POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR 1933-34.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1934 Session I, F-01

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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR 1933-34.

CONTENTS. PAGE PAGE Receipts and Payments .. .. 1, 8 Telegram charges, &c. .. .. .. 18 Post Office Savings-bank .. .. 1, 17 Amendments to Regulations governing Staff .. .. .. ..2,8 acceptance of Cable Messages .. 19 Postal Congress .. .. .. 2 Waitangi Celebrations .. .. . . 19 Commercial Branch 2, 10 Lytte i ton alld Blll l er By-elections .. 20 Postages-stamps " " 15 Maintenance of Telephone and Telegraph Inland and Ocean Mail-services.. 3,12,13 Communications ... .. .. 20 Air Mails 3, 14 Printing Telegraphs 20 Charges for Telegrams .. .. .. 4, 18 Telegraph Batteries .. .. .. 20 Telephone Exchange Services . . .. 4, 27 Carrier-current Telephone Systems and Toll Service .. .. .. .. 5, 20 Voice-frequency Toll Repeaters .. 20 Radio Telegraph and Telephone Services.. 5, 22 Closing of Toll Board at Hastings and ConBroadcasting Service .. .. .. 6, 25 centration of Toll Traffic at Napier .. 20 Empire Broadcasting Service .. .. 6, 25 Extension of Toll and Telegraph Systems.. 20 Radio Patent Rights .. .. .. 6, 25 Poles and Wire .. .. .. 21 Interference with Radio Reception .. 7, 26 Cook Strait Cables .. .. .. 21 Post and Telegraph Amendment Act, 1933 8 Overseas Radio-telephone Service .. 22 Departmental Correspondence School .. 10 Departmental Radio Stations : Operation 22 Examinations .. .. .. 10 Direct Radio-telegraph Service with Nine Suggestions Board .. .. .. 10 Island .. .. .. .. 23 Stores Branch .. .. .. 11 Prime Minister's absence at World Economic Workshops .. .. .. .. 11 Conference: Radio Communication .. 23 Departmental Motor-vehicles .. . . 12 Direction-finding Signals for Steamers .. 23 "Householder" Circulars: Discount on Milford Sound: Provision of Radio-tele-large postings .. .. .. 12 graph Facilities _ .. .. .. 24 Postal Union Statistics .. . . 15 Ship-to-Shore Radio-telephone Service .. 24 Inspection .. .. .. .. 16 Emergency Radio-stations .. .. 24 Burglary of Post-office Premises, &c. .. 16 Cable-radio Messages addressed to Ships Articles delivered .. .. .. 16 at Sea: Charges .. .. .. 24 Average Number of Letters posted per Unit Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition : Radio of Population .. .. .. 16 Transmission .. .. .. 24 Dead Letter Office .. .. .. 16 Call-signs for Vessels registered in New Prohibited Correspondence .. .. 16 Zealand Missing Postal Packets.. .. .. 17 Trans-Tasman Flights .. .. .. 27 Money-orders .. .. . . 17 Development of Telephone - exchange Postal Notes .. .. .. .. 17 Systems .. .. .. .. 27 British Postal Orders .. .. . . 17 Telephone Statistics . . .. .. 28 Postal Office Investment Certificates .. 17 Automatic Telephone Exchanges . . 29 Work performed for other Departments .. 17 General .. .. .. . ■ 30 TABLES. 1. Receipts and Payments .. • • • • • • • • • ■ • • .. 31 2. Money-order Business since 1863 .. .. •• •• •• ..31 3. Parcel-post, Overseas .. . • ■ • • • • • • ■ • • .. 32 4. General Statement of Post Office Savings-bank Business for Year ended March, 1934 .. 33 5. General Statement of Post Office Savings-bank Business from inception in 1867 to 1934 .. 34 6. Letters, Newspapers, Parcels, &c., posted and delivered .. .. . ■ 35 7. Telegraph and Toll Business, 1933 and 1934 .. .. •• •• . .36 8. Cable, Radio-telegraph, and Radio-telephone Business, 1933 and 1934. .. .. ..37

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1934, NEW ZEALAND.

POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR 1933-34.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

To His Excellency tlie Right Honourable Baron Bledisloe, P. 0., Gr.C.M.Gr., K.B.E. May it please Your Excellency,— 1 have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the report of the Post and Telegraph Department for the year ended on the 31st March, 1934. RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS. The sum received for the financial year was £3,200,414, compared with £3,293,932 for the previous year, 1932-33. Although the revenue collected during the year was less than that for the previous year by £93,518, the position in respect of receipts showed an improvement towards the end of the year. This improvement has been maintained and has become more general in the opening months of the new financial year. Payments for the year in respect of working - expenses (including interest on capital liability amounting to £553,000 and a sum of £36,739 provided out of the Depreciation Fund) totalled £2,648,600. The excess of receipts over payments was £551,814. A sum of £154,388 was paid to the Consolidated Fund during the year. POST OFFICE SAVINGS-BANK. My last report made mention of an improvement that was becoming manifest in the Savings-bank position. This improvement continued in evidence throughout the financial year, and resulted in a most satisfactory year's working for the. bank, as the following figures disclose : — The deposits in the Post Office Savings-bank amounted to £19,428,853, compared with £16,933,176 for the previous year. The interest credited to depositors was £1,231,089. The withdrawals totalled £17,818,172, compared with £19,635,928 for the previous year. The excess of deposits over withdrawals amounted to £1,610,681, compared with an excess of withdrawals over deposits of £2,702,752 for the year ended the 31st March, 1933. The total amount at the credit of depositors on the 31st March, 1934, was £44,870,391, an increase of £2,841,770 compared with the previous year. The amount accumulated in the Post Office Savings-bank at the 31st March, 1934, represented an average of £28-95 per capita for the Dominion. The result of the year's working is the best attained since 1921, and is a vast improvement on the previous three years, over which period the excess of withdrawals over deposits was no less than £12,250,000, or, if reduced by the interest credited to depositors, £7,400,000. The turn of the tide is extremely gratifying, because of the suggestion it carries with it of better times for our people. The bank has always been a barometer of conditions generally, and the improvement, which has continued in evidence in the months already past of this financial year, is to my mind an indication that the Dominion is on the road to more prosperous times.

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The encouragement of thrift among children has always been an aim of the Post Office Savings-bank, which lias long made available money-boxes for saving, and slips on which children, may save in penny stamps. A new scheme has now been adopted, to operate in conjunction with other facilities for saving, * and, with the consent of the local Education Board, is being introduced first in the Wellington Education District. The scheme provides for the sale to the children by the teacher of Id. " Thrift " stamps. When six stamps have been attached to a form made available for the purpose, the form is handed to the teacher, who credits the child's account in a pass-book suitable in size for children. Deposits in cash in sums of Is., and Is. 6d. and over, will also be accepted by the teacher. At schools in the Wellington District at which teachers are prepared to co-operate the scheme is being explained and introduced by a teacher made available on loan to the Post Office. STAFF. Once more Ī desire to pay tribute to the good work of the staff. Increasingly I hear favourable comment by the public on the efficiency of officers and on the versatility with which they undertake their multifarious duties and answer the numerous questions that arise not only on the activities associated with the Department's post, telegraph, and telephone services, but on unemployment and motor-registration work and duties undertaken for other Departments. I realize that the good reputation of the Service has been enhanced in recent years only at the expense of hard work and., in many cases, long hours of duty on the part of officers ; and it is therefore all the more pleasing to record that the staff generally has lived up to its reputation for loyalty to the Department and service to the public. POSTAL CONGRESS. Mr. G. McNamara, C.8.E., the Director-General of the Department, was appointed by Government to represent New Zealand at the International Postal Union Congress held at Cairo, commencing on the Ist February. From New Zealand's point of view one of the most important questions discussed at the Congress was that of transit charges. I am pleased to report that a 20-per-cent. reduction in these charges was approved by the Congress. As a result, it is estimated that New Zealand will save £5,000, expressed in local currency, on the cost incurred annually in the forwarding of mails to destinations oversea. On the conclusion of the Postal Congress Mr. McNamara proceeded to London to discuss with authorities there a number of questions affecting the Department. He is also taking the opportunity of studying at first hand the reorganization that has been recently effected in the control of the British Post Office. COMMERCIAL BRANCH. The Commercial Branch (which came into being in 1930 to provide closer contact m the larger centres between the Department and its customers) could hardly have had a more difficult period in which to establish its usefulness. It lias been proved that activities of the kind should be stimulated rather than withdrawn in difficult times. Although the Department lost business, as most other enterprises did in the years just past, relinquishments of telephones and loss of business generally were kept at a minimum by the operations of the commercial officers. In addition, they have materially assisted in creating goodwill and in establishing contacts that are proving effective in obtaining new business. Judged by the success that has recently attended the efforts of the Department's salesmen of the Commercial Branch and by the general improvement in departmental business that is now evident throughout the country, I am happy to say that trading conditions, which reflect the condition of the community generally, are definitely showing improvement. BUILDINGS. During the year the erection was commenced of new post-office buildings at Dunedin and Taumarunui.

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The Dunedin building lias provided employment for a considerable number of men on a work of some magnitude which is not likely to be completed before September, 1936. The Taumarunui building will be completed about the end of the year. At Waitakaruru a post-office building, complete with quarters, has been provided, and was occupied on the 28th May, 1934. More recently the erection of a post-office building at Karori (Wellington) has been approved ; and authority has been given for the preparation of plans and specifications for the erection of a new chief post-office building at Thames. Extensive renovations are at present being carried out to the Auckland Chief Post-office building. The General Post Office building at Wellington has also been renovated, the work including the repainting of the exterior of the older portion of the building. POSTAGE-STAMPS. Proofs of all fourteen stamps to comprise the new pictorial series for the Dominion have now been approved and returned to London. The printing of certain of the stamps has been completed, and the work of printing the remainder is in hand. No pains have been spared to ensure that the productions are of an excellent order, and an issue combining artistry and workmanship in a high degree can confidently be looked forward to. The whole series will be placed on sale at the same time. The despatch of the first air mail from New Zealand to Australia in February last was marked by the issue of a special air-mail postage stamp. As time did not permit of the designing and printing of a new stamp, the occasion was commemorated by overprinting the words " Trans-Tasman Air Mail ' Faith in Australia ' " on stamps printed in turquoise blue from the plate used for the current 7d. air-mail stamp. A 2d. "Health" stamp was again on sale during the year. As a result, £921 9s. 7d. was made available to the Minister of Health for expending on children's health camps. Samoan Stamps.—Authority has been given for the creation of a new series of postage-stamps for the Mandated Territory of Western Samoa. The designs will consist of typical Samoan scenes, and the denominations will be |d., Id., 2d., 2|-d., 4d., 6d., Is., 25., and 3s. The present series of Samoan stamps has been in use since 1922. INLAND AND OCEAN MAIL - SERVICES. Except for minor interruptions due to floods, &c., mail-services were performed throughout the year in the usual regular and efficient manner. The contracts for the road services in the North Island expired at the end of 1933, and contracts for new services were let from the Ist January last. The reletting resulted in a substantial saving in mail transport costs. The Auckland-Vancouver and Wellington - San Francisco services have continued during the year to run to their regular time-tables. It has since been necessary, however, to grant permission for the cancellation of two round trips on the San Francisco run, the voyages which were due to commence at Wellington on the 15th May and the 12th June, 1934, respectively. The first cancellation was occasioned by the need for withdrawing the mail-steamers for overhaul (the contractors did not have a relief vessel available), and the second by the temporary inability of the contractors to obtain cooks and stewards to man the mail-vessel. On each occasion alternative despatches for mails both inward and outward were availed of. AIR MAILS. Reference was made in my last report to the proposal to extend to Australia the London-Karachi Air-mail Service. In December, 1933, the service was duly extended from Karachi to Singapore in accordance with a contract arranged between His Majesty's Government in Great Britain and Imperial Airways, Ltd. ; while it has since been announced that a contract has been let by His Majesty's Government in Australia to Quantas Empire Airways, Ltd., for the performance of the section of the service between Singapore and Australia. It would appear, however, that the latter section is not likely to be in operation before the end of 1934.

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The extension to Singapore is of no benefit to New Zealand owing to the absence of suitable connecting steamer services, but the through service to Australia, when in operation, will offer great possibilities. The time-table for the Australia-Singa-pore section has not yet been announced, but, with the speeding-up recentlyaccomplished on. the London-Singapore route, it is expected that Sydney will be reached from London in less than a fortnight, bringing mails to New Zealand in seventeen or eighteen days if a good connection is made at Sydney with vessels sailing for New Zealand. Further, it seems not improbable, in view of the several successful trans-Tasman flights which have been made, particularly in recent months, that before many years have passed the England-Australia service will be extended to New Zealand, thus providing a connection that should reduce to not more than fourteen days the transit time of mails exchanged between the Homeland and New Zealand, which is a little less than half the average time now taken in the transit of mails from New Zealand to England via North America. The importance to New Zealand of the extension to Australia of the EnglandIndia air service has been recognized in a tangible way by Government. On the inauguration of the through service, and on the understanding that suitable connections will be maintained in Australia with steamers to and from. New Zealand, a contribution of £5,000 per annum will be made by New Zealand in the proportion of three-fifths to the Government of Great Britain and two-fifths to the Government of Australia, the basis of division coinciding with the distance of the extensions (Karachi-Singapore and Singapore-Australia), for which each Administration will be responsible. Apart fiom the desirability of New Zealand being a partner in this entirely Empire enterprise from its inception on account of its potential value to the Dominion, the payment will ensure that New Zealand's requirements are given consideration when time-tables are being arranged. In addition, it is an earnest of the Dominion's approval of the steps taken to extend the Empire service and improve our communications with the Old Country. Postal history has been made in recent months by the carriage of mails by air across the Tasman. On the 17th February, 1934, Flight-Lieutenant C. T. P. Ulm carried the first New Zealand - Australia air mail, flying from Muriwai Beach to Sydney, and on the llth-12th April the first Australia - New Zealand air mail, flying from Sydney to New Plymouth. Other trans-Tasman air-mail flights have also been performed, including one undertaken from the Ninety-mile Beach to Sydney by Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith in the monoplane " Southern Cross." The trans-Tasman air crossings have been so frequent and have been made with such assurance and success as to suggest that the time is not far distant when a regular trans-Tasman air mail will be operating. On the occasion of the first Australia - New Zealand air mail, speedy distribution of correspondence was effected by air to Auckland, Hastings, Wellington, and Christchurch. Full particulars of this arrangement and of the trans-Tasman flights are published on pages 14 and 15 of this report. CHARGES FOR TELEGRAMS. As from the 3rd April, 1934, inland telegraph charges have been readjusted, the uniform system of charging being departed from in favour of the zonal system, which may briefly be described as a system under which the charges are based upon a sliding scale, dependent upon the distance between the office of origin and the office of destination. Under this system the charges for ordinary telegrams of twelve words or less and for letter-telegrams of twenty-four words or less vary, according to distance, from, a minimum of 6d. in the case of messages for local delivery to a maximum of Is. 3d. for messages exchanged between the most distant points. TELEPHONE-EXCHANGE SERVICES. It is pleasing to observe that the downward trend in the telephone development of the Dominion has been arrested. The net loss in telephone-exchange subscribers for the year under review was only one-seventh of the loss for the preceding year, and this, coupled with the fact that the figures for the past few months have all shown gains in telephone-exchange subscribers, is an indication that the telephone

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business in the Dominion has definitely turned the corner. It is anticipated that when the momentum of general recovery is increased a very large number of the subscribers who relinquished service will again require the benefits of telephone service. It is interesting to note that New Zealand still retains third place among the countries of the world for the number of telephones in use per hundred of the population. The latest available statistics show that the United States is first with 13-94 telephones per hundred of the population, Canada second with 11-98, and New Zealand third with 10-12. Australia is seventh with 7-40, and Great Britain is ninth with 4-62. The drop in telephones during the years of the depression has been much more marked in the United States and Canada than in New Zealand. In the two former countries the decrease has been approximately two telephones per hundred of the population, whereas in New Zealand the decrease has been about one telephone per thousand of the population. TOLL SERVICE. A new type of toll service, known as " Person-to-person " service, was introduced on the 18th June, 1934, complementary to the existing service. The service enables subscribers to call individuals as distinct from, telephone numbers. The timing of the call does not commence until the calling subscriber engages in conversation with the wanted party. For the special service a " Personal call fee " is charged, in addition to the ordinary toll charge, when the required connection is effected. If contact cannot be made with the wanted party, the " Personal call fee " only is paid. An important addition to the long-distance toll network has been made during the year in the form of an additional high-grade outlet between Wellington and Auckland. The traffic between these two important centres has increased to such an extent that still further outlets will be required in the near future, and it is proposed to give consideration to these requirements during the current year. RADIO TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE SERVICES. The continual advances in radio telegraphy and telephony are reflected in the activity in this branch of the Department. Improved facilities have been or are being provided at many of the departmental radio stations, and developmental work is being undertaken on many lines with a view to upholding the Department's policy of providing the public with communication services abreast of modern requirements. The Department's radio stations regularly demonstrate that they are able to successfully work with other stations in almost any part of the world ; and it is now the usual practice for them to communicate with many Home liners throughout the entire voyage to the Old Country. Communication has also been maintained with vessels of the various Antarctic expeditions, and during favourable conditions contact has been made with the radio-station established at the Byrd Expedition base at Little America. The British Official Press news, transmitted from Rugby, England, continues to be received daily at Awarua-Radio, the number of words received and made available for publication in Dominion newspapers during the year being 300,000. These bulletins are transmitted on a long wave (18,740 metres) and a short wave suited to the time of the day and the season of the year, thus providing a service of the utmost reliability between the Antipodes and the heart of the Empire. The increased patronage which has been extended to the Overseas Radiotelephone Service during the year indicates that it is commencing to take its place as a popular means of overseas communication. There is gratifying evidence of the efficiency and practical utility of this means of contact in the fact that its use is being adopted as a regiilar practice by many patrons. From present indications it is anticipated that with the return of normal economic conditions the number of calls will materially increase. As the use of the service increases, it is hoped, in co-operation with the other Administrations concerned, to arrange reductions in charges. The question of

