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Miles. Palmerston North to Kaiwarawara ... ... ... ... ... 90 Feilding to Wangaehu • • ■ - - - - - - • ■ • • • • ... 34 Feilding to Kimbolton ... ... ... ... ... ... 18 New Plymouth to Mahoenui ... ... ... ;.. ... 70 Ormond to Waimata Valley ... ... ... ... ... 8 380 Early in June an unusually heavy snowstorm did considerable injury to the lines, especially those lightly constructed in the higher altitudes, as, for instance, those between Pohui and Tarawera and in the vicinity of Taihape, Eketahuna, Mauriceville, Takapau, Wakarara, and Stratford. Interruptions continue to be caused by traction-engines and threshing-machines fouling the wires, and by persons felling trees or throwing pieces of wire over the lines. Thirteen instances of the latter kind occurred. Telegraph insulators have very frequently been wantonly broken. Two lads caught in the act were charged with the offence in the Magistrate's Court, and fined 10s. each, and costs, Bs. 6d. and £1 15s. respectively. New jack-knife test-boards have been fitted at Palmerston North, Dannevirke, Taihape, Waipawa, and Kaitoke. A second quadruplex repeater has been installed at Napier to work on an Auckland-Wellington circuit, and another forked quadruplex repeater has been fitted up at New Plymouth, which provides two duplex circuits —viz., one between Wellington and New Plymouth, and one between Wellington and Auckland. Offices. New offices have been erected at Palmerston North, Otaki, Longburn, Waipiro Bay, Pungarehu, and Tuparoa, and the transfer of apparatus has been effected. Te Aro, Shannon, and Kimbolton have been converted from telephone to Morse offices. Thirty-five offices were opened during the year. One office —viz., that at Upper Mohaka —was closed. There are 368 offices in the district, of which 64 are Morse and 304 telephone offices. Telephone Exchanges. Nine new exchanges were opened, as follows: Bull's, with 12 subscribers; Featherston, with 16 subscribers; Kimbolton, with 5 subscribers; Longburn, with 5 subscribers; Makotuku, with 1 subscriber; Martinborough, with 28 subscribers; Otakeho, with 1 subscriber; Rongotea, with 8 subscribers; Waipawa, with 15 subscribers. Nine telephones were destroyed by fire —namely, one each at Hastings, Napier, Palmerston North, Stratford, Wanganui, and Wellington, and three at Feilding. Considerable alterations to the lines at New Plymouth were necessitated owing to the installation of the Borough Council's electric-light system. In regard to the Wellington Exchange, the conversion of the subscribers' telephone wires into metallic circuits is progressing satisfactorily, 685 subscribers' connections having been improved in this direction. The increase in the number of subscribers continues, the number now reaching 2,462, an increase of 202, as compared with 157 last year. Of these, 2,355 are paying connections, 52 are free, and 55 are bureau connections. There are also 582 extension telephones, making a grand total of 3,044 connections. A large number of new lines has been erected, and a considerable quantity of old material has been dismantled to provide accommodation for lead-covered cables. There are now 53 miles of lines and 2,357 miles 75 chains of wire connected with the exchange. Lead-covered cables of various sizes have been suspended, representing 752 miles of double wire, of which 439 miles have been brought into use to replace a similar mileage of aerial wire. Three gangs of men are employed in the installation of metallic telephone circuits, and it is contemplated to increase this number shortly. Considerable alterations to telephone-lines have been necessary in Island Bay and Brooklyn, and along the Kilbirnie proposed tramway route, to meet the requirements of the tramway extensions in those directions. Two sections of multiple switchboard, which will increase the capacity of the exchange by accommodation for 600 subscribers, will arrive shortly. When in position these will provide, with present boards, accommodation for 3,300 subscribers. There are now 39 exchanges in the district, an increase of 9 for the year, all of which are working satisfactorily. The subscribers connected therewith aggregate 6,183 in number, an increase of 780 for the year, as compared with 535 last year. Of these connections 5,735 are paid for, 121 are free, and 327 are bureau connections. They are connected by 329 miles 45 chains of line, and 4,651 miles 33 chains of wire. Extension telephones at the various exchanges number 869, making a grand total of 7,062 telephones. The number of subscribers is increasing so rapidly that many of the exchanges have outgrown the accommodation provided. It is imperative that greater space should be provided for immediate requirements. At Gisborne, Napier, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, and Wanganui provision is being made for further accommodation, and for the installation of new multiple switchboards which are shortly to arrive. Several of the smaller exchanges will also require additional space in the near future.

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