F.—l

X

The estimated weight was over 227 tons. The estimated value of the free correspondence for 1890 was £67,473 17s. Id.

Registered Letters. The number of registered letters dealt with in 1891, compared with the numbers in 1885, 1888, and 1890, is shown below: —

The registered-letter fee was reduced from 6d. to 3d. in 1889.

Dead Letters. The number of unclaimed letters received and disposed of during the under-mentioned years is shown in the following table: —

The unclaimed letters dealt with show a decrease of 528 per cent., compared with the number disposed of the previous year. The proportion of dead or unclaimed letters to the total number of letters posted in the colony was 0-37 per cent. The number of missing-letter inquiries to the total number of letters posted was in the proportion of 1 to 17,358. 37,099 book-packets and circulars were returned to foreign countries, 11,161 were returned to the senders through the Dead Letter Office, 5 were reissued, and 13,502 were returned by Chief Postmasters : a total of 61,767 book-packets and circulars, against 64,903 in 1890. 1,668 newspapers were returned to the publishers as unclaimed. The under-mentioned articles of value were found enclosed in letters opened in the Dead Letter Office, and returned to the senders where practicable : — £ s. d. 160 post-office orders ... ... ... ... 451 5 6 39 bank drafts ... ... ... ... ... 4,624 9 7 112 cheques ... ... ... ... ... 825 3 2 1 dividend warrant ... ... ... ... 400 14 promissory notes ... ... ... ... 396 19 3 Postal-notes ... ... ... ... ... 43 18 6 Stamps ... ... ... ... ... 16 6 8 Bank-notes ... ... ... ... ... 139 0 0 Gold ... ... ... ... ... ... * 9 0 0 Silver and copper ... ... ... ... ... 21510 Eepresenting a total of ... ... ... £6,512 18 6

1885. 1888. 1890. 1891. Postal Districts. Pla°ces Ee § is - Colony. Colo "yTotals. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. 'Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Eegistered in the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Begistered in the Colony. Totals. Auckland Thames .. New Plymouth Gisborne .. Napier Wanganui Wellington Nelson Westport .. Greymouth Hokitika .. Blenheim Christelmrch Tiinaru Oamaru .. Dunedin .. Invercargill 5,890 205 675 108 892 283 4,757 559 45 125 173 181 3,717 440 310 5,645 1,614 22,124 2,879 2,876 922 5,453 4,500 19,218 2,432 1,438 2,835 1,907 1,413 13,678 3,153 1,947 12,737 6,661 28,014 3,084 3,551 1,030 6,345 4,783 23,975 2,991 1,483 2,960 2,080 1,594 17,395 3,593 2,263 18,382 8,275 7,485 169 331 106 1,008 207 5,138 367 73 157 190 159 4,161 451 353 4,498 1,445 25,205 2,729 2,544 1,513 6,690 3,988 23,036 2,592 2,492 6.25S 2,331 1,808 16,250 2,757 2,230 13,679 7,915 32,690 2,898 2,875 1,619 7,698 4,195 28,174 2,959 2,565 6,415 2,521 1,967 20,411 3,208 2,583 18,177 9,360 7,119 130 I 341 ! 118 999 211 6,129 322 112 I 102 I 95 J 92 I 3,659 312 278 4,615 1,740 34,398 4,781 3,372 2,120 10,911 6,060 30,369 3,430 3,254 8,879 2,579 3,193 20,404 3,551 2,505 19,696 9,819 41,517 4,911 3,713 2,238 11,910 6,271 36,498 3,752 3,366 8,981 2,674 3,285 24,063 3,863 2,783 24,311 11,559 7,797 165 381 132 1,053 306 7,492 392 90 235 76 125 4,292 380 293 4,782 2,031 40,807 4,552 3,953 2,428 12,627 7,030 36,491 4,314 3,434 10,436 2,624 3,262 21,956 3,740 2,048 19,762 10,708 48,604 4,717 4,334 2,560 13,680 7,336 43,983 4,706 3,524 10,671 2,700 3,387 20,248 4,120 2,341 24,544 12,739 Totals 25,625 106,173 131,798 26,298 124,017 150,315 26,374 i 169,321 195,695 30,022 190,172 220,194

Manner of Disposal. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. 3886. 1887. 1888. 1889. 1800. 1891. I 66,729 62,847 8,359 ! 7,287 251 ; 96 6,600 J 5,974 i Ipened and returned to the writers teturned unopened to other countries leissued )estroyed leturned unopened by Chief Postmasters .. 53,507 8,539 54 6,189 69,452 8,143 67 3,302 68,942 9,134 3,986 66,592 8,115 185 2,872 55,118 6,892 88 5,246 62,654 60,540 6,220 7,779 92 141 4,340 2,660 60,245 C,930 158 2,090 14,378 15,833 17,593 19,187 21,144 j 20,185 19,963 21,164 j 21,931 18,713 Totals 82,667 96,797 99,762 96,951 103,033 ! 96,389 87,307 94,470 i 93,051 88,136 i