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Amounts Withdrawn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
