F.—l

EEPOET.

Receipts and Payments. The receipts and payments of the Department for the financial year 1917-18 are shown in the following table :—

The total receipts exceeded those of 1916-17 by £27,943. The receipts and payments for the ten years ended 31st March, 1918, and for the years 1881-82, 1891-92, and 1901-2, are shown hereunder:—

Expenditure. The regular expenditure has been seriously increased by the abnormal rise in the prices of materials that are absolutely necessary for the upkeep of telegraph and other business. The price of iron wire has gone up some 300 per cent.; mechanics' tools, 75 to 100 per cent.;

2

i Item. Postal. Telegraph. Total. Receipts. Postages Monoy-ordor and postal-note commission Money-order commission received from foreign offices Private box and bag rents Miscellaneous receipts Paid telegrams Telephone exchanges .. .. .. .. £ s. d. 930,371 14 4.1 20,225 10 9 784 3 I 16.747 11 2 1,897 16 8.! £ s. d. £ s. d. 930,371 14 4J 26,225 16 9 784 3 I 16,747 11 2 64,540 4 11 454,222 9 0J 344,368 10 0 62,642 8 2.', 454,222 9 OJ 344,308 10 0 Totals 976,027 2 1 £ s. d. 243,620 2 8 20,800 0 0 861,233 7 3 1,837,260 9 4 Payments. £ s. d. 428,049 0 0 40,345 0 0 £ s. (I. 672,269 2 3 61,145 0 0 Salaries (classified officers) Salaries (country Postmasters and telephonists, anil contributions to Railway Department) Conveyance of mails by sea Conveyance of inland mails Conveyance of mails by railway Money-order commission credited to foreign offices Maintenance of telegraph and telephone lines Miscellaneous 56,817 2 4 113,678 16 1 80,319 3 5 2,301 10 1 56,817 2 4 113,678 16 1 80,319 3 5 2,301 10 1 124,379 11 3 378,536 0 2 168,218 1 9 124,379 11 3 210,317 18 5 Balance of receipts over payments 685,754 15 11 '290,272 6 2 803,091 9 8 57,541 17 7 1,489,446 5 7 347,814 3 9 Totals 976,027 2 1 801,2,3.'! 7 3 1,837,260 9 4

Year. Receipts. Payments. Balance of Receipts over Payments. 1881-1882 £ 234,529 £ 233,291 £ 1,238 1891-1892 320,058 268,343 51,715 1901-1902 488,573 465,756 22,817 1908-1909 1909-1910 1910-1911 1911-1912 1912-1913 1913-1914 1914-1915 1915-1916 1916-1917 1917-1918 i.. 913,994 961,500 1,037,265 1,087,710 1,167,826 1,269,921 1,359,059 1,695,757 1,809,317 1,837,260 807,652 858,059 914,069 988,911 1,069,272 1,173,314 1,246,850 1,296,522 1,370,810 1,489,446 106,342 103,441 123,196 98,799 98,554 96,607 112,209 399,235 438,507 347,814 Total for ten years 13,139,609 11,214,905 1,924,704