F.--1

II

The item " Stamps used for postage " is £20,000 more than last year, and includes the value of the large quantities of the new issue purchased entirely in the interests of stamp collectors. The revenue of both branches exceeded that of the previous year by £37,386 lis. 10d., the rate of increase being 915 per cent. The expenditure increased by £25,794 ss. 5d., or 7-08 per cent. The balance of revenue over expenditure was £55,572 18s. 7d., as compared with £43,980 12s. 2d. during 1897-98. Adding the value of the official correspondence and Government telegrams, there is a credit balance on the year's transactions of £151,803 4s. sd. 32,465,875 letters were posted, an increase of 2,205,671. The number of forwarded telegrams of all codes was 2,960,738, an increase of 264,505. 52 post-offices were established (including 3 reopened). The number of post-offices open at the close of the year was 1,561. The last published international statistics (1896) again placed New Zealand before all other countries in the world as regards the proportion of population to each post-office, the figures being 1 post-office for every 510 inhabitants, Canada being second with 1 to 531, New South Wales and Switzerland third and fourth with 1 to 647 and 1 to 859, the United States fifth with 1 to 897, and Great Britain twelfth with 1 to 1,906. 318,370 money-orders, for £1,029,241 7s. 7d., were issued, and 229,720 orders, representing £880,052 13s. lid., paid. 431,449 postal notes, of the value of £139,957 4s. od., were sold. The sum of £3,279,611 7s. sd. was deposited in the Post-Office Savings-banks, and £3,194,893 16s. 7d. withdrawn. The total amount to the credit of depositors on the 31st December last was £4,957,771 ss. 5d., as compared with £4,744,924 18s. Id. at the close of the previous year. 755 inland-mail services (excluding services by railway) were in operation during the year. At the close of the year there were 6,736 miles of telegraph-line and 18,746 miles of wire. The net expenditure on telegraph construction was £28,550 14s. There were 6,203 telephone-exchange connections on the 31st March last. The subscriptions received amounted to £39,718 7s. 7d. Staff. The total number of officers on the staff on the 31st March was as under :—• 31st March, 1899. Postmaster-General ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Classified Staff. First Division ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 Clerical Division ... ... ... ... ... ... 886 Non-clerical Division ... ... ... ... ... ... 507 Distributors and Messengers ... ... ... ... ... 344 Total, Classified Staff ... ... ... ... ... 1,741 Employes not on Permanent Staff: — Country Postmasters ... ... ... ... ... ... 1, 403 Nightwatchmen ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 Postmasters and Telegraphists or Telephonists who are Eailway officers 149 Total ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3,295 Comparative Eetden of Officers of the Post and Telegraph Department for the Years ended 31st December, 1897, and 31st March, 1899. Mar. 31, Mar. 31, 1897. 1899. 1897. 1899. Postmaster-General .. .. .. 1 1 Brought forward .. .. 88 92 Secretary .. .. .. .. 1 1 Chief Postmasters .. .. .. 16 16 Superintendent of Electric Lines .. .. 1 1 Postmasters and Officers in Charge on PerAssistant Secretary and Inspector .. .. 1 1 manent Staff .. .. .. 113 111 Assistant Inspectors of Post-offices .. 3 3 Clerks (including Telephone Exchange^ Controller of Money-orders and Savings-banks Cadottes and Cadets in Post-offices) I fIRS and Accountant .. .. .. 1 1 Operators (including. Cadets in Telegraph-f Telegraph Inspectors .. .. .. 3 3 offices) .. .. .. j Telegraph Sub-Inspector .. .. .. 1 1 Letter-carriers.. .. .. .. 178 184 Electrician .. .. .. .. 1 1 Messengers (Post Office) .. 26 38 Assistant Eleotrician .. .. .. .. 1 Linemen .. .. .. 66 66 Mechanicians and Cadets.. .. .. 8 7 Telegraph Message Boys .. .. 287 317 Clerks in General Post Office— Nightwatchmon .. .. .. 2 .2. Secretary's Office .. .. .. _12 13 Postmasters and Telegraphists or TeleInspector's and Dead-letter Branch .. 6 6 phonists who are Railway officers .. 140 149' Money-order and Savings-bank Branch .. 27 32 Country Postmasters and Telephonists .. 1,335 1,403 Sorters in Clearing-room .. 16 14 Storekeeper and Assistants .. .. 6 6 Carried forward .. .. 88 92 Totals .. .. ..3,139 3,295.Health of Staff. An unusual amount of sickness was experienced during the year, and the average absence was consequently high. The severe epidemic of measles affected the staff of nearly every office. The usual table is given hereunder : —