F.—l

XI

24,400 book-packets and circulars were returned to foreign countries, 32,691 were returned to senders through the Dead Letter Office, 20 were reissued, and 20,667 were returned by Chief Postmasters a total of 77,778 book-packets and circulars, against 68,899 in 1893. 635 newspapers were returned to the publishers. The under-mentioned articles of value were found in letters opened in the Dead Letter Office, and returned to the senders where practicable : — £ s. d. 203 post-office orders 499 15 1 36 bank drafts 4,174 11 5 162 cheques 1,220 4 5 4 dividend warrants 13 13 8 7 promissory notes 201 10 5 Postal-notes .. 61 2 4 Stamps 22 8 11 Bank-notes .. 128 0 0 Gold 7 0 0 Silver and copper .. 2 13 4 Representing a total of .. £6,330 19 7 In addition, 3 gold watches, 7 silver watches, 1 waterbury watch, 3 silver-plated butter knives, 3 gold studs, 3 gold rings, 1 gold ring with stones, 1 hair ring, 1 silver match-box, gold pin and neckties, 2 gold sleeve-links, 2 imitation diamonds, 2 pairs spectacles, 5 silk handkerchiefs, 1 silk handkerchief and seeds, silk handkerchief and photograph, 18 handkerchiefs, 2 silver brooches, 2 gold brooches, 1 bangle, 4 small gold nuggets, 2 pieces greenstone, 2 watch-chains, 1 locket, 1 silver pendant, 1 shell pendant, chain and ring, 1 silver scent bottle, 2 seals goldmounted, 1 leather purse, 1 pawn ticket, half of £1 note, 1 silk tie, 1 Tattersall's ticket (Newmarket Handicap), 3 sweep-tickets (2 for 55., 1 for £1), steerage tickets—l Sydney to Auckland, 1 Wellington to Timaru, 1 Sydney to Lyttelton, 1 Sydney to Dunedin, N S.S. Company's ticket Paeroa to Auckland, passage ticket San Francisco to Lyttelton, 10 sheets and 1 packet of foreign postage-stamps. 1,173 unclaimed registered letters were dealt with. 1,780 newspapers and 1,136 books and other articles without addresses were received, a considerable number of which were subsequently applied for and delivered. 291 letters were posted without addresses. 5 letters and 1 book with libellous addresses were intercepted. 876 letters were wrongly addressed. 2,938 letters were refused by the addressees. 22 letters were discovered to have been posted with previously-used stamps.

Registered Letters. The number of registered letters dealt with in 1894, compared with the numbers in 1885, 1890, and 1893, is shown below: —

Inland Mail-services. The following are the particulars of the several inland mail-services in operation during the year : — Performed by coach and mail-cart 260 Performed on horseback .. 303 Performed on foot .. 65 Performed by water 40 Performed by railway .. 84 Total number of services ~ 752

1885. 1890. 1893. 1894. Postal Districts. Colony. Colon yTotals. From Places beyond the Colony. Begistered in the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Begistered in the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. luckland Chames STew Plymouth jisborne Sfapier iVanganui Wellington STelson SVestport Ireymouth Stokitika Slenheim jhristchuroh rimaru 5,890 205 675 108 892 283 4,757 559 45 125 173 181 3 717 440 316 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 7 119 130 341 118 999 211 6,129 322 112 102 95 92 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,S63 2 783 24,311 11,559 8,485 223 286 131 895 584 7,577 330 108 389 106 159 4,544 306 257 5,035 3,044 45 795 4,674 6,425 7,521 15,136 11 761 47,823 4,559 3,481 9,059 3,687 3,357 28,515 3,994 2,712 23,668 16,001 54,280 4,897 6,711 7,652 16,031 12,345 55,400 4,889 3,589 9,448 3 793 3,516 33,059 4,300 2 969 28,703 19,045 11,446 178 360 199 833 689 7 715 268 129 299 70 101 4,480 186 147 5,187 2,199 58,032 5 199 7 180 3,319 16,302 11 753 50,463 5,726 2,977 6,866 4,060 3,624 24 944 3,898 2,515 23,554 14,279 69,478 5,377 7 540 3,518 17 135 12,442 58,178 5,994 3,106 7 165 4,130 3,725 29,424 4,084 2,662 28,741 16,478 )amaru Dunedin invercargill Totals 25,625 106,173 131 798 26,374 169,321 195,695 32,459 238,168 270,627 34,486 244,691 279,177