F.—l

XXV

Electric Tramway and Electric Light Undertakings. One Order in Council for electric-tramway extension has been reviewed by the Department during the year on behalf of the Board of Control, and supervision is being exercised over the tramway systems in operation to insure the regulations for their control being complied with. Three_ licenses for the electric lighting of boroughs under "The Electric Lines Act, 1884," have been issued, and applications for several others are under consideration. Auckland District. Construction. „ , ,„,„,,. .. _ " Poles. Wire, the following new lines ana wires were erected during the year : — M. eh. M. eh. Mangonui to Ahipara, Herekino, and Whangape ... ... 27 0 47 0 Waihi to Paeroa (exchange trunk wire) ... ... 140 Whangarei to Ruatangata and Aponga .. ... ... 150 190 Te Awamutu to Hairini ... ... .... ... 3 0 3 0 Te Awamutu to Paterangi ... ... ... ... 5 0 5 0 Mangapai to Moewhare and Waikiekie .... ... ... 10 0 10 0 Waiugaro to Waimai ... ... ... ... ... 80 80 Whakatane to Te Teko ... ... ... ... ... 12 0 12 0 Ongarue to Ohura ... ... ... ... ... 28 40 30 0 Waiwera to Upper Waiwera ... ... ... ... 420 420 Huntly to Ohinewai ... ... ... ... ... 040 620 Whangarei to Kaurihohore ... ... ... ... 040 040 Mangonui to Pukenui ... ... ... ... ... 010 010 Te Awamutu to Hangatiki ... ... ... ... 020 020 Waihi Junction (old line near Bowentown) ... ... 10 0 20 0 Hikutaia Junction to Paeroa (diversion) ... ... 22 0 Paeroa to Waihi (diversion of wires) ... ... 280 Mercer to Paeroa (diverted from Miranda) ... 89 0 Panmure to Howick (extending wire) ... ... 5 0 Auckland to Te Tau ... ... .. ... 3 0 Mercer to Rangiriri (made metallic) ... ... 160 Waihou to Waitoa ... ... ... ;.. 30 Ohaupo to Te Awamutu (Morse wire extended) ... 7 0 Te Awamutu to Taumarunui (Morse wire) ... 74 0 124 10 426 30 Paeroa Railway to Puriri Railway (maintained for Railway Department) ... ... ... ... ... 10 20 10 20 134 30 436 50 The following lines were dismantled: — Te Awamutu to Cambridge (old No. 5) ... ... ... 14 0 17 0 Tauranga to Opotiki (old line replaced by new) ... ... 20 0 80 0 Hikutaia Junction, near Bowentown (old line replaced by new) 37 0 148 0 Paengaroa Junction to Rotorua (three wires) ... 90 0 71 0 335 0 The net increase is 63 miles 30 chains of line, and 101 miles 50 chains of wire. The total distance of line in this district is 2,126 miles 70 chains, and of wire 5,709 miles 57 chains, exclusive of that maintained by the Railway Department for its own use. Maintenance. The wire across Ohiwa Harbour was fitted with half a mile of single-core cable. Two pieces of single-core cable, each 310 yards in length, were laid across the Hairini River, near Tauranga, to carry the Opotiki and Rotorua wires. The old line extending from 5 miles south of Tauranga, where a new line connects to Maketu, has been sold for dismantling. The line carrying two wires from Paeroa to Waihi has been rebuilt and extended for a distance of 10 miles —namely, to the vicinity of Bowentown —where it intersects the old line to Katikati. The old line of four wires from this junction to Hikutaia Junction has been abandoned and sold for dismantling. It measured 37 miles, and contained 148 miles of wire. This section had completely decayed, and had been both troublesome and expensive to maintain. There is now a firstclass line through to Rotorua, with the exception of the portion between Bowentown Junction and Tauranga, which it is intended shall be overhauled and strengthened. From Paengaroa Junction to Rotorua three wires of 90 miles in length were dismantled. The Hamilton-Morrinsville-Paeroa line has been overhauled and strengthened, and is now in good order. The section from Paeroa to Thames is being attended to. A line via Miranda was diverted to run by way of Hamilton, Paeroa, and Waihi to Tauranga. The Auckland-Morrinsville wire has been made a constant-current circuit. In connection with the Tauranga-Matata—Whakatane wire, a condenser apparatus has been fitted at Whakatane and Matata to superimpose a telephone circuit on the Opotiki Morse circuit, and is working satisfactorily. iv—F. 1.