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Machine Accounting The introduction of accounting-machines for posting the ledgers at most of the principal Savings-bank offices was a notable achievement during the year. Except for Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, the work has been completed. Although the work of converting the manual ledgers to the mechanized system was a heavy task, it was accomplished successfully and without inconvenience to depositors. The machines will facilitate the accounting work in the Savings-bank and will enable a reduction to be effected in overtime payments. Deposits, Withdrawals, and Interest Deposits lodged in the Post Office Savings-bank during the year amounted to £72,553,414, and withdrawals to £68,660,458, an excess of deposits over withdrawals of £3,892,956. The amount at the credit of depositors at the close of the year was £148,442,304, the interest accruing to depositors being £3,307,081. (See also Tables Nos. 8 and 9 in Appendix.) MONEY-ORDERS, POSTAL NOTES, AND BRITISH POSTAL ORDERS In the following table the number and value of money-orders issued, postal notes sold, and British postal orders sold and paid during the year is shown : Number. Value. £ Money-orders .. .. .. 917,290 10,804,314 Postal notes .. .. .. 2,464,783 1,071,613 British postal orders sold .. .. 32,816 11,593 British postal orders paid .. .. 38,557 29,757 MISCELLANEOUS BUILDINGS AND LAND The Department's main building operations, in common with those of other interests throughout New Zealand, continue to be severely restricted by the shortage of materials and labour, and consequently little headway is being made with the major items on the extensive departmental building programme. The only sizeable structure in permanent materials completed during the year was the Karori automatic-exchange building, while the large permanent buildings under construction at the end of the year were only three in number—namely, the Balclutha, Feilding, and Te Kuiti Post-offices. The Te Kuiti Post-office is nearing completion, but the Feilding and Balclutha buildings are not expected to be ready until some time in 1949. Although progress on buildings in permanent materials was unavoidably disappointing, very satisfactory progress was made with jobs that were not affected by the shortage of such vital materials as cement and steel. In addition to carrying out routine maintenance on a good proportion of the large number of departmentally owned buildings, the Department was able, mainly by utilizing surplus Defence buildings, to provide urgently needed improved accommodation for post-office and other departmental purposes, as well as a great deal of temporary living-accommodation for officers. Additions and alterations were made to thirteen post-offices, while seven new post-offices were constructed entirely from ex-Service buildings. Three workshops and line depot buildings were provided in the same manner. At the close of the year fourteen jobs of a like nature were under wav.

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