DUNEDIN TELEGRAPH OFFICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18748, 29 December 1922, Page 2

DUNEDIN TELEGRAPH OFFICE

CHRISTMAS MESSAGES. Thero was a fairly substantial decrease in the number of telegrams handled at the Dunedin Telegraph Office this year when compared with the number handled during the corresponding period last year. The totals this year show a decrease of 301 on tho number of telegrams forwarded, a decrease of 643 on the number received, and a decrease bf 418 on the number transmitted (i.e., received and forwarded to other stations), making a total decrease of 1362. This drop is to a great extent explained by the largo exodus of people from the city on Saturday. The following are the figures: 1021 Forwarded. Received. Transmits. December 21 18(56 2603 2240 December 22 2147 2700 2307 December 23 2568 3501 4184 December 24 2584 3771 7238 Totals 9165 12,665 18,059 " 1922. Forwarded. Beceived. Transmits. December 20 1843 2416 1907 December 21 1884 2560 2433 December 22 2841 3502 4110 December 23 2657 3554 7101 Totals 8864 12,022 15,461 On Christmas Eve the office was clear of all tho outward traffic by 11 p.m. This is believed to be a record for Dunedin, as it has generally been 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. before the operators have been clear of the messages. All inward messages were disposed of by 4 a.m.' on Sunday, the only delay being caused by the Auckland messages, which were occasionally slow in coming through. The telegrams were delivered in every part of the city and suburbs by a large staff of messengers between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sunday. The lines gave practically no trouble on Christmas Eve. This is somewhat unusual when, such a vast amount of extra traffic has to be dealt with. The telegraph stations which closed at 5 p.m. were released before 6 p.m., and those stations which closed at 8 p.m. were released at 8.45 p.m. A staff of 62 operators was on duty at the machines on Saturday and Christmas Eve.