F.—l.

Official Cobbesfootence. The following statement shows the extent and value of the service performed by the department in the free transmission of official correspondence for the year ended 31st December, 1880 :— Letters. Books. £ s. d. Letters. Books. £ s. d. Auckland ... 10,021 lb. ... 13,632 lb. .. 3,265 6 6 Blenheim .. 777 lb. ... 2,575 lb. ... 297 13 11 Thames .. 1,101 „ .. 533 „ .. 324 1 5 Christchurch 8,048 „ .. 13,084 „ ... 2,585 8 4 New Plymouth 648 „ ... 1,166 „.. 237 11 4 Timaru ... 3,564 „ ... 1,420 „ ... 998 5 4 Napier ... 2,225! „ .. 4,066 „ ... 731 3 6 Oamaru ... 312! „ ... 100 „ ... 86 13 4 Wanganui ... 3,637 „ ... 2,016 „ ... 1,038 11 10 Dunedin ... 25,984 „ ... 13,397 ~ ••• 7,603 2 6 Wellington ... 133,256! „ .. 164,420 „ ~.43,651 9 8 Invercargill 2,681 „ ... 2,332 „ ... 809 14 7 Nelson ... 2,278 „ ... 3,253 „ ... 726 16 10 Westport ... 643 „ ... 265 „ ... 180 4 o Total ... ... £64,302 13 o Greymouth ... 1,606 „ ... 1,563 „ ... 482 2 1 — Hokitika ... 4,579 „ ... 1,821 „ ... 1,284 71Q The increase in value was £1,864 14s. Id., as against an increase of £6,261 in 1879. The total weight of this description of correspondence transmitted through the post was about 200 tons. Dead Lettebs. The number of unclaimed letters received and disposed of in the Dead Letter Office year by year, since 1875, is shown in the table given below :- — Manner of Disposal. iB}J. 18)6. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. Opened and returned to the writers ... ... 39,051 44,067 52,607 53,483 61,589 60,977 Beturned unopened to other countries 10,321 9,7°3 9,835 8,733 9,713 10,503 Beissued ... ... ... ... .. 78 83 94 117 122 240 Destroyed... ... ... ... ... 6,081 5,217 3,417 5,140 4,738 5,135 Beturned unopened by Chief Postmasters ... ... ... ... 725 11,160 Totals .. 55,531 59,070 65,953 67,473 76,887 88,015 In addition to the above, 99 book-packets and circulars were returned to foreign countries, 3,347 were returned to the senders from the Dead Letter Office, and 3,097 were returned to the senders unopened by Chief Postmasters, making a total of 6,543 book-packets and circulars. The increase in the number of dead letters disposed of in 1880, over the number dealt with the previous year, was 14'47 per cent. The " special-request" envelopes were largely used by the public, as may be gathered from the fact that no less than 11,160 letters having the names of the writers or senders on the covers, were returned unopened, and without passing through the Dead Letter Office. The proportion of letters sent to the Dead Letter Office, and of letters otherwise dealt with as unclaimed and returned, out of the total number transmitted, was as Ito 259. The proportion in 1879 was as 1 to 272. The following are the particulars of the number and articles of value enclosed in letters opened in the Dead Letter Office :— £ s. d. 122 money orders .. .. ... 433 17 10 52 bank drafts ... ... 2,716 18 3 97 cheques .. 1,720 311 3 promissory notes .. 1,233 18 2 Postage stamps ... .. .. .. 398 Banknotes .. ... ... 94 O 0 Gold ... .. .. 29 10 0 Silver and copper ... .. 1 12 5 Eepresenting a total of .. .. £6,233 10 3 There were also received in the Dead Letter Office, — 1 silver hunting watch, 5 gold rings (one of which was set with precious stones), 1 greenstone and gold brooch, 1 pair of gold earrings, 1 silver breast-pin, 1 gold locket and chain, 1 silver locket, 1 gold chain, 1 hair watch-guard mounted in gold, 1 greenstone and gold pendant, and 1 silver watch-case. 1,500 unclaimed registered letters. 81 letters posted without addresses. 157 letters detained for postage, of which 9 were subsequently prepaid and forwarded. 626 newspapers and 300 books and other articles without addresses; of these, it was found practicable to deliver 47 30 letters with obscene and libellous addresses. 134 letters imperfectly and wrongly addressed. 764 refused letters. 5 letters with previously-used postage stamps. The department was instrumental in intercepting and returning to the writers 55 letters, containing £70 7s. 4d. in notes, money orders, and cheques, posted to the promoter of a " Consultation " for a very large amount on one of the principal horse races, but who, in the meantime, levanted with a considerable portion of the spoil. Several letters, which had been opened, were also returned to the Post Office from the business establishment of the promoter. An examination of these disclosed that

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