F.—l

Of the old line between Te Awamutu and Cambridge, 17 miles of wire have been dismantled, and 14 miles of line which was decayed and useless have been sold. The Auckland-Otahuhu line has been overhauled and a new wire erected, thus completing the overhaul of the main Waikato line. Offices. Twenty-five new offices were opened during the year. One office was closed—viz., Tokatea. Two offices were converted from Morse to telephone, and one was converted from telephone to Morse. Quadruplex instruments were fitted at Hamilton and Thames, and a duplex instrument at Tauranga. The duplex set at Te Awamutu was removed. The following offices were refitted and supplied with new test-boards: Paemako, Morrinsville, Te Aroha. The office at Frankton Junction was removed from the railway-station to a store, which was fitted up for the purpose. At Whakarewarewa the office was removed to a new departmental building. The total number of telegraph and telephone offices open is 295, of which 49 are Morse and 246 are telephone offices. Telephone Exchanges. The subscribers to the Auckland Exchange are steadily increasing in number, there being on the 31st March a total of 2,036 connections, an increase of 182 for the year, as compared with 147 for the previous year. Of these connections 1,948 are paid for, while 26 are free, and 62 are bureau connections. There are also 447 extension telephones connected with the exchange, an increase of 60 for the year. The work of enlarging the telephone exchange to provide accommodation for extension of the switchboard is now in hand. The connections to the exchange involve the use of 114 miles 73 chains of line, and 1,983 miles 16 chains of wire. There are 16 miles 60 chains of dead wire. Of aerial wire 1,272 miles have been replaced by double wire in leaden metallic-circuit cables. The aerial wire replaced by metallic-circuit wires is being, or will be, dismantled. Three new exchanges have been opened—viz., at Cambridge, with 13 miles of wire on 1 mile of line; at Waihi, with 15 miles of wire on 2 miles of line; and at Onehunga, with 9 miles of wire on 70 chains of line. At Hamilton there are 22 subscribers ; at Whangarei, 19 ; at Thames, 16 ; at Rotorua, 12 ; and at Paeroa, 7 subscribers. There are 10 exchanges in this district, having a total of 2,593 connections, of which 2,446 are subscribed to, while 37 are free, and 110 are bureau connections. The total increase of connections at all exchanges during the year was 378. Substantial increases in the number of subscribers took place in most of the exchanges. The number of extension telephones in the district is 457. The total length of lines and wires connected with the 10 exchanges aggregates 152 miles 52 chains and 2,204 miles respectively, exclusive of 34 miles of dead wire. Telephone Metallic Circuits. The metallic circuits at Auckland brought into use numbered 647 on the 31st March, and provision has been made for introducing a large additional number on the western side of the city. The plan adopted has been to first convert the circuits subject to tramway interference, and to deal later with those in the city proper where there is not much induction. This explains why a comparatively small number of subscribers' connections has so far been converted into metallic circuits. The nearer the work draws to a completion the greater will be the rate of progress. A specially made metallic cable, having 2,300 yards of 26 pairs of wires, has been laid across the harbour to serve the North Shore. This will shortly be brought into use. Wellington District. Construction. The following new lines and wires were erected in this district during the year: — Poles. Wire. M. eh. M. eh. Pahiatua to Mangamaire ... ... ... ... 1 54| 1 54J Wellington to Shannon (completion of Wellington - New Plymouth), (new wire) ... • ... ... 64 0 Hunterville to Koeke ... ... ... ... ... 24 0 24 0 Hawera to Mokoia ... ... ... ... ... 0 12 6 40 Carterton to Parkvale ... ... ... ... ... 0 44 3 40 Napier Park Racecourse to Taradale ... ... 1 40 Douglas Road to Puniwhakau ... ... ... ... 860 860 Eketahuna to Rongokokako ... ... ... ... 070 070 Halcombe to Makino .. ... ... ... 6 9 Kilbirnie to Miramar ... ... . . ... ... 045 133 Wanganui to Taihape ... ... ... .. 730 Waverlev to Moumahaki Farm ... ~. ~. , .., I 40 440

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