F.—l

XII

Savings-banks. 290 post-offices were open for the transaction of savings-bank business at the end of the year. 8 offices were established and one closed. 21,307 new accounts were opened, compared with 20,368 opened in 1887. 16,543 accounts were closed, compared with 15,515 closed during 1887. The following table gives the total number of post-office savings-bank accounts open on the 31st December, 1888, with classified balances, compared with the number open at the end of 1887 :—

Accounts with balances not exceeding £200 increased in number by 4,326 —evidence of a large addition to the savings of the wages-earning class —and those with balances over £200 increased by 438. The 84,488 open accounts at the end of the year are in the proportion of Ito every 7 - 19 of the population. 145,355 deposits, amounting to £1,544,747 7s. lid., were received during the year, the average amount of each deposit being £10 12s. 6d., compared with £9 12s. Bd. in 1887. 96,204 withdrawals, for £1,387,471 Is. 10d., were made, the average amount of each being £14 Bs. sd. The average in 1887 was £13 2s. 10d. The deposits exceeded the withdrawals by £157,276 6s. Id. In 1887 the excess was £129,741 13s. lid. The total amount standing at the credit of depositors on the 31st December last was £2,048,441 10s. 9d. The interest credited depositors during the year was £78,080 65., compared with £67,363 15s. 3d. in 1887. The total amount of interest added to depositors' accounts since the Post Office Savings Banks were established in 1867 to the 31st December, 1888, has been £762,586 3s. Id. The average cost of each savings-bank transaction, deposit or withdrawal, for the year was 4d., and for the period of the existence of the Post Office Savings Banks, 6d. The number of new accounts opened during 1888 by means of stamps affixed to cards, the total number of such accounts open, and the amount at credit on the 31st December last, are given in the following table : — No. of new Accounts No. of Accounts Amount at Credit of Postal District. opened open on Accounts open on during 1888. 31st December, 1888. 31st December, 1888. £ s. d. Auckland ... ... 7 ... 100 ... 63 1 6 Blenheim ... ... 14 ... 108 ... 52 2 4 Christchurch ... ... 12 ... 587 ... 741 15 5 Dunedin ... ... 19 ... 381 ... 100 2 2 Gisborne ... ... 1 ... 13 ... 3 7 11 Greymouth ... ... 12 ... 919 0 Hokitika ... ... ... ... 2 ... 0 14 0 Invercargill ... ... 2 ... 29 ... 14 12 9 Napier ... ... 79 ... 36 4 7 Nelson ... ... 15 ... 389 ... 653 0 10 New Plymouth... ... 90 ... 22 18 0 Oamaru ... ... 3 ... 93 ... 103 17 7 Thames ... ... 18 ... 179 ... 121 2 6 Timaru ... ... 2 ... 130 ... 156 4 8 Wanganui ... ... 3 ... 55 ... 46 1 6 Wellington ... ... 27 ... 375 ... 113 15 8 Westport ... ... 4 ... 19 ... 3 18 1 Totals, 1888 ... 127 ... 2,641 ... £2,242 18 6 Totals, 1887 ... 261 ... 2,828 ... £2,198 18 10 The number of new accounts has largely decreased, while the increase in the deposits wasonly £43 19s. Bd. *

Postal District. Not exceeding £20. Exceeding #20 and up to £50. Exceeding £50 and up to £100. Exceeding £100 and up to £200. Exceeding £200 and up to £300. Exceeding £800 and up to £400. Exceeding £400 and j up to £500.1 X CO is .9 Total. Auckland Blenheim Ckristchurch .. Dunedin Gisborne Greymouth Hokitika Inveroargill Napier Nelson New Plymouth.. Oamam Thames Timaru Wanganui Wellington Westport 7,423 1,422 13,399 10,449 538 1,466 741 2,339 2,779 2,234 1,289 1,120 1,967 1,909 2,630 10,303 817 988 203 2,056 1,580 78 238 102 415 439 285 226 227 268 329 362 1,990 132 658 127 1,226 896 49 161 101 227 278 178 134 133 174 211 196 800 81 532 73 880 734 16 110 59 149 160 133 74 100 130 145 118 C08 61 187 25 277 219 8 36 25 44 47 39 32 34 32 34 50 171 19 44 5 91 68 2 7 8 15 7 13 14 7 10 12 8 53 8 38 2 30 31 1 6 1 4 8 5 5 4 3 5 7 37 7 23 1 29 15 2 2 4 3 2 6 9,893 1,858 17,988 13,992 694 ' 2,026 1,037 3,197 3,721 2,889 1,780 1,625 2,586 2,651 3,386 14,039 . 1,126 2 0 9 17 1 372 194 122 84,488 Totals, 1888 62,831 9,918 5,690 4,082 1,279 Totals, 1887 00,043 9,140 5,381 3,631 1,021 266 140 102 79,724