F.—l

XIX

Eecbipts and Payments on Account of the San Fkancisco, Pbninsulae and Oeiental, and Oeient Mail-services for the Year 1903. San Francisco Service. De. £ s. a. £ s. a. s s. a. Payments by weight— On mails from New Zealand ... ... ... 19,366 8 9 On mails from Fiji ... ... ... ... 45 1 8 19,411 10 5 Interprovincial service, mail agents, &c. ... ... ... 5,352 0 10 m •, , (San Francisco to New York ... ... 4,300 7 5 Trans lt charges { New York tQ Queenstowa 1,822 10 9 30,886 9 5 Ce. Postages collected in the colony ... ... ... ... 16,044 18 10 Contributions from Fiji... ... ... ... ... 45 1 8 16,090 0 6 Net cost to the colony .. ... ... ... £14,796 811 1,190,865 letters and post-cards, 658,840 books, and 1,298,836 newspapers were received from, and 1,254,725 letters and post-cards, 219,919 books, and 860,708 newspapers were despatched to, the United Kingdom via San Francisco. The average time within which mails were delivered by the San Francisco service was— From Auckland to London, 30-22 days, as against 30-61 days in 1902 ; and from London to Auckland, 30'47 days, as compared with 30-94 days in the previous year. The shortest delivery was made in 28 days. Peninsular and Oriental and Orient Lines (Federal Mail-service). De. £ s. a. £ s. a. Payments to P. and O. and Orient lines ... ... 4,030 12 9 Transit charges across Australia ... ... ... 169 19 0 Transit charges across Europe ... ... ... 411 210 Gratuities (to and from Australia) ... ... ... 1,912 5 11 6,524 0 6 Ce. Postages collected in the colony ... ... ... 2,155 15 8 Postages, &c, from London and foreign offices ... 1,402 16 0 3,558 11 8 Net cost to the colony .. ... ... £2,965 810 The number of letters and post-cards, books, and newspapers conveyed from and to the United Kingdom by the Peninsular and Oriental and Orient packets were : Eeceived—962,24l letters and post-cards, 429,765 books, and 1,764,478 newspapers ; despatched —168,489 letters and post-cards, 23,271 books, and 106,226 newspapers. The maximum, minimum, and average number of days within which the mails were delivered at and from London and Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Bluff during 1903 by the San Francisco service and by the Peninsular and Oriental and Orient lines was : — San Francisco Service. P. and O. Line. Orient Line. Max. Min. Average. Max. Min. Average. Max. Min. Average. Lonaon to Aucklana .. 32 30 30-47 .. 42 37 37-62 .. 42 37 38-81 Auckland to Lonaon .. 33 28 30-22 .. 42 37 40-04 .. 43 40 41-38 London to Wellington .. 34 31 31-65 .. 40 38 38-92 .. 41 39 39-46 Wellington to Lonaon .. 34 29 31-22 .. 44 36 41-04 .. '45 37 42-04 London to Duneain.. .. 35 32 32-76 .. 40 38 38-94 .. 40 39 39-25 Dunedin to London.. .. 36 31 33-22 .. 43 40 40-79 .. 44 40 42-02 London to Blufi .. .. 36 33 33-51 .. 39 37 38-19 .. 39 38 38-50 Bluff to London .. .. 37 32 33-97 .. 42 39 40-04 .. 43 39 41-27