F.—l.

The manner in which the exchanges are classified, the number of exchanges in each class, and the number of stations connected therewith on the 31st March, 1931, are shown in the following table : —

In addition to the stations shown in the preceding table there were 3,972 stations connected by private telephone-lines directly or indirectly with departmental toll stations, making a grand total of 161,739 telephone-stations on the 31st March, 1931.

The following table shows the number of telephone-stations in each engineering district on the 31st March, 1930 and 1931, respectively, and the percentage of increase in each case : —

The number of telephone stations (main and extension) connected with each of the fourteen principal exchanges on the 31st March, 1931, was —Auckland, 21,403; Wellington, 20,079; Christchurch, 12,786 ; Dunedin, 8,542 ; Wanganui, 3,843 ; Palmerston North, 3,437 ; Hamilton, 3,232 ; Invercargill, 2,915 ; Gishorne, 2,736 ; Timaru, 2,187 ; New Plymouth, 2,252 ; Masterton, 2,094 ; Nelson, i,740 ; Hawera, 1,453. The number of party and rural lines on the 31st March, 1931, was 11,257, to which were connected 44,971 main station? —an increase of 742 and 2,263 respectively on the figures for the previous year.

34

Class I. Class II. Class III. Exchanges or Net- Exchanges or Net- Exchanges or Networks observing works observing works observing Class IV. Continuous Continuous Continuous Exchanges Attendance and Attendance and Attendance and or Networks Dominion having more than having 1,001 to having 201 to where the Totals. 3,500 Paying 3,500 Paying 1,000 Paying Attendance Subscribers' Main Subscribers' Main Subscribers' Main is restricted. Stations con- Stations con- Stations connected therewith, nected therewith. nected therewith. Subscribers' main stations .. 45,445 22,332 35,197 24,632 127,606 Toll and service stations .. 711 458 1,147 1,596 3,912 Public call offices .. .. 554 100 76 5 735 Extension stations— 9,156 1,682 716 99 11,653 P.B.X 7,666 3,018 2,306 871 13,861 Ordinary Telephone-stations: Class totals.. 63,532 27,590 39,442 27,203 157,767* Number of exchanges in each class 4 11 64 270 349 Percentage of new connections 42 19 21 18 made with each class of exchange during the year * The total number of telephone stations would have been 3,000 more than the figures shown had not a temporary loss of subscribers been caused by the Hawke's Bay earthquake.

Number of Telephone Stations on 31st March, Engineering District, 1931, p er . j ; centage Main Extension m . , Main i Extension . , T Stations. Stations. ° a ' Stations, j Stations. I a " ncrease. Auckland .. .. 40,089 7,148 47,237 41,750 7,459 49,209 4'2 Wellington .. .. 54,041 11,041 65,082 52,147 10,358 62,505 3'9* Canterbury .. .. 19,533 4,406 23,939 20,272 4,531 24,803 3-6 Otago .. .. 17,725 3,040 20,765 18,084 3,166 21,250 2:3 Totals .. 131,388 25,635 157,023 132,253 25,514 157,767 0*5 * Decrease.