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establishing communication direct with the United Kingdom, instead of via Sydney, will also require to receive consideration should there be any appreciable increase in the number of calls. BROADCASTING SERVICE. A detailed statement of the activities of the New Zealand Broadcasting Board is contained in the Board's second report, which has been presented separately to Parliament, accompanied by a balance-sheet. The past year has witnessed a very appreciable development in the broadcasting service of the Dominion. The Broadcasting Board has installed a modern trans-mitting-station at Gebbie's Pass, near Christchurch, for the operation of Station 3YA. It is expected that a new studio and transmitting-station for Station IYA, Auckland, will be opened at the end of the present year. The installing of new transmitting equipment at Station 4YA, Dunedin, is also under consideration. Consequent upon advancements in technical efficiency, a considerable improvement has been effected in broadcast transmissions, with increasing coverage from the stations of the New Zealand Broadcasting Board. The main stations are operating almost continuously between the hours of 7 a.m. and II p.m. on week-days, and 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Sundays. Alternative services provide transmissions from 5 to 6 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m. on week-days, and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays. The three most important private stations operating in the Dominion were taken over by. the Department during the year. These were stations IZR (Auckland), 2ZW (Wellington), and 3ZC (Christchurch). The plant and equipment of the stations were ultimately purchased by the Broadcasting Board. A review of the waves used by the New Zealand broadcasting stations was undertaken during the year, as the result of which the main stations have been allotted frequencies which have extended the effective range of their emissions. As far as possible each broadcasting station in the Dominion has been allotted a wave for its exclusive use. Licenses continue to be issued at a remarkable rate. On the 31st March the number of licensed listeners was 118,08(3, an increase of 24,597 in twelve months, which is a record. On the 31st July, 1934, the number of licenses had further increased to 133,148. EMPIRE BROADCASTING SERVICE. The transmissions from the Empire Broadcasting Stations in England have been continued during the year, but, unfortunately, the signals intended for reception in New Zealand have not yet reached the high standard required to make them suitable for rebroadcasting regularly in New Zealand, although during certain seasons of the year this standard has been attained during irregular periods. Every assistance is being rendered to the British Broadcasting Corporation by the Department in observing and reporting on the reception of the signals, and in this matter the Department lias been assisted by the co-operation of the owners of amateur radio stations. Many rebroadcasts of important functions overseas are being made with the assistance of the overseas radio-telephone channel, while on a few occasions the Empire transmissions have been used. RADIO PATENT RIGHTS. As indicated in my last report, the agreement between Government and Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Ltd., in respect of patent rights was to terminate on the 31st May, 1934. In response to representations from radiodealers, whose negotiations with the group representing the holders of patent rights were not completed, an extension of the currency of the agreement was made for a further month, the agreement finally terminating on the 30th June. It is understood that an agreement following the lines of the Australian agreement has been made between the New Zealand importers and manufacturers of radio apparatus on the one hand and the patents group on the other for the payment to the patents group of 3s. 6d. per cathode anode stream to cover the future use in New Zealand of radio patents.

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INTERFERENCE WITH RADIO RECEPTION. A committee of experts, comprising representatives of electrical undertakings as well as of the Department, investigated during the year the question of electrical interference with radio reception. The committee suggested that regulations be issued to ensure (1) that no further electrical equipment of a nature which causes interference shall be sold or brought into use in the future, and (2) that suitable action to render existing apparatus non-interfering shall be taken by the owners of such apparatus as occasion demands. This suggestion was approved, and a provision to authorize the issue of regulations as proposed was made in the Post and Telegraph Amendment Act, 1933. The regulations are now in course of preparation. DETAILED REPORT. A detailed report of the Department's activities during the year ended on the 31st March, 1934, will be found in the following pages. I have the honour to be, Your Excellency's most obedient servant, Adam Hamilton. General Post Office, Wellington, C. 1, 31st July, 1934.

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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL OPERATIONS AND BUSINESS OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1934. RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS. The receipts and payments of the Department for the financial year 1933-34 are shown in the following account: — Receipts. Payments. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. To Balance forward .. .. 34,528 9 5£ By Salaries .. .. 1,465,120 15 5 Postages .. .. 911,194 5 3J Conveyance of ocean Money-order and postal- mails .. . . 85,284 3 8 note commission .. 56,450 2 5 Conveyance of inland Private box and bag rents mails .. .. 128,173 14 7 and rural-delivery" fees 46,224 4 5 Conveyance of mails by Miscellaneous receipts .. 340,317 12 6 rail .. .. 76,578 19 3 Paid telegrams .. 271,879 1 6 Maintenance of telegraph Paid tolls .. .. 409,637 16 5i and telephone lines .. 80,461 1 3 Telephone - exchange " Renewals and replacerentals .. 1,164,710 12 9 ments .. .. 36,739 5 8 3,200,413 15 4 Motor services and workshops .. .. 20,355 5 3 Miscellaneous .. 202,886 13 0 Interest on capital liability .. .. 553.000 0 0 2,648,599 18 1 Paid to Consolidated Fund .. .. 154,387 18 9 Renewal and replacement of Assets Fund £3,234,942 4 9J (investment).. .. .. .. 395,000 0 0 i— — Balance carried down .. .. .. 36,954 7 11|- £ s. d. To Balance brought down .. .. 36,954 7 11|- £3,234,942 49| The total cash value of the transactions of the Department, inclusive of the above, amounted to approximately £165,000,000 for the year. POST AND TELEGRAPH AMENDMENT ACT, 1933. An Act of twenty-one sections amending the Post and Telegraph Act, 1928, was passed during the 1933 session of Parliament, and came into force on the 15th December. Provision is made in the amending Act for the making of regulations for the control of electrical apparatus interfering with wireless broadcast reception, and Savings-bank procedure is in certain directions modified. Otherwise the provisions are mainly of a machinery nature. Changes of any importance are referred to under the appropriate heading in this report. STAFF. While the system of granting time-off in lieu of cash payment for overtime has been continued, the outlook for the staff is now better than it has been for some time past. A number of junior officers have been promoted, with the result that the concern at the stagnation in the lower grades of the Service has been partly allayed. The Department, too, has benefited by these promotions, for the staff has become better balanced in that minor positions can be filled suitably by juniors. In addition, the Department has given employment to a number of lads,, principally in the capacity of message-boy. The result of these promotions and new appointments is reflected in the figures in the table published below, which reveal an increase in the numerical strength of the staff as compared with the return for the previous year. Since the Ist April, 1930, each year's total has disclosed a decrease. The increase this year is slight, but it is, nevertheless, a definite indication that departmental business is improving. During the year, and particularly in its closing months, the staffs at a number of offices had to be strengthened because of an increase in the volume of work. Throughout the year good work has been done by the staff, and, although there may be some disappointment at the possibility of a postponement of the regrading due on the Ist April, 1934. officers generally are appreciative of Government's financial difficulties. To assist with the work of other Government Departments, frequent calls are still being made upon the staff. Altogether 184 officers of the personnel were on loan at the close of the year. Comparative Return of Persons employed in the Department. The total number of persons employed in the Department on the Ist April, 1933 and 1934, was as under: — Ist April, Ist April, Permanent Staff — 1933 - 1934. Administrative Division .. . ■ • • • • 4 4 Clerical and Engineering Divisions .. .. •• .3,279 3,348 General Division .. .. • ■ • ■ .. 5, 097 5,058 8,380 8,410 Temporary Staff .. • ■ ■ ■ • ■ • ■ 45 69 Casual Staff .. .. ■ • • ■ • • • - ?1 8,496 8,560 Non-permanent Staff — Country Postmasters and Telephonists .. .. 1,669 1,677 Postmasters who are Railway officers.. .. .. 84 86 10,249 10,323

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Health of Permanent Staff. Tlie following table gives the average absence of officers on sick-leave this year as compared with last Number Average Absence Average Absence on per Sick for each Officer Year ended 31st March, 1934— Staff. Officer. employed. Men .. .. 7,783 10-39 4-13 Women .. .. . • •• 627 17 ■21 9*41 Year ended 31st March, 1933— Men .. .. .. •• 7,736 9-75 3-80 Women .. .. .. .. 644 12-08 6-86 The marked increase in the average absence per female officer is due to a larger number of protracted absences. Fifteen officers died during the year. There were no fatalities as a result of mishaps whilst on duty. Personal. Mr. G. McNamara, C.8.E., Director-General of the Department, left New Zealand on the 15th December, 1933, to attend the Universal Postal Union Congress which was opened in Cairo on the Ist February, 1934. During his absence Mr. J. Robertson, First Assistant Secretary, is acting as Director-General, and Mr. F. J. Shanks, Second Assistant Secretary, is acting as First Assistant Secretary. Mr. W. W. Wilson, Principal, Postal Division, is undertaking the duties of the Second Assistant Secretary. Mr. W. J. Gow, Second Assistant Secretary, retired on the 31st August, 1933, after completing forty years' service. He was succeeded as Second Assistant Secretary by Mr. 1. J. Shanks, Chief Postmaster, Christchurch ; Mr. Shanks, in turn, being succeeded by Mr. F. W. Furby, Chief Postmaster, Palmerston North. Classification of Officers of the Department. The Post and Telegraph Amendment Act of 1933 provides for changes in the classification of officers of the Department. In place of the present Divisions—Administrative, Clerical, Engineering, and General —the following groups are substituted : Officers appointed by the Governor-General; officers of the First Division; and officers of the Second Division. Officers graded in the First Division are to be paid salaries in accordance with a schedule prescribed by regulations, while those graded in the Second Division are to be paid in accordance with a scale to be determined by the Director-General. The new grouping will be adopted in the next issue of the departmental List of Officers. Restoration of Official Recognition of Post and Telegraph Employees' Association. Official recognition by Government of the Post and Telegraph Employees' Association, which was withdrawn on the 11th May, 1932, was restored on the Ist August, 1933. An agreement was entered into under which the differences previously existing were amicably settled. Promotion Board. Consequent on the passing of the Post and Telegraph Amendment Act, 1933, the personnel of the Promotion Board is constituted as follows : — The Director-General of the Department; Three senior officers of the Department appointed by the Governor-General to hold office during his pleasure ; and One other departmental officer elected in the prescribed manner by officers of the Department. Prior to the amendment mentioned, three senior officers—the Chief Telegraph Engineer and the First and Second Assistant Secretaries—on appointment to office automatically became members of the Promotion Board. „ Mr. H. M. Patrick was re-elected to the Board in January last as the representative of the officers of the Service. He was the only officer nominated for election. Interchange of Officers with other Departments. Resulting from amended legislation under the Post and Telegraph Amendment Act, 1933, it is now required that the Post and Telegraph Promotion Board, when arriving at a recommendation for the filling of a vacant position in the Department, shall consider the claims of officers of the whole of the Government Service, instead of the claims of officers of the Post and Telegraph Department only, and recommend to the Public Service Commissioner for appointment the officer best entitled, by merit, to the position. A person who is not an officer of the Government Service must not be recommended unless the Board is satisfied that there is no officer of the Government Service available and suitable for appointment. At the same time the restrictions on the transfer of officers from the Post and Telegraph Department to other Departments were modified to provide that transfers may now be made, subject to the consent of the Director-General.

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Telegraph Engineers' Offices : Extension of Decentralization. On the Ist June Telegraph Engineers' Offices were established at Whangarei, New Plymouth, Timaru, and Invercargill. On the same date the headquarters of the Auckland Eastern Sub-district were transferred from Auckland to Hamilton. Under the decentralization scheme it 1 is hoped to achieve more effective control in engineering matters. Appeal Board. The Post and Telegraph Appeal Board sat on only one occasion during the year. Eifty-nine appeals from eighteen officers were adjudicated upon, with the following results: Withdrawn, eight; did not lie, five ; disallowed, forty-six. Colonel J. J. Esson, C.M.G., acted as Chairman in place of Mr. E. C. Cutten, who was absent from New Zealand at the time of the sitting. The recommendation of the National Expenditure Commission that a charge of 10s. 6d. be made in respect of each appeal lodged (other than an appeal against dismissal) was made law in section- 54 of the Finance Act, 1933 (No. 2). This legislation became effective on the 22nd December. DEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL. Twenty-one separate courses of instruction were available to officers of the Department during the early portion of 1933 ; but, later, the curriculum was reduced to nine subjects, activities being confined to the educational section of the Entrance Examination. Partly as an economy measure, and partly because of a lack of appreciation on the part of officers of facilities made available at some expense to the Department, the school is no longer providing tuition for officers sitting for departmental examinations, with the exception that tuition for the departmental Entrance Examination is being continued pending a further review of the position when the existing courses terminate in November, 1934. Of the 472 officers who availed themselves of the tuition provided by the school during the year, 79 per cent, were successful at the various departmental examinations. This percentage compares more than favourably with that secured by 474 non-students who sat for the same examinations and of whom only 15 per cent, were successful. EXAMINATIONS. Of the 1,516 officers who sat for departmental efficiency examinations held during the year, 746 were either wholly or partially successful. Important amendments were made during the year to the regulations affecting departmental examinations. In future the departmental Entrance Examination, or its equivalent, will be the examination qualification required for appointment to the clerical positions of cadet, clerk, or telegraphist. The Competency Examination will be held only in special cases in which the value of an officer's services cannot be satisfactorily assessed by observation, or when, in the opinion of the Director-General, some doubt exists as to such value. The Entrance Examination sets a standard comparing with the standard of the Public Service Entrance Examination, but limits the range of subjects to those likely to be of most use to officers in the Department. The Competency Examination is an examination designed to test an officer's knowledge of the branch in which he is employed. SUGGESTIONS BOARD. The number of suggestions made by officers for improving th.e working of the Department was 281. Awards during the year numbered eight, the total sum awarded being £27 10s. Since the inception of the Suggestions Board in 1927, over 2,600 suggestions concerning ail classes of departmental work have been submitted by officers. COMMERCIAL BRANCH. The Commercial Branch not only maintained but improved its position during the year. The Branch is concerned chiefly with increasing the number of telephone subscribers, with extending the use of the mails by business firms, and with selling telephone directory and other departmental adver-tising-space. Coming into close contact with business houses throughout the Dominion, the Commercial Branch is one of the first to experience the effects of any fluctuation in the prosperity of the business community. As indicating an improvement in trading conditions, it is satisfactory to record, therefore, an increase of 10-5 per cent, in the business handled by the Branch. The total value of business transacted by the Branch during the year was £39,477. Of this amount, £17,321 was made up of telephone business and £22,156 of advertising business and miscellaneous services. The decision made during the year to publish with telephone directories classified business directories listing all business telephone subscribers in the order of their occupations has added another activity to the work of the Commercial Branch. Many business firms desire to be listed under several business headings and to advertise in the classified business columns. In this direction the Commercial Branch attends to their needs.

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STORES BRANCH. The following statement indicates the value of stores received and issued in the Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Wellington storekeeping districts during the year, and the value of stocks held at the end of the year. For the purpose of comparison the particulars for the previous year are shown also :—- «

The total value of orders placed during the year was £178,483. Of this amount, £121,129 represented the cost of stores for supply from within the Dominion, including £29,680 for stores purchased under contracts arranged by the Stores Control Board. The total value of orders placed during the previous year was £130,276. Particulars of purchases arranged by the Post and Telegraph Department on account of other Departments under the Stores Control Board Regulations are set out hereunder, the figures for the previous year being shown also : —

The purchase was arranged during the year of 104 motor-vehicles for other Departments and 48 motor-vehicles for the Post and Telegraph Department. The figures for the previous year were 57 and 45 respectively. Sale op Obsolete and Unserviceable Material. A number of auction sales of obsolete and unserviceable material, including worn-out motor-vehicles from various Departments, was held during the year. The total value of property disposed of was £3,079. This sum includes the value of scrap lead and other metals. Marine Insurance Fund. The insurable value of stores from countries within the Empire and the United States of America covered under the New Zealand Government Marine Insurance Fund was £49,280. WORKSHOPS. The various departmental workshops throughout the Dominion continue to render efficient and economical service, and form ail important and essential branch of the Department's organization. The total value of the work performed in the various workshops during the year amounted to £75,736, of which £8,489 represented the value of services rendered to other Government Departments. BUILDINGS AND LAND. A commencement was made with the erection of a new chief post-office building at Dunedin and the erection of new post-office buildings at Taumarunui and Waitakaruru. A small garage was erected at Dannevirke, and additional post-office accommodation was provided at Heriot. Additional accommodation for the Te Puke Post-office was provided by absorbing the residential quarters and carrying out structural alterations. Improvements were made in the accommodation provided in the Christchurch Chief Post-office building for the Money-order and Savings-bank Branch.

