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MISSING POSTAL PACKETS. During the year 1933 5,167 complaints regarding the non-delivery of postal packets of all kinds were investigated by the Department, In 2,686 cases, or 51-98 per cent, of the total number, the articles were traced or accounted for satisfactorily. These cases may be summarized as follows 7 fx >7 Sender responsible for delay .. • • ■ • • • • • • • Addressee responsible for delay .. •• •• ■■ " i«9 Post Office responsible for delay .. • ■ • ■ • • • • No delay, or responsibility not fixed .. In 2 481 cases the number of disposal of the postal packets could not be determined. A comparison of this figure with the total number of articles posted shows that the percentage of cases m which packets were not accounted for was o*ooll. MONEY-ORDERS. During the year 635,674 orders were issued, of a value of £3,112,729. This represented a decrease compared with the previous year of 13,277 in number and of £222,823 m value. POSTAL NOTES. The postal-note service was more freely used this year than last. The sales were 2,883,070 postal notes, of a value of £1,061,946, against 2,686,648, of a value of £958,373, during the previous year. The commission totalled £26,249 2s. lid., an increase of £2,346 13s. lOd. on the commission earned in the previous year. BRITISH POSTAL ORDERS. British postal-order business fell away to an extent, 77,229 orders, of a value of £37,921 3s. 4d. being sold, as against 100,568, of a value of £54,200 14s. 4d for the previous year. The number of orders paid was 28,056, of a value of £14,643 9s. 6d., compared with 28,603, of a value of £15,409 195., paid during the previous year. SAVINGS-BANK. The deposits in the Post Office Savings-bank amounted to £19,428,853, and the withdrawals to £17,818,172, an excess of deposits of £1,610,681. The interest credited to depositors was £1,231,089, and the total amount at the credit of depositors at the end of the year was 391 On the Ist February savings-bank ledger offices were established at Lower Hutt and letone The Post and Telegraph Amendment Act, 1933, contained a number of provisions respecting t e savings-bank. Since the savings-bank provisions of the previous Act were enacted, conditions have changed considerably, and the amendments aim at making the system more elastic Some changes will assist in simplifying procedure m connection with a comprehensive scheme w ic proposed to be embarked upon next year for the encouragement of thrift among school-children. POST OFFICE INVESTMENTS CERTIFICATES. Post Office investment certificates having a currency of two and five years were withdrawn from sale on the Ist August, and a new issue, having a currency of six years, was made available on the 2nd October, iai . gsue . g holder iag right, by giving one month's notice, to redeem his certificates at any time after six months from the date on which they were issued. Further, if certificates are not redeemed at maturity, interest will be allowed on them until they are redeemed, but the period for which interest will be so allowed is limited to four years after the date ag a regult of tbege prov isions, Post Office certificates will prove an attractive form of investment. WORK PERFORMED FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS. The Department continues to undertake a vast amount of work for other Departments. The total sum handled in this respect during the year amounted to approximately £31,000,000. Registration of Motok-vehicles, and Associated Work. The volume of work handled in connection with the registration and annual relicensmg of motorvehicles has shown an increase during the year. Although on the Ist June the registrations of 14,162 vehicles were cancelled owing to their not having been licensed for the two previous licensing years, the total number of motor-vehicles (cars, commercial vehicles, cycles, &c.) licensed at the close of the financial year was 196,252, as compared with 193,844 last year. The> number: North Island was 125,453, and in the South Island 70,799. In addition 1,033 sets of demonstration plates were issued to dealers in motor-vehicles. The total fees collected by the Department.m respect of the registration, licensing, and change of ownership, &c„ of motor-vehicles totalled In the twelve months 54,729 notifications of change of ownership were dealt with and 6,773 duplicate certificates of registration were issued, whilst substitute plates were applie or y , owners of motor-vehicles.

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