Post and Telegraph Department.

The difficulty of communication, naturally incidental to a newly-settled country like New Zealand, has been well met and mastered by an energetic and able postal organization, aided also by a very efficient telegraph system. In both services the policy has been to charge low rates, so as to give the public the greatest facilities for intercommunication.

The following figures, taken from the last report of the Postmaster-General and Commissioner of Telegraphs, will afford 'an indication of the extent to which these advantages have been made use of by the people.

The total revenue of the department for the year was £284,245, showing an increase of £15,000 on the previous year. Taking into account the sum of £70,830 for official postage, and £20,856 for official telegrams, the gross earnings of the department for the year amounted to no less than £119,433 in excess of the expenditure.