Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-26
Bv w D. ROYCE.

of the three lines Of business
- which the government of the Do
minion Of New Zealand runs in COM
petition with private enterprise. In
this article I shall tell you of the
things which the government oper-
ates as state monopolies. These are
the postofice department, the rail-
roads, telegraphs and telephones and
radio wireless. All methods of COM
munication are under control of the
postal department, and have found
it most efficiently conducted.
I have called it the postal department.
Those in charge Of it much prefer that II
be called a service" on the grounds that
its many ramifcations, or branches,
make il the most useful organization in
the country Evidently the people think
so. too, for they make much use Of their
postal service and it does a business OF
around 100000 a year on which 1t
makes q profit for the Government OF /
81 $50 600 In other words, an average Of
IS year is spent with the POstOffice
Department for every person in the
Dominion.
OF the 1850 postoffices in the Domin-
commercial banks for the public and for
the Government. More than 10000 ac-
counts are carried in the postal savings
bank with an average balance Of $3.50.
Twenty-Five cents is the smallest amount
which viii be received for deposit but
interest is paid only on sums amounting
to IS or over Interest on sums running
up to $500 may run as high as per
cent while not more than 4 per cent is
paid on sums between $500 and 5000.
Deposits above $1,000 do not draw inter- |
est How the public regards the post
office savings bank is shown ny the fact
that it has deposits ten times as great
as those placed In the five savings banks |
Of the Dominion which are not Govern |
ment operated.
The money which is received by the
savings bank Of the postoffice is invested
IN high-class securities. The bank does
no dealing in any way with land. neither
does 1t put any money in commercial
ventures Of its own. Virtually every de-
partment of the Dominion Government
deposits money with the Postoffice De-
partment and makes payments through
out the Dominion thrOughthe postoffice.
This is particularly gratifying to the
person who has q small bill, less than
S25. against the Government. The post
office pays the bill without lot Of red
tape and charges il to-the account OF the
department for which the work was done.
On the other hand, the POstoffice De-
partment also collects for the other
branches Of the Government. These col
Iections include the issuing Of fishing
and hunting licenses. the receiving of
premiums for the Government insurance
departments and the collection Of fees Of
all kinds. Pensions of all kinds are paid
through the postoffices.
ALSO HELP FLOAT
AND DELIVER BONDS.
When the dominion government wishes
to float loans and sell the bonds to the
people the postofice viii receive the ap-
plications and later deliver the bonds
Having sold bonds, the postof1ce will go
further and will rent safety deposit
boxes in which to keep them or any
other valuabIes. These boxes are to be
found at almost all Of the eight hundred
money order Offices.
Government statistics are obtained
through the postofice department. too.
The population census and figures of the
various stocks Of coal, oil and so on are
ell taken by postal employees.
Mail collections and delivery in the
cities is very frequent and thorough and
rural free delivery is being extended The
rural carrier in New Zealand usually
rides a motorcycle.
Parcels post packages are carried and
delivered IN to twenty-eight pounds in
weight within the dominion to places
reached by railroad OF steamer and pack
ages weighing up 10 eleven pounds TO
most Of the foreign countries. Money or
dsrs are issued and paid on both the
dominion and foreign countries.
Telegraph lines were first opened in
New Zealand by the provincial govern
ments, which were in operation in 1858
and later the dominion government took
over both Of them and a private line IN
Dunedin and began to extend the lines
to all parts of the North and South
Islands There are some 1900 miles of
telegraph lines and the rural telephone,
lines, which are an extension of the teie-
graph service. Telegraph Offices are To-
Gated in all Of the postofflces Of any size
and the rates throughout the whole Of
New Zealand are about ? cents a word.
Telephone service is on the verge o.
great development In New Zealand. Even
in a country only a thousand miles long
where mail can be sent from one end to
the other and delivered In slightly more
than two days. there has developed a de
mand for personal communication by
long distance telephone which is being
met by the government in the rapid
extension Of its $4,000 miles Of wire
In the large centers of population auto
matte telephones are being installed t.
replace the obsolete crank system which
Is generally employed. There now are
seventy five central exchanges and 240
sub-exehanges. through which connec-
tons can be made with 10000 telephones
In the big cities the overhead wires are
giving way to underground circuits.
PUBLIC TELEPHONE
BOOTHS MAINTAINED.
There is little telephoning from the
corner drug store in New Zealand, foT
the government has installed booths on
the street in all the principal towns
both in the downtown and the suburban
7 sections, where telephones may be used
at charges running from to cents
call.
Wireless is still in its infancy in tn
dominion, although there are powerful
stations at all the big centers and
smaller stations at all ports. They ars
connected with the telegraph and tele
phone systems so messages intended for
ships at sea or for nearby islands are
sent forward promptly. There is agita-
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