F.—l

XIII

Registered Letters. The number of registered articles dealt with in 1896, compared with the numbers in 1885, 1890, and 1895, is shown below: —

Inland Mail-services. The number of contracts for inland mails in operation in 1896 was 723, as compared with 707 in 1895. The length of inland postal routes by road (counted one way only) was miles, and the total number of miles travelled 1,893,428, at an average cost of 344 d. per mile. In 1895 the respective mileages were 8,255J and 1,860,816, and the average cost 3'47d. Ordinary trains with mails travelled 2,512,881 miles, as against 2,396,533 in 1895. The estimated sum payable to the Bailway Department for the conveyance of mails by ordinary trains was £29,849 55., being an average of 2'Bsd. per mile. The following mail-services were established during the year:— Auckland— Weekly : Awhitu Central-Manukau Heads ; Coromandel-Whangapoua-Kuaotunu ; Ormsby's Farm (Pirongia-Te Eau-a-Moa Eoad)-Kakepuku ; Pirongia-Te Eau-a-Moa; Eangiahua-Umawera-Mangamuka; steamer landing and post-office-Te Kao; Waimamaku-Wekaweka. Christchurch— Twice daily : Christchurch-Blandville (by trainj. Daily : Christchurch-Bromley ; Christchurch-Upper Eiccarton. Thrice weekly : Southbridge-Little Eakaia. Weekly : Cheviot-Port Eobinson ; Cheviot-Spotswood. Dunedin— Daily: Kaihiku Post-office and Eailway-station; Miller's Flat Post-office and Coach Eoad. Greymouth— Daily: Eeefton-Black's Point-Crushington (Eeefton-Black's Point not previously subsidised). Thrice weekly : Mawheraiti Post-office and Eailway-station. Hokitika— Weekly : Hokitika-Koiterangi. Invercargill— Twice weekly : Otara-Haldane. Weekly : Te Anau-Glade House (re-established, Ist November-31st December, 1896). Napier— Daily : Napier-Spit (delivery of letters from Spit instead of Napier). Weekly : Dannevirke-Mangatoro Valley. Nelson — Weekly : Collingwood-Bainham ; Collingwood-Parkeston ; Sherry Eiver-Wangapeka. New Plymouth— Weekly: Toko-Huiroa. Oamaru — Daily: Borton's (railway siding)-Kokoamu ; Waitaki South Post-office and Eail-way-station. Weekly : Omarama-Lake Pukaki (new service, extending Kurow-Omarama service).

1886. 1890. 1895. 1896. Postal Districts. pia°ces i Ke S is - £yo°nd te ™ d e in Totals. ; Colony. Coi ™yFrom Places beyond the Colony. Eegisteredin Totals _ tne Colony. 1 »%* * T h d e ln Colony. Oolon y' Totals. Prom Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. Auckland rhames .. New Plymouth jiaborne .. Napier Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport .. 3reymouth Bokitika .. Blenheim Dhristehurch rimaru Darnaru .. Dunedin .. [nvercargill ckland ames .. w Plymouth (borne .. pier mganui illington lson jstport .. eymouth ikitika .. mheim ristehurch naru maru .. nedin .. rercargill Totals ,. 5,890 22,124 28,014 205 2,879 3,084 675 2,876 3,551 108 922 1,030 892 5,453 6,345 283 4,500 4,783 ,. 4,757 19,218 23,975 559 2,432 2,991 45 i 1,438; 1,483* 125 I 2,8351 2,960 173 ' 1,907! 2,080 181 1,413 1,594 .. I 3,717 ! 13,678j 17,395 440 ! 3,158 3,593 ,. J 316 j 1,947 2,263 ,. 5,645 ; 12,737 18,382 .. 1,614 j 6,661 8,2751 ,. 25,625 106,173131,798 I 5,890 205 675 108 892 283 4,757 559 45 125 173 181 3,717 440 316 5,645 1,614 7,119 130 341 118 999 211 6,129 322 112 102 95 92 3,659 312 278 4,615 ; 1,740 34,398 41,517 4,781 4,911 3,372 3,713 2,120 2,238 10,911 11,910 ! 6,060 6,271| 30,369 36,498 3,430 3,752 ! 3,254 3,366! 8,879 8,981 2,579 2,674 3,193 3,285 20,404 24,063 3,551 3,363 2,505 2,783 I 19,696 24,311 9,819 11,559 11,042 47,350 226 7,955 505 8,576 228 3,812 1,195 16,917 397 16,300 10,055 50,900 1,239 6,956 194 4,409 365 4,989 206 3,624 120 4,447 4,465 28,302 1,510 4,514 1,252 2,569 5,520 28,188 2,579 14,507 58,392 8,181 9,081 4,040 18,112 16,697 60,955 8,195 4,603 5,354 3,830| 4,567 32,767 6,024 3,821 33,708 17,086 7,396 1,536 1,323 422 2,944 1,970 7,780 916 768 1,024 512 576 5,760 640 426 4,255 2,176 56,550 12,052 10,503 3,316 23,051 15,495 60,497 7,356 6,136 7,883 3,779 4,368 45,069 5,253 3,433 33,288 17,218 63,946 13,588 11,826 3,738 25,995 17,465 68,277 8,272 6,904 8,907 4,291 4,944 50,829 5,893 3,859 37,543 19,394 Totals 25,625 I 26,374 169,321 41,098 1254,315 295,413 355,671 195,695 40,424 315,247