku, Auckland. Hastwell's, Wellington. Newstead, Auckland. Three-channel Plat, Westport. Heatherlea, Wellington. Ohakune, Wanganui., Torere, Thames. Hellyer's Creek, Auckland. Ohura, Auckland. Waiau Pah, Auckland. Hohoura, Auckland. Ongaruhe, Auckland. fWaikiekie, Auckland. Houipapa, Dunedin. Otaihape, Wanganui. Waikonini, Napier. Kennedy's Bay, Auckland. Otatara, Invercargill. Wairamarama, Auckland. Kimihia, Auckland. Packington, Auckland. Woodhill, Auckland. Kiwitea, Wellington. Paradise, Auckland. Uruti Road, New Plymouth. Kumara Junction, Hokitika. Plimmerton, Wellington.

* Name of original office at Maunganui Bluff changed to Opanake, and a new office established called Maunganui Bluff, f Name of original office at Waikiekie changed to Ruarangi, and a new office established called Waikiekie.