D.—2,

Tablet locks, interlocking siding-points with the tablet system, have been installed at Kauri, Kamo, Whakatu Service Siding, Ngawapurua, Pahiatua Private Siding, Ashburton Bridge Service Sidings, Orari Bridge Service Siding, Morven Ballast-pit Siding, Otago Central Service Siding, and removed from Ruatangata, Makohine Bridge, and Wangaehu Bridge. Particulars of the existing signalling installations are as follows :— Miles of single-line automatic signalling .. .. .. 190 m. 41 ch. Miles of double-line automatic signalling .. .. .. .. 64 m. 41 ch. Automatic crossing-loops .. . . .. . . .. 33 Automatic switch-locked sidings .. . . .. .. 34 Power interlockings .. . . .. .. .. 27 Mechanical interlockings .. . . .. . . .. 98 Interlocked tramway crossings . . . . . . .. .. 7 Mechanical fixed signal and Woods locked stations . . .. . . 305 Tablet-locked sidings .. . . . . .. .. . . 273 Block-working.—During the year Ruatangata was opened as a tablet station and Poro-o-tarao Tunnel as a switch-out tablet station. Erua, Rangataua, and McNab were converted to switch-out working, and the following tablet stations have been closed : Kauri, Kamo, and Ngawapurua. Pokaka has been converted from a switch-out to an ordinary tablet station. The lock-and-block system of signalling has been superseded by automatic signalling between Christchurch and Addington. The present position with regard to block working is as follows : — Total mileage equipped with tablet instruments .. .. .. 1,577 Number of tablet instruments in use .. .. . . .. . . 849 Number of tablet stations .. .. .. .. .. .. 352 Number of tablet exchangers . . .. .. .. . . 312 Mileage of double-line worked by lock .and block .. .. .. 14 Number of stations .. . . .. . . .. . . 11 Number of instruments .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 Telegbaph and Telephone Facilities. During the past year 110 miles of pole-line was rebuilt, 278 miles of copper conductor replaced iron conductors on these sections, and 391 miles of copper wire was erected in new circuits. The sections rebuilt were Maungaturoto-Whangarei, Morrinsville-Putaruru, Stratford - New Plymouth, and Lepperton-Waitara. The Wanganui-Stratford train control was extended to New Plymouth, brought into service, and the control office completed at Wanganui to control traffic over all main lines in that area. Local telephone-exchanges were installed at Whangarei and Stratford. Phantom circuits were completed for traffic between Whangarei-Auckland, Wanganui-Stratford, Stratford - New Plymouth, Stratford-Taumarunui, Christchurch-Timaru, and Timaru-Dunedin. The loaded multiple twin telephone-cable between Paekakariki and Wellington was completed to Kaiwarra and brought into servioe. The carrier-frequency telephone system from Ohakune to Paekakariki was also brought into use and gives efficient communication between the main centres. A loaded multiple twin cable was also installed through the Otira Tunnel to improve communications in that area, and nine miles of pole-line between Springfield and Darfield was rebuilt after damage caused by storms. It has been found that with the extension of telephone facilities the volume of business conducted over the telephone circuits has reduced the work conducted over the Morse-telegraph system and the number of telegraph stations has been reduced, the telegraph being used for long-distance work. The Auckland-Whangarei Morse circuit has been extended to Otiria. The statistics of communication facilities are as follow : — Morse instruments .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 179 Telephones .. .. .. .. .. .. 2, 958 Miles of wire .. .. .. .. .. .. . . 17,237 Miles of poles .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,082 Railway exchanges— Automatic .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Manual . . .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 Public exchange connections .. .. .. .. .. 584 Level-ckossing Alarms. Flashing-light signals have been installed at Seacliff, and flashing lights and bells have been installed at Kaiapoi. Bells at 2 miles 18 chains Hutt line used in connection with the Tawa Flat Deviation works have been dismantled. Improvements have been made in a number of existing level-crossing installations by equipping them with secondary batteries and rectifiers, thereby reducing the renewals of more expensive primary batteries. The total number of level crossings now fitted with automatic devices is 123 ; in addition, there is a number with manually-controlled bells.

XXVI