F.—1.

V

Dead Letters. The number of unclaimed letters received and disposed of in the Dead Letter Office, year by year, since 1876, was as under: —

There were also 218 book-packets and circulars returned to foreign countries, 3,006 returned to the senders through the Dead Letter Office, and 4,999 returned by Chief Postmasters; a total of 8,223 book-packets and circulars. The dead letters disposed of in 1881 show a decrease of 1098 per cent, compared with the number dealt with the previous year, a fact no doubt due to the public giving greater attention to the repeated cautions issued by the department, urging that in all cases full and distinct addresses should be affixed to correspondence intended to be delivered through the Post Office. The under-mentioned articles of value were found enclosed in letters opened in the Dead Letter Office:— £ s. d. 177 money orders ... ... ... ... ... ... 535 310 73 bank drafts ... ... ... ... ... ... 3,927 12 1 108 cheques ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,16113 4 Postage-stamps ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 16 11lBanknotes ... ... ... ... ... ... 191 0 0 Gold ... ... ... ... ... ... 15 0 0 Silver and copper ... ... ... ... ... ... 14 6} Eepresenting a total of ... ... ...£5,840 10 9 In addition to the above, 1 pair greenstone and gold earrings, 1 pair gold nugget earrings, 1 greenstone and gold miniature harp, 2 greenstone and gold-mounted pendants, 2 gold lockets, 1 gold chain, 2 leather purses, 4 gold nuggets, and 1 silk dress were also received in the Dead Letter Office. 956 unclaimed registered letters were dealt wdth. 158 letters were detained for postage, of which 3 were subsequently prepaid and forwarded. 525 newspapers and 230 books and other articles without addresses were received ; of these, 52 were delivered. 73 letters were posted without addresses. 12 letters with obscene and libellous addresses. 114 letters imperfectly and wrongly addressed. 956 letters were refused. 4 letters were posted with previously-used postage-stamps. The number of registered letters received from places beyond the colony, and the number registered in the several postal districts, year by year, from 1878 to 1881, are given in the following table :—

Registered Letters.

Manner of Disposal. 1876. 1877. 187S. 1879. 1880. 1881. >pened and returned to the writers Returned unopened to other countries... teissued ... )estroyed ... leturned unopened by Chief Postmasters 44,067 9.703 83 5.217 52,607 9.835 94 3.417 53.483 8,733 117 5,14° 61,589 9,713 122 4,738 725 76,887 60,977 "0,503 240 5,'35 11,160 5 Z >038 9,372 159 3,969 I2,8lO ... ... Totals 59.o7o 65,953 67,473 88,015 78,348

1878. 1879. 1880. 1881. Postal Districts. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Register th d e in j T Colony, j From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. Auckland Thames... New Plymouth ... Gisborne Napier ... Wanganui Wellington Nelson ... Westport Greymouth Hokitika Blenheim Christchurch Timaru... Oamaru Dunedin Invercargill 2,055 H5 179 io,374 919 992 12,429 1,064 1,189 2,735 '54 290 12,569 922 1,429 15.304 1,076 ',7'9 3,195 123 334 'S.625 911 i,939 18,820 1,034 2,273 4,010 '35 356 69 770 481 2,824 797 75 •75 188 166 4,156 550 315 4,190 1,47' 20,728 15,385 1,167 2,413 757 3,926 5,081 13,630 2,629 966 1,881 1,823 1,400 15,274 3,783 1,886 13,328 4,492 89,821 '9,395 1,302 2,769 826 4,696 5,562 16,454 3,426 1,041 2,056 2,011 1,566 19,430 4,333 2,201 17,518 5,963 59i 3,095 3,68*6 627 309 2,743 487 82 182 3,828 4,004 12,167 1,894 862 1,205 i,343 988 12,640 2,532 i,454 11,889 3,38i 1 4,455 4,3i3 14,910 2,381 944 ',387 1,562 1,120 '5,496 2,905 1,630 15.473 3.863 88,538 75i 376 2,803 473 108 196 180 188 3,831 418 232 3.442 1,126 4,485 4,354 12,894 2,020 1,104 ',776 1,882 1,263 15,873 3,757 1,615 13,136 4.4*95 87,129 5.236 4,73° 15,697 2,493 1,212 1,972 2,062 ',45> 19,704 4,i75 1,847 16,578 5,621 2,121 84 2 3° 214 127 2,281 12,510 1,407 697 1.420 1,636 740 10,786 14,631 1,769 78. 1,650 1,850 867 13,067 219 132 2,856 373 176 3,584 482 1 2,819 444 11,670 9.613 3>"9 57,3o8 12,432 3,563 68,978 Totals I5.43I I |73,io7 [17,776 104,905 110,549