p < 2.

The balance of revenue over expenditure was £43,980 12s. 2d., as compared with £38,417 6s. 7d. the previous year. The estimated value of official (franked) correspondence sent by post was £72,521, and the value of Government telegrams £24,504 9s. Bd., a total of £97,025 9s. Bd. for services for which no payment was received—equal to 2375 per cent, of the cash receipts. Taking into account the value of the official correspondence and Government telegrams, there is a credit balance on the year's transactions of £141,006 Is. 10d. 30,260,204 letters were posted, an increase of 2,385,851. The number of forwarded telegrams of all codes was 2,696,233, an increase of 176,064. 78 post-offices were established (including 9 reopened). The number of post-offices open at the close of the year was 1,524. It may be interesting to note that the last published international statistics placed New Zealand before ail other countries in the world as regards the proportion of population to each post-office, the figures being 1 post-office for every 520 inhabitants in 1895, Canada being second with 1 to 538, New South Wales and Victoria third -and fourth with 1 to 645 and 1 to 751, the United States sixth with 1 to 884, and Great Britain fifteenth with 1 to 1,922. 293,659 money-orders, for £970,830 14s. lid., were issued, and 215,240 orders, representing £837,208 14s. Bd., paid. 409,866 postal notes, of the value of £134,378 9s. 6d., were sold. The sum. of £3,187,219 2s. 4d. was deposited in the Post-Office Savings-banks, and £2,891,169 ss. Bd. withdrawn. The total amount to the credit of depositors on the 31st December last was £4,744,924 18s. Id., as compared with £4,311,634 13s. sd. at the close of the previous year. 750 inland-mail services (excluding services by railway) were in operation during the year. At the close of the year there were 6,484 miles of telegraph-line and 18,024 miles of wire. The net expenditure on telegraph construction was £29,384 2s. lid. There were 5,787 telephone-exchange connections on the 31st March last. The subscriptions received amounted to £36,422 6s. Bd. The folio wing table and return give the number of offices and officers of all classes on the 31st December last:—

Comparative Return of Officers of the Post and Telegraph Department for the Years 1896 and 1897. 1896. 1897. 1898 1g97 Postmaster-General .. .. .. 1 II Chief Postmasters .. .. .. 16 16 Secretary .. .. .. .. 1 1 Postmasters and Officers in Charge on PerSuperintendent of Electric Lines .. .. 1 1 manent Staff .. .. .. 162 160 Assistant Secretary and Inspector .. ... 1 1 Clerks (including Telephone Exchange ) Assistant Inspectors of Post-offices .. 3 3 Cadettes and Cadets in Post-offices) Controller of Money-orders and Savings-banks : Operators (including Cadets in Telegraph- F 862 Bi^ and Accountant .. .. .. 1 1 offices) .. .. .. ' Telegraph Inspectors .. .. .. 3 3 Country Postmasters and Telephonists .'.1,277 1335 Telegraph Sub-Inspector .. .. .. 1 1 Letter-carriers .. .. .. 168 '178 Electrician .. ' .. .. .. 1 1 Messengers (Post Office) .. .! 24 26 Mechanicians and Cadets .. .. .. 5 Linemen .. .. 58 66 Clerks in General Post Office — ' Telegraph Message Boys .. .. 273 287 Secretary's Office .. .. 12- 12 Nightwatchmen .. .. ,[ 2^2 Inspector's and Dead-letter Branch .. 6 6 Postmasters and Telegraphists or Tele'-Money-order and Savings-bank Branch .. 27 27 phonists who are Eailway officers .. 138 140 Sorters in Clearing-room .. .. 13 16 j Storekeeper and Assistants .. .. 4 6 Totals .. .. ,3 Q6O 3186

II

Postal Districts. Pot offi( §"a0 o Eh 33 Q «+ Te: -■ f^ ® ■ I •" .tea flIiOfe QC~ Ci_i a> III, ?ern phces. is o a Ah g lauei % Eh fl ii Ph o <B O ss o S o it Offices. Combi Bailw o o 3 3 Ph ft, I ■>! I NO] Cov ned i § my i a a-i Q <U I, C-i H H ■ a S a a j> <1 <f Pn >permani intry Offic I i § ii CD fl C3 a e ent jes. ■-; 2 is i a is 5 el o w © o a t> "<u c Q en <D ftfl fl o3 M a o .3 Tele] Bun O « .3 o CO .■>hone , saux. 1 1 a p o O 3 to 4Ja - 5|.s||| ■3°ii°3 En x rg 'S •= r< Ph a S » _ SSfH re qj O ■ rH ■3 So .si a Eh p a si I! Sg fl CD O 03 Cij ci I-.'. aa So Let can . bter■iers. .5.21 Telegraph ! Message ffl Boys. adI! II is j i * II i I I PM [ Eh J O a o 01 >» CS a; fn *d 'o fl CD a c ia s o o o "A ■', S |*H°C Town. jOuntry. Auckland Blenheim jhristchuroh.. Dunedin jisborne 3-reymouth .. Hokitika invercargill .. STapier Sfelson STew Plymouth Damara Chames Cimara iVanganui Wellington .. iVestport 1 1 1 j ■- '■ 1 •■ ■■ 1 1 1 1 .. -33 11 ! . . : 4 1.. .. 10 |28 I .. 17. 14 •'• 4 ! ■• ..I 3 .. .. 7 10 .. : 9 J 3 I 1 ' 4 3 4 1 .. I 1 4 :.. -9 .. .. 4 11 ;: s 7 .. 11 5 ;: s .. 7 1 2 1 3 2 3 1 8 2 I I 1 178 29 98 70 11 30 20 81 32 18 j 22 14 26 35 45 63 13 109 9 32 69 14 6 18 30 24 21 10 9 13 4 16 60 14 2 2 3 10 9 6 6 .. 3 7 12 2 1 .. 2 I .. 6 i .. 1 : .. 2 1 1 2 5 1 1 7 2 1 1 1 1 I 3 26 12 11 51 10 2 27 3 ! 2 4 I 1 90 7 69 65 9 8 2 21 23 8 10 7 9 8 14 92 5 18 ■ 5 2 1 2 1 1 2 39 5 57 40 1 11 3 7 30 8 4 5 9 7 22 64 3 1 10 6 4 6 10 j 44 ! 3 13 19 1 3 ! 7 11 6 \\ J 13 ! 3 24 2 20 20 2 3 1 5 4 3 3 0 I * 3 3 19 1 7 1 I 11 ! 7 '2 1 4 4 4 a 3 ■■ 11 1 3 1 1 24 25 3 1 20 : 13 24 12 4 4 ! 4 2 8 6 7 ! 5 5 : 3 4 i 5 5 j .. 6 : 8 4 i 3 6 7 44 20 3 j 2 173 114 13 2 11 6 1 2 1 4 4 ! 1 3 1 3 11 1 " 1 2 1 i I • ■ . . I " I ' ' 7 10 7 1 I 'i 3 1. I I ' " j 1 1 1 3 ' ' i .. : 1 4 I "(> 2 10 26 3 3 2 13 H 1 4 2 '' 1 I ' 1 4 1 l- :: 6 ! 9 l ! .. 3 41 3 "l 7 I '' I Totals .. 5 ~ 5 1 Il22 |97 25 5 8 5 ! :785 1 I 453 22 50 25 29 I : 210 10 447 ~44 315 82 160 119 , 59 26 66