SC4

THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — NEW ZEALAND

Receipts of Post and Telegraph Department for year ended March 31, 1912, 1,087,711^, working expenses, 988,912Z, The officials numbered 7,258 on March 31, 1912.

The telegraph system is Governmental, On March 31, 1912, there were 11.805 miles of line and 39,370 of wire. Number of telegrams despatched during the year, 9,063,133, 8,971,725 being private and Press. The telephone (Governmental) is very generally used. The telegraph and telephone revenue for the year 1911-12 was 474,458Z.

Money and Credit.

There were, in December, 1911, five banks of issue doing business. Two of these were wholly New Zealand institutions, having a paid-up capital of 1,000,000Z., besides which the Bank of New Zealand has 1,000,000Z. of 4 per cent, guaranteed stock. The total average liabilities for 1911, in respect of New Zealand transactions, were 28,625,803Z., and the average assets 29,433, 614Z. The average amount on deposit was 26, 765,122Z. The value of the notes in circulation was 1,677,842^.

Post-office and private savings-bank business :—

Years

1908 1909 1910 1911

No. of Savings Banks

598 624 652 692

No. of Depositors

388,945 408,770 432,119

459,602

Amounts Deposited

10,798,585 10,779,855 12,047,275 13,047,689

Amounts Withdrawn

10,539,105 10,668,974 10,965,488 11,999,632

Aiuounts on

Deposit at End

of Year

13,512,260 14,065,410 15,620,515 17,194,461

Attached to New Zealand are the following islands :

Auckland Islands, 50° 31' S., 166° 19' E., 200 miles S. of Stewart Island. Area of largest about 330 square miles. Uninhabited. The New Zealand Government maintains a depot of provisions and clothing for the use of shipwrecked mariners on the largest island of the group.

Chatham Islands, 43° 50' S., 177° W., 536 miles E. of New Zealand. Area 375 square miles ; population (April, 1911) 453 (234 Europeans and 219 Maoris and Morioris).

The Cook and other South Pacific Islands were annexed to New Zealand inJune, 1901. They lie between 8° and23° S. lat., 157° and 170°W. long. The Cook Islands and the other islands with their population (1911) are as follows:-

Cook Islands- Population

Other Islands — l

Population

Rarotonga

2,759

Nine (Savage Is.) .

3,943

Mangaia .

1,471

Palmerston Is.

107

Atiu ....

812

Penrhyn (Tongareva)

335

Aitutaki ....

1,237

Manahiki

444

Mauke (Parry Is.) .

457

Rakaanga

315

Mitiaro .

199

Danger (Pukapuka) .

490

Hervey Islands

29

Total

Total

6,964

5,634

Total area of the Cook and other islands about 280 square miles.

Rarotonga is 20 miles in circumference ; Vatiu, or Atiu, 20 miles; Aitutaki, 21 miles ; Niue (or Savage Island), 40 miles. Laws for the Cook Islands have been made since 1890 by a general Legislature, and are administered by an Executive Council of which the Arikis, or native Kings and Queens, are

members. At Rarotonga there is a British Resident whose approval is