F.—l.

Statement showing Revenue and Expenditure of the Post and Telegraph Department for the Ten Years ended 31st March, 1907, and for the Years 1881-82 and 1891-92.

Title of Electric Telegraph Commissioner altered to "Minister op Telegraphs." Under section 14 of " The Statute Law Amendment Act, 1906," the title of the Electric Telegraph Commissioner was altered to that of " Minister of Telegraphs." Absence op Postmaster-General in London. During the visit of the Prime Minister to London to represent the colony at the Imperial Conference, his portfolios of Postmaster-General and Minister of Telegraphs were held by the Attorney-General, the Hon. Dr. J. G. Findlay. Staff. Severe loss has been visited upon the Department during the past year in the deaths of Mr. Thomas Rose, Assistant Secretary, and Mr. William Gray, 1.5.0., Secretary, on the 6th October, 1906, and the 22nd March, 1907, respectively. Mr. Gray joined the service on the Ist February, 1864. He had been Secretary of the Post Office since the Ist May, 1874, and Secretary of the combined Post and Telegraph Department since the Ist January, 1881. Mr. Rose entered the service on the 29th November, 1873, filling the responsible position of Inspector. He was appointed Assistant Secretary in addition from the Ist January, 1894. To fill the consequent vacancies Mr. Donald Robertson, Chief Clerk of the Post and Telegraph Department, was promoted to be Assistant Secretary and Inspector from the 7th October, 1906, and was subsequently appointed Secretary as from the 23rd March, 1907. The Assistant Secretaryship has been filled by the promotion of Mr. W. R. Morris. Mr. J. W. Wilkin, Chief Postmaster, Dunedin, and the officer of longest service in the Department, died on the 19th November, 1906, after a protracted illness. The late Mr. Wilkin had to his credit over forty-four years' unbroken service, having joined the Post Office on the Ist April, 1862. On the 31st March, 1907, Mr. George Gray, who had filled the position of Controller of Money-orders and Savings-Banks and Accountant since the Ist July, 1891, retired ou pension after over thirty-nine years' service. Mr. W. R. Morris, Assistant Controller and Accountant, was promoted to be Controller and Accountant in succession to Mr. Gray. Mr. Duncan Cumming was promoted from the Chief Postmastership of Auckland to be Inspector of Post-offices on the Ist January, 1907, and has since been promoted to be Controller of Moneyorders and Savings-Banks and Accountant. The Superintendent of Electric Lines, Mr. J. K. Logan, left for Australia on the 3rd November, 1.906, en route to England to inquire into the telegraph and telephone systems of the principal parts of the world. Mr. Logan visited Great Britain, Europe, and America, and returned to the colony on the 26th June. During Mr. Logan's absence Mr. W. G. Meddings, Inspector of Telegraphs, Auckland, acted as Superintendent of Electric Lines. The total number of officers on the staff on the 31st March was as under :— 31st March, 1907. Postmaster-General ... .. ... ... ... ... 1 Classified staff:— First Division ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 Clerical Division .... ... ... ... ... ... 2,025 Non-clerical Division ... ... ... ... ... ... 538 Telegraph message-boys... ... ... ... ... ... 581 Total, classified staff ... ... ... ... ... 3,147

III

Year. Revenue. Expenditure. Balance of Revenue over Expenditure. £ 234,529 s. d. 8 0 £ a. 233,291 10 d. 4 £ s. 1,237 17 d. 8 1881-82 1891-92 320,058 1 3 268,343 1 1 51,715 0 2 1897-98 1898-99 1899-1900 1900-1901 1901-1902 1902-1903 1903-1904 1904-1905 1905-1906 1906-1907 408,383 15 3 445.770 7 1 488,245 16 4 503,835 19 54488,573 1 111 525,098 17 3£ \ 580.771 4 5* 633,305 12 1\ ! 684,878 11 2 746,249 16 0£ 364,403 3 1 390,197 8 6 390,448 1 7 418,271 16 11 465,756 9 5 487,814 10 0 526,746 14 5 559,921 1 5 578,726 11 7 619,121 0 9 43,980 12 55,572 18 97,797 14 85,564 2 22,816 12 37,284 7 54,024 10 73,384 11 106,151 19 127,128 15 2 7 9 6* 6* 3* 0^ 2* 7 3* Total for ten years £703,706 4 0