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post office, in addition to all the services we have, carries 

 on a parcel post business and the rates charged are said to 

 be less than lialf the charges made by our express com- 

 panies for similar services ; and the telegraph and telephone 

 are operated as public utilities by the Government. Mr, 

 Gladstone secured the establishment of the postal savings 

 banks in England in 1861, and four years later New 

 Zealand adopted the new idea, and since then almost every 

 country in the civilized world, except the United States, 

 has followed their example. In New Zealand in 1904 there 

 was a place of bank deposit for each 1,800 people, and the 

 total deposits in all sorts of banks was $140 for each 

 inhabitant as compared with $110 in the United States and 

 $125 in Great Britain. The nation also owns and operates 

 almost all railways. After an experience of over 30 years 

 the statesmen and people of New Zealand, rich and poor, 

 lyiberal and Conservative, are substantially a unit in favor 

 of national railways, and no proposition to turn the rail- 

 roads over to private corporations would stand the slightest 

 chance of acceptance. 



In 1870 a Government I^ife Insurance Department was 

 established. The Department was popular from the start. 

 From the report of 1901 it appeared that there were then in 

 force 42,570 Government policies covering $51,000,000 of 

 insurance, or practically half the whole insurance business 

 of the colony. The government office has beaten the 

 private companies in fair competition. The government 

 bureau employs paid canvassers, has handsome offices and 

 issues attractive and skilfully worded circulars and adver- 

 tisements to invite the patronage of the people. The 

 government rates are lower than the premiums charged by 

 private companies, but the main elements of competition 

 are in the conditions in and behind the insurance. The 

 people prefer the government insurance not only because of 

 its cheapness, but because of its safety— the guarantee of 

 the government behind it and its freedom from all oppres- 



