F.—l.

The net expenditure on telegraph construction was £36,791 Bs. lid. 269,566 money-orders, for £902,159 15s. 7d., were issued, and 203,084 orders, amounting to £794,309 os. 6d., paid. 376,796 postal notes, for £129,011 18s., were sold. The amount deposited in the Post-Office Savings-banks was £2,881,152 16s. 3d., and the sum withdrawn, £2,591,558 19s. 4d. The total sum to the credit of depositors at the close of the calendar year was £4,311,634 13s. 5d., as compared with £3,895,543 os. 3d. on 31st December, 1895. There were 5,747 telephone-exchange connections on the 31st March last, a net increase of 604. The subscriptions received amounted to £29,248 19s. sd. The following table and return give the number of offices and officers of all classes on the 31st December last:—

Comparative Eetdrn of Officers of the Post Office and Telegraph Department for the Years 1895 and 1896. 1895. 1896. 1895. 1896> Postmaster-General .. .. .. 1 II Chief Postmasters .. .. 16 16 Secretary .. .. .. .. 1 1 Postmasters and Officers in Charge on PerSuperintendent of Electric Lines .. .. 1 1 manent Staff .. .. .. 162 162 Assistant Secretary and Inspector .. .. 1 1 Clerks (including Telephone Exchange) Assistant Inspectors of Post-offices .. 3 3 Cadettes and Cadets in Post-offices) Controller of Money-orders and Savings-banks Operators (including Cadets in Telegraph- f and Accountant .. .. .. 1 1 offices) Telegraph Inspectors .. .. .. 3 3 Country Postmasters and Telephonists ..1,204 1,277 Telegraph Sub-Inspector .. .. .. 1 1 Letter-carriers.. .. .. .. 159 168 Electrician .. .. .. .. 1 1 Messengers (Post Office) .. .. 24 24 Mechanicians and Cadet .. .. .. 5 5 , Linemen .. .. .. ..63 58 Clerks in General Post Office— Telegraph Message Boys .. .. 225 273 Secretary's Office .. .. .. 11 12 Nightwatchmen .. .. .. 2 2 Inspector's and Dead-letter Branch .. 5 6 Postmasters and Telegraphists or Tele-Money-order and Savings-bank Branch .. 23 27 phonists who are Eailway officers .. 139 138 Sorters in Clearing-room .. .. 13 13 Storekeeper and Assistants .. .. 4 4 Totals .. .. .. 2,836 3,060 The health of the staff has been good on the whole, although one or two cases of lengthened absence have raised the average absence of the women employed to 10-37 days, as against 55 days for last year. The average absence of male officers, however, declined from 3-8 days to 2-8 days. The summer months showed a very slight difference from the winter so far as the men were concer/ned, but the average absence of women increased during the summer to 626 days, as compared with 4-07 days in the winter. The usual table is shown below : —

. t !1

Postal Districts. Poi offlc U 0J-P EH a> s s I at TeIe - .5 1/ isligg S O'o* , 5 o ft © I r +- — " « flim * H d $ a> ft gj O » Cβ a * a ■& ° Per: lanent Office: 4 H 1 i lihi ii it |f:i OK O .2 I <? i o si o o Coi nibi ailw ned 'ay % a> 5 i'fi « ©! w S s§ §s ft & f- «= I c p <1 ' ft NO! Coi n-permanent intry Offices. 1 ! d a P O ft Ph el >■ SB § In a Ig ° a - " f> « g be p Cβ t> a; 0 t -j % Tele] Bur. s "3 5 o 0 .3 0 ,=1 03 £r l!gg|§ 5 |l«S.s|| Cβ ft C.SOhO -ict-S Cβ I* IP! IJPJ1 ■3&5.g'Sl En g if a a 3 S S o o "S © Cβ W la Let carri ;teriers. 60-i' .5 8 3 a - u I 1 la I 1 !i S3 ft Telegraph Messengers. o -f >1 1 e "c a I q 3 I q I! ft» i I a i= o Es d p c o d g i T -H C t°ry.Town. Country. Auckland Blenheim 3hristchurch.. Dunedin Jisborne jreymouth .. lokitika jivercargill .. S"apier Sfelson STew Plymouth Damaru Chames rimaru tVanganui Wellington .. iVestport 1 ■ •! 1 i 1 1 I .. 1 1 I 1 1 23 112 6 .. 10 28 17 14 1 .. 4 .. 3 ! .. 7 |1O 9 3 4 3 4 1 1 4 9 i .. 4 111 7 6 11 5 3 .. 5 1 2 1 3 2 8 I 1 I 8 2 1 .. 182 .. I 28 I .. ,102 1 68 ... 11 .. 30 :: 90 .. 81 .. 31 .. 17 .. 22 .. 12 ..22 ..32 .. 41 3 63 .. 13 99 I 7 I 27 67 14 , 29 22 22 9 9 12 4 16 54 14 I 3 I 1 2 3 8 7 5 5 .. 2 7 12 2 2 .. 6 .. 1 .. 2 : .. i i 7 2 i 1 ! l S 1 1 1 1 3 22 12 11 36 28 3 2 1 I • • 1 78 ; i\ 58 1 I 1 i 1 18 20 7 7 6 2 1 6 69 2 16 "s 2 1 1 2 50 5 70 46 6 16 4 11 31 11 6 7 15 8 27 78 6 44 2 6 9 12 6 19 1 7 4 "a ? 10 j 11 6 1 4 1 6 8 2 4 10 15 22 14 3 21 2 19 19 ■2 2 1 5 4 3 3 2 3 3 3 18 1 7 1 9 I ! 7 ! '■2 1 4 4 4 I 3 ! 2 1 3 1 1 24 22 2 2 20 9 24 11 5 4 i i 2 j .. 8 I 6 6 ! 5 5 i 1 4 I i 5 ! 5 4 ' 3 6 i 7 49 ! 17 3 2 175 98 1-2 3 5 6 1 2 1 4 4 1 1 1 3 1 3 9 1 1 2 "e 10 7 1 3 1 1 I .. .. 1 4 3 3 2 13 i 1 1 1 3 ! 3 I * ■ 1 1 .. 6 2 1 .. 3 34 1 7 1 j 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 4 i i Totals .. i 5 , 5 1 I i |l28 97 22 5 fcr 4 770 424 20 46 17 28 172 8 338 41 397 81 162 111 57 24 58

Numbers comprised. Average Absence per Sick Officer. Average Sick Absence per each Officer employed. Men Women I 897 131 Days. 6-32 9-70 Days. 2-80 10-37