F.—l.

The use of the telegram as a means of conveying Christmas and New Year felicitations increases each year, as will be seen from the following figures :—

It is interesting to recall that in 1933, prior to the provision of decorative stationery for Christmas and New Year greetings telegrams, only 66,188 such messages were lodged, the revenue value being £1,654. INLAND CODE TELEGRAMS. As a result of the reaffirmation by the Cairo Telecommunications Conference of the principle of five-letter code words in the international service, the same method of charging for code words in the inland service was adopted as from the Ist January, 1939. Prior to that date code words in inland telegrams were charged for at ten letters to a word, but before such a charge was applicable certain requirements respecting the formation of code words had to be met. These restrictions have now been removed, and code words formed in any way and of any length are admissible in inland telegrams and are charged for at the rate of five letters to a word. CONTINUOUS ATTENDANCE FOR CABLE TRAFFIC. A continuous attendance for cable traffic from 8 a.m. on Mondays to 8 p.m. on Saturdays was introduced at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin on the Ist November, 1.938. This continuous attendance, which bridges the gap between midnight and 8 a.m., has enabled repetition requests to be replied to more promptly and has avoided the accumulation of overnight traffic at the Auckland cable terminal. Most of the messages from Great Britain and. the Continent of Europe are now cleared during the early morning hours, delivery to the addresses being expedited as a result. In addition, a continuous service from 8 a.m. on Mondays to 8 p.m. on Saturdays is now available at the four main centres for the despatch of overseas telegrams. RADIO-TELEGRAM CHARGES FROM BRITISH SHIPS TO NEW ZEALAND. In last year's report it was mentioned that negotiations were proceeding between the Department and the various companies controlling wireless installations on ships trading between Great Britain and New Zealand with the object of removing the disparity in charges between radio-telegrams sent from British ships to New Zealand and those sent from such ships to Great Britain. These negotiations have met with success, and a reduced charge of Bd. a word is now made on most British ships for messages to New Zealand. The remaining British ships will apply the Bd. rate as from the Ist June, 1939. OPENING OF RADIO-TELEGRAPH OFFICES. During the year radio-telegraph offices were opened as follows The Brothers (lighthouse) .. .. Communicates with Wellington Radio. Cuvier Island (lighthouse) .. .. Communicates with Auckland Radio. Great Mercury Island .. .. • • Communicates with Auckland Radio. Moko Hinau (lighthouse) .. .. Communicates with Auckland Radio. Nukunono (Union Islands) .. .. Communicates with Apia Radio. The installation at Great Mercury Island provides communication for the residents in cases of emergency and serves as a public telegraph office for tourists and yachtsmen. OVERSEAS LETTER-TELEGRAM SERVICES. As from the Ist December the daily letter-telegram service between New Zealand on the one hand and British North Borneo, Netherlands East Indies, Cocos, Straits Settlements, and Christmas Island on the other hand was replaced by a night letter-telegram service at the existing rates. Daily letter-telegrams are delivered on the second morning following the day of lodgment and night, letter-telegrams on the morning following the day of lodgment. A daily letter-telegram service was introduced between New Zealand on the one hand and South Georgia and the Falkland Islands on the other hand on the Ist September, and between New Zealand and Poland on the Ist February. During the Easter period, llth-18th April inclusive, a specially reduced rate was applied to letter-telegrams exchanged between New Zealand , and the United Kingdom. These messages were known as " Easter letter-telegrams," and were charged for at the rate-of ss. 7d. for ten words and 6§d. for each additional word.

20

Christmas and New Year period. Messages lodged. Revenue. £ 1935 .. .. 272,525 6,813 1936 .. .. •• 341,624 8,540 1937 .. .. ■■ 380,512 9,513 1938 .. .. 410,450 10,261