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1933-34. 1932-33. ,, . , „ t -4- Stock in hand, „ . , ... T * Stock in hand, Receipts.* Issues.* |31stMarch 1934 . Receipts.* Issues.* 31at March, 1933. . __l * ' £ £ £ £ £ £ Auckland .. 76,526 87,694 110,044 92,025 100,446 121,212 Christchurch .. 33,818 39,719 73,672 43,069 46,578 79,573 Dunedin .. 17,874 25,408 47,668 26,920 31,092 55,202 Wellington .. 136,935 159,808 256,834 164,280 163,452 279,707 Dominion totals .. 265,153 312,629 488,218 326,294 341,568 535,694 * Excluding transfers within storekeeping districts.

Value of Items purchased. Year ended Requisitions. Items. On Indent. Locally. Total. £ £ £ 31st March, 1934 .. 3,334 15,92] 15,831 45,608 61,439 31st March, 1933 .. 3,155 13,560 13,361 40,247 53,608

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As the result of the earthquake experienced on the sth March, the Eketahuna and Woodville Post-office buildings were severely strained. It will be necessary in each case either to remove the upper story or to reconstruct it in wood. Areas of land were acquired as follows : Brown's Bay (Auckland), site for radio receiving-station ; Maoandrew Bay (Dunedin), site for post-office building ; Waitakaruru, site for post-office building. The old post-office building and site at Waitara and the former post-office building at Athol were disposed of. Areas of land no longer required at the following places were disposed of : Gowan, Lansdown, Manutahi, Oruanui, Rewa, Tokaanu, Wanganui East. The land at Oruanui comprised a timber reserve of over 130 acres, for which the Department had no prospective use. It was transferred to the Department of Native Affairs. DEPARTMENTAL MOTOR-VEHICLES. Due to the need for economy in expenditure, replacements of departmental motor-vehicles in the past two years were made only in special cases, so that the fleet has had little margin on which to work, even with the reduced business offering. This, combined with an increase early in the year in the demands made by other Departments for car transport, and an increase in departmental engineering activity, particularly in respect of radio interference, made it necessary for the Department to purchase a number of new vehicles. The majority were J-ton trucks, but a proportion of the purchases comprised 1-ton and lj-ton trucks, and motor-cars principally of 10 h.p. rating. The policy was continued of purchasing vehicles manufactured in Great Britain. The number of departmental motor-vehicles in commission at the close of the year was 552, comprising 443 lorries, trucks, and vans, 107 motor-cars, and 2 motor-cycles. Twenty-one vehicles were withdrawn from service. The fleet, including several vehicles held for sale, now shows a net increase of 15. The number of miles travelled by the fleet during the year was 3,854,625. POST OFFICE. " HOUSEHOLDER " CIRCULARS : DISCOUNT ON LARGE POSTINGS. For some years prior to the Ist June the Department's regulations provided for the acceptance of " Householder " circulars at a postage rate of |d. for each article not exceeding 2 oz., a reduction in postage to |d. being made if the number of circulars posted by a person or firm in any period of twelve months was 250,000 or more. It later became apparent that very few New Zealand firms were in a position to qualify for the concession rate of fd. by posting 250,000 or more " Householder " circulars in twelve months. The Department decided, therefore, in order to bring the benefit of the concession within the reach of a larger number of firms, particularly New Zealand firms, to reduce the number of circulars which would entitle a sender to qualify for the concession rate. Accordingly, the Department's regulations were amended to provide that, as from the Ist June, 1933, the reduced rate of fd. apply to postings of 100,000 or more " Householder " circulars posted in any period of twelve months. It is anticipated that this action will result in increased business, and that the gain so arising will more than balance any loss which may otherwise have occurred. INLAND MAIL-SERVICES. The various North Island mail-service contracts, which expired on the 31st December, were relet from the Ist January at a substantial saving in cost. The contracts for the services in the Auckland, Hamilton, and Thames Postal Districts were let for a period of two years, and the remainder of the North Island services for a period of three years. This will provide for the further spreading of the reletting work, an important consideration from the General Post Office point of view. The services are now arranged in three groups, the contracts, which are usually arranged for three-year terms, expiring in different years. At the North Island reletting an increased number of services were tendered for en bloc at prices considerably less than were previously obtaining. Many other services were rearranged, enabling costs to be reduced without impairing efficiency. As a result of reductions in cost, in certain cases it was possible to reduce or abolish settlers' contributions towards mail-services. For the first time the reletting of contracts was conducted with due regard to the requirements of the Transport Licensing Act. ' Due to the control now exercised on road services, the number of tenders received was necessarily smaller than formerly. On the whole, there was little indication of any tendency to take advantage of the position to demand excessive mail subsidies. On account of the lack of competition, high tenders were in a few instances submitted, but usually negotiations with tenderers produced satisfactory results. In the few cases where such negotiation failed the Licensing Authorities were asked to fix the subsidies ; and generally the results were satisfactory. It may be mentioned that mails are now included in the term " goods " as defined in the Transport Licensing Act. The question of transport licensing law in its effect on mail-services of the Department is still the subject of discussion with the Transport Department. As at the end of February service was being given to 22,833 rural mail-box holders. This number is the highest recorded. It is interesting to note in this connection that even in the difficult years just past the number of box-holders recorded at the end of each calendar year has shown a progressive increa.se.

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An improvement has been effected in mail transit between the Gisborne district on the one hand and the Bay of Plenty, Waikato, and Auckland districts on the other, due to the establishing of a night mail-service between Gisborne and Taneatua. During the winter of 1933 the steamer " Tees," which is the vessel usually employed (but not under contract) in the service between New Zealand and the Chatham Islands, was withdrawn for a period of approximately six months. Special arrangements were made by the Department for the fishing trawler " Southsea " to convey mails to and from the islands until the resumption of the normal service by the " Tees." On the Bth May a cloud-burst in the vicinity of Stratford did extensive damage to roads, and mail-services in the vicinity were interrupted for approximately a week. On the 26th and 27th May heavy rain caused an interruption of the Napier-Gisborne and MotuOpotiki services, but no great inconvenience resulted. On the 14th July floods in the South. Westland district interrupted the Hokitika-Weheka mailservice for a day. The Stratford-Okahukura Railway, which has been operated by the Railway Department since the 3rd September, has provided a very convenient mail-service connection between the Auckland and Taranaki Provinces. In addition to daily trains between Taumarunui and Stratford, a night express is run between Auckland and New Plymouth on alternate nights from each end. As a result of an earthquake on the sth March last, road communication between Pahiatua and Pongaroa was interrupted for several days, and it was necessary to use the alternative route via Dannevirke for the transport of mails to and from Pongaroa and district. Disorganization or Mails due to Seamen's Strike. A strike of seamen, extending from the 2nd to the 12th May, caused some dislocation of the Wellington—Picton and Wellington-Nelson sea mail-services from the 2nd to the sth May. For the whole period of the strike the services between New Zealand and Sydney were also affected, one vessel being delayed for four days and one sailing being cancelled. The strike was called suddenly, and there was delay in despatches between the ports of Wellington and Nelson and Wellington and Picton until a day or two elapsed. Frequent exchanges of mails were then made by the auxiliary scows " Echo," " Kohi," and " Talisman," and the small motorvessel " Opawa." These vessels, together with the regular steamers " Arahura " (on the Nelson run) and " Tamahine " (on the Picton run), which resumed running on the 6th May, maintained an adequate service for the duration of the strike. On the 3rd May mails from the North Island for the Marlborough District were despatched via Lyttelton, and mails from Marlborough for the North Island were forwarded by the same route on the 6th May. Advantage was also taken of an opportunity to exchange mails by air between Blenheim and Wellington and vice versa on the 4th May, Nelson mails also being included in this despatch from Wellington for sending overland from Blenheim. Postal Vans on North Island Main Trunk Railway. To provide on this important route improved facilities for the handling of mails and better conditions for officers, arrangements have been made with the Railway Department for the remodelling of the postal vans in use on the North Island Main Trunk railway. The principal alteration will be the provision in the vans of four doors —two suitably spaced on each side —in place of two doors —one on either side, in the middle —as at present. Electric light is also being installed in the vehicles, in place of gas lighting, and the arrangement of the fittings improved. On this route the postal vans are now run on the back of the train instead of on the front next to the engine. This change is welcomed by the Department and departmental officers alike. Payment to Railway Department for Haulage of Mail-wagons. From the Ist April payment at the rate of Is. a mile instead of 9d. a mile is being made to the Railway Department for the haulage of bogie wagons containing mails conveyed on express and mail trains. OVERSEAS MAILS. The Auckland-Vancouver and Wellington-San Francisco ocean mail-services continued during the year with their usual regularity. The average times of transmission of the mails by these routes were as follow : — Auckland to London via Vancouver .. .. . . .. 29-8 days. London to Auckland via Vancouver .. . . . . .. 30-7 days. Wellington to London via San Francisco . . . . . . . . 28-8 days. London to Wellington via San Francisco .. .. .. .. 31-2 days. The " Niagara " and the " Aorangi " continue to run on the Auckland-Vancouver service, and the " Makura " and " Maunganui "on the San Francisco route. In Jane-July and again in AugustSeptember the " Monowai " replaced the two first-named vessels for annual overhaul. The trans-Tasman service was maintained by the " Wanganella," " Monowai," and " Marama." In addition, the contract steamers on the Vancouver and San Francisco routes and the steamers of the Matson Co. provided additional despatches at regular intervals. The Auckland-Fiji-Tonga service was maintained by the " Waipahi," while use was made of the " Maui Pomare " on occasions for despatches to Niue and Samoa.

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There was a noticeable decrease in the number of vessels sailing from New Zealand for Great Britain via Cape Horn, there being a tendency, due, no doubt, to the fall in value of the American dollar, to revert to the route via Panama. Sailings via Cape Horn provide a good service for the despatch of mails to the Eastern States of South America. Due to the reduced sailings, it was necessary on occasions to revert to the practice of forwarding all mails for South America via Vancouver or via San Francisco. AIR MAILS. An outstanding event during the year was the carriage of mails by air between New Zealand and Australia. On the 17th February, 1934, Flight-Lieutenant C. T. P. Ulm, flying the monoplane " Faith in Australia " from Muriwai Beach (Auckland) to Sydney, carried the first trans-Tasman air mail. The flight commenced early in the morning and finished in the late afternoon. To commemorate the occasion a special air-mail stamp was issued —see page 15 of this report. This special air-mail flight was followed in the succeeding month by one from Ninety-mile Beach (Kaitaia) to Sydney, performed by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith in the monoplane " Southern Cross," and by a return trip AustraliaNew Zealand - Australia performed in April by Flight-Lieutenant Ulm in the "Faith in Australia," in course of which the first air mail Australia - New Zealand was carried from Sydney to New Plymouth. Details of the flights and of the mail-matter carried are as follow : —

In the case of the mails from New Zealand, an air-mail fee at the rate of 6d. per half-ounce per article was charged in addition to ordinary postage. Thus the minimum charge on a letter was 7d. In the case of the mail from Australia the same minimum applied, made up of an air-mail fee of sd. per half-ounce and postage of 2d. per ounce. In respect of the first and second flights, payment to the flight promoters was made at the rate of sd. per each half-ounce per article. In the case of the flight of the 14th April, Flight-Lieutenant Ulm's offer to convey the mail at the rate of 4d. per half-ounce per article was accepted. The balance of the air-mail fees was retained by the Department to meet the cost of the special arrangements required to be made, usually at short notice, on the occasion of each flight. In co-operation with the Defence Department and the Hawke's Bay Aero Club, special arrangements were made for the distribution by air within New Zealand of the air mail from Sydney which arrived at New Plymouth on the 12th April, thus expediting considerably the delivery of the greater portion of the mail, and demonstrating the value of an inland air service combined with a trans-Tasman service. When the " Faith in Australia " landed at the Bell Block Aerodrome, New Plymouth, at 11.53 a.m., other machines were in readiness to depart with sections of the mail for Auckland, Hastings, and Wellington ; and, in less than twenty minutes, all three machines were laden and had left for their destinations. The machine for Auckland, which left at 12.10 p.m. and arrived at the Mangere Aerodrome at 1.23 p.m., carried mails for Auckland and districts served from Auckland, as well as mailmatter to be returned to Australia. The machine for Hastings, which also left at 12.10 p.m. and arrived at its destination at 2.15 p.m., conveyed mails for Hastings and Napier as well as for other parts of Hawke's Bay and for the Gisborne district. The machine for Wellington, which left at 12.12 p.m., conveyed mails for Wellington and the South Island. After landing the Wellington mails at the Rongotai Aerodrome at 2.20 p.m. the 'plane left at 2.40 p.m. for Christchurch, arriving at Sockburn at 4.56 p.m. The mails carried by these New Zealand machines arrived at post-offices as follows : Auckland, 1.55 p.m. ; Wellington, 2.45 p.m. ; Napier, 3 p.m.. ; Christchurch, 5.10 p.m. A Hawke's Bay Aero Club machine carried the mail from New Plymouth to Hastings, and Defence Department machines carried out the northern and southern flights. The balance of the mail-matter carried by the " Faith in Australia " arrived at the Chief Post-office, New Plymouth, at 12.35 p.m. In view of the progress which has been made in the development of aviation, it seems almost unnecessary to record that the special trans-Tasman air-mail flights were carried out without mishap of any kind. Not at any stage was there cause to fear for the safety of the airmen or mails ; and there can be no doubt that these flights, considered with the non-air-mail flights that have been made, are an indication that a regular and safe air-mail connection between Australia and New Zealand can be looked forward to. In noting the support that was accorded the air-mail despatches, making them a financial success, it must not be overlooked that the patronage came principally from philatelists. In view of the keen interest and support of philatelists in the flights, special steps were taken in New Zealand to ensure that all correspondence was date-stamped, by hand, as perfectly as possible. Similarly, on the arrival of the air mail from Australia the correspondence was date-stamped on the back, also by hand.

14

Number of Number of Letters carried. Letters for Ti„ t „ TTliffht Machine Net Eeturri to FlyingDate. Plight. Machine. Weight. Country of time. Ordinni-v »egiS" Total Origin of urmnary. tered iotai. Flight. 1934. lb. Hr. min. 17th February Auckland-Sydney " Faith in Australia" 37,578 1,677 39,255 550 12,860 14 10 29th March '.. Kaitaia-Sydney.. " Southern Cross. 20,979 887 21,866 317J 8,583 13 25 llth-12th April Sydney - New Ply- " Faith in Australia " 37,869 2,102 39,971 515 13,033 16 46 mouth 14th April .. Kaitaia-Sydney.. " Faith in Australia" 20,935 1,254 22,189* 289 3,372 11 58 * 11,890 being returned to Australia.

F. —1

Two of the three air-mail flights from New Zealand commenced from Ninety-mile Beach, the Post Office terminal being Kaitaia. It is mentioned that, due to its distance from the principal centres of New Zealand, Kaitaia is inconvenient as a commencing or terminal point for transTasman air mails. When departure is made from Kaitaia, at the northern end of New Zealand, connecting mails from most of the principal centres of the Dominion require to be closed so long before the time of departure of the machine that a good portion of the benefit which air transmission affords is lost. POSTAGE-STAMPS. New Series oe Pictobial Stamps. Following the decision to produce the new series of pictorial postage-stamps by the lineengraved process, a contract was let with Messrs. de la Rue and Co., Ltd., London, for the printing of supplies of all denominations except the 9d., which is being lithographed by Messrs. Waterlow and Sons, Ltd., London. The 9d. denomination, owing to special requirements of design, could not be produced satisfactorily except by lithography. Proofs of the master dies of all designs were approved and returned to London during the year, the last in February. It is anticipated that the new stamps will arrive in New Zealand towards the end of 1934. As soon as possible after receipt, the full series will be placed on sale simultaneously at all post-offices in the Dominion. Air-mail Stamps. To commemorate the first trans-Tasman air-inail flight, referred to on page 14 of this report, the existing 7d. air-mail stamp was printed in turquoise blue, and overprinted with the words " Trans-Tasman Air Mail ' Faith in Australia.' " The stamp was issued on the 17th January, 1934 ; and supplies were withdrawn on the 17th February, the day of the flight. The number printed was 180,000. Of this number, 83,078 were sold. The surplus stock was destroyed. " Health " Stamps. The practice of raising money for children's health camps by means of " Health " stamps was continued during the year. A " Health " stamp of the denomination 2d. (Id. for postage, Id. for health) was placed on sale on the Bth November, and, in accordance with the practice of previous years, withdrawn on the 28th February following. The design, representing " The Path to Health," was the work of Mr. J. Berry, cf Wellington. A steel plate to print sixty stamps to a sheet was made by Mr. H. T. Peat, of Wellington, and the stamps were printed by the intaglio process at the Government Printing Office. The number of stamps sold was 260,883, the gross value being £2,174 os. 6d., as compared with a gross return of £1,974 4s. the previous The amount made available to the Health Department for health-camp purposes was £921 9s. 7d. The increase in the number of stamps sold, 10-12 per cent, over the previous year, is a satisfactory indication that the scheme is gaining ground in New Zealand. Official Stamps. The ss. denomination of the New Zealand Coat-of-Arms series of stamp-duty stamps was overprinted " Official " in April, 1933. POSTAL UNION STATISTICS. Under international postal law each country retains the revenue received from the sale of postage-stamps in its territory, but is responsible for the cost of forwarding its mails to destinations overseas. In many cases transits through other countries and beyond are concerned, and statistics to form the basis for calculating the amounts payable for these transits were taken during the year in all countries of the union. In New Zealand this imposed an appreciable amount of extra work at the principal overseas ports of Auckland and Wellington. Such statistics are taken every three years over a period, in the case of New Zealand, of twenty-eight days, and serve as a basis of settlement for the year preceding and the year following, as well as for the year of taking of the statistics. A simplified system of taking the statistics was employed on this occasion in accordance with a decision taken at the Postal Congress of London in 1929. Previously, it was necessary to calculate to the nearest kilogram the weight of each bag of mail, and to enter the total weight of the mail on the letter-bill. The procedure now is to divide the bags into three categories — light bags (2 kg. to 5 kg.), medium bags (5 kg. to 15 kg.), heavy bags (15 kg. to 30 kg.), and merely to note on the letter-bill the number in each category. Under the new system, the work is a good deal reduced. The principal countries to which New Zealand requires to make payment for the onward transit of mails are Canada and the United States of America (for transit across America and beyond of European mails) and Australia (for transit across Australia and, beyond of mails for the East, &c.). The above remarks apply to the international transit of all mails except air mails and parcel mails. In respect of overseas air mails and parcel mails, special accounting systems are in vogue.

