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floor is occupied by the staffs of the Controllei of Money-orders unci Savings-banks and the Chief Accountant. Magneta clocks, controlled by fcwo master-clocks, are installed throughout the building. Four electric lifts and Lamson pneumatic carriers are provided. The cost of the building (exclusive of foundations) was £97.000. The furniture for the building was manufactured in the Department's workshops. A feature in the design of the building is the allegorical group of statuary over the main porch representing the "Girdled Earth," designed by -Mr. Alfred Drury, A.H.A.. flanked by figures, one representing " Letter-delivery," and the other " Telegraphy." New Chief Post-office, Auckland. The new chief post-office building at Auckland was opened by the Prime Minister on the 20th November, 1912. The building is in the style of English Renaissance, and has a frontage of 180 ft. by 140 ft. depth. The design somewhat resembles that of the General Post Office. The material used in the construction of the building is Coromandel granite, with Oamaru stone front. On the flat roof there is erected a wireless-telegraph station. The contract price of the building was £95,000. Buildings. The other new offices officially opened were: Clive, Kaitangata, Kaiwarawara, Kavakawa, Ohura, Otane, Pleasant Point, Waihou, and Westport. The following offices were transferred to departmental new buildings : Awakino, Balfour, (iianitv. Hawea Flat, Kawakawa, Matamata, Murchison, Ohura, Ponsonby, Ravensbourne, Sydenham, Westport, and Whangamomona. Sites have been purchased at Awanui, Bombay, Brooklyn, Dargaville, Hataitai, Henderson, Island Bay, Khandallah, Kilbirnie, Kimbolton, Middlemarch, Miramar, New Lynn, Ohaupo. Oxford. Raglan, Ross, St. Clair, St. John's, Spring Creek, Takapuna, Waiuku, and Worser Bay. During the year buildings were erected at Awakino, Balfour, Canvastown, Clive, Hawea Flat, Kaeo, Kaitangata, Kaiwarawara, Kawakawa, Matamata. Murchison, Ohura, Opotiki, Otane, Pleasant Point, Ponsonby, Putaruru, Ravensbourne, Sydenham. Takaka (residence), Te Aroha, Waiau (lineman's cottage), Waihou, Westport, Whangamomona. Contracts have been let for buildings at Gore (restoration of building) and Tokaanu. Buildings are in course of erection at Kaikohe, Kaitaia, Papakura. Roxburgh, Timaru (clock). Wellington (bulk store). The post-office at Kimbolton was destroyed by fire on the 13th May, 1013. All records and mailmatter were saved. The post-office, at Okoroire was destroyed by fire on the 30th May, 1912. On the 22nd February, 1913, the Town of Westport was much shaken by a heavy earthquake, which damaged several buildings. The new post-office was considerably cracked in several places. Lamson pneumatic carriers have been installed between the old and the new post-office buildings in Auckland City. The tubes are in underground pipes. MoNKY-ORDERS. During the year then' were 10 money-order offices opened and '2 dosed, the number remaining open ai the end of the year being 742. 666.425 money-orders were issued, for £3,231.319 Ms. 6d., as compared with 607,764 Eor £2,759,393 Bs. sd. for the previous year- an increase of 58,661 in number and £471,956 'is. Id. in amount . 536.130 money-orders, amounting bo £2,870,523 Is. Bd., were paid, as against 483,043 for £2,416,958 15s. LOd., during 1911- an increase of 53.087 orders and £463,564 ss. Kid. in i m. 173,080 orders, for £528,880 ss. lid., were drawn Eor payment in places beyond New Zealand. 13. 161 orders, for £173,574 2s. Id., were issued at ofliees abroad for payment in Xew Zealand. The commission received for money-orders amounted to £16.398 16s. 2d.. as against £15.307 7s. 7d. lor 191 I. an increase of £1,091 Bs. 7d. Postal Notes. Fifty-two offices were opened and 7 closed, leaving 91 I postal-note offices at the end of the year. 1.970,643 notes, representing a value of £636,473 os. 6d., were sold, as against 1,821.566 notes. tor £571.979 18s. 6d., sold during the previous year —an increase of 8-18 per cent, in number and 10-69 per cent, in value. The postal notes paid numbered 1,957,576, of the value of £624,086 125.. as compared with 1.81 1,096. of the value of £572,112 165., paid during 191M2. The postal-note commission amounted to £9.029 195.. as against £8,329 13s. 2d. —an increase of £700 ss. lOd., or 8-40 per cent. British Postal Orders. 100,661 orders, representing a value of £51,651 19s. 7d., have been sold, and 24,405, for £15,681 Is. Gd., paid. An extended table of the transactions is printed in Table 5. There was an increase of 13-71 per cent, in the number and 13-05 per cent, in the amount of postal orders sold during the year, and 4-16 per cent, in the number paid.

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