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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: — Value. Number. £ Money-orders . . . . 942,654 10,842,866 Postal notes . . . . 2,483,929 1,106,479 British postal orders sold . . 39,573 15,241 British postal orders paid .. 40,986 31,861 NATIONAL SAYINGS Investments in national savings accounts through the Post Office during the year amounted to £6,133,241, compared with £6,280,060 for the previous year. In addition, £898,878 was saved through trustee savings-banks, against £1,005,363 in 1948. The investments for. the year, including £434,687 from the sale of national savings bonds, totalled £7,466,806.

New accounts were opened as follows: —

There were 434 new savings groups established during the year. (Tables showing (a) the extent of deposits to and withdrawals from national savings accounts for the years 1948 and 1949, and (b) the value of national savings bonds issued and redeemed, appear in the Appendix, Tables Nos. .10 and 11.) TOTAL SAYINGS IN CUSTODY OF POST OFFICE The total savings in the custody of the Post Office at the 31st March, 1949, amounted to £205,805,808, summarized as follows: — Post-office savings-bank accounts (including school savings-bank accounts) . . . . 155,112,945 War gratuity savings-bank accounts . . • .. 11,447,755 National savings investments . . • • 34,696,563 National savings bonds . . . . • • 4,467,294 Post Office Investment Certificates . . . . 81,251 £205,805,808 MISCELLANEOUS BUILDINGS AND LAND The continuing shortage of materials and labour has retarded progress on the Department's building programme. Many of the projected buildings are urgently required to provide for the extension of telephone services and to meet the requirements of expanding post-office business. The only major work

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With the Post Office. With the Trustee Savings-bank. Total of New Accounts. Individual Accounts. Group Accounts. Individual Accounts. Group Accounts. 6,028 13,136 1,552 2,311 23,027