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DISCOUNT-STAMPS. Owing to the lack of demand, discount-stamps (which were created under the Trading-stamps Abolition and Discount-stamps Issue Act, 1900) were withdrawn from sale at the 31st March, 1926. The redemption of such stamps is, however, being continued until the 31st March, 1927. PARCEL-POST. Insured Parcel-post to the Dominion op Canada and Fiji. On the 21st October, 1925, a system of exchange of insured parcels was inaugurated between New Zealand and the Dominion of Canada. The maximum amount for which any one parcel may be insured is £20. In the case of insured parcels posted in Canada for New Zealand the Administration of Canada is responsible for loss, damage, or abstraction of contents up to the point at which the parcels are delivered into the custody of the Administration of New Zealand. In the case of insured parcels in the reverse direction New Zealand assumes liability up to the point at which the parcels are delivered into the custody of the Administration of Canada. In response to a request received from the Post Office of Fiji the Department agreed to the introduction in the New Zealand - Fiji parcel-post service of a system of insurance for parcels. The system will operate from the Ist July, 1926. Responsibility for damage is to be allocated as in the case of the New Zealand - Canada insured-parcel service. Cash-on-delivery Service to Fiji. The Department has agreed also to the introduction between New Zealand and Fiji of a cash-on-delivery service for post parcels. It is considered that this step will prove of benefit to traders in New Zealand. The cash-on-delivery service has not yet come into operation. Customs Parcels. The following table shows the declared value of goods received by parcel-post from abroad and the Customs duty thereon ; also the declared value of goods despatched by j)arcel-post. The figures for the years 1925 and 1924 are shown in each case. 1925. 1924. £ s. d. £ s. d. Declared value of received parcels .. 1,492,300 0 0 1,333,745 0 0 Customs duty .. .. .. 311,055 19 7 277,467 16 7 Declared value of forwarded parcels .. 76,980 0 0 75,572 0 0 "INSURED BOX" SERVICE. On the Ist December, 1925, the " insured box " service, which has long been in operation between Great Britain and certain other countries, was introduced between Great Britain and New Zealand. The service provides for the conveyance by letter-mail of articles of gold or silver, precious stones, jewellery, and other articles of a like nature which are prohibited transmission by the ordinary insured-letter service. Prior to the introduction of the " insured box " service such articles could be forwarded only by parcel-post. An "insured box " must not exceed in weight 2 lb., in length 12 in., and in breadth or depth 4 in. For packing, a strong wooden or metal box must be used. The postage is 2d. an ounce, with a minimum charge of Iod., plus an insurance fee of Bd. for the first £12 of insured value and sd. for each additional £12 of insured value. The limit of insurance is £400. POSTAL NOTES. The popularity ol the method of remitting small sums to places within the Dominion by means of postal notes is ever increasing. Postal-note business again shows a decided increase, the sales for the year ended 31st March, 1926, being 3,040,722, of a total value of £922,873, an increase over the previous year of 194,389 in numbers and £62,844 in value. The commission totalled £20,754 3s. 4d., an increase of £1,283 7s. sd. on that earned in the year 1924-25. BRITISH POSTAL ORDERS. The sale of British postal orders also shows a marked increase : 136,763 orders, of a value of £78,030 lis. 4d., were sold, as against 132,348 orders, of a value of £75,554, sold during the previous year. The number of orders paid was 30,248, of a value of £17,666, as against 27,168, of a value of £16,135, paid during the previous year. TELEGRAPH AND TOLL SERVICES. DIRECT TELEGRAPH CIRCUITS BETWEEN ATHLETIC PARK, WELLINGTON, AND EDEN PARK, AUCKLAND. A direct Morse circuit between Athletic Park, Wellington, and Eden Park, Auckland, was provided on the 12th, 19th, and 26th September, 1925, to enable scores in the Hawke's Bay - Auckland Rugby Football Match (at Auckland) and the Wellington - Otago match (at Wellington) on the 12th, the New South Wales - New Zealand match (at Auckland) and the Wairarapa-Wellington match (at Wellington) on the 19th, and the Wellington-Auckland match (at Auckland) and the WellingtonManawatu match (at Wellington) on the 26th to be exchanged as soon as they occurred. In addition, individual, half-time, and final scores in the Auckland - Hawke's Bay match (at Auckland) and the Poverty Bay - New South Wales match (at Gisborne) on the 12th, the TaranakiAuckland match (at New Plymouth), and the Wanganui-Otago match (at Dunedin) on the 19th, and

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