F.—T

XX

The maximum, minimum, and average number of days within which the mails were delivered at and from London and Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Bluff during 1897 by the San Francisco contract service, and by the Peninsular and Oriental and Orient lines, was ; — San Francisco Service. P. and O. Line. Orient Line. Max. Mm. Average. Max. Mm. Average. Max. Mm. Average. London to Auckland .. .. 34 32 32-62 .. 47 37 4046 .. 53 38 42-41 Auckland to London .. .. 36 31 32-54 .. 47 39 41-07 .. 42 37 40-04 London to Wellington .. .. 36 33 34-23 .. 48 38 4127 .. 55 39 41-56 Wellington to London .. .. 38 33 34-54 .. 45 38 42-86 .. 45 37 42-27 London to Dunedin .. .. 38 34 3569 .. 48 39 42-44 .. 54 39 41-90 Dunedin to London .. .. 39 34 35-54 .. 46 39 41-71 .. 46 39 41-37 London to Blufi .. .. 39 35 36-44 .. 47 38 41-69 .. 53 38 41-15 Bluff to London .. .. 40 35 36-29 .. 45 38 40-96 .. 45 38 40-62 The several subsidised mail sea-services, the subsidy payments for the year 1897, the dates when established, and the date on which each terminates are shown as follows :—

* Minimum subsidy for year, £7,500; contract service less than one month in existence on 31st December, 1897. Money-orders. Eighteen money-order offices were opened during the year—namely, Cabbage Bay, Courtenay Place, Glentunnel, Hornby, Hukanui, Kaihu, Kaiwaka, Lovell's Plat, Mangaonoho, Mangatainoka, Nightcaps, Okupu, Otaihape, Paraparaumu, Te Mata, Thorpe, Waikino, Waituna West. One office —Mauku—was closed. The number of offices open at the end of the year was 396, as against 379 twelve months previously. 293,659 orders were issued for £970,830 14s. lid., as compared with 269,566 for £902,159 15s. 7d. in 1896—anincrease of 24,093 in number, and £68,670 19s. 4d. 215,240 orders, amounting to £837,208 14s. Bd., were paid, as against 203,084 for £794,309 os. 6d. during 1896—an increase of 12,156 orders, and £42,899 14s. 2d. The number of telegraph money-orders issued was 33,601, for £113,584 17s. Bd., as compared with 30,860, for £113,617 16s. lOd. in 1896 —an increase of 2,741 orders, but a decrease in amount of £32 19s. 2d. 99,792 orders, for £208,238 4s. Bd., were issued on the United Kingdom, Australian Colonies, and other places beyond New Zealand. 2,1,492 orders, for £75,343 12s. 2d., were issued at places beyond New Zealand for payment in the colony. The commission received for money-orders amounted to £13,835 15s. 4d., as compared with £12,671 6s. 7d. received in 1896. A direct exchange of money-orders with Fiji was arranged as from Ist March last. Postal Notes. The sale of postal notes was extended to the following offices:—Burnett's Face, Courtenay Place, Gladstone, Glentunnel, Hukanui, Lovell's Flat, Mangaonoho, Okupu, Otaihape, Paraparaumu, Bakaunui, Tauhoa, Te Mata, Tokatea, and Te Whariki.

Service. Duratioi Annual Subsidy or Payment. when established. of Service. When terminated or terminable. Number of Voyages per Annum. Mileage for Complete Voyage. Cost per Mile. Auckland and San Francisco Wellington and Vancouver Auckland and Fiji Auckland and South Pacific Islands Auckland and Devonport .. Auckland and Great Barrier Dargaville and Tangihua .. Helensville and Matakohe Helensville and Dargaville Horeke, Kohukohu, Rawene, Waitapu, and Opononi lussell and Opua iVhangaroa and Totara North Wellington, Ketu Bay, Maud Island, Maori Bay, Homewood, and Havelock .. kelson, Motueka, Totaranui, Takaka, and Collingwood .. iVestport and Karamea .. iVestport and Little Wanganui Hokitika, Okarito, Bruce Bay, Paringa, Haast River, Okuru, Waitoto, and Jackson's Bay jyttelton and Chatham Islands 31uff and Half-moon Bay Bluff, Te Oneroa, and Crornarty !nterprovincial service in connection with San Francisco line £ s. d. 7,622 19 4 7,500 0 0* 1,690 0 0 1,200 0 0 60 0 0 250 0 0 75 0 0 I 500 0 0 I 148 10 0 90 0 0 25 0 0 [ 180 0 0 I 125 0 0 J 200 0 0 1 600 0 0 April, 1871 Dec, 1897 June, 1880 June, 1885 Aug., 1863 Oct., 1891 Nov., 1893 Jan., 1881 Jan., 1889 Jan., 1889 Jan., 1891 Mar., 1899 Mar., 1899 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 13 13 13 12 939 52 52 . f 52 1 104 52 104 52 ll,8. r >0 13,320 2,334 6,992 6 120 46 118 1 170 J 48 16 2 s. d. 0 11-88 0 10-40 1 1-37 0 3-43 0 2-56 0 9-62 0 7-53 0 5-04 1 2-28 1 0-98 4 9-69 Dec, 1891 Dec, 1899 26 183 0 9-08 Dec, 1899 52 130 0 4-44 f June, 1886 t Jan., 1895 Dec, 1899 Dec, 1899 26 12 102 ) 82 I 1 1-20 Jan., 1886 Dec, 1899 6 384 5 2-50 300 0 0 300 0 0 360 0 0 July, 1886 April, 1893 Nov., 1886 March, 1899 Dec, 1899 March, 1899 6 52 12 1,050 48 208 0 11-43 2 4-85 2 10-62 1 3,000 0 0 I Nov., 1897 13