F.-l

XI

Missing Letters. 889 inquiries for letters and 595 for other articles alleged to have been posted and not delivered were made during 1898. In 420 of the inquiries for letters and 340 for other articles—over onehalf the total number—the investigations by the department resulted in the missing articles being traced. These may be summarised as follows : — Number of " Traced " Cases. Letters. Other Articles. Pound to have been 43 35 ... Missent, misdelivered, or otherwise delayed through fault of Post Office. 40 32 ... Delayed in delivery through fault of addressees. 25 20 ... Not posted. 36 30 ... Posted later than advised ; forwarded by slower routes than letters of advice, &c. 77 63 ... Defectively or wrongly addressed. 47 39 ... Mislaid or lost after delivery. 17 13 ... Eeturned through Dead-letter Office as unclaimed, &c. 135 108 ... Delivered. Eeason for inquiry not given, but probably in most cases omission by addressees to acknowledge receipt. 420 340

Registered Letters. The number of registered articles dealt with in 1898, compared with the numbers in 1890, 1895, and 1897, is shown below: —

From the 24th October last the Postmaster-General assumed liability up to £2 for the loss of any inland registered letter or registered letter from any country with which New Zealand has a reciprocal agreement as to indemnities. Inland Mail-services, Beyond occasional stoppages" on account of flooded rivers on the west coast of the Middle Island, on the Springfield-Kumara Eoad, and in the Napier district, inland mail-communication has been well carried out by the several contractors. The duties imposed by law on the masters of vessels in regard to mails have been satisfactorily undertaken, the only exception of consequence being the failure of the master of a steamer to give notice of his intended departure, with the result that mails were delayed. As a warning the master was prosecuted under the Post Office Act, and a penalty inflicted. In a few cases it has been necessary to administer cautions for the careless handling of mails. As the general contracts expire at the end of the current year, tenders will shortly be called for their renewal for the three years ending on the 31st December, 1902. In framing the list of services for the triennium, provision will bo made for the establishing of mail-lines to meet the progress of settlement, and the frequency of the existing services will be increased or an acceleration proposed whenever the circumstances warrant such a course. After lengthy negotiations a contract has been let for a mail-service between Taupo and Tokaanu by steam-vessel. The contractor is under bond to commence running on the Ist November next, and to provide a steamer capable of maintaining a speed of ten knots an hour, and of carrying fifty passengers. This service should serve to popularise the tourist route between Wanganui and the hot lakes. The payment is to be £200 per annum for a period of five years. From the Ist December the express trains between Wellington and New Plymouth comnienced running in both directions four times a week instead of twice a week, and at the same time the Union Steam Ship and Northern Steamship Companies rearranged their time-tables to insure con-

1890. 1895. 1897. 1898. Postal Districts. From T>~ p i. Cofony. Colon yTotals, beyond ter t l d B ln Colony. °ol»rTotals. From Places beyond the Colony. Eegistovodili the Colony. Totals. From Places beyond the Colony. Registered in the Colony. Totals. Auckland Chamea .. j(ew Plymouth jisborne .. Napier iVanganui Wellington kelson tVestport .. jreymouth rlokitika .. Blenheim jhristchuroh Cimaru )amaru .. Dunedin .. [nvercargill 7,119 130 341 118 999 211 6,129 322 112 102 95 92 3,659 312 278 4,615 1,740 26,374 34,398 4,781 3,372 2,120 10,911 6 t 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 11,042 226 505 228 1,195 397 10,055 1,239 194 365 206 ' 120 4,465 1,510 1,252 5,520 2,579 47,350 7,955 8,576 3,812 16,917 16,300 50,900 6,956 4,409 4,989 3,624 4,447 28,302 4,514 2,569 28,188 14,507 58,392 8,181 9,081 4,040 18,112 16,697 60,955 8,195 4,603 5,354 3,830 4,567 32,767 6,024 3,821 33,708 17,086 12,517 206 830 231 1,379 1,484 11,594 610 196 425 74 66 4,687 232 109 7,392 3,220 62,903 18,038 14,246 4,850 19,545 17,801 54,235 10,279 5,472 6,496 3,444 4,318 53,212 5,478 4,197 37,322 17,866 75,420 18,244 15,076 5,081 20,924 19,285 65,829 10,889 5,668 6,921 3,518 4,384 57,899 5,710 4,306 44,714 21,086 13,891 289 1,031 232 948 1,584 13,107 709 179 540 60 68 5,371 507 170 6,352 3,357 94,138 16,654 15,003 5,034 18,853 18,569 69,297 10,270 7,100 7,300 3,586 4,397 54,528 6,737 5,040 33,522 19,740 108,029 16,943 16,034 5,266 19,801 20,153 82,404 10,979 7,279 7,900 3,646 4,465 59,899 7,244 5,210 39,874 23,097 Totals 169,321 195,695 41,098 254,315 295,413 45,252 339,702 384,954 48,395 389,828 488,228