F.—l

XXI

The total amount at credit of depositors increased from £5,809,552 5s. 3d. at the close of the previous year to £6,350,013 9s. 2d. on the 31st December last, representing a sum equal to £8 3s. 3d. per head of the entire population, and £29 17s. 10d. per depositor. Last year the figures were £7 10s. 9d. and £29 8s. 7d. respectively. The interest credited to depositors since the Post-Office savings-banks were established in 1867 now amounts to £2,346,161 2s. 8d. , The cost of working the savings-banks amounted to 4-39 pence per transaction, or £11,500 for the year. The cost of management per cent, on total amount at credit of depositors was 0'181 per cent., or 3s. 7d. per £100. Average number of deposits per day, 1900 ... ... ... ... 1,134 1901... ... ... ... 1,244 Increase per cent. ... ... ... ... ... ... 9-7 Average number of withdrawals per day, 1900 ... ... ... 742 1901 ... ... ... 810 Increase per cent. ... ... ... ... ... ... 9-16 Average daily amount deposited, 1900 ... ... .. £13,628 17s. Id. „ ' 1901 ... ... ... £15,070 2s. 4d. Average daily amount withdrawn, 1900 ... ... ... £12,507 17s. lid. 1901 ... ... ... 3s. 2d. TELEGRAPHS. 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 £234,984 2s. 2d., as compared with £222,305 8s. 0|d. —an increase of £12,678 14s. l$d., or 5-7 per cent. The following is a comparison of the traffic in paid telegrams during the last seven years : — Number. Value. 1895-96 ... 1,899,632 £92,289 1896-97 ... 2,285,001 Increase, 20-29 per cent. ... 97,453 Increase, 5-60 per cent. 1897-98 ... 2,469,415 „ 8-07 96,537 Decrease, 0-94 1898-99 ... 2,717,548 „ 10-05 „ ... 101,104 Increase, 4-73 1899-00 ... 3,159,093 „ 16-25 „ ... 114,383 „ 13-13 1900-01 ... 3,534,444 „ 11-88 126,382 „ 10-49 1901-02 ... 3,850,391 „ 8-94 „ ... 141,581 „ 12-03 Telegraph Business. Table showing the number of telegrams forwarded, and the revenue derived therefrom, during the four quarters of the financial years 1900-1 and 1901-2 respectively : —

The number of telegrams of all codes forwarded during last financial year was 4,167,981 —an increase of 269,853, or 6-92 per cent., over 1900-1. The proportion of telegrams per head of population was 533, as compared with 510 the previous year. The number of ordinary telegrams forwarded was 3,046,421, of the value of £107,633 2s. 10d., compared with 2,840,426 for £96,186 os. 6d., in 1900-I—an increase of 205,995 and £11,447 2s. 4d. The urgent telegrams numbered 164,541 of the value of £10,913 2s. 9d.—an increase of 4,113 in number and £363 15s. Bd. in amount. 328,405 Press telegrams, of the value of £13,878 17s. Id., were forwarded in 1901-2, as compared with 275,738, valued at £12,291 17s. 4d., forwarded in 1900-I—an increase of 52,667, or 19-1 per cent., in number, and 12-91 per cent, in value. The value of each Press telegram averaged 10-14 d., as against 10-70 d. in 1900-1. The bureau messages numbered 311,024, of the value of £9,195 9s. 4d., as compared with 257,852, of the value of £7,354 9s. 7d.—an increase of 53,172 in number and £1,840 19s. 9d. in amount.

Quarter. Number of forwa Telegrams ,rc3ed. Increase per Cent. Eevi snue. 1901-2. 2 a — go Year ended 31st March, 1901. Year ended 31st March, 1902. 1900-1. June quarter September quarter December quarter March quarter ... 827,137 793,385 924,231 989,691 951,480 874,759 980,310 1,043,842 1503 10-26 6-07 5-47 & s. d. 29,359 6 10 27,905 3 1\ 32,675 14 2i 36,441 10 4 £ s. 34,983 9 32,333 13 35,773 9 38,490 10 a. 5 2 9 3 19-16 15-87 9-48 5-62 3,534,444 3,850,391 8-94 126,381 14 6 141,581 2 7 12-03