F.—l.

STAMP-VENDING MACHINES. The demand lor stamp-vending machines has increased appreciably in recent years, the total number of machines in use now being 262. The number of new installations during the year was 42. Rolls containing penny stamps to the value of £4 are now available, in addition to the £2 rolls, for use in machines placed at busy points. INSPECTION. During the year 1,553 visits of inspection to post-offices were made by Inspectors of the Department. An audit of the values was undertaken on 993 occasions, and in no instance was a serious discrepancy disclosed. BURGLARY OE POST-OFFICE PREMISES, ETC. The number of burglaries at post-offices during the year showed a decrease and the average amount stolen was small. The majority of the burglaries occurred at small post-offices conducted in buildings that are not the property of the Department. DEAD LETTER OFFICE. 1936. 1935. Letters returned to senders in New Zealand .. .. 430,268* 603,192f Other articles returned to senders in New Zealand .. 393,255 284,259 Letters returned to other Administrations .. .. 52,432$ 38,344§ Other articles returned to other Administrations .. 66,427 43,256 Letters destroyed (senders unknown and contents of no value) 23,383 24,823 Letters intercepted addressed to persons and firms on prohibited list .. •• •• •• •• 2,431 The proportion of undeliverable letters to the total number of letters delivered was 0-34 per cent. POSTAL PACKETS REPORTED MISSING. Complaints to the number of 6,358 were received during the year 1936 in connection with the reported non-delivery of postal packets. The investigations made into the individual cases resulted in 3,446 (more than half) of the articles reported as missing being accounted for satisfactorily. These cases may be summarized as follows : — Sender responsible for delay .. .. • ■ • ■ .. 1,205 Addressee responsible for delay .. •• •• ..1,144 Post Office responsible for delay .. .. • • ■ • 315 No delay, or responsibility not fixed .. .. .. • • 782 The manner of disposal of 2,912 postal packets reported as missing could not be determined. This figure represents 0-00243 per cent, of the total number of articles posted during the year. MONEY-ORDERS. An appreciable increase in money-order business was recorded during the year, 733,966 orders, of a value of £3,794,648, being issued. This represents an increase compared with the previous year of 60,909 in number and £420,619 in value. POSTAL NOTES. Postal-note business increased slightly. The sales were 3,833,288 postal notes, of a value of £1 378,387, compared with 3,827,417, of a value of £1,293,955, during the previous year. The commission totalled £34,325 13s. 2d., an increase of £1,179 16s. 7d. on the commission earned in 1935-36. BRITISH POSTAL-ORDERS. British postal-order transactions also increased, 86,778 orders, of a value of £40,212 2s. lid., being sold, as against 77,422, of a value of £36,318 145., for the previous year. The number of orders paid was 29,761, of a value of £15,091 65., compared with 29,210 orders, of a value of £14,800 18s. 6d., paid during the previous year. SAVINGS-BANK. Deposits lodged in the Post Office Savings-bank during the year amounted to £30,676,969, and the withdrawals to £27,042,003, an excess of deposits of £3,634,966. The interest credited to depositors was £1,514,219, and the amount at the credit of depositors at the end of the year reached the record total of £58,065,538. n Savings-bank ledger offices were established at Paeroa on the Ist June and at Gardens, Dunedm, on the 12th September.

* Including 15 153 registered. f Increase due mainly to heavy postings of electoral notices prior to general election. The total included 104,734 registered. t Including 423 registered. § Including 394 registered. II Decrease due to reduction in amount of advertising matter received in Dominion from overseas lotteries, &c.

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