3—F. 1.

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INSPECTION. During the year, 1,236 visits of inspection to post-offices were made by Inspectors, and on almost every occasion the values were audited. At only one office was a serious deficiency found. I his is a most satisfactory position, as, although the cash advances at offices are at all times kept at a minimum, the total money transactions of the Department for the year amounted to no less than £165,0(30,000. It is the duty of Inspectors to examine all phases of the work undertaken at the various offices with a view to maintaining efficiency at a minimum of cost. BURGLARY OF POST-OFFICE PREMISES, ETC. The number of burglaries committed at post-offices during the year was not abnormal. The total amount stolen was comparatively small, due to the fact that a minimum amount of cash is held at offices. Many of the offenders were apprehended and dealt with according to law. The majority of the offences occurred at non-permanent offices located in general stores or other buildings which are not owned by the Department. Thefts from street posting-boxes, public-call offices and stamp-vending machines occur every year. The number was not unusual in the year under notice. From this class of offence thieves receive a poor return in money ; but such interference frequently causes a good deal of inconvenience to the public, and at times involves the Department in considerable expense in restoring the services and making good the damage done. It is appropriate under this heading to mention that cases have occurred in which money stolen from Government has been posted by the thief to a fictitious name in another town, the thief himself intending to take delivery. To remove any doubt that might exist in the matter, it is now provided, in section 4 of the Post and Telegraph Amendment Act, 1933, that the Postmaster-General may dispose of such stolen money as lie thinks fit. ARTICLES DELIVERED. During the year 1933 the estimated number of articles delivered in the Dominion, including those received from places overseas, compared with the number in 1932, was as under :— pJS. Letters .. .. ■ • 136,137,538 128,139,784 6-24 Post-cards 3,991,591 3,738,990 6-75 Parcels .. .. .. •• 1,739,731 1,475,612 17-8 All other articles .. .. .. 94,444,813 89,216,910 5-86 Totals .. .. .. 236,313,673 222,571,296 AVERAGE NUMBER OF LETTERS POSTED PER UNIT OF POPULATION. 1933, 81-79. DEAD LETTER OFFICE. 1933. 1932. Letters returned to senders in New Zealand .. .. 385,464* 372,665f Other articles returned to senders in New Zealand .. 183,039 179,939 Letters returned to other Administrations .. . . 40,089{ 37,017§ Other articles returned to other Administrations .. 33,808 33,772 Letters destroyed (senders unknown and contents of no value) .. .. • • • • • • .. 22,429 19,232 Letters and letter-cards posted without addresses .. 9,541 8,784' Letters imperfectly or insufficiently addressed .. .. 16,614 18,201 Letters intercepted addressed to persons and firms on prohibited list .. .. .. . • • • 6, 054 3,086 Letters intercepted on account of libellous addresses .. 53 68 Newspapers received without addresses .. .. 1,786 2,412 Other articles received without addresses .. .. 1,878 2,137 Newspapers returned to publishers as undeliverable .. 39,067 36,048 Articles bearing previously used stamps. . .. . . 105 104 The proportion of undeliverable letters to the total number of letters delivered was 0-33 per cent., the same as in the previous year. PROHIBITED CORRESPONDENCE. Due to the activities of large numbers of overseas lotteries, art unions, sweepstakes, &c., the volume of correspondence intercepted in the post for addresses which have been prohibited is still appreciable. The number of letters intercepted at present exceeds six thousand annually, which is almost double the number intercepted a year ago.

* Including 16,974 registered. f Including 17,645 registered. 1 Including 391 registered. § Including 490 registered.

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MISSING POSTAL PACKETS. During the year 1933 5,167 complaints regarding the non-delivery of postal packets of all kinds were investigated by the Department, In 2,686 cases, or 51-98 per cent, of the total number, the articles were traced or accounted for satisfactorily. These cases may be summarized as follows 7 fx >7 Sender responsible for delay .. • • ■ • • • • • • • Addressee responsible for delay .. •• •• ■■ " i«9 Post Office responsible for delay .. • ■ • ■ • • • • No delay, or responsibility not fixed .. In 2 481 cases the number of disposal of the postal packets could not be determined. A comparison of this figure with the total number of articles posted shows that the percentage of cases m which packets were not accounted for was o*ooll. MONEY-ORDERS. During the year 635,674 orders were issued, of a value of £3,112,729. This represented a decrease compared with the previous year of 13,277 in number and of £222,823 m value. POSTAL NOTES. The postal-note service was more freely used this year than last. The sales were 2,883,070 postal notes, of a value of £1,061,946, against 2,686,648, of a value of £958,373, during the previous year. The commission totalled £26,249 2s. lid., an increase of £2,346 13s. lOd. on the commission earned in the previous year. BRITISH POSTAL ORDERS. British postal-order business fell away to an extent, 77,229 orders, of a value of £37,921 3s. 4d. being sold, as against 100,568, of a value of £54,200 14s. 4d for the previous year. The number of orders paid was 28,056, of a value of £14,643 9s. 6d., compared with 28,603, of a value of £15,409 195., paid during the previous year. SAVINGS-BANK. The deposits in the Post Office Savings-bank amounted to £19,428,853, and the withdrawals to £17,818,172, an excess of deposits of £1,610,681. The interest credited to depositors was £1,231,089, and the total amount at the credit of depositors at the end of the year was 391 On the Ist February savings-bank ledger offices were established at Lower Hutt and letone The Post and Telegraph Amendment Act, 1933, contained a number of provisions respecting t e savings-bank. Since the savings-bank provisions of the previous Act were enacted, conditions have changed considerably, and the amendments aim at making the system more elastic Some changes will assist in simplifying procedure m connection with a comprehensive scheme w ic proposed to be embarked upon next year for the encouragement of thrift among school-children. POST OFFICE INVESTMENTS CERTIFICATES. Post Office investment certificates having a currency of two and five years were withdrawn from sale on the Ist August, and a new issue, having a currency of six years, was made available on the 2nd October, iai . gsue . g holder iag right, by giving one month's notice, to redeem his certificates at any time after six months from the date on which they were issued. Further, if certificates are not redeemed at maturity, interest will be allowed on them until they are redeemed, but the period for which interest will be so allowed is limited to four years after the date ag a regult of tbege prov isions, Post Office certificates will prove an attractive form of investment. WORK PERFORMED FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS. The Department continues to undertake a vast amount of work for other Departments. The total sum handled in this respect during the year amounted to approximately £31,000,000. Registration of Motok-vehicles, and Associated Work. The volume of work handled in connection with the registration and annual relicensmg of motorvehicles has shown an increase during the year. Although on the Ist June the registrations of 14,162 vehicles were cancelled owing to their not having been licensed for the two previous licensing years, the total number of motor-vehicles (cars, commercial vehicles, cycles, &c.) licensed at the close of the financial year was 196,252, as compared with 193,844 last year. The> number: North Island was 125,453, and in the South Island 70,799. In addition 1,033 sets of demonstration plates were issued to dealers in motor-vehicles. The total fees collected by the Department.m respect of the registration, licensing, and change of ownership, &c„ of motor-vehicles totalled In the twelve months 54,729 notifications of change of ownership were dealt with and 6,773 duplicate certificates of registration were issued, whilst substitute plates were applie or y , owners of motor-vehicles.

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Motor-registration fees are collected at approximately 800 post-offices in the Dominion, at 351 of which the Postmasters have been appointed Deputy Registrars. Local registers of motor-vehicles are kept at each Deputy Registrar's Office, and a general register comprising the whole of the registrations in the Dominion is kept by the Registrar of Motor-vehicles at Wellington. The insurance premiums payable by motorists in terms of the Motor-vehicles Insurance (Thirdparty Risks) Act, 1928, were collected by the Department on behalf of the forty-one insurance companies authorized to underwrite business in terms of that Act. Owners of vehicles may nominate any one of these companies to which the nomination forms are forwarded. The volume of work entailed in distributing the forms to each nominated company will be appreciated when it is realized that 201,315 proposal forms were dealt with. The gross amount of insurance premiums collected during the year was £226,728. The Department is required in terms of the Motor-spirits Taxation Act, 1927, to arrange refunds of duty on motor-spirits used for purposes other than as fuel for licensed motor-vehicles. During the year 49,265 claims were dealt with involving refunds amounting to £138,194. Payment of these claims is made by Postmasters. The number of claims dealt with has increased progressively each year, those handled in 1933 showing an increase of 3,279, compared with those of the previous year. Considerable inquiry work is involved in connection with some of the claims. Suited as it is with its widespread organization to conduct business on behalf of Government in cases in which it is necessary to deal with persons residing in country districts as well as those resident in the more thickly populated areas, the Post Office-was entrusted with the duty of collecting the special mileage taxation (prescribed in section 19 of the Finance Act, 1932-33 (No. 2)), which is payable in respect of the road-mileage covered by all motor-vehicles not propelled exclusively by means of motor-spirits. Owners of vehicles subject to the tax are required to make a declaration each month of the actual road-mileage covered by their vehicles. A penalty is payable in respect of each declaration that is not made within seven days after the close of each month. During the year declarations in respect of 269 vehicles were dealt with, the total amount of tax collected being £2,016. At the request of the Transport Department, the Department undertook, as from the Ist June, through its Postmasters who are Deputy Registrars of Motor-vehicles, the issuance of temporary goods licenses under the Transport Licensing Act, 1931. The system is working satisfactorily. Detailed particulars of the work undertaken by the Registrar of Motor-vehicles appear in the report of the Transport Department. Unemployment. The work associated with unemployment has reached such proportions thafr it occupies an important place in the Department's activities. Receipts and payments on behalf of the Unemployment Board during the year totalled approximately £7,000,000, and, as many of the transactions are for small amounts, it will be appreciated that this involved a very large volume of work. Particulars of the various classes of transactions are indicated hereunder :— (a) Quarterly instalments of the general unemployment levy collected amounted to £432,509. (b) The sales of unemployment-relief stamps, which are used mainly for the payment of wages-tax, amounted to £1,422,740. In addition, wages-tax amounting to £1,067,643 was paid in cash to the Post Office. (c) An amount of £834,653 was paid through the Post Office in respect of emergency unemployment charge on income other than salaries and wages. (d) Wages payments made through the Post Office to relief workers during the year totalled £3,221,318. In many instances difficulty is experienced in obtaining payment on the due dates of instalments of the unemployment levy, and the emergency unemployment charge on income, and this adds substantially to the volume of work which has to be undertaken. Postmasters continue to act as certifying officers and as Government representatives on local unemployment committees. Their services, besides being of great value to the Unemployment Board, have proved helpful to persons who are registered as unemployed. TELEGRAPH AND TOLL SERVICES. TELEGRAM CHARGES, ETC. In May a committee of departmental officers was appointed to inquire into and report whether any changes in equipment, operation, or organization in the Telegraph Branch would be the means of putting the Branch on a better footing, financially and otherwise. Following consideration of the report of the Committee, it is proposed, as from the 3rd April, 1934, to abandon the existing uniform system of charging for telegrams in favour of a zonal system, under which the charge will vary from a minimum of 6d. for a telegram of twelve words for local delivery to a maximum of Is. 3d. for a telegram of twelve words despatched between the most distant points. From the same date it is intended also to abolish the double rate of charging for urgent messages, and to apply instead an Urgent " fee of 6d. ; to impose a fee of 3d. on " collect " telegrams ; and to reduce to ordinary rates the charges made for telegrams presented on Sundays and holidays, messages which at present are charged at double rate.

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Additionally, it is intended, as opportunity offers, to make the following changes in telegraph arrangements : — The routing of traffic throughout the Dominion is to be rearranged in order to reduce the transit time and, if possible, the cost of transmission. Teleprinters (machine-printing apparatus) are to be substituted for morse apparatus at twenty-two of the larger offices. Multiplex apparatus is to be installed at Gisborne and New Plymouth for the purpose of giving these offices direct communication with Auckland and of enabling the existing multiplex plant to be used to fuller and better advantage. Certain circuits are to be equipped with single-channel telegraph carrier equipment with the object of giving an additional number of country offices direct communication with one of the four main centres. The speed of operation of multiplex systems is to be raised from forty-three to fifty words per minute per channel. In order to reduce battery-maintenance costs, the universal battery system is to be installed at a further twenty-four offices. As a result of this, primary batteries for telegraph working will be almost entirely eliminated. In order to minimize unproductive operator man-power and to effect savings in plant costs, a considerable reduction is to be made in the number of subsidiary and auxiliary outlets at the smaller offices. Approximately seventy morse offices of minor importance handling a comparatively small volume of telegraph traffic are to be converted from morse to telephone working. The combined self-enveloping telegram form is to be abandoned and the use of envelopes to be reverted to for all telegrams. The new telegram envelope is to be of distinctive colour and attractive design. Improved facilities are to be provided for the travelling public in order that they may avail themselves more readily of the telegraph service. The telegraph-line plant which will be released consequent upon the adoption oī certain of the new proposals will be converted, where economically possible, for use as telephone toll circuits. The Committee early in its sittings gave consideration to Christmas and New Year " Greetings " telegrams. On the Committee's recommendation, an attractive form was introduced for use during the periods 18th-23rd and 27th-30th December, while a choice of several alternative messages of greeting was given the public. In addition, the charge was reduced to 6d. per message, irrespective of the number of words contained in the address and signature. The improved facility was widely advertised by " Householder " circular, and by officers specially deputed to canvass the principal business houses in the cities and larger towns. Notwithstanding that a number of firms had at the time of approach already arranged for the forwarding of greetings by card, &c., and did not avail themselves of the telegraphic system, the result was most encouraging, the number of greetings messages lodged during the festive season totalling 161,089, as against 66,188 in the previous year. It is hoped to achieve still better results next year. AMENDMENTS TO REGULATIONS GOVERNING ACCEPTANCE OF CABLE-MESSAGES. As a result of the deliberations of an International Conference on telegraph and radio-telegraph matters held at Madrid in 1932 the following amendments, effective from Ist January, 1934, were made to the conditions under which code words will be accepted for transmission in cable-messages : —• (a) Code words must not comprise more than five letters, which may be formed without restriction in respect of vowels. (b) Messages containing code words are now charged at the rate of 60 per cent, of ordinary full tariff per word. (c) The minimum charge is equivalent to that for a five-word message. WAITANGI CELEBRATIONS. An occasion likely to be memorable, in the history of New Zealand was the celebrating—on the last anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi—of the dedication of the Waitangi Estate to the people of the Dominion. A feature of the celebrations was the laying, adjacent to the old British Residency, of the foundations of a carved Maori meeting-house. The ceremony was performed by His Excellency the Governor-General, in the presence of Ministers of the Crown, members of both Houses of Parliament, distinguished visitors from overseas, other prominent personages, and representatives of the Maori race. The Department early foresaw the need for providing adequate postal, telegraph, and telephone facilities at Waitangi to meet the demands of the many people attending the celebrations, some of them, particularly Maori parties, being in residence for some days ; and a post and telegraph office was maintained from the 26th January until the 9th February. To provide the necessary telegraph and telephone facilities, it was necessary to erect a new metallic circuit between Pa.ihia and Waitangi—a distance of one mile and three-quarters —and to convert to metallic working the three miles and threequarters of earth-working circuit between Paihia and Opua. A quadruplex morse set was installed at Waitangi, and the office was staffed by officers from Auckland and from offices in the vicinity of Waitangi. Traffic was exceptionally heavy, and the staff was called upon to work long hours. The arrangements worked smoothly, however, and traffic was expeditiously handled. The efficiency and courtesy of the staff employed were,the subject of expressions of commendation from many sources.

