F.—l

XIX

Statement showing the Progress of the Post-Office Savings-Banks during the Decennial Periods ended 1878, 1888, and 1898.

Twenty-three offices were opened during the year for the transaction of savings-bank business —namely, Addison's, Aoroa, Burnett's Pace, Bast Oxford, Ellerslie, Gladstone, Golden Cross, Komata, Mauriceville, Molesworth Street (Wellington), Mount ltoskill, Opitonui, Puhoi, Studholme Junction, Taheke, Tokatea, Waerenga, Waihou, Waikanae, Waituna West, Whananaki, Wharekawa, and Woodend. Two offices were closed—namely, Cape Foul wind and Mokihinui. There were 409 offices open at the end of 1898, as against 388 at the end of the previous year. 37,265 accounts were opened and 26,628 closed, the net gain on the year's working being 10,637 accounts The number of depositors on the 31st December was 169,968, and the proportion of accounts per head of population was one in 4-33, as compared with one in 458 at the end of the previous year. The deposits numbered 281,749, representing £3,279,611 7s. 5d., an average of £11 12s. lOd. per transaction. The withdrawals numbered 196,764, for £3,194,893 16s. 7d., an average of £16 4s. 9d. for each withdrawal. The net amount added to the depositors'savings during the year was therefore £84,717 10s. 10d., plus £128,128 16s. 6d interest earned, making a total of £212,846 7s. 4d. The total amount at credit of depositors increased from £4,744,924 18s. Id. at the close of the previous year to £4,957,771 ss. sd. on the 31st December last, representing a sum equal to £6 14s. Bd. per head of the entire population, and £29 3s. sd. per depositor. Last year the figures were £6 10s. 2d. and £29 15s. 7d. respectively. The interest credited to depositors since the Post-Office Savings-Banks were established in 1867 now amounts to £1,905,875 17s. The cost of working the savings-banks amounted to 0-26 per transaction, or £8,500 for the year. The cost of management per cent, on total amount at credit of depositors was 0-17, or 3s. sd. per £100-—the same as during the previous year. Average number of deposits per day, 1897 ... ... ... ... 874 1898 ... ... ... ... : 921 Increase per cent. ... ... ... ... ... ... 5-38 Average number of withdrawals per day, 1897 ... ... ... 587 1898 ... ... ... 643 Increase per cent. ... ... ... ... ... ... 9-54 Average daily amount deposited, 1897 ... ... ... £10,415 15s. Od. „ ' 1898 £10,717 13s. 7d. '"' : "' Average daily amount withdrawn, 1897 ... ... ... £9,448 ss. 4d. 1898 ... ... ...£10,440 16s. 7d-. TELEGKAPHS. The total value of the telegraph and telephone business for the year ended the 31st March last, including Government telegrams and miscellaneous telegraph receipts, was £170,794 19s. 5d., as compared with £160,725 ss. 2d.—an increase of £10,069 14s. 3d., or 6-27 per cent. The following is a comparison of the business in paid telegrams during the last five years :— Number. Value. 1894-95 ... 1,802,182 £85,388 1895-96 ... 1,899,632 Increase, 5-41 per cent. ... 92,289 Increase, 8-08 per cent. 1896-97 ... 2,285,001 „ 20-29 „ ... 97,453 „ 5-60 1897-98 ... 2,469,415 „ 8-07 „ ... 96,537 Decrease 0-94 „ 1898-99 ... 2,717,548 „■ 1005 „ ...101,104 Increase 4-73 „

Year Number of Offices. ■g n as Amount of Deposits. O « ■§! I 1 Amount of Withdrawals. Amount of Interest credited Depositor. n O o o . <^ O a) o o CO 1 o o o μ-i OJ S a a « ll II; 62 "i O p [fi U ■o -aj >—i CD to U W V o a ■• 8 o ass °S -868 .. ' .878 .. 55 147 13,014 69,908 £ s. d. 194,535 11 6 762,084 12 0 6,365 42,746 £ s. a. 107,094 17 3 742,053 14 3 £ s. d. 4,880 7 3 31,664 12 9 4,252 32,132 . £ s. d. 163,518 15 7 819,071 8 2 3,282 13,005 1,186 9,634 Increase % over 1868 167-27 437-18 291-75 571-58 572-90 548-85 296-25 712 31 655-09 400-91 .888 .. 290 145,355 1,544,747 7 11 96,204 1,387,471 1 10 78,080 6 0 21,307 10,543 84,488 2,048,441 10 9 [ncrease % over 1878 97-28 107-92 102-70 125-06 86-98 146-59 63-84 71-71 162-94 15009 .898 .. 409 281,749 3,279,611 7 5 196,764 3,194,893 16 7 128,128 16 6 37,265 26,628 169,968 4,957,771 S 5 increase % over 1888 41-03 93-84 112-31 104-53 130-27 64-10 74-89 60-96 101-17 142-03