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designed to serve as main arterials between Auckland and the two areas for which Kaitaia and Kaikohe are the switching-centres. Thus good channels of speech are now available throughout the day between Auckland and all places north of Kaikohe. South of Kaikohe increased facilities have been given by providing new trunks to the switchingstations at Dargaville, Whangarei, Ruawai, Paparoa, Maungaturoto, Waipu, and Warkworth. Every part of the North, therefore, shares in the improved service with Auckland. The erection of the new circuits, together with the adoption of special methods, has made it possible also to provide intercommunication between switching-centres in North Auckland without the previous necessity of utilizing Auckland as a switching-centre. By means of special apparatus and improvised methods additional Morse circuits have been provided between Auckland and Kaitaia, between. Auckland and Whangarei, and between Dargaville and Whangarei. Ultimately, the arterial system of trunk lines in the North Auckland district will form a section of the proposed inter-trunk system whereby telephonic communication will be practicable between any two exchanges in the North Island. A commencement has now been made with the erection of new trunk circuits between Kohukohu and Kaitaia by means of which the Hokianga and Mangonui Counties will be linked up with efficient channels of telephonic communication. The completion of two toll circuits between Taumarunui and Raetihi, and of one additional circuit between Taumarunui and Ohakune, has rendered practicable an extension of toll facilities between certain groups of exchanges in the King-country and the Waikato, Wanganui, and New Plymouth districts. At many exchanges such extension has meant the introduction of continuous toll service. With a view to improving their efficiency, a rearrangement of the toll circuits on the west coast of the South Island is now being carried out. Already an improvement has been effected in the toll service between Greymouth and Westport. A Morse circuit has also been provided between the last-named place and Reefton. A rearrangement of the wires between Westport and Seddonville is now in hand, and when completed the exchanges and toll stations north of Westport will have a much improved service. Three direct telephone circuits have been provided between Ashburton and Timaru. In addition, an improved utilization of the existing circuits between those places has enabled new or additional circuits to be* made available between Ashburton and Hinds, Hinds and Geraldine, Ashburton and Geraldine, Geraldine and Temuka, Teniuka and Timaru, and Geraldine and Timaru. Thus toll facilities available to telephone subscribers in the areas named have been improved to a very appreciable extent. The section of main line between Timaru and Dunedin was reconstructed during the year, and the circuits were grouped to much better advantage. This rearrangement, together with the erection of new wires, has resulted in two additional circuits being provided between Dunedin and Timaru, an equivalent increase in the circuits between Dunedin and Oamaru, and a much improved service generally between Dunedin, Timaru, and intermediate stations. Dunedin now has two circuits to Palmerston, four to Oamaru, and three to Timaru, one of the last-mentioned being used when necessary for DunedinChristchurch traffic. The completion during the next few months of new toll circuits between Dunedin and Gore, Gore and Invercargill, and Clyde and Cromwell will have the effect of very considerably reducing the delay on toll traffic between those places. The more important of the additional toll circuits provided during the year are as follows : — later-Island telephone cable. Martinborough-Pirinoa. Auckland-Kaitaia. Nuhaka-Morere. Auckland-Kaikohe. Raetihi-Raurimu. Auckland-Whangarei. Richmond- Appleby. Auckland-Dargaville. Richmond - Spring Grove. Whangarei-Kaikohe. Tokomaru Bay - Ruatoria. Wha ngarei- Dargaville. Wairoa-Nuhaka. Dargaville-Kaikohe. Waipawa-Ongaonga-Tikokino. Kaikohe-Kaitaia. Wakefield-Kohatu. Kaitaia-Awanui. Upper Moutere - Neudorf. Maungaturoto-Mareretu. Ashburton-Geraldine. Mareretu-Waikiekie. Christchurch-Dunedin. Maungaturoto-W aipu. Hinds-Geraldi ne. W ellsf ord-W arkworth. Mayfield-Spri ngburn. Kaikohe-Okaihau. Timaru-Ashburton. Whangarei-Pakotai. Timaru-Fairlie. Whangarei-Parakao. Ti maru-Geraldine. Whangarei-Maungatapere. Timaru - Pleasant Point. Dargaville-Paparoa. Timaru - St. Andrew's. Dargaville-Ruawai. Ti maru-Temuka. Auckland-W arkworth. Timaru-W aimate. Auckland-Waipu. Oamaru-Waimate. Hamilton-Matamata. Oamaru-Timaru. Ohinepanea-Matata. Dunedin-Timaru. Paeroa-Ngatea-Turua. Dunedin-Oamaru. Taumarunui-Ohakune. Dunedin-Palmerston. Taumarunui-Raetihi. Dunedin-Ranfurly. Te Aroha - Morrinsville. Palmerston-Oamaru. Tirau-Cambridge. Dunedin-Balclutha. Waitakaruru-Pokeno. Dunedin-Clinton. Havelock-Canvastown. Invercargill-Edendale-Wyndham.

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