PACIFIC CABLE TRAFFIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18317, 6 February 1923, Page 7

PACIFIC CABLE TRAFFIC.

WEEK-END BUSINESS GROWS.

LESS GOVERNMENT -WORK;

PRESS SERVICE EXPANDING,

A summary of the Pacific Cable Board's annual report, received by cablo, ' was published vat the beginning of last month. Particulars of the year's operations are, now available from the report received by mail.

During the year ended March 31, nearly 8£ million paying words of international triffic (i.e. traffic other than ; local traffic between Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific ": Islands) were transmitted across the board's system—approximately 600,000 word 3 more than the total during the previous year. In addition to the international traffic, approximately 2,300,000 paying words were carried between Australia and New Zealand, and between those Dominions and the Pacific Islands. This was approximately 200,000 words fewer than during the previous year. Fluctuations in : Volume. : •" The Ordinary -or full-rate international traffic showed a decrease of approximately 1,160,000 words, , and . the Government traffic a decrease of approximately 350,000 words. On the other hand there was an increase in deferred ■ ordinary traffic of approximately 100,000 words, and in week-end messages of by «r 2,000,000 words. The. week-end telegram service was, however/: not reinstated, until the latter part of the financial year; 1920-21. While the reduction in the [quantity of. ordinary traffic was mainly due ;. to greater use of the cheaper services, it was partly accounted for by ; the- fact that ''the Eastern Company s route did not suffer occasional curtailment of facilities to the same extent as during ■ several previous years, and accordingly the amount of ordinary traffic received 1 ©wing to diversion was far less. The 'decrease ■of the traffic exchanged between Australia and New Zealand by the board's 'table does not indicate any competitive setback. It was due solely to the effect of -trade depression which resulted in a' substantial reduction of cabling. - The growth of the week-end telegram traffic has been rapid, as shown by the average number of words per week handled during the four quarters of the year:—June quarter, 1921, 25,000. words;. September quarter, 1921, . 37,000 words; December quarter, 1921, 48,200 words; March ' quarter, 1922, 55,050 words. Since the close ofc the year, there has been etill further progress in this 'class of traffic. In a recent week it amounted, to 84,955 words, the total ' international traffic • handled ' during that week being 214.000 words, or at the rate of over 11,000,000 words per annum. »; / '

Limit of Gable's Capacity. " The volume of this (week-end) traffic hte now reached the limit of the cable's capacity" the report states. "If there is any further increase, the board must of <j4cessity institute some measure to curtail the service until such time, as their facilities are augmented by the duplication of their cables. This they would be, very reluctant to do, but there would be no other possible course.*" . 1 _ , The board's record of international traffic is •9,084,745 words in ' 1919-20. The follow-; ing table shows the volume of the various classes of traffic during the last three years:—,. -* ' ' : # *•

In 1913-1914, the traffic amounts to 3,117,839 words. ;„ Full-rate ' messages,, ■which first exceeded' 1,000,000 words in 1906-1907, amounted to ' 1,329,067, words ;in the / year before the war, but this buai- . ness was seriously curtailed until in 1917,1918 it passed the 2,000,000. mark, ; reaching nearly 4,000,000 in 1918-1919, 'and the : record in *: 1919-1920. ' " Deftrred ordinaryreached . its : ; maximum of 2,679,191 • words :in 1916-1917, « this < figure including free messages of inquiry regarding wounded soldiers. * Government business, » amounting to 215,000 words in 1913-1914, increased ; enormously during the war years, the maximum being \ 3.501,324 words in 1918-1919.. Including traffic at deferred rates, the volume of press work . lias " steadily increased. In the last war year 'the tofal was 639,554 words. For 1921-1922, .it was no less than 1,151,331 words. ;si. - The week-em; messages, introduced on January 1, 1913, amounted .to 3.393,812 words in 1915-1916, and to 3,207,491 words in' the following year. ; ; 'IV ; ; \ The board's report states that' the new system of working at Audkland with Cox magnifiers and ; interpolators and creed printers Jhnw refilled all expflctatibns, and has made it possible to effect, ■ large reductions in the staff at Auckland. Traffic now passes between Auckland and Fiji without retransmission, being automatically relayed at Auckland.

• ' 1919-20. 1920-21. 19511-22. - • Word*. Words. r Words. : Ordinary . -V 6,560,726 ' 4,787,016 8,708,028 Government . 2,219,940 1,019.218 676,926 Press .. .. 816,676 . 1,143,869 ; 1,112,680 Deferred ' • • '' ■' Ordinary . .487,608 802,901 910,027 Press ...» — *-• — . V88,651. Week-end ... — 121,901 2,201.585 - Totals . .. 9,064,745 . 7.874,895 8,647.897