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LYTTELTON AND BULLER BY-ELECTIONS. On the 22nd November (Buller) ancl 13th September (Lyttelton), the dates fixed for the parliamentary by-elections rendered necessary by the deaths of Mr. H. E. Holland, M.P. (Bnller), Leader of the Opposition, and Mr. J. McCombs, M.P. (Lyttelton), the usual arrangements were made for the reopening in the evening of offices, at places where polling-booths were established, in order to expedite the forwarding of the returns to the electoral officers. In addition, progress reports of the voting were distributed by the Department to all telegraph offices which were open for business. MAINTENANCE OE TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMMUNICATION. During the year the Department's telephone and telegraph plant had been maintained in a very efficient state, thus ensuring a high grade of service to the public. In a few instances disruption to the service caused by the elements of nature was responsible for delays to traffic, but in all such cases prompt and effective steps were taken to restore communication. The strong gales, electrical storms, and heavy falls of snow which are seasonal occurrences in various parts of the Dominion were no less severe this year than on previous occasions, but disruptions which resulted from these causes were, comparatively speaking, negligible. An earthquake which was experienced on the sth March caused minor interference with telephone and telegraph services in the Pahiatua. and surrounding districts. The same remarks apply in respect of the earthquake which was experienced in the Hawke's Bay District on the 15th March. The wilful breaking of insulators by irresponsible persons still gives the Department much concern, and whenever the culprits can be apprehended police prosecutions invariably follow. The number of insulators wilfully broken during the year amounted to several thousands, and the cost of replacing them to some hundreds of pounds. PRINTING TELEGRAPHS. No additions have been made to the printing-telegraph network during the year, but comprehensive additions are contemplated in the near future. The multiplex and teleprinter systems have continued to render very satisfactory service, and a number of minor mechanical improvements have been made. A series of tests was carried out to ascertain the possibility of increasing the speed of the multiplex system. This system at present provides eight channels, each working at a speed of forty-three words per minute. Tests indicated that it would be practicable to increase this speed to fifty words per minute using existing apparatus, and that certain circuits could be operated at a channel speed of sixty words per minute provided a different type of printer-receiver were employed. As opportunity offers, it is proposed to increase the speed of working of the system. TELEGRAPH BATTERIES. The various universal battery installations, now involving nine offices, have functioned very satisfactorily, and appreciably reduced maintenance costs. It is proposed to exploit this system largely in the future, with the ultimate object of displacing almost entirely primary batteries for telegraph purposes, and thereby saving a further considerable annual expenditure on maintenance. CARRIER-CURRENT TELEPHONE SYSTEMS AND VOICE-FREQUENCY TOLL REPEATERS. An additional toll outlet between Wellington and Auckland was provided during the year by the installation of a single-channel carrier system which is operated over a route via Wanganui, New Plymouth, and Hamilton. With two direct outlets it is now practicable to give a speedier service over this important section of line. The single-channel system, however, is regarded merely as a temporary measure to meet requirements until the Department can arrange for the installation of a three-channel system for exclusive use between Wellington and Auckland. The traffic has now increased to such an extent that consideration is to be given to a proposal to provide three direct outlets during the current financial year. A voice-frequency repeater has been installed at the Christchurch end of the ChristchurchBlenheim trunk line. This circuit is now equipped with a terminal repeater at each end, resulting in a marked improvement in its transmission efficiency. CLOSING OF TOLL BOARD AT HASTINGS AND CONCENTRATION OF TOLL TRAFFIC AT NAPIER. Arrangements were made during the year for toll calls originated by automatic-telephone subscribers at Hastings to be recorded and handled at Napier instead of at Hastings. To effect this, Hastings subscribers desiring connection to toll merely dial " 0," upon which they are connected to the Napier toll board, where the usual action to set up the toll call is taken. The only toll calls dealt with at Hastings are those from the few rural telephone-lines and from the public counter. The change has enabled the Department to speed up and improve the toll service given to Hastings subscribers, and at the same time to effect economies in staff and maintenance charges at Hastings. EXTENSION OF TOLL AND TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS. Owing to the continued need for keeping expenditure as low as possible, the programme of works undertaken by the Department during the year comprised only the most urgent works which were necessary for the proper carrying-on of the Department's toll and telegraph services. These works

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consisted mainly of general reconstruction of existing assets, including the rearrangement of circuits to provide improved toll facilities, and in a few essential cases the erection of new lines. The following are the places between which the efficiency of the existing circuits was improved or between which new circuits were erected or provided : — Auckland Engineering District: Rawene—Waimamaku, Houhora —Te Paki, Rawhiti — Cape Brett, Kaeo-Waipapa, Whangarei-Kiripaka, Wayby Bridge -Te Hana, NorthcoteSilverdale, Pokeno-Miranda, Thames-Paeroa, Kaikohe-Ohaeawai, Auckland-Helensville, Auckland-Wellington, Tirau -Mamaku, Putaruru-Taupo-Rotorua, Okere Falls-Paeanga-roa, Mokai-Oruanui, Whakatane-Taneatua, Te Kuiti - Otorohanga, Te Kuiti -Ngapaenga, Piopio-Aria, Kaipara Flats - Tauhora, Birkenhead-Birkdale-Greenhithe, Aria-Mokauiti, Paihia-Opua, Papakura-Manurewa, Te Whaiti - Ruatahuna. Wellington Engineering District: Napier-Hastings, Ruatoria-Tikitiki, Wairoa-Turiroa, Hastings-Clive, Napier- Wairoa, New Plymouth - Inglewood, New Plymouth - Uruti, Hawera-Patea, Apiti-Kimbolton, Otaki Bridge - Te Horo, Masterton-Eketahuna, Wel-lington-Kaitoke, Wellington-Petone, Whangamoa - French Pass, Portage - Endeavour Inlet, St. Omer - Homewood, Whangamomona-Tahora-Tangarakau. Canterbury Engineering District: Timaru-Glenavy, Westport - Inangahua Junction, Grey-mouth-Westport, Rimu-Ross, Ross-Harihari, Christchurch - Governor's Bay, AkaroaLittle River - Tai Tapu, Ashburton-Mayfield, Hinds-Lowclifle, Purau - Port Levy. Otago Engineering District: Cromwell - Arrowtown - Queenstown, Lumsden - Mossburn, Glenavy - Oamaru, Balclutha - Kaitangata, Gore - Clinton, Invercargill - Mataura, Rox-burgh-Alexandra, Lawrence-Milton, Invercargill-Edendale-Wyndham, Invercargill-Bluff, Nightcaps-Ohai-Birchwood, Dunedin-Middlemarch, Dunedin-Outram-Lawrence, TarrasLindis Pass, Glenorchy-Paradise, Ranfurly-Gimmerburn, Gore-Waikaka, InvercargillRiverton, Invercargill-Tuatapere, Invercargill-Nightcaps. In addition to the foregoing, 442 miles of toll and telegraph pole-line were reconstructed during the year. This work involved the replacement of 1,051 miles of wire. Other improvements to the plant and equipment used in connection with the toll and telegraph services included the following : — The rearrangement of lines on the toll switch-boards in the Wellesley Street (Auckland) automatic exchange, including preparatory work for the installation of the " demand " system. The installation of the "demand" system on the toll boards in the telephone exchanges at Palmerston North, Feilding, Wellington, and Wanganui. The provision of facilities for toll dialling between Upper Hutt and Wellington ; Hastings and Napier ; Waipawa, Waipukurau, and Hastings ; Waipawa, Takapau, and Dannevirke ; and Waipukurau and Palmerston North. The installation of teleprinter apparatus, including the universal-battery system, at the telegraph office, Hastings. The replacement of line and local batteries and the installation of rectifiers in the telegraph office, Wellington. The installation of a universal-battery system in the telegraph office, Westport. The installation of a voice-frequency terminal repeater at Christchurch for use on the Christchurch-Blenheim toll circuit. The installation at New Plymouth of a high-frequency repeater for use in connection with the operation of the Auckland-Wellington carrier system. POLES AND WIRE. During the year 96 miles of pole-line and 785 miles of wire were erected for telegraph and telephone (toll) purposes, while 106 miles of pole-line and 482 miles of wire were dismantled, or, in localities where no longer required by the Department, sold to settlers for use as private telephonelines. The lengths of pole-line and wire in use for telegraph and telephone toll purposes on the 31st March, 1933 and 1934, respectively, were as follow : — Year ended Year ended Pole-line and Wire. 31st March, 31st March, 1933. 1934. Miles of pole-line .. .. •• •• •• 12,304* 12,294 Miles of wire .. •• •• •• •• 64,453* 64,756 NEW ZEALAND SUBMARINE CABLES. COOK STRAIT CABLES. In November No. 3 Oteranga Bay - White's Bay cable developed a break at a point approximately 2-5 nautical miles from the Oteranga Bay end. With the occurrence of this break two of the singlecore telegraph cables were out of commission, the second being No. 1 Oteranga Bay - White's Bay cable which broke half a mile from Oteranga Bay in August, 1932, as mentioned in last year's report. Early in December the Titalii Bay - Picton cable also became faulty, and with three cables then out of action it was essential, in view of the approaching Christmas holiday traffic, that repairs should

* Revised figures.

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be undertaken immediately. Accordingly, arrangements were made to charter the cable steamer " Recorder." The vessel arrived in Wellington from Auckland on the 17th December, and, after taking in twenty-four miles of repair cable from the shore tanks, she left port on the 19th December to commence work on the Titabi Bay - Picton cable. Repairs to this cable were completed on the 20th December, after 10-22 nautical miles of new cable had been laid in. Some delay ensued in effecting repairs to the other cables owing to unfavourable weather conditions, and on several occasions during the progress of the work the cable-ship was forced to return to port for shelter. Communication was finally re-established over No. 3 cable on the 9th January, and repairs to No. 1 cable were completed the following day. Restoration of these two channels necessitated the laying-in of fifteen nautical miles of new cable inclusive of two new shore ends at Oteranga Bay. On the eve of completion of the above-mentioned repairs it was reported that an earth fault had disclosed itself in No. 4 Lyall Bay - White's Bay cable. Tests showed that the fault had developed in a nine-mile section which had been laid over twenty years ago and which was known to be* weak in insulating properties. Owing to extensive corrosion of the armouring in this section, it was found necessary to lay in 10-34 nautical miles of new cable. Repairs to the fourth cable were completed on the 16th January after further delays resulting from unfavourable weather conditions. The " Recorder " returned to her base at Auckland on the 20tli January, the charter having extended over a period of thirty eight days. RADIO TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE SERVICES. OVERSEAS RADIO-TELEPHONE SERVICE. With the gradual return of economic prosperity greater use has been made of the overseas telephone service, and it is pleasing to note that the irregular and more experimental use of the service is now giving place to the adoption of this method of overseas contact as a regular practice in the case of many users. The total number of commercial messages handled during the twelve months was as follows : — Between New Zealand and Australia . . .. .. .. .. 266 Between New Zealand and Great Britain .. .. .. 46 The corresponding figures for the previous year were 170 and 38 respectively. While the cable service continues to afford the main channel of communication between New Zealand and the outside world, such a service can never provide the direct and personal contact afforded by a telephone conversation from office to office or home to home. A reduction in the charges would no doubt result in an increase of business, but, in this connection, certain definite difficulties exist owing to the fact that the fee has to be sufficient to cover reasonable charges on the trunk circuits involved, and the land-line system in the overseas country to which connection is sought. Thus, in the case of Australia, on the present flat-rate basis the charge must be sufficient to cover a call from Adelaide to Invercargill as well as from Sydney to Wellington. The question of charges is, however, under discussion between the various Administrations concerned, and, as far as the Department is concerned, every endeavour will be made to reduce rates. In the case of the telephone service between New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the outgoing signals from New Zealand are at present switched through Sydney. While this practice meets immediate requirements, there is no doubt that any great increase in the demand for the English service will necessitate serious consideration being given to the erection of a powerful telephone station in the Dominion capable of providing a transmitting channel direct to the United Kingdom. At the present state of the science of radio telephony it has to be admitted that a service between the United Kingdom and New Zealand can only be conducted at pre-arranged times, the circuit being available to the public only during definite periods of the day. It thus becomes obvious that if New Zealand is to have the best possible service, the existing method of sharing circuit time with Australia will have to be discontinued in favour of the installation of a direct service. The position is being closely watched, and, as soon as the erection of the necessary station of adequate power for direct connection becomes warranted commercially, its installation will receive detailed consideration. Erom the 15t.h February the charges for radio-telephone calls from New Zealand to Finland were reduced from £8 Bs. to £7 19s. for a conversation of three minutes'' duration. At the same time the charges for calls to Roumania were reduced from £8 lis. to £7 19s. for a three minutes' conversation. In a speech made at England, on the 23rd February, 1934, the British PostmasterGeneral, Sir Kingsley Wood, stated that, of 34,000,000 telephones in use throughout the world, 32,000,000 could be connected with telephone-users in Great Britain. This is an indication of the rapid strides made in the technique of radio-telephony. DEPARTMENTAL RADIO STATIONS : OPERATION. Auckland-Radio. The erection of the radio receiving-station at Brown's Bay, to which reference was made in last year's report, has been completed, and the radio receiving-apparatus has been installed therein. The temporary station previously in use was situated near Takapuna, a distance of about two miles from the present site. The new location is a very favourable one for reception from ships at sea, and enables signals to be received from vessels at much greater distances than is possible in the city. The station is normally unattended, the apparatus being operated by remote control from the main radio station in the City of Auckland.

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W ellington-Radio . Although it is recognized by the Department as being unwise to concentrate all its radio services at one station, the proximity of Wellington-Radio to the capital city and its central position for handling traffic to ships in New Zealand waters make it a most convenient and useful station from which to carry out many of the radio services now undertaken or now in process of development by the Department. An innovation during the year has been the short-wave radio-telegraph service to small coastal ships not compulsorily provided with radio facilities. This service is carried out by WellingtonRadio at certain schedule hours of the day on a wave of approximately 70 metres. By this means the advantages of radio communication are being extended to small vessels on which the installation of modern commercial radio apparatus for operation on the general communication waves could not be entertained. Further experimentation, in the direction of enabling the reception on the Overseas Radiotelephone Service to be carried out at the main station site, gives promise of successful accomplishment, a number of successful calls having been connected already by this means. In the meantime the regular receiving service is still being operated through the Mount Crawford Station, but the duplicate apparatus at the main station will enable urgent calls outside the usual hours to be connected without the necessity of manning the special receiving-station. In order to improve reception arrangements at Wellington-Radio, two additional super-heterodyne receivers of high selectivity have been provided for use on medium and short waves respectively. Awarua-Radio. Under the provisions of the International Radio Telegraph Convention it is necessary for all coast stations which may cause interference with the transmissions of stations belonging to other Administrations to discontinue using waves of the type generated by spark equipment and to change over to the valve system of operation by January, 1935. At the present time the only valve transmitter installed at Awarua-Radio is one of low power for medium-wave working, a great deal of the traffic being transmitted by means of the spark equipment. Arrangements have therefore been made to install at Awarua-Radio transmitting equipment of the valve type of adequate power and modern design to meet the various services conducted from the station. Opportunity will also be taken to locate the transmitting equipment in a separate building from that housing the staff and the receiving facilities. This can fortunately be achieved at small expense, and it is hoped that it will enable the station to conduct its many special receiving schedules, such as the reception of the British Official Press news from Rugby and the weather reports from Sydney, quite independently of any transmission which may be conducted from Awarua at the time. Chatham Islands-Radio. With a view to exploiting the possibility of operating, by means of low-power equipment, the point-to-point service between Chatham Islands and Wellington, and also as an emergency measure in the event of the failure of the main spark transmitter, a small valve transmitter for operation on short and medium waves has been provided at Chatham Islands-Radio. Encouraging results are being achieved, and useful information is being obtained regarding the possibility of providing an improved point-to-point service with the mainland with comparatively low-power equipment. An all-wave receiver for use in conjunction with the valve transmitter has also been supplied. DIRECT RADIO-TELEGRAPH SERVICE WITH NIUE ISLAND. On the 7th June a direct radio-telegraph service between Niue Island and Wellington-Radio was inaugurated, enabling the rate for radio-telegrams exchanged between the two stations to be reduced from Is. 6d. to Is. a word. Previously radio-telegrams for Niue were transmitted via Apia-Radio. PRIME MINISTER'S ABSENCE AT WORLD ECONOMIC CONFERENCE : RADIO COMMUNICATION. During the voyage of the Right Hon. the Prime Minister to London to attend the World Economic Conference the Prime Minister was, for the whole period of the voyage, kept informed of happenings in New Zealand by means of radio contact between Wellington - Radio and the s.s. " Rangitata," the steamer conveying the Conference party. The " Rangitata " was equipped with a short-wave wireless installation which enabled two-way communication to be maintained between the vessel and Wellington-Radio throughout the whole period of the journey. This is a striking illustration of the utility of modern radio communication, and is also an indication of the part that radio plays in removing much of the isolation that was formerly associated with lengthy sea voyages. DIRECTION-FINDING SIGNALS FOR STEAMERS. Commencing on the 26th April, a charge at the rate of 2s. 6d. a minute has been made for the transmission for direction-finding purposes of signals from the departmental radio stations at Auckland, Awarua, Chatham Islands, and Wellington. These" signals enable a ship fitted with direction-finding apparatus to take a bearing from a coast station. The charges and procedure adopted are in accordance with international practice.

