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Postal and Telegraphic Service. 



By S. H. Lambton, Deputy Postmaster-General. 



Perhaps in no Branch of the Public Service have facilities heen more 

 extended during the last decade than in the Postal and Teleo-raph De- 

 partments, nor the extensions more appreciated by the public. Little 

 over 5 years since the postage on letters to different parts of the 

 world beyond Australasia varied from Is, Od. to 6d. the h oz. The 

 action of the Australasian Colonies in joining the Universal Postal 

 Union in October, 1891, resulted, amongst other advantages, in secur- 

 ing a uniform rate to all parts of the world, of 2^d. per ^-oz. letter. 

 The passing of an amended Postal Act in 1893 enabled the Depart- 

 ment to bring about many long-desired reforms. The principal of 

 these were an Inland Parcels Post and the Postal Note system, which 

 latter system enables persons to remit small sums — the notes being 

 negotiable at any official and many non-official Post Offices, The 

 success which followed the introduction of these measures is evidenced 

 by the fact that during the j^ear 1894 the revenue from the Inland 

 parcels post was over £16,5()0, the number posted being ol5,21o; 

 whilst the revenue or poundage from postal notes nearly reached, 

 during the same period, the sum of £3/900, 



In addition to the weekly mail service with India, Great Britain, and 

 other parts of the world, carried on Avitli such praise-worthy regularity 

 and efficiency by the P, & 0, and Orient Companies at an annual sub- 

 sidy of £170,000 per annum (£95,000 being paid by the Imperial, and 

 £75,000 by the Australian Post Offices, the latter being apportioned 

 between the Colonies on the basis of population) we have a four- 

 weekly service between Sydney and San Francisco via Auckland, 

 carried on by the Union S.S. Company, and maintained, so far as 

 New South Wales is concerned, at almost a nominal cost — our contribu- 

 tion being £4,000 a year, of which we are recouped by postages to the 

 extent of about £2,100. As the result of a Resolution of the Legisla- 

 tive Assembly in June, 1893, a calendar monthly service between 

 Sydney and Vancouver, carried on by Mr. James Huddart, was subsi- 

 dised for a period of three years to the extent of £10,000 a year, 

 £25,000 a year being conti-ibuted by Canada, 



This line is, however, looked upon more as a means of promoting 

 commercial intercourse between Australia and the Great Dominion of 

 Canada, than as a necessary mail service. 



The average time now occupied by contract on the Suez route, 

 between Sydney and London, is about thirty-four days, the quickest 

 time of transit having been thirty-two days. The average and the 

 quickest time in 1884, were thirty-nine and thirty-four days respec- 

 tively. 



