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Purchases. Five hundred and sixty-eight orders for material of a value of £290,039 os. 9d. were placed overseas. In addition, orders were placed within the Dominion. The total value of stores purchased during the year was £464,164 9s. 3d. Particulars of the purchases made for other Departments under the Stores Control Board Regulations are set out hereunder. The figures for the previous year are shown also : —

General Contracts. Pull advantage is taken of the contracts let by the Stores Control Board. Tenders were invited by the Department and contracts were arranged through the Stores Control Board for the supply at very favourable prices of motor-spirit, kerosene, lubricating-oils, and motortires to meet the needs of Government Departments. Additional facilities have been provided for the storage of motor-spirit and lubricating-oils, and economy has resulted from the purchase of these items in bulk. The purchase was arranged of ninety-five motor-vehicles for other Departments and of 130 motorvehicles for the Post and Telegraph Department. , Orders for Dominion Products. In considering tenders generally, full preference, as provided in the Customs tariff, has been given to goods manufactured in the Dominion, and as a result a number of orders have been placed within the Dominion, notwithstanding that such action involved a greater expenditure than would have been the case had the orders been placed overseas. Wherever practicable the Department uses New Zealand timbers, and during the year £12,737 18s. 6d. was expended on silver-pine poles and £2,049 lis. 3d. on rata timber for telegraph arms. The majority of the poles were obtained from the west coast of the South Island. An amount of £4,514 3s. 4d. was expended in the purchase of telegraph insulators of New Zealand manufacture. Sale or Obsolete and Unserviceable Material. Auctions of obsolete and unserviceable material, including worn-out motor-vehicles from various Departments, were held at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. The total value of property sold on account of the Post and Telegraph Department was £20,606 lis. 6d. This sum includes the value of scrap lead, copper wire, and other metals sold by tender. MARINE INSURANCE FUND. The value of the stores from countries within the Empire and from the United States of America imported under cover of the Marine Insurance Fund was £169,373. It was necessary to make only minor claims on the fund in respect of stores ordered by the Post and Telegraph Department. POST OFFICE. ARTICLES DELIVERED. The number of articles delivered in the Dominion, including those received from places overseas, during the year 1927, compared with the number in 1926, was as under : — 1927. 1926. Percent Letters .. .. .. 150,112,575 149,88.1,324 0-15 Post-cards .. .. .. 4,815,581 4,557,568 5-66 Parcels .. .. .. 3,581,632 3,698,400 3-15* All other articles .. .. 92,504,917 86,224,573 7-28 251,014,705 244,361,865 * Decrease. AVERAGE NUMBER OF LETTERS POSTED PER UNIT OF POPULATION. 1927, 107-21 1926, 109-95. NUMBER OF POST-OFFICES IN DOMINION. Offices opened during year, 7 ; offices closed during year, 51 ; offices remaining open on 31st December, 1927, 1,955.

Year ended Requisitions. Items. Valuo of items purchased. Total. On Indent. Locally. 31st March, 1928 31st March, 1927 3,301 3,263 13.529 13,854 £ 22,632 18,095 £ 91,587 92,981 £ 114.219 111,076