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MILFORD SOUND : PROVISION OF RADIO-TELEGRAPH FACILITIES. Consequent upon the opening on the 29th September of a radio-telegraph office at Milford Sound, direct radio communication from that station is now possible with Awarua-Radio. On the same date a telephone office was established at Glade House, the Lake Te Anau terminal of the Milford Track. Telegraph traffic for Glade House circulates via Awarua-Radio to Milford Sound, and from the latter station to Glade House over the Tourist Department's telephone circuit. The charge for telegrams for both Milford Sound and Glade House is at the rate of 2§d. per word, with a minimum of Is. 3d. for each message. SHIP-TO-SHORE RADIO-TELEPHONE SERVICE. Improvements in the technique of radio-telephony have now made it possible, provided that economic conditions justify the provision of the necessary equipment and operating personnel, for many services previously provided exclusively by radio-telegraphy to be conducted telephonically, and even connected to the main telephone-exchange system. As regards ship-to-shore radio communication, future developments may be conveniently considered under three headings, namely : — (a) Service to passenger liners when between about 500 and 2,000 miles from the New Zealand coast; (b) Service to coastal vessels and to passenger ships approaching the coast; and (c) Service to vessels lying in the roadstead at provincial ports during loading operations. As regards (a) : This service, which has been developed to a small extent in other parts of the world, will doubtless be demanded by the travelling public when economic conditions improve. The Department is already equipped to provide such a service, and as soon as the installation of equipment on the liners concerned is justified the Department is prepared to initiate a developmental service on a schedule basis, utilizing the same equipment as is used in the overseas radio-telephone service. The service referred to under (6) would require special equipment, as it would necessarily have to be conducted on quite a different wave from that required for communication with distant liners. There are, however, no technical difficulties involved, and the Department is in a position to ofler such a service at short notice. Undoubtedly developments of this class of service can be expected in connection with such vessels as the inter-Island express steamers. The expeditious handling of cargo at ports at which loading is still carried out by means of lighters demands radio communication with the shore, and preferably with the telephone system of the mainland, and these facilities are provided for by the service referred to under (c) above. The Department is willing to co-operate with Harbour Boards in providing such services at a minimum cost. Already one installation of this type is in existence, and is operating as a means of connection with the telephone system of the mainland with satisfaction to all parties concerned. Developments in ship-to-shore radio-telephone services are so closely linked with the economic conditions of the country that it is impossible to hope for more than slow progress along the lines indicated. In inaugurating such services a commercial organization, such as the Department, has of necessity to preserve a wise balance between progressive development and economic expenditure ; and, while it is realized that, without the development of the service it is impossible to build up traffic, it is unwise to unduly anticipate the demand. EMERGENCY RADIO-STATIONS. The departmental emergency radio-stations which are installed at various points throughout the Dominion have been maintained in constant readiness for use during the year, and periodical tests have been carried out to ensure that reliable communication is available with other towns in the event of the failure of the land-line telegraph and telephone service. Although there has fortunately been no occasion for the extended use of the emergency service during the year, in a few instances the stations have been manned when the lines were threatened by storms, &c. CABLE-RADIO MESSAGES ADDRESSED TO SHIPS AT SEA: CHARGES. Payment of the radio portion of the charges levied on cable-radio messages —i.e., messages transmitted from one country to another by cable and thence by radio to a ship at sea—requires to be settled on a gold basis. Due to the depressed state of New Zealand currency in international exchange, this means that the payments due to other Administrations, as expressed in New Zealand currency, require to be increased by 80 per cent. ; and it has been necessary to impose ail equivalent surcharge on the radio charges (coast-station and ship-station charges) on such messages. SECOND BYRD ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION: RADIO TRANSMISSION. As was the case with the first Byrd Antarctic Expedition, permission was granted for the vessels attached to the 1933 Expedition to operate their wireless-telegraph apparatus while in New Zealand waters. CALL-SIGNS FOR VESSELS REGISTERED IN NEW ZEALAND. By international agreement the call-signs for all vessels, whether signs used for visual- or radiosignalling purposes, have been assigned from the call-sign letter blocks allotted to the various countries under the International Tele-communication Convention Regulations. Previously, call-signs for visual signalling purposes were issued by the Marine Department, while the Post and Telegraph Department allotted separate call-signs for radio-signalling.

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BROADCASTING SERVICE. The operation of the Broadcasting Service for the year 1933 is the subject of the Second Annual Report of the New Zealand Broadcasting Board, which has been presented separately. The following gentlemen have been reappointed for a further period of one year to the Advisory Council provided for in the Broadcasting Act: Mr. A. B. Chappell, Auckland ; Mr. J. S. Anchor, Hamilton ; Mr. E. T. Davis, New Plymouth ; Mr. W. A. Waters, Palmerston North ; Mr. J. H. Owen, Wellington ; Mr. C. R. Russell, Christchurch ; Mr. H. Booth, Dunedin ; Mr. A. W. Jones, Invercargill. Receiving Licenses. The number of radio-receiving licenses in force on the 31st March was 118,086. Of these, 46,354 were held in the Wellington Engineering District, 35,054 in the Auckland District, 21,028 in the Canterbury District, and 15,650 in the Otago District. Included in the total are 302 licenses issued free to blind persons. The figures represent a gain of 24,597 licenses in twelve months. This represents the greatest annual increase of licenses yet experienced in the Dominion, and must be considered very satisfactory indeed. No doubt the concession which permits license fees to be paid in half-yearly instalments is greatly appreciated by listeners, and is to some extent responsible for the extraordinary increase in licenses. Operation of Unlicensed Sets. Despite the increasing number of licenses, there yet remains a number of persons who evidently do not realize their responsibilities in regard to the licensing of radio apparatus. During the year 1,117 persons were convicted of operating unlicensed sets, the fines totalling £690. Pkivate Broadcasting-stations. The number of private broadcasting-stations now in operation is 26. Stations IZR, Auckland, 2ZW, Wellington, and 3ZC, Christchurch, were purchased by the Department during the year, and were later taken over by the Broadcasting Board. Empire Broadcasting Service. The transmissions of the Empire Broadcasting Service are regularly observed by certain of the Department's radio-stations, and reports are also received from members of the public operating shortwave receivers at places where no departmental radio-station exists. The information available from these sources is summarized, and regularly reported to the British Broadcasting Corporation, which provides the service. The waves and hours used in this service are changed from time to time to suit the altered propagation conditions obtaining during the different seasons of the year, and by a judicious selection of the waves and periods of the day a tolerably effective service has been given po short-wave listeners in the Dominion. In a service such as that provided by the Empire Station the times of optimum propagation conditions have necessarily to be given preference over times which would be most favourable for reception by listeners. As the New Zealand service usually begins at approximately dawn in the English morning, recourse has frequently to be made to the use of recordings of events which occur at hours unsuitable for direct transmission. Although the transmissions are often of entertainment value when received direct by means of short-wave receivers, a very high standard of signal is necessary m order to satisfactorily rebroadcast the programmes provided, and this has not been in evidence sufficiently consistently to warrant regular rebroadcasts by New Zealand broadcasting-stations. The engineers of the British Broadcasting Corporation are closely watching the position, and it is hoped that, as a result of the experience gained during the period the transmissions have been conducted, it will be possible to improve the grade of the service so that New Zealand listeners may always be assured of a service from the Homeland of sufficiently high standard to enable the rebroadcasting of historical and other events of Imperial importance. Special Broadcasts. A matter which is now becoming one of national importance is the rebroadcasting in New Zealand of important functions which, although arranged in other parts of the Empire, have particular interest for New Zealand generally. During the year many transmissions of this nature were arranged over the overseas radio-telephone channel, and, in some instances, by means of the Empire Broadcasting Service. The broadcast arranged by the British Broadcasting Corporation on Christmas Day, terminating in an address by His Majesty the King, was again a feature of these overseas transmissions. Other broadcasts worthy of mention were those associated with the opening of the Monetary and Economic Conference in London by His Majesty the King, the speech of the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the Right Hon. Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald, also being broadcast, and the special Empire Day commemorative programme arranged from Sydney, in which the Governor-General of New Zealand, Lord Bledisloe, participated; also the broadcast of the speech made by His Royal Highness Prince George on return from his visit to South Africa. In addition, many other happenings overseas were rebroadcast during the year by New Zealand stations. Radio Patent Rights. In May, 1933, Government gave twelve months' notice of termination of its agreement with Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Ltd., in respect of patent rights. The agreement was signed on the 30th October, 1928, to subsist for a period of five years (and thereafter to be subject to twelve

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months' notice of renunciation by either party), and provided for the payment to Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Ltd., of 3s. in respect of each radio-receiving license (to cover the use of the company's patent rights for broadcasting-apparatus) and of a percentage of the revenue accruing from portion of the commercial radio traffic handled by New Zealand radio-telegraph stations. The agreefnent followed protracted negotiations between the Government and the company ; and its effect was to absolve users and manufacturers of radio apparatus from any liability for claims in respect of the use of registered patents. The matter of the arrangements to be made in respect of patent rights on expiry of the agreement was the subject of negotiation at the close of the year between the radio-dealers and a group representing the patent-holders. Broadcasting-stations : Revision of Frequency Allocations. With a view to improving the coverage of the principal broadcasting-stations in the Dominion, a revision of the frequency allocations of all the New Zealand stations was carried out in December. For some time it had been realized by the Department that the best use was not being made of the lower-frequency end of the broadcasting spectrum, which is recognized as being the most effective from a coverage point of view. In view of the intention of the Australian Administration to revise the waves used by the Commonwealth stations, action by this Administration was deferred in order that the two schedules might be properly co-ordinated. However, upon information being received that the Australian authorities were not proceeding immediately with their proposed alterations, itwas deemed advisable to proceed with the revision of the New Zealand schedule. In preparing the new schedule full consideration was given to the question of interference from overseas stations, existing and prospective, and, as far as possible, allocations were made to provide for clear reception within the service area of the New Zealand stations. With a view to also permitting the reception in other parts of the Dominion of the more important New Zealand stations the spacing between these stations has been kept as wide as possible. The new schedule was brought into force coincidentally with the opening of the new station 3YA at Gebbie's Pass. The following shows the old and new frequencies allotted to the four principal stations :— Old Frequency New Frequency (kc/s). (kc/s). IYA (Auckland) .. .. .. .. .. .. 820 650 2YA (Wellington) .. . . . . . . . . . . 720 570 3YA (Christchurch) . . ..... . . . . 980 720 4YA (Dunedin) .. . . .. .. . . . . 650 790 Electrical Interference with Radio Reception. The efforts of the Department in connection with the elimination of electrical interference with radio reception have been continued during the year. As must be considered inevitable in view of the large increase in the number of broadcast receiving-stations, this work has become one of some magnitude. Special receiving-sets designed for the purpose of locating the source of interfering emissions are now located at a large number of towns throughout the Dominion, at which staff has also been made available to investigate complaints. The Department has amassed a considerable amount of information concerning the remedial measures that are applicable under various circumstances, and is at all times willing to assist owners of interfering equipment in regard to the best means to adopt. In a very large number of cases actual demonstrations are given of the efficacy of the action recommended. Owing to the extensive reticulation of power-lines throughout the Dominion, and especially on account of the number of high and extra-high tension transmission-lines serving the various localities, a considerable amount of interference is experienced from these sources. As specific sources of interference appear, such as faulty binding or fittings, these are repaired or replaced by modern methods or equipment, with the result that the number of potential sources of interference from power-lines should become progressively less. Another serious cause of interference is the electric-tramway system, and in cities and towns where such systems operate reception is frequently very seriously militated against. Although the complete elimination of tramway interference involves considerable expense, it is pleasing to note that one tramway authority has almost completed the installation of filtering equipment in the tramcars and at other points, and that other authorities are experimenting with a view to overcoming the disturbance. The number of complaints of interference made to the Department during the year was 2,074, among the most prolific sources in addition to power-lines and tramway systems being radiating receivers, amateur transmitting radio-stations, street lamps, electric motors, and electro-medical apparatus. In view of the failure of many ownerā of interfering equipment to give effect to the recommendations of the Department in regard to the elimination of radio interference, the committee of experts appointed in 1932 to consider matters relative to interference with radio reception recommended that regulations be formulated with a view to ensuring that electrical apparatus and equipment of a type which causes interference should not be placed on the market in future, and requiring owners of any existing equipment of such a character to comply with the Department's requests in the matter of taking suitable measures to prevent electrical radiations therefrom. The special committee's report was favourably received, and provision was accordingly made in the Post and Telegraph Amendment Act, 1933, for an amendment to the original Act in the direction of authorizing the making of regulations " with respect to the prohibition or regulation of the installation, use, sale, or manufacture

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of apparatus or equipment of any kind (whether wireless-telegrapliic apparatus or equipment or not) which may generate electric waves likely to interfere with the conduct of wireless communications." It is expected that the regulations will be issued at an early date. TRANS-TASMAN FLIGHTS. The monoplanes " Southern Cross " and " Faith in Australia," which made a number of flights between Australia and New Zealand during the year, were fitted with short and medium wave radio transmitting and receiving apparatus, and communicated with the departmental radio-stations as required during their flights. As a safety measure, the Department's coast stations at Wellington and Awarua on each occasion observed a continuous watch on the wave used by the monoplanes, usually about 34 metres. Except during one flight, when the short-wave apparatus on the flying-machine did not give satisfactory service, no difficulty was experienced in maintaining constant communication with the machines on either short or medium wave. TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SERVICES. DEVELOPMENT OF TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEMS. The improvement in financial conditions which has been in evidence during the year under review is reflected in the fact that the relinquishments of telephones for the year have exceeded the new connections by only 775, or 0-6 per cent., of the paying main station telephones in use at the beginning of the year, as against 5,370, or 4-3 per cent., for the previous year. This indicates that the downward trend has been arrested to a large extent and that, in all probability, the results for the following year will show a gain in subscribers. The total number of departmental telephone stations at the end of the year was 151,683. If to this number is added the private-line telephones connected with toll stations and non-departmental exchanges (3,376), the number of telephones in service on the 31st March was 155,059. The following is a brief summary of the year's operations in regard to the development and maintenance of telephone-exchange systems in the Dominion : — The laying of 1J miles of underground cable ducts. The laying or erecting of 45 miles of lead-covered cable containing 7,318 miles of wire for subscribers' circuits. The erection of 58 miles of pole-line and 1,028 miLes of open aerial wire for telephone-exchange subscribers' circuits. The extension of the switching equipment at the Nightcaps telephone exchange. The installation of a main distributing frame in the Kaitaia telephone exchange. The replacement by high-grade transmitters of several thousands of more or less unsatisfactory transmitters in use on subscribers' telephones in the Takapuna, Onehunga, Otahuhu, and St. Heliers Bay areas, Auckland, and also in the Wellington exchange area. The centralization of testing in the Reniuera automatic exchange. The installation of a new secondary battery of 230 ampere-hours capacity and a 12 ampere full-wave rectifier in the Remuera automatic exchange. The opening of a new telephone exchange at Maramarua. The replatal of the main battery at the Wellington Central automatic exchange and the overhaul of the battery and the replatal of the end cells of the battery in the Blenheim automatic exchange. The installation of air-filtering equipment at the Lower Hutt, Courtenay Place, and Miramar automatic exchanges. The installation of sixteen pay stations and twenty-three public call offices. The length of various items of telephone-exchange plant in existence on the 31st March, 1933 and 1934, respectively, was as follows

27

Cable. Wire. Pole line 8ingle ■ ■ ' fole-line. DuctLine T „ T Tt.,w Under- , . , Under - j n Aerial Open Under all ground. erla ' Cable. Aerial. Headings. Oft DIG. Miles. Chains. Chains. Chains. Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. In existence on 31st 15,281* 43,479* 97,374* 43,257* 395,959* 55,729*106,433* 558,121* March, 1933 Erected during year 58 100 2,727 850 6,498 821 1,028 8,347 Dismantled during year 21 3 979 927 4,180 1,107 672 5,959 In existence on 31st 15,318 43,576 99,122 43,180 398,277 55,443 106,7891" 560,509 March, 1934 * Revised figures. t Includes 145 miles of earth-working circuit.

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The percentages of the total wire-mileage in underground and aerial cables and open aerial wire respectively for the year ended 31st March, 1934, are as under : — Telephone-exchange wire in underground cables .. .. .. 71 per cent. Telephone-exchange wire in aerial cables .. .. . . 10 per cent. Telephone-exchange open aerial wire .. .. .. 19 per cent. TELEPHONE STATISTICS. A comparison of statistics in respect of the telephone system is made in the following table, which shows annually since 1925 the number of exchanges, the total wire-mileage, the revenue, and the total number of telephone stations, together with the number of telephones for each 1,000 of population of the Dominion : —

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, 1934, are shown in the following table :—

In addition to the stations shown in the preceding table, there were 3,376 stations connected by private telephone-lines directly or indirectly with departmental toll stations, making a grand total of 155,059 telephone stations on the 31st March, 1934.

