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4

REPORT ON THE

The following is the Schedule of Officers in the Postal Department in the years 1870 and 1871:—

Dead Lettees. It is gratifying to be able to report a continued steady decrease in that class of letters known as unclaimed or dead letters. Erom the following table it will be seen that since 1867 they have year by year decreased, no doubt indicating increased diligence and attention on the part of the officers of the Department to the delivery of letters : —

Reoisteked Lettees. There has been considerable increase in the number of this class of correspondence during the year, being 34,679 in 1871, against 30,549 in 1870. Monet Oedees. The progress made in this branch of the Department has likewise been highly satisfactory. In 1870, the number of Money Order Offices in the Colony was 70 ; in 1871, they numbered 81. The number of Money Orders issued in New Zealand in 1870 was 31,864, and the amount transmitted was £149,454 7s. lid., against 36,291 orders issued and £157,397 13s. 7d. transmitted in 1871. Of the latter there were transmitted to places within the Colony by post 18,029 orders for £77,214 Bs. 7d., and by telegraph 2,485 orders for £11,322 Is. To the United Kingdom there were 10,407 orders issued for £44,197 18s. 3d.; and to the Australian Colonies, 5,370 orders for £24,653 ss. 9d. The Money Orders paid in the Colony during the year were —Issued in New Zealand and transmitted by post, 17,976 for £77,086 Bs. 3d.; and by telegraph, 2,469 for £11,229 15s. 6d. There were also paid 69 orders for £275 16s. 6d., which were originally issued in the Colony, on places beyond the Colony, but repaid or refunded on application by the remitters. The Money Orders issued at places beyond the Colony for payment in New Zealand were—By the United Kingdom, 1,396 for £6,217 lis. 5d.; and by the Australian Colonies, 1,318 for £5,914 18s. 7d. The number and amount of Money Orders issued in the Colony for payment at places beyond New Zealand being largely in excess of the number and amount of orders issued at those places for payment in the Colony, necessitated remittances to be made during the year, amounting to £56,718 145., as follows:—To the United Kingdom, £37,980 6s. lOd. ; and to the Australian Colonies, £18,738 7s. 2d. The revenue derived from the commission charged on the Money Orders issued in 1871 was £2,608 3s. 6d., being £241 in excess of the commission received in 1870. A reduction has recently been made in the commission charged on Telegraph Money Orders from sixpence to fourpence in the pound. During the short period which has elapsed since the reduction was made, the increase in the number issued of this class of Money Orders indicate that this mode of transmitting small sums of money within the Colony is likely to be largely made use of. Post Office Savings Basic. The business transacted in Post Office Savings Bank in 1871, as shown in the tables appended to this report, is considerably in excess over that in 1870. The number of deposits in 1871 was 24,042, and the amounts deposited £312,338 18s. 4d., against 20,489 deposits, and £264,328 ss. 7d. deposited, in 1870. The number of withdrawals in 1871 was 14,773, and the amount withdrawn £260,222 os. 6d., against 11,934 withdrawals, and £208,526 7s. 7d. withdrawn, in 1870. 4,615 new accounts were opened during the year, as against 4,304 in 1870 ; and accounts closed, against 2,276 in 1870. The total number of transactions in 1871 were 39,415 against 32,423 in 1870, being an increase of 6,992 transactions in favour of 1871. 19,959 acknowledgments were issued in 1871, against 16,636 in 1870. Erom the first opening of the Post Office Savings Banks, on Ist Eebruary, 1867, to the Ist December, 1871, the total amount of deposits was £1,108,473 95., to which interest has accrued and been added to principal amounting to £30,441 Bs. 4d., making the total £1,138,914 17s. 4d.

Officers. Postmaster-General ... Secretary Inspector of Post Offices Controller, Money Order and Savings Banks... Clerks in General Post Office Clerks in Money Order and Savings Bank Department ... rfail Agents Chief Postmasters 'ostmasters Clerks Sub-Postmasters Carriers Messengers Shipping Officers 1871. 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 9 19 54 466 27 8 3 1870 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 9 21 52 427 23 6 4 0.

Manner of Disposal. 1867. 1868. 1869. 1870. 1871. •pened and Eeturned to the writers te turned unopened to other countries ... destroyed ... 16,829 13,170 79 7,550 37,628 17,884 12,365 90 2,733 16,453 10,074 87 2,717 17,516 6,688 63 2,960 17,106 6,192 97 2,173 Totals 38,072 29,331 27,227 25,568