F.—l.

Otago. Construction. The extensions completed during the year are as under : — Miles of Poles. Miles of Wire. Merrivale line to Scott's Gap ... ... ... 24 24 Waimahaka to Eailway Station ... ... ... 04 04 Bluff to Half-moon Bay (Stewart Island), also cable 19-12 knots ... ... ... ... ... 44 6 Kawarau Bridge to Gibbston ... ... ... 64 Poolburn Gorge to Manuherikia ... ... ... — 04 Gore to Balfour ... ... ... ... — 26f Seacliffe to Inebriates' Home, Waitati ... ... Of 8 Gibbston to Waitiri ... ... ... ... — 6 Dunedin to East Taieri... ... ... ... 12 Gore to Otama ... ... ... ... 114 Hi Eiversdale line to Pyramid ... ... ... 04 04 Waikaka line to Maitland ... ... ... Of Of Kakanui line to Maheno Bureau ... ... ... O4 Waikaia line to Wendonside ... ... ... 3 3 Poles. Wire. For the Eailway Department — Miles. Miles. Main line to Mosgiel Eailway ... — Of' Eailway Superintendent, Dunedin, to Locomotive Foreman and running-shed ... — 14 Hedgehope to railway ganger ... — • Of Dunedin to Invercargill ... ... 124f 131 \ ,m 984.1 Wingatui to Ida Valley ... ... 54 97ff 2 4 Invercargill to Eiverton ... ... 23 50 Seacliffe to Puketeraki ... ... 2J 2J Electric bells and telephones at Thames Street, Oamaru ... ... — 04, Totals ... ... ... 1784 368 Dismantled— Thornbury to Eiverton ... ... ... ... 5 5 Net increase ... ... ... 1734 363 To meet the demand for increased wire accommodation between Dunedin and Timaru and Dunedin and Oamaru, a quadruplex repeating set has been put in at Oamaru, enabling Dunedin to work duplex with Oamaru on one side of the quadruplex and with Timaru on the other side; so that where formerly one wire, worked single, served these offices each has now practically the equivalent of two wires, and can work simultaneously with Dunedin. Offices. Twelve new offices were opened during the year. At Balfour, Fairfax, Heriot, and Kelso telephones have been replaced by Morse instruments. The addition to the Dunedin telegraph-office has been completed, giving better facilities to cope with the increasing business as well as increased comfort for the staff. A new office has also been erected at Gore. Maintenance. The lines have been free from interruptions of any magnitude. Eepairing parties have thoroughly overhauled and put in order 505 miles of line during the year, but much remains to be done. There are now 1,8404 miles of poles and 4,447f miles of wire in the district. Telephone Exchanges. No new exchanges were opened during the year, but a steady increase of subscribers to the 21 existing exchanges has been maintained, the number having risen from 2,067 to 2,249 —a gain of 182. The Dunedin list now totals 1,420, an increase of 129 for the year, of which 1,370 are paying, 15 free, and 35 bureaux. There are also 355 extension telephones in use, making a grand total of telephones in the district of 2,604. These subscribers are connected by means of 122 miles of poles and 1,6994 miles of wire, showing a net gain respectively of 34 and 1994 miles. All the exchanges are in good order.

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