I

1899. NEW ZEALAND.

POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR 1898.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

My Lobd, General Post Office, Wellington, 13th July, 1899. I have the honour to submit to your Excellency the Eeport of the Post and Telegraph Department for the year 1898, with the usual statement of revenue and expenditure to the 31st March last. I have the honour to be "Your Lordship's most obedient servant, E. J. Seddon, Postmaster-General and Electric Telegraph Commissioner. His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand.

BE POET. The remarkable growth of the business of the department during the past few years has beeU well maintained. The rate of increase of letters, books, and newspapers was slightly less than in the previous year, while the rate of increase of letter-cards and post-cards was greater, letter-cards having increased no less than 21-19 per cent., and post-cards 1030 per cent. Telegrams, which in 1897 increased at the rate of 8-07 per cent, in number and decreased 0-94 in value, showed in 1898 a gratifying increase of 10-05 in number and 4-73 in value. The following table shows the revenue and expenditure for the year ended 31st March, 1899 :—

Revenue.

i—F. 1.

Postal. Telegraph. Total. Stamps used for postage (estimated) Money-order and postal-note commission Money-order commission received from foreign offices Private box and bag fees .. ... Miscellaneous receipts Paid telegrams Telephone exchanges 255,000 0 0 17,677 19 2 586 8 8 5,631 0 0 21,580 5 8 £ s. d. 355,000 0 0 17,677 19 2 586 8 8 5,631 0 0 21,580 5 8 £ s. d. £ ' ' 8. d. 255,000 0 0 17,677 19 2 586 8 8 5,631 0 0 26,051 19 4 101,104 12 :4 39,718 7 7 4,471 13 8 101,104 12 4 39,718 7 7 Balance of expenditure over revenue (Telegraph) 300,475 13 6 £300,475 13 6 300,475 13 6 145,294 13 7 29,286 2 10 445,770 7 1 £300,475 13 6 £174,580 16 5 j£445,770 7 1 EXPENDITUKE. Salaries Conveyance of mails by sea Conveyance of inland mails Conveyance of mails by railway Money-order commission credited to foreign offices Maintenance of telegraph-lines Miscellaneous Telegraph cable subsidies 89,225 1 2 50,706 13 2 35,790 16 7 17,067 18 10 1,676 15 0 21,149 7 4 n■* e c≥ 1 g in i 136,142 1 8 ]5,300 2 5 21,710 12 5 1,427 19 11 225,367 2 10 50,706 13 2 35,790 16 7 17,067 18 10 1,676 15 0 15,300 2 5 42,859 19 9 1,427 19 11 Balance of revenue over expenditure (Postal) .. 4 „ (combined department) 215,616 12 1 84,859 1 5 215,616 12 1 84,859 1 5 174,580 16 5 390,197 8 6 55,572 18 7 £300,475 13 6 £174,580 16 5 £445,770 7 1