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Number of Telephone-stations Year. Number of jytiles of Wire. Revenue. Exohall S es - _ . . Per 1,000 0 a ' Population. £ 1925 .. .. .. 340 331,453 867,218 120,097* 87-09 1926 .. .. .. 341 402,433 980.281 130,186* 94-40 1927 .. .. .. 342 440,253 995,071 137,307* 95-48 1928 .. .. .. 344 463,356 1,057,177 144,552* 99-40 1929 .. .. .. 351 495,470 1,135,795 152,541* 103-72 1930 .. .. .. 349 513,096 1,206,714 161,323* 108-37 1931 .. .. .. 349 528,568 1,238,649 161,739* 107-04| 1932 .. .. .. 349 556,735 1,218,072 160,779* 105-45 1933 .. .. .. 349 559,890 1,169,512 155.560* 101-21 1934 .. .. .. 349 560,509 1,164,711 155,059* 100-18 * Includes approximately 4,000 non-exchange stations. f Decrease owing to temporary loss of subscribers due to Hawke's Bay earthquake.

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 .. 42,588 23,783 27,761 25,557 119,689 Toll and service stations .. 788 545 931 1,765 4,029 Public call offices .. .. 598 122 61 6 787 Extension stations — P.B.X. .. .. .. 9,986 2,292 778 106 13,162 Ordinary .. .. .. 7,516 3,418 2,123 959 14,016 Telephone-stations: Class totals 61,476 30,160 31,654 28,393 151,683 Number of exchanges in each class 4 14 61 270 349

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The following table shows the number of telephone-stations in each engineering district on the 31st March, 1933 and 1934, respectively : —-

The number of telephone-stations (main and extension) connected with each of the fifteen principal exchanges on the 31st March, 1934, was : Auckland, 21,003 ; Wellington, 19,229 ; Christchurch, 12 351 • Dunedin, 8,133 ; Wanganui, 3,320 ; Palmerston North, 3,115 ; Hamilton, 3,030 ; Invercargill,' 2,831 ; Gisborne, 2,550 ; Hastings, 2,498; New Plymouth, 2,115; Timaru, 1,998 ; Napier, 1,951 ; Masterton, 1,920; Nelson, 1,717. The number of party and rural lines on the 31st March, 1934, was 11,847, to which were connected 45,209 main stations—an increase of 239 and 247 respectively on the figures for the previous year. . , , The following table shows, for each class of exchange, the respective percentages ot business and residential stations, also the respective percentages of individual- and party-line stations, on the 31st March, 1934 : —

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE EXCHANGES. Existing Systems. Automatic telephone exchanges in operation in the Dominion continue to give satisfactory service, and no interruptions of any magnitude occurred during the year. Extensions to Existing Systems. No extensions to existing automatic systems have been necessary. In order, however, to cope with an increased demand for party-line connections to automatic systems, and at the same time to avoid considerable expenditure in the purchase of party-line equipment, it has been possible, as a temporary expedient, to adapt groups of spare individual lines to accommodate subscribers desiring party-line service. By this means accommodation has been provided at the Auckland Central, Christchurch Central, Palmerston North, and Blenheim automatic-telephone exchanges. Private Branch Exchanges in Automatic-telephone Areas. During the year two private branch exchanges were installed —an automatic unit with a capacity of five trunks and thirty extension stations in Christchurch, and a central battery manual system providing for five trunks and seventy extension positions in Auckland.

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Number of Telephone Stations on 31st Maroh, • • i • i 1933. I 1934. Engineering District. | Percentage ; | Increase or Main ! Extension T Main Extension | T , , Decrease. Stations. Stations. ' j Stations. Stations, j Auckland .. 39,495 7,650 47,145 39,441 7,772 47,213 0-1 (Increase). Wellington .. 49,769 11,160 60,929 49,161 11,481 60,642 0-4 ] (Decrease). Canterbury .. 18,980 4,578 23,558 18,869 ! 4,695 23,564 0-02 (Increase). Otago .. 16,999 3,126 20,125 17,034 3,230 20,264 0-6 (Increase). Totals .. 125,243 26,514 151,757 124,505 27,178 151,683 0-05 (Decrease).

Glass I Class II Class III Class IV Dominion Percentage of Exchanges. Exchanges. Exchanges. Exchanges. Percentages. Business stations .. •. 38 33 27 20 30 Residential stations .. •. 62 67 73 80 70 100 100 100 100 100 Individual-line stations .. .. 86 74 48 31 63 Party- and rural-line stations .. 14 26 52 69 37 100 100 100 100 100

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GENERAL. Adoption of New Type of Telephone Cable. A new development in telephone-cable design known as " star quad " cable lias recently been adopted by the Department. The advantage of this type of cable is that, due to the different method of laying up the pairs of wires, it is possible to obtain a considerably greater number of circuits in a lead sheath of given diameter as compared with the old type of twin cable having similar characteristics. As an example, it is possible to place 1,400 pairs of 6| lb. conductors in a star quad cable having an overall diameter of 2-65 in., while the number of similar pairs which could be accommodated on the twin system would be only 1,000. Using 10 lb. conductors, 1,100 star quad pairs can be provided in a cable, whereas 600 pairs was the maximum number commonly used on the twin system. The Department's specifications have been amended to provide for the purchase of this type of cable exclusively for future telephone distribution work. This will have the effect of greatly increasing the capacity of existing duct systems, and will effect considerable savings by obviating the laying of further ducts on certain routes where the existing ducts would be approaching their ultimate capacity if the use of twin cable were continued.

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APPENDIX.

Table No. 1. Receipts and Payments for the Years 1881-82, 1891-92, 1901-2, 1911-12, 1921-22, and Following Years.

Table No. 2. Table showing the Number and Amount of Money-orders issued and of Money-orders payable in New Zealand since the Year 1863. Issued in the Dominion.

5 —F. 1.

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Other Disbursements. Balance of r _ , Payments for Receipts over Depreciation Fund Payment to Year. 5™,? Receipts. Working- Working- Investment, I Intereston Consolidated Balance, iorwara. expenses. expenses including Expenai- Capital Payments. ture on Renewals, , and Replacements j Liablllty - of Assets. 1881-1882 .. .. 234,529 233,291 1,238 .. .. •• * 1891-1892 .. .. 320,058 268,343 51,715 1901-1902 .. .. 488,573 465,756 22,817 .. •• * 1911-1912 .. .. 1,087,710 988,911 98,799 1921-1922 .. .. 2,811,535 2,451,571 359,964 1922-1923 .. .. 2,687,768 2,114,994 572,774 1923-1924 .. .. 2,688,954 2,120,584 568,370 1924-1925 .. .. 2,889,450 2,416,257 473,193 .. •• •• T 1925-1926 .. .. 3,100,396 2,409,556 690,840 .. T 1926-1927 .. .. 3,220,666 2,346,274 874,392 .. .. •• T 1927-1928 .. .. 3,329,511 2,299,571 1,029,940 .. ■■ t 1928-1929 .. .. 3,445,545 2,445,068 1,000,477 550,000 428,000 .. 22,477{ 1929-1930 .. 22,477 3,641,620 2,560,199 1,081,421 570,000 481,000 .. 52,898 1930-1931 . 52,898 3,707,420 2,642,400 1,065,020 558,248 504,000 .. 55,670 1931-1932 55,670 3,715,230 2,164,538 1,550,692 80,029 550,000 941,616*§ 34,71/ 1932-1933 .. 34 717 3,293,932 2,019,302 1,274,630 272,818 546,000 456,000* 34 >$ 2 ? 1933-1934 .. 34'529 3,200,414 2,058,861 1,141,553 431,739 553,000 154,388* 36,955 * Revenue paid to Consolidated Fund. t Revenue paid to Consolidated Fund and utilized in payment of working-expenses interest on loan capital, and reduction of capital liability. ; Post Oflice Account separated from Consolidated I und, 1st April, 1928. § Section 4, Finance Act, 1931 (No. 2), Depreciation rates revised and adjustment made in amount paid to Consolidated i'und.

Where payable. ' — — Total. Coin- I Australia and other Pnnr>trip« + Year, mission In the Dominion. j United Kingdom.* British Possessions. Foreign Countries.t received... J p- > 1 i No. I Amount. ! No. I Amount. No. ! Amount. No. Amount. No. j Amount. I I I ! — £ £ £ £ ! £ £ 1863 1,057 2,201 9,614 1 4,740 I 21,944 4,645 24,145 .. .. 11,586 j 55,703 1873 3,562 34,288 142,642 11,913 ' 48,548 6,150 28,068 .. .. 52,351 219,258 1883 9,023 132,232 402,559 26,211 ! 91,634 14,113 46,940 .. .. 172,556 | 541,133 1893 10,249 146,133 576,359 29,616 86,545 35,208 88,025 .. .. 210,957' 750,929 1903 15,882 273,535 ] 1,108,067 63,309 157,790 59,468 150,368 .. .. 396,312 ! 1,416,225 1 qio 1(5 872 516 536 2,821,624 100,634 336,992 73,575 199,158 .. .. 690,745 j 3,357,774 1923 og'357 345'605 3 849 423 54,461 223,143 68,044 284,778 16,869 32,815 684,979 4,390,159 924 28 542 580 569 4 113 813 57 175 232 436 75,743 312,624 18,024 34,056 731,511 I 4,692,929 1Q25 28 843 610 972 4 406 461 64 777 259,439 72,519 278,050 18,421 33,280 766,689 1 4,977,230 1926 24 746 635 078 4 «8 878 07.570 27 3 ;758 70,774 270,065 19,688 35,426 793,110 | 5,033,127 1927 24'775 639889 4 416 182 69,764 276,747 73,021 265,752 20,807 36,409 803,481 4,995,090 928 24 884 642 136 £406 187 69 366 266,072 73,786 267,411 22,597 37,852 807,885 I 4,977,522 1909 25 673 664 049 4 609 226 70 540 274,672 76,230 263,929 24,539 39,726 835,358 | 5,187,553 930 35 603 669 484 4 497 547 61 611 251,730 80,303 283,973 22,107 36,379 833,505 , 5,069,629 931 40 704 608 706 3 667 683 36,938 159,347 54,191 143,136 14,643 22,869 714,478 3,993,035 1<«2 3l'6°9 56°'930 3 130 928 i 30,675 94.800 43,005 92,012 12,341 17,812 648,951 3,335,o52 1933 38J72 555,224 2!933!997 ! 25',107 64,012 47,683 104,795 7,660 9,925 635,674 j 3,112,729 _ I ■ ■ I J :

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Table No. 2 —continued. Table showing the Number and Amount of Money-orders issued, etc. —continued. Drawn on the Dominion.

Table No. 3. Table showing the Number and Weight of Parcels exchanged with other Countries during the Years 1932 and 1933.

32

Where issued. • ; ; Total. Year. In the Dominion. United Kingdom.» cBelf No. Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. ■ £ £ £ £ £ 1863 2,067 9,169 415 1,824 558 3,078 .. .. 3,040 14,071 1873 34,288 142,642 1,482 6,626 1,668 7,689 .. .. 37,438 156,957 1883 132,232 402,559 3,725 15,553 5,697 23,300 .. .. 141,654 441,411 1893 146,133 576,359 8,746 32,617 10,679 4-0,929 .. .. 165,558 649,905 1903 273,535 1,108,067 13,035 49,181 17,777 68,340 .. .. 304,347 1,225,589 1913 516,536 2,821,624 12,693 70,084 31,450 110,487 .. .. 560,679 3,002,194 1923 545,605 3,849,423 11,042 63,313 26,042 123,703 1,813 8,669 584,502 4,045,108 1924 580,569 4,113,813 8,310 60,862 28,543 127,350 2,348 10,309 619,770 4,312,334 1925 610,972 4,406,461 9,857 69,098 27,318 119,073 2,140 8,391 650,287 4,603,023 1926 635,078 4,453,878 10,047 70,948 28,935 124,952 2,334 10.326 676,394 4,660,104 1927 639,889 4,416,182 11,646 80,015 32,791 136,763 2,428 9,301 686,804 4,642,261 1928 642,136 4,406,187 10,607 70,151 32,650 138,068 2,636 9,358 688.029 4,623,764 1929 664,049 4,609,226 10,953 68,273 32,973 129,798 2,923 10,875 710,898 4,818,172 1930 669,483 4,497,547 10,046 62,6)7 30,776 126,051 2,650 9.270 712,955 4,695,485 1931 611,165 3,682,333 10,276 60,631 17,458 87,071 2,609 8,794 641,508 3,838,829 1932 565,748 3,140,927 8,068 60,479 16,221 46,879 2,806 16,293 592,843 3,264,578 1933 555,219 2,945,703 9,909 53,898 19,956 96,766 2,600 15,827 587,684 3,112,194 I ' * Includes foreign offices to year 1915. f In previous years included in United Kingdom and foreign offices.

Keceived. Despatched. Places. 1932. 1933. 1932. 1933. Number. Weight. Number. Weight. Number. Weight. Number. Weight. lb. lb. lb. lb. Great Britain and Northern 79,728 612,223 70,067 544,210 15,383 65,288 16,017 69,431 Ireland and countries via London New South Wales .. 22,394 88,534 26,675 112,771 9,251 28,741 9,985 30,888 Victoria .. .. .. 11,351 51,913 11,384 49,495 4,983 16,956 5,611 17.821 Queensland .. .. 883 1,905 982 2,161 1,071 2,864 1,105 2,797 South Australia .. .. 846 3,225 760 2,358 587 1,763 678 2,115 Western Australia. . .. 422 996 462 1,089 582 1,398 651 1,691 Tasmania .. .. 335 905 297 917 588 1,618 563 1,607 Norfolk Island .. .. 96 259 24 59 663 1,920 416 1,012 Canada .. .. .. 7,448 87,240 6,644 75,432 1,434 5,271 1,231 4,412 Union of South Africa .. 790 1,576 761 1,731 455 1,410 449 1,442 Aden .. .. .. 781 6,243 505 3,933 India .. .. .. 3,115 22,704 3,068 23,088 837 4,463 842 4,984 Ceylon .. .. .. 362 1,662 318 1.401 112 452 88 342 Malaya .. .. .. 383 1,132 454 1,619 242 1,124 218 886 Hong Kong .. .. 868 5,540 747 4,965 622 2,833 650 2,789 Fiji .. .. .. 820 1,909 708 1,492 1,719 6,148 1,782 6,516 Tonga .. .. .. 108 417 117 477 747 3,604 573 2,868 United States of America and 20,441 109,041 18,368 100,826 2,878 10,141 2,792 10,461 Possessions Egypt .. .. .. 191 1,260 179 922 28 98 26 134 Tahiti .. .. .. 74 351 51 277 176 1,257 189 1,157 Uruguay.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 34 156 47 221 Others .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 40 124 8 30 Totals .. .. 151,436 999,035 142,571 929,223 42,432 157,629 43,921 163,604

F. —1.

Table No. 4. POST OFFICE SAVINGS-BANK.— GENERAL STATEMENT. Table showing the Business of the Post Office Savings-bank in the various Postal Districts of New Zealand during the Year ended 31st March, 1934.

