F.~l.

1881. NEW ZEALAND

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT. (TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT.)

Presented to loth Howes of tie General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

g IE _ Postmaster General's Office, ■Wellington. 25th July, 1881. I have the honor to submit to your Excellency the Twenty-second Annual Eeport on the Postal Service of New Zealand, being for the year ended 31st December, 1880. The revenue and expenditure for the financial year ended 31st March last are also given. I have, &c, His Excellency Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon, Waltee W Johnston, G.C.M.G., Governor of New Zealand. Postmaster-General.

EEPOET. The decision to consolidate the Postal and Telegraph services of the colony may be regarded as one of the more important events of the year in the history of the department. In accordance with this determination, the General Post Office and the Head Office of the Telegraph Department were amalgamated on the Ist of January last, the latter office (which included the Accountant's staff) was transferred to the offices of the General Post Office in the Government Buildings. . . The amalgamation has, so far, worked smoothly, and without the least friction, lhere is every reason to anticipate the same satisfactory results will follow the consolidation of the Postal and Telegraph services of this colony as have been experienced elsewhere; and that the object which prompted the change, viz., the amalgamation of offices as a means of reducing expenditure, without impairing the efficiency of the administration, will be fully realized in due course. The amalgamated department is supervised by the Superintendent and the Secretary : the duties of the Superintendent being principally in connection with the scientific branch and the outdoor management, while the indoor or office duties are more immediately conducted by the Secretary The two Accountants' branches have also been consolidated, and placed under the charge of the Money Order and Savings Bank Accountant. The initial step in connection with the amalgamation of this branch was to relieve the Treasury of the whole of the Telegraph accounts. Hitherto, each telegraph station rendered weekly accounts to the Treasury, and also to the Telegraph Head Office. Under the present arrangement only one set of Telegraph accounts are furnished, which are incorporated with those of the Post Office, and summarized at chief post offices. The only extra work thrown upon chief post offices is the checking the Telegraph entries in the Sub-Postmasters' accounts. The labour in connection with the transfer of the accounts has been especially severe; but the duties, even now, are less trying to a marked degree than they were during the first quarter of the year.