I

1904. NEW ZEALAND.

POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR 1903.

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

My Lord, — General Post Office, Wellington, 25th June, 1904. I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the Beport of the Post and Telegraph Department for the year 1903, 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, J. G. Waed, Postmaster-General and Electric Telegraph Commissioner. His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand.

EEPOKT. The revenue and expenditure of the Department for the year are shown in the following table:—

The business of the Department continues to expand beyond expectations. For the year just closed it had been estimated that the revenue would exceed that of the previous year by £17,000, but, as the result of the general prosperity of the colony, the increase amounted to over

i—F. 1.

Item. Postal. Telegraph. Total. Receipts. £ s. d. 290,016 10 54 20,990 7 0| 787 5 1 7,515 3 4 23,897 13 7 £ s. d. £ s. d. 290,016 10 54 20,990 7 0J 787 5 1 7,515 3 4 27,935 18 8 162,497 13 74 71,028 6 3 Stamps for postage Money-order and postal-note commission Money-order commission received from foreign offices Private box and bag fees Miscellaneous receipts Paid telegrams Telephone exchanges 4,038 5 1 162,497 13 7j| 71,028 6 3 Balance of expenditure over revenue (Telegraph) 343,206 19 6 237,564 4 114 18,298 16 24 580,771 4 54 Totals £343,206 19 6 £255,863 1 2 [£580,771 4 54 Expenditure. Salaries (classified officers) Salaries (country Postmasters and telephonists and contributions to railway officers) 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 subsidy £ s. d. 95,624 2 7 18,567 1 2 54,765 0 11 50,408 15 2 20,104 5 7 2,246 16 9 £ s. d. 168,012 4 0 23,868 0 10 £ s. d. 263,636 6 7 42,435 2 0 54,765 0 11 50,408 15 2 20,104 5 7 2,246 16 9 27,890 1 11 55,202 13 11 10,057 11 7 29,167 11 1 27,890 1 11 26,035 2 10 10,057 11 7 Balance of revenue over expenditure (Postal) .. „ „ (combined Department) 270,883 13 3 72,323 6 3 255,863 1 2 526,746 14 5 54,02410 04 Totals £343,206 19 6 £255,863 1 2 ,£580,771 4 54