33

J. OnUWUSW LtlMj JJUOAJM-EjOO VJC XrLIL ± UOl UiīiHau ±jt\ xxi iiiu , ~ r_, - - - 8 S fl J2 I ! , Average ■6® ft" , Average „ T v. Number I Number JN ™ Der Total Amount Amount |°0| Number Amou | t Number Average Excess of Excess of ° f t A °' Accounts 6 "theCredit pq « g w twLhq Total Amount of each With Total Amount of of each Deposits over Withdrawals Interest Accounts Accounts j rema j n . Credit of all the Cre t — HS®. s} s? :sr -sir ~ i | | f M.H Period. p J^? d Period. Period. ; ; Period. the Period. § o en csPh rerioa. I j ! Auckland .. .. 180 193,497 3,238,295 3 *2 16 14 Ij 225,369 2,905,169 0 *5 12 17 101 333,126 2 9 .. 194,629 14 10 12,143 10,817 132,961 7,130,710 10 7 53 12 7 Blenheim .. .. 15 12,974 224,906 2 1 17 6 9 15,437 195,933 6 7 12 13 10 28,972 15 6 .. 16,395 11 6 650 617 10,200 598,041 8 1 58 12 8 Christchurch .. 73 192,386 3,025,556 6 4 15 14 6 229,391 2,832,126 6 9 12 6 111 193,429 19 7 .. 204,934 8 11 7,695 8,763 117,490 7,393,122 12 lOj 62 18 6 Dunedin .. .. 80 78,286 1,539,300 19 10 19 13 3 88,486 1,334,698 10 11 15 1 81204,602 8 11 .. 108,659 8 1 4,442 5,271 62,177 3,966,354 9 llj 63 15 10 Gisborne .. .. 26 27,495 408,935 10 0 14 17 3 28,506 404,247 14 2 14 3 8; 4,687 15 10 .. 27,930 6 9 1,592| 1,707 20, 697j 1,002,722 1 4 48 9 0. Greymouth .. 24 13,949 236,221 2 9 16 18 8 14,865j 236,658 4 6 15 18 5 .. 437 1 9 20,744 13 4 1,052 975 12,578 728,285 0 9 oi 18 0 Hamilton .. .. 90 84,461 1,132,156 10 7 13 8 1 76,731 1,029,490 15 9 13 8 4 102,665 14 10 .. 61,974 8 8 6,794 4,907 50,354 2,318,987 111 46 1 1 Invercargill .. 39 28,937 515,143 1 6 17 16 0 32,613 441,098 16 1 13 10 6 74,044 5 5 .. 41,480 13 6 2,117 2,629 28,564 1,526,686 14 11 53 9 0 Napier .. .. 42 58,661 1,008,157 4 11 17 3 9 69,312 944,380 13 3 13 12 6 63,776 11 8 .. 58,792 10 8 4,029 3,999 39,174 2,149,964 5 3 54 17 8 Kelson .. .. 31 23,902 363,090 4 4 15 3 10 26,1541 353,345 17 8 13 10 2j 9,744 6 8 .. 27,136 12 7 1,411 1,334 17,508 969,332 11 11 5o 7 4 New Plymouth .. 37 46,015 784,059 14 7 17 0 10 44,898 699,836 13 3 15 11 9' 84,223 1 4 .. 43,891 2 2 2,834 2,835 32,397 1,651,848 3 5 50 19 9 Oamaru .. .. 12 13,838 275,276 7 9 19 17 10 15,939 242,084 18 0 15 3 9 33,191 9 9 .. 18,310 2 9 932 763 10,286 666, 89o 6 9 64 16 9 Palmerston North .. 38 68,348 1,030,017 12 10 15 1 5 73,286 936,669 14 8 12 15 93,347 18 2 .. 60,593 16 4 4,108 3,256 39,059 2,240,893 13 2 o7 7 5 Thames .. .. 40 29,965 464,042 13 11 15 9 9 25,739 440,684 0 4 17 2 5 23,358 13 7 .. 27,885 15 7 2,919 2,368 23,803 1,014,498 3 3 42 12 5 Timaru .. .. 18 32,659 615,902 13 5 18 17 2 39,336 567,256 1 3 14 8 5j 48,646 12 2 .. 42,392 8 4 1,876 1,668 23,754 1,524,625 14 9 64 3 8 Wanganui .. .. 37 44,966 683,873 10 11 15 4 2 48,229 626,489 19 0 12 19 10 57,383 11 11 .. 46,840 17 3 2,643 2,813 33,342 1,707,567 19 lj 51 4 3 Wellington .. 62 266,731 3,770,652 18 4 14 2 9 274,396 3,491,915 10 0 12 14 6 278,737 8 4 .. 217,893 5 3 13,116 14,400 13o,211 7,917,840 14 1 oS 11 2 Westport .. .. 18 5,156 80,671 6 7 15 12 11 6,293 99,804 18 4 15 17 2 .. 19,133 11 9 8,894 0 9 379 517 5,825 303,009 2 4 52 0 4 Western Samoa .. 2 2,125 19,782 0 11 9 6 2 2,193 24,387 1 8 11 2 5 .. 4,605 0 9 1,044 0 0 214 224 1,560 34,972 0 22 8 4 Rarotonga .. .. 6 924 12,811 9 0 13 17 4 1,217 11,893 13 8 9 15 5 917 15 4 665 13 7 138 56 1,322 24,033 8 2j 18 3 5 Totals for year ended 870 1,225,27519,428,852 13 9 15 17 11,338,39017,818,171 16 3 13 6 31,610,680 17 6 .. 1,231,089 10 10 71,084 69,919 798,262|44,S70,391 3 0; 06 4 2 Totals foTyeai 9 ended 873 1,214,10516,933,176 8 1 14 0 1 1,475,07919,635,928 4 9 13 6 3 .. 2,702,751 16 81,475,873 10 5 72,538152,531 797,097j42,028,620 14 8 52 14 7 31st March, 1933 ;—• \i — ■—

p.—l.

Table No. 5 POST OFFICE SAVINGS-BANK.— GENERAL STATEMENT. Table showing the Business of the Post Office Savings-bank in New Zealand, by Ten-year Periods, from 1868 to the 31st December, 1918, and Yearly Periods from 1925 to the Year ended 31st March, 1934.

34

branches' Average Average Number Number Nu ™ ber Total Amount Amount of the Post of Total Amount Swinf Total Amount of Amount of Excess of Excess of , of t . of . Accounts standing to the standing to Year offlce ?e<-rived of Deposits Dm?sit ' tate each With- Deposits over Withdrawals Interest for ° C ° U °i 8 A( f>™ta remain- Credit of all the Credit lear - Savings- S?®;™ received during durln» durin° the Yelr drawal Withdrawals over Deposits the Year. ing open Open Accounts, of each atThecTose the j the YeSr. i ' during the Year, during the Year. d the" the® ?he Account at oftteYrar Year - the real. Yeaj . year of the close ot the Year. Close of j ' the Year. £ s. d.| £ s. d.i £ s. d. £ s. d.l £ s. d. £ s. d.; £ s. d. £ s d ! £ s. d Year ended 31st Mar., 870 1,225,27519,428,852 13 9 15 17 1 1,338,39017,818,171 16 3 13 6 31,610,680 17 6. .. 1,231,089 10 10 71,084 69,919 798,26244 870 391 3 0 1 56 4 2 1934 Year ended 31st Mar., 873 1,214,10516,933,176 8 1 14 0 11.475.07919.635.928 4 9 13 6 3 .. 2,702,751 16 81,475,873 10 5 72,538152,531 797 097 42 028 620 14 S ! 52 14 7 1933 Year ended 31st Mar., 882 1,418,25019,463,985 10 6 13 14 61,535,36825,488,081 4 0 16 12 0| .. 6,024,095 13 61.611,047 13 4 78,674 79,627 877,090 43 255 499 0 11 49 6 4 1932 Year ended 31st Mar., 884 1,695,143 24,531,569 1 3 14 9 51,473,027 28,063,338 6 0 19 1 0 .. 3,531,769 4 91,763,824 17 3 98,298 73,012 878 043 47 668 547 1 l! 54 5 9 1931 Year ended 31st Mar., 882 1,700,46028,561,854 4 10 16 15 11 1,342,11329,575,993 16 10 22 0 9 .. 1,014,139 12 01,806,414 0 1 97,932 73,471 852,757 49 436 491 8 7i 57 19 5 1930 Year ended 31st Mar., 879 1,618,656 27,252,381 9 0 16 16 91,285,25628,111,940 16 9 21 17 6 .. 859,559 7 91,745,050 5 4 93,111 69,540 828,296 48,644,217 0 6 58 14 7 1929 Year ended 31st Mar., 870 1,570,493 27,611,066 5 1 17 11 7 1,274.90630,584,997 14 4 23 19 10 .. 2,973.931 9 3 1,747,155 13 9 93,331 72,433 804,725 47 758 726 2 lit 59 6 11 1928 Year ended 31st Mar., 875 1,509,909 29,456,383 2 7 19 10 2 1,224,76430,149,628 17 3 24 12 4 .. 693,245 14 8 1,767,426 2 8 97,713 72,041 783,827 48,985 501 18 5 62 9 11 1927 Year ended 31st Mar., 870 1,446,530 31,833,621 9 5 22 0 1 1,197,985 32,602,505 17 2 27 4 3 .. 768,884 7 9 1,731,577 17 2 104,447 81,440 758,15547,911 391 10 5 63 3 11 1926 Year ended 31st Mar., 855 1,371,009 29,582,897 2 9 21 11 7 1.108,29130,413,609 3 11 27 8 10 .. 830,712 1 2 1,680,919 10 10 95,595 70,604 735, 14S 46,948 628 1 0 63 17 3 1925 Totals for 1918 .. 786 1,213,35318,101,104 18 1 14 18 4 727,72914,938,841 10 0 20 10 73,162,263 8 1 .. 1,059,471 17 8 76,869 53,015 590,205 33,418,125 4 9 56 12 5 1908 .. 593 706,101 9,674,075 4 0 13 14 0 484,672 9,417,820 10 3 19 8 8 256,254 13 9 .. 379,808 6 7 80,133 57,829 342,077 12,159,293 18 1 35 10 11 1898 .. 409 281,749 3,279,611 7 5 11 12 10 196,764 3,194,893 16 7 16 4 9 84,717 10 10 .. 128,128 16 6 37,265 26,628 169,968 4,957,771 5 5 29 3 5 1888 .. 290 145,355 1,544,747 7 11 10 12 6 96,204 1,387,471 1 10 14 8 5 157,276 6 1 .. 78,080 6 0 21,307 16,543 84,488 2,048,441 10 9 24 4 10 1878 .. 147 69,908 762,084 12 0 10 18 0 42,746 742,053 14 3 17 7 2 20,030 17 9 .. 31,664 12 9 13,005 9,634 32,132 819,071 8 2 25 9 9 1868 .. 55 13,014 194,535 11 6 14 18 11 6,365 107,094 17 3 16 16 6 87,440 14 3 .. 4,880 7 3 3,282 1,186 4,252 163,518 15 7 38 9 1 ♦Totals from 1st Feb. to 46 6,977 96,372 7 10 13 16 3 1,919 26,415 18 9 13 15 3 69,956 9 1 .. 1,241 5 0 2,520 364 2 156 71 197 14 1 33 0 5 31st Dee., 1867 * The Post Office Savings-bank was established in the Dominion in February, 1867.

F.—l

Table No. 6. Table showing the Estimated Number of Letters and Letter-cards, Post-cards, Book-packets, Newspapers, and Parcels posted and delivered in the several Postal Districts of New Zealand during the Year ended 31st December, 1933.

35

Posted in the Dominion. Delivered in the Dominion. Total posted and delivered in the Dominion. Postal District. and : Post . oards . Books, &c. Newspapers.' Parcels. StOT-oarfs. beards. B °° k s, &c. Newspapers/ Parcels. Lettoicards. j Books, &c. j Parcels. Auckland 24,680,323 618,007 18,491,012 5,107,242 392,223 29,239,925 723,073 14.920,022 2,783,794 303,732 53,920,248 1,341,080 33,411,034 7,891,036 695,955 Blenheim 1,295,001 22,566 452,953 147,030 11,440 1,428,856 37,414 788,411 265,798 34,216 2,723,857 59,980 1,241,364 412,828 4o,656 Christchurch 15 016,954 660,894 14,844,712 1,445,656 227,760 17,612,348 829,231 11,100,323 2,185,664 177,983 32,629,302 1,490,125 25,945,035 3,631,320 405,743 Dunedin 10 525,872 391,534 7,083.320 1,371,486 150,982 11,269,479 399,412 7,330.102 1.740,778 156,923 21,795,351 790,946 14,413,422 3,112,264 307,905 Gisborne .. 2,775,955 23,426 919,008 303,684 27,209 2,793.804 46,449 1,541,787 703,768 55,926 5,569,759 69,875 2,460,795 1,007,452 83,135 Grevmouth .. 1,676,827 32,188 674,103 198,900 17,927 1,996,436 52,221 838,890 341,770 47,372 3,673,263 84,409 1,512,993 540,670 65,299 Hamilton 9,417,879 213,759 3,728,906 579.159 44,720 8,951,124 310,804 5.732,064 1,015,781 133,315 18,369,003 524,563 9,460,970 1,594,940 178,035 Inverearaill .. 6,387,833 115,531 2.918,370 473,491 41,639 6,014,216 162,942 3,068,793 798,590 81,601 12,402,049 278,473 5,987,163 1,272,081 123,240 Napier 5,989,614 112,788 2,607,679 515,089 31,369 6,397,443 170,066 4,148,066 948,103 75,621 12,387,057 282,854 6,755,745 1,463,192 106,990 Kelson .. 2,606,395 70,512 979,189 207,082 28,613 2,708,693 66,209 1,511,380 443,157 75,556 5,315,0S8 136,721 2,490,569 650,239 104,169 New Plymouth 4,371,800 82,407 2,201,812 467.760 29,666 4,815.382 134,667 3,184,792 688,727 74,022 9,187,182 217,074 5,386,604 1,156,487 103,688 Oamaru .. 1,436,993 26,195 530,520 140,214 8,593 1,429,740 44,005 974,428 268,138 20,098 2,866,733 70,200 1,504,948 408,352 28,691 Palmerston N. 5,324,821 95,914 2,937.665 442,374 40,937 5,873,140 142,337 4,215.055 741,286 75,517 11,197,961 238,251 7,152,720 1,183,660 116,454 Thames . 2,992,631 58,344 1,030,174 279,241 19,071 3,419,520 130.780 2,354.508 451,646 62,517 6,412,151 189,124 3,384,682 730,887 81,588 Timaru .. 3,152,126 68,120 1,213,295 234,614 19,617 3,334,461 90,285 2,040,883 402,961 45,786 6,486,587 158,405 3,254,178 637,575 65,403 Wanganui .. 4,627,800 117,104 2,002,705 419,583 31,447 4,573,114 153,335 2,517,593 643,448 66,456 9,200,914 270,439 4,520,298 1,063,031 97,903 Wellington .. 22,767,919 341,794 15,679,682 3,481.493 413,214 23,174,859 472,154 9,908,408 3,154,718 222,775 45,942,778 813,948 25,588,090 6,636,211 635,989 Westport .. 659,827 10,309 147,703 93,431 8,437 992,381 25.493 394.056 234,728 25,428 1,652,208 35,802 541,759 328,159 33,865 Rarotonea .. 42,708 156 1,410 1,338 834 45,342 156 6,252 12,510 2,226 88,050 312 7,662 13,848 3,060 Western Samoa 92,496 489 4,962 10,584 759 67,275 558 13,062 30,573 2,661 159,771 1,047 18,024 41,157 3,420 Totals .. 125,841,774 3,062,037 78,449,180 15,919,451 1,546,457 136,137,538 3,991,591 76,588,875 17,855,938 1,739,731 261,979,312 7,053,628 155,038,055 33,775,389 3,286,188 Previous year 118,255,346 3,088,022 76,545,444 14,856,485 1,298,804 128,139,784 3,738,990 70,663,023 18,553,887 1,475,612 246,395,130 6,827,012 147,208,467 33,410,372 2,774,416 f

F.—l

Table No. 7. Table showing the Number of forwarded, and the Revenue derived from, Paid Telegrams and Toll Calls (including Cable and Radio Messages and Overseas Toll Calls) during the Years ended 31st March, 1934 and 1933.

36

Telegrams. Toll Communications. Total. Year ended Ordinary. i Urgent. Press. Letter. Marine — : , ; , Number. Value. Number. Value. Number. Value. Number. Value. Number. ; Value. Number. Value. Number. . £ £ £ £ £ £ 31st March, 1934 .. 3,464,070 354,866 68,692 8,087 470,278 51,735 187,560 11,094 31,712* 9,064,991 409,638 13,287,303 835,420-f 31st March, 1933 .. 3,4-03,177 336,273 73,244 8,680 443,636 51,816 201,281 12,041 32,209* 8,984,219 397,416 13,137,766 806,226{ * No payment received. f Deduct £153,903 paid to other Administrations in respect of cable and radio messages. J Deduct £135,194 paid to other Administrations in respect of cable and radio messages.

F.—l

Table No. 8. Table showing Cable, Radio-telegraph, and Radio-telephone Business transacted during the Year ended 31st March, 1934, as compared with the Year ended 31st March, 1933.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (1.125 copies), £52.

Authority : G. H. Loney, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 934.

Price is.]

37

Cable Messages. International. Australian. Total. Forwarded. Received. Forwarded. Received. Year ended : : . : Revenue Revenue Revenue Revenue Revenue Number of earned Number of earned Number of earned Number of earned Number of earned Messages, by New Messages, by New Messages, by New Messages, by New Messages, by New Zealand. Zealand. Zealand. Zealand. Zealand. ~ I " £ £ £ £ £ 31st March, 1934 .. I 148,631 j 6,755 133,054 5,806 112,157 3,286 111,627 3,627 , 505,469 19,474 31st March, 1933 .. 146,607 ,7,817 132,526 6,589 110,036 3,160 108,840 3,437 ! 498,009 21,003 Press Messages (included in above totals). 31st March, 1934 ..[ 1,931 j 155 4,268 405 3,474 335 6,189 715: 15,862 1,610 31st March, 1933 .. 2,482 227 4,744 438 3,878 393 6,204 709; 17,308 1,767 I | Radio-telegrams. Forwarded. Received. Total. Year ended Number Revenue Number Revenue Number Revenue of earned by of earned by of earned by Messages. New Zealand. Messages. New Zealand. Messages. New Zealand. £ £ £ 31st March, 1934 .. .. 8,960 2,192 15,131 3,142 24,091 5,334 31st March, 1933 .. .. 8,591 1,973 14,543 2,689 23,134 4,662 Radio-telephone Calls. Outward. Inward. Total. Period. Number of Revenue earned Number of Revenue earned Number of Revenue earned Calls. by New Zealand. Calls. by New Zealand. Calls. by New Zealand. £ £ £ 31st March, 1934 150 227 174 400 324 627 31st March, 1933 .. .. .. 98 140 127 181 225 321