F.—l

A comparison of the revenue and expenditure year by year for the past ten years is shown in the table below. The figures for 1881-82 —the first year after the amalgamation of the Post Office and Telegraph services—and 1891-92, are also given.

Statement showing Revenue and Expenditure of the Post and Telegraph Department for the Ten Years ended 31st March, 1902, and for the Years 1881-82 and 1891-92.

The balance of revenue over expenditure for last year was £22,816 12s. 6id., as compared with £85,564 2s. 6|d. for 1900-1. Adding the value of the free official correspondence and Government telegrams, there is a credit balance on the year's transactions of £112,466 10s. o^d. The amount payable to the Railway Department for the conveyance of mails was £40,847 75., against which the sum of £30,426 6s. was recovered by this Department for the postage on Eailway correspondence, private-box rents, transmission of Eailway telegrams, and maintenance of Eailway telegraph wires. £9,727 was also contributed by the Post Office on account of the salaries of Eailway officers who also act as Postmasters and telegraphists or telephonists, leaving a balance in favour of the Eailway Department of £20,148. 48,370,816 letters were posted, equal to 62-18 letters to each head of the population, an increase of 12,185,771. The percentage of letters to each head of the population is believed to be the highest in the world. The total increase on all letters dealt with was 12,881,969. The number of forwarded telegrams of all codes was 4,167,981, an increase of 269,853. 74 post-offices were established (including 6 reopened). The number of post-offices open at the close of the year was 1,739. 405,967 money-orders, for £1,286,508 Is. 10d., were issued ; and 283,611 orders, representing £1,108,399 6s. 2d., paid. 556,316 postal notes, of the value of £173,317 55., were sold. £4,611,456 6s. Id. was deposited in the Post-Office Savings-banks, and £4,230,193 6s. 2d withdrawn. The total amount to credit of depositors on the 31st December last was £6,350,013 9s. 2d., as compared with £5,809,552 ss. 3d. at the close of the previous year. 1,067 inland-mail services (excluding services by railway) were in operation during the year. At the close of the year there were 7,469 miles of telegraph-line, and 21,705 miles of wire. The net expenditure on telegraph construction was £31,728 16s. 2d. There were 9,260 telephone-exchange connections on the 31st March last. The subscriptions received amounted to £55,542 4s. 9d.

II

Item. 'ostal legrsp" Expenditure. 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 £ s. d. 104,120 0 0 61,471 18 3 42,966 8 5 37,318 8 4 1,939 7 5 £ f. d. £ s. d. 157,057 0 0 261,177 0 0 . 61,471 18 3 42,366 3 5 17,318 8 4 1,939 7 5 25,878 13 0 25,878 13 0 29,245 3 0 54,770 4 0 234 15 0 I 234 15 0 25,525 1 0 Balance of revenue over expenditure (Postal) .. , „ (combined Department) 253,340 IS 5 27,755 18 104 212,415 11 0 I 465,756 9 5 '.'. 22,816 12 6$ Totals £281,096 17 3£ £212,415 11 0 £488,573 1 11J

Year. Rovenue. Expenditure. Balance of Revenue over Expenditure. 234,529 s. a. 8 0 £ s. 233,291 10 a. 4 £ s. d. 1,237 17 8 1881-82 1891-92 320,058 1 3 268,343 1 1 51,715 0 2 1892-93 1893-94 1894-95 1895-96 1896-97 1897-98 1898-99 1899-1900 1900-1901 1901-1902 318,758 10 4 344,676 12 3 357,449 14 9 365,727 6 5 392,117 1 0 408,383 15 3 445,770 7 1 488,245 16 4 503,835 19 54 488,573 1 111 278,394 9 1 293,704 7 3 299,971 1 4 332,325 4 8 353,699 14 5 364,403 3 1 390,197 8 6 390,448 1 7 418,271 16 11 465,756 9 5 40,364 1 50,972 5 57,478 13 33,402 1 38,417 6 43,980 12 55,572 18 97,797 14 85,564 2 22,816 12 3 0 5 9 7 2 7 9 6* 64 Total for ten years £526,366 8- 7