F.—l

III

Retuen of Ofpicees of the Postal and Telegraph Department for the Year 1885. Postmaster-General .. .. .. 1 Sorters in Clearing-room .. .. 6 Superintendent .. .. .. 1 Mail Agent (permanent) .. .. .. 1 Secretary .. .. .. .. 1 Storekeeper and Assistant ; .. .. 2 Inspector of Post Offices.. .. .. 1 Chief Postmasters .. .. 17 Assistant Inspector of Post Offices .. 1 Postmasters and Officers-in-Chargo on PerAccountant .. .. .. .. 1 manent Staff .. .. .. .. 262 Telegraph Inspectors .. .. .. 3 Clerks and Cadets .. .. .. 199 Sub-Inspectors .. .. 3 Operators .. .. .. .. 295 Electrician .. .. .. .. 1 Country Postmasters .. .. .. 770 Mechanicians .. .. .. .. 3 Letter-carriers .. .. .. 97 Clerks in General Post Office — Messengers (Post Office) .. .. 14 Secretary's Branch .. .. .. 7 Linemen .. .. .. 50 Dead Letter Branch .. .. .. 3 Telegraph Message Boys .. .. .. 206 Clerks in Money Order and Savings Bank —— Branch .. .. .. ..16 Total .. .. .. 1,961 The general conduct of the officers has been good ; and it is especially gratifying to be able to state that offences of a serious nature are comparatively rare. The complete business of the Post Office and Telegraph in detail will be gathered from the information which follows. POST OFFICE. The proportionate increase of correspondence (excepting post-cards) for the calendar year is shown to be less than in 1884. This is not to be accepted as a falling-off in business, but to the fact that the countings, on which the estimate of correspondence has been based, were taken at less favourable periods of the year. The number of letters, post-cards, book-packets and pattern-parcels, and newspapers delivered and posted during the year, compared with the number dealt with in 1884, was as under : — 1885. 1884. Increase. Letters—Delivered .. .. .. .. 19,371,378 19,237,790 Posted .. .. .. .. 16,458,477 16,020,056 35,829,855 35,257,846 572,009 Post-cards—Delivered .. .. .. .. 653,722 561,652 Posted .. .. .. .. 666,211 591,903 1,319,933 1,153,555 166,378 Books and parcels— Deliversd .. .. .. 1,670,708 1,529,603 Posted .. .. .. 1,595,252 1,511,510 3,265,960 3,041,113 224,847 Newspapers—Delivered .. .. ... .. 7,685,370 7,525,596 Posted .. .. .. .. 6,548,508 6,568,146 14,233,878 14,093,742 140,136 The letters increased 1-62, post-cards 14-42, books and parcels 7-39, and newspapers 0-99 per cent. The increase in 1884 was—letters 4-97, post-cards 3-51, books and parcels 20-73, and newspapers 8-16 per cent. The average number of letters posted by each person was estimated to be 28-26. The increase of business in the several branches has been large and of a profitable character. Services have been established and accelerated, and additional conveniences provided where the public wants seemed reasonably to require them. The receipts for the financial year were £195,396 os. 10d., an increase of £9,329 4s. 3d., or 4-77 per cent. The expenditure amounted to £190,474 os. 4d., which was £29,404 ss. 5d., or 15-43 per cent, more than the sum expended the previous year, but £4,922 os. 6d. less than the receipts. The expenditure was abnormally large, and was due to the Direct contract and South Sea Islands services, established during the latter part of 1884 and in June, 1885. The payments made within the last financial year in respect of these services (inclusive of arrears of the previous year) were £23,852 19s. 3d. The sum spent, under the head of conveyance of mail :by sea, during 1884-85, was £59,681 18s. 7d., while £84,357 17s. 3d. was expended last year—an increase of £24,675 18s. Bd. The estimated value of the official free correspondence was £70,434 6s. 7d., which, added to the £4,922 os. 6d., the balance of revenue over expenditure, as previously stated, gives £75,356 7s. Id. as the net earnings of the Post Office for the year. £218,714 7s. lOd. was collected for the Property-Tax Department, in 12,847 payments. 858 game licenses were issued at post offices, and fees amounting to £1,000 collected. 1,682 certificates, under the Inspection of Machinery Act, were distributed, and £2,494 in fees received. Letter-carriers' deliveries were established, extended, and altered to meet the requirements of the several districts. The delivery at Napier extended so as to include the hospital and immediate neighbourhood. The Wellington delivery now includes the suburb of Kilbirnie. Deliveries are now made over the suburbs of Ashburton. An extra delivery in the principal streets of Sydenham has been provided. The deliveries at Thames, Wanganui, and Onehunga have been extended.