CHRISTMASTIDE TELEGRAMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1010, 28 December 1910, Page 4

CHRISTMASTIDE TELEGRAMS.

PINE TREE BREAKS -.THE WIBES.

The operators of the Wellington Tele-! graph Office spent, an exceedingly busy time dispatching and receiving Christmas messages.' The anticipated difficulties •of the 'situation were enhanced by a break which cut out the whole of the wires via Wairarana. at 12.55 a.m. ou Sunday, while the work was still in full swing. This damage was caused by the fall of a large pine tree at Mason's Gardens, Taita. At 8 p.m. on December 24 the head office had ; jn hand 7000 messages unsent apart from "large, nunibors of.messages held by other offices, awaiting their turn. It was'not until 10 p.ni; , that the operators' commenced to gain on the work in hand. Messages north were cleared at 4.27. a.m. on Sunday, south messages at 5.25 a.m., and messages to the coast at 6.25 a.m. A special attendance of messengers was arranged at 8 a.m. on Sunday to deliver the belated work. Two thousand three hundred telegrams then remained to bo delivered. Following is a statement showing the .number of messages handled, with the figures for last year in parentheses: —Forwarded, 75C8 (5874); received, 8252 (7884); transmitted,. 27,378 (27,104). Totals, 43,198 (1910), and 43,862 (1909). The total shows a decrease of 664 for tho current year. These .figures are regarded as satisfactory, . considering that December 24 fell this year, upon Saturday, always the slackest day of the week. The whole staff worked long hours, with infrequent intervals for meals. Working periods of ten to fifteen hours were averaged by the operators. . .. . '