p.—l.

The total number of ordinary telegrams and urgent telegrams forwarded from the Ist November, 1905, to the 31st March, 1906, inclusive, was 1,931,514, producing a net revenue of £67,958. The total number of messages—ordinary and urgents only—forwarded for the period Ist November, 1906, to 31st March, 1907, was 2,260,417. They produced a net revenue of £72,857. Taking the average value at the old rates of each ordinary telegram as 812 d. and each urgent telegram as 14 - 52 d., as quoted in the annual report for 1905-6, the above number of messages for the five months would have produced a revenue of £79,602. The gain to the public is therefore approximately £6,745, or £16,188 for the year. It was estimated that the immediate gain to the public would be £14,000. The estimated loss of about £3,000 of revenue for five months gave place to a gain of £4,899. Special-messenger Service. Cases having occurred in which requests had been made for packages of excessive weight to be carried by the special-messenger service, it was found necessary to limit to ten the number of articles for delivery by one messenger, their aggregate weight not to exceed 15 lb. unless a special conveyance is paid for. When several letters or packets are tendered by one sender for delivery at different addresses by the same messenger, or to different persons at the same address, a charge is made at the rate of Is. for the first hour and 6d. for each succeeding half-hour or fraction thereof, in addition to which a fixed fee of Id. must be paid for each article above one. Each packet over 1 lb. in weight is subject to an additional delivery fee of 3d. A charge of 3d. is also levied for each quarter of an hour in cases where a messenger waiting for a reply or for further service is detained for more than ten minutes, Payment of fees may, at the option of telephone-exchange subscribers, be made either at the time of the service being performed, or included_m_the_account rendered for rental of an exchange connection. " The Post Office Act Amendment Act, 1906." The above Act amends " The Post Office Act, 1900," and " The Post and Telegraph Department Act, 1894." Sections 1-10 came into operation on the Ist January, 1907, while sections 11 and 12 took effect from the Ist April, 1907. The provisions of the Act are as follows : — The Colonial Treasurer may from time to time determine the rate of interest to be paid' to depositors in the Post-Office Sayings-Bank. The maximum rate payable shall not, however, be more than 5 per centum on deposits not exceeding £300, and 4 per centum on so much of a deposit as exceeds £300 and does not exceed £600. £600 is the maximum interest-bearing amount in ordinary accounts. Section 3 relates to the operation of the Post Office Account, and contains a proviso that the total amount of payments under this section by Postmasters shall not at any time exceed the balance of moneys in the hands of the Postmaster-General imprested to him for the purposes of making such payments, together with the amount of postal or other revenue in the Post Office Account. Such postal or other revenue shall not be held in any way to include the Post-Office Savings-Bank deposits. Under section 4 additional regulations as to the Post-Office Savings-Bank may be made— (a.) For the nomination by an adult depositor of any person or persons to whom, in the event of his decease, money standing to his credit shall be paid ; (b.) For payment or transfer of deposits belonging to persons appearing to be minors or of unsound mind, or forming part of the estate of any person appearing to he deceased ; and (c.) For evidence being given relative to the amounts deposited or withdrawn by persons to whom pensions have been granted under " The Old-age Pensions Act, 1898," or by claimants for pensions under that Act. Reciprocal arrangements with foreign savings-banks may be entered into by the PostmasterGeneral. The entry in a depositor's book of a sum less than £1 is accepted as conclusive evidence of title, and a formal acknowledgment is not necessary. Postal packets addressed to or sent by institutes for the blind or public libraries, containing matter prepared in raised characters for the use of the blind, are not subject to postage. The Postmaster-General may from time to time cause post-office pillar boxes to be erected and maintained in any road or street, reserve, or public place. Sections 9 and 10 of the Act more clearly define the powers of the Postmaster-General under the principal Act in regard to prohibitions. The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, prohibit the registration, forwarding, or delivery of postal packets, and the issue or payment of money-orders, to any person in New Zealand or elsewhere whom he has at any time reasonable ground to suppose is engaged— (a.) In receiving any money or valuable thing as the consideration for an assurance or agreement, expressed or implied, to pay or give any money or valuable thing on any event or contingency relating to any horse-race or other race, fight, game, sport, or exercise, or as the consideration for securing the paying or giving by some other person of any money or valuable thing on any such event or contingency; or (b.) In promoting or carrying out any scheme connected with any such assurance or agreement, or any lottery, scheme of chance, or unlawful game ; or (c.) In receiving money under pretence of foretelling future events; or (d.) In any fraudulent, obscene, immoral, or unlawful business or undertaking ; or (c.) In advertising in direct or indirect terms the treatment of diseases of the sexual organs.

VI