F.—l

16

Particulars of the purchases made for other Departments under the Stores Control Board Regulations are set out hereunder. The figures for the previous year also are shown

The large increase in the number of requisitions and in the number of purchases is due to the fact that Departments are keeping their stocks at a lower level than has been the practice in the past. As directed by Government, full preference to New Zealand and British manufacturers has been extended, with the result that the value of the articles purchased locally and in Great Britain has increased. Motor-vehicles purchased for other Departments numbered 240 —an increase of eighteen over the number purchased during the preceding year. General contracts for the supply of motor-spirit, kerosene, lubricating-oil, and motor-tires let through the Stores Control Board, resulted in a considerable saving both to the Post Office and to other Departments concerned. In view of the amount of motor-spirit used by Government Departments, it has been found economical to install petrol-pumps at various points. Pumps controlled by the Post and Telegraph Department have already been brought into use in twenty-two cities and towns. The system of purchasing petrol in bulk will be extended from time to time, and it is proposed to install pumps during the year 1927-28 in seven more towns. The saving to the Government as a result of the purchase of motor-spirit in bulk is considerable. MARINE INSURANCE FUND. The value of the stores from countries within the Empire, and from the United States of America, imported under cover of the Marine Insurance Fund, was £238,400. Since the establishment of the Fund on the Ist July, 1925, an unusually large number of claims have been made by the Department. The claims were due to fires that occurred on the s.s. " Kent" and the s.s. " Remuera," a collision between the s.s. "Surrey" and another vessel on the River Thames, the wreck of the s.s. " Port Kembla " at San Salvador, and the striking of a submerged rock on the New Zealand coast by the s.s. " Northumberland." POST OFFICE. ARTICLES DELIVERED. The number of articles delivered in the Dominion, including those received from places overseas, during the year 1926, compared with the number in 1925, was as under : — mofl mor Increase 1926 ' 1925 " Per Cent. Letters .. .. .. 149.881,324 148,160,011 1-16 Post-cards .. .. .. 4,557.568 4,677,034 0-39* Parcels .. .. .. 3,698,400 3,645,057 1-46 All other articles .. .. 86,224,573 80,134,655 7-60 244,361,865 236,616,757 *Decrease. AVERAGE NUMBER OF LETTERS POSTED PER UNIT OF POPULATION. 1926, 109-95 1925, 110-14. NUMBER OF POST-OFFICES IN DOMINION. Offices opened during year, 20; offices closed during year, 41; offices remaining open on 31st December, 1926, 1,999. UNDELIVERABLE POSTAL PACKETS. The following is a comparison of letters and other articles dealt with as undeliverable during the year 1926, compared with those so dealt with during 1925 : —

Value of Items purchased. Year ended Requisitions. Items. — Total. On Indent. Locally. £ £ 1 £ 31st March, 1926 .. 1,548 5,946 32,451 74,154 106,605 31st March, 1927 .. 3,263 13,854 18,095 92,981 111,076

Returned direct t> , , A . , Returned to other n , ■, , ,, t\ + j .OA Returned direct A , ... Returned to other Destroyed to benders , c i Administrations a j • • .i i.- /« j i £ £ to Senders » . » Administrations (Senders unknown m. i Year. ; from Chief frora Dead ft _ from ". 1 from Dead and Contents of Total " Offices ( Special Letter office . Offices (" Spec,al no Value). Request ). Request ). ' I ' I 1 1 Letters. 1926.. 316,578 302,307 52,856 38,011 j 31,496 741,248 1925.. 247,934 | 291,598 54,556 ! 39,091 | 26,308 659,487 Other Articles. 1926.. 201,193 I 10,142 87,987 j 25.156 I .. | 324,478 1925.. 157,543 j 9,211 j 75,377 j _ 24,532 ! 266,663 The proportion of undeliverable letters to the total number of letters delivered was 0'49 per cent, In 1925 the proportion was 0-45 per cent.