ANNUAL REPORT OF THE POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR 1938-39.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1939 Session I, F-01

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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR 1938-39.

CONTENTS.

PAGE Receipts and Payments > .. .. 3,5 Post Office Savings-bank .. ..3,17 Staff .. .. .. .. ..3,5 Buildings .. .. .. ..4,10 Telephone Services .. .. 4, 21, 26 Return, of Persons employed in Department 6 Health of Permanent Staff .. . . 6 Personal .. .. .. 6 Visit of Engineering Officers to Australia . . 6 Promotions and Salary Increases .. 7 Minimum Remuneration for Adult Married Officers .. .. .. 7 Appeal Board .. .. . . 7 Reports on Officers .. .. 7 Measles Epidemic .. . . 8 Charwomen : Payment for Sick-leave .. 8 Sick Benefit Fund .. .. 8 Correspondence School .. . . 8 Examinations .. .. .. 8 Suggestions Board . . . . 8 Commercial Branch .. .. 8 Stores Branch .. .. 9 Workshops .. .. .. 9 Centennial Exhibition : Dep a r t mental Services and Exhibits . . . . ..II Transport of Coronation Robes .. .. II Departmental Motor-vehicles .. .. 11 Bicycles .. .. .. 11 Overseas Letter-postage Rates: Revision ! I Parcel and Packet Rates and Charges : Alterations . . . . ..12 Inland Mail-services . . . . ..12 Ocean Mail-services .. ... 13 Inland Air Mails . . .. 13 Empire Air Services .. .. 13 Accident to Flying-boat " Calpurnia " . . 14 Fire on " Rimutaka " : Damage to ParcelMails .. .. .. ..14 Overseas Parcels : Prepayment of Charges 14 Express - delivery Service with Empire Countries .. .. ... 14 Fanning Island : Closing of New Zealand Postal Agency . . .. 14 Postage-stamps, &c. .. .. 15 Centennial Postage-stamp Issue .. .. 16 Honey-seals .. . . . . 16 Stamp-vending Machines .. .. 16 I nspection . . . . .. 16 Burglaries .. .. .. 17 Dead-letter Office Returns . 17 Postal Packets reported Missing . . 17 Money-orders .. .. .. 17 Postal Notes .. .. .. 17 British Postal Orders ~ .. .17

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PAGE School Savings-bank .. . . .. 17 Savings-bank Letters of Credit . . . . 18 Post Office Investment Certificates .. 18 Work performed for other Departments . . 18 Registration of Motor-vehicles, &o. .. 18 Employment Work . . . . 18 Telegraph Traffic .. .. 19 Reduction in Empire Cable Rates .. 19 International Telecommunications Conference, Cairo, 1938 .. .. .. .. 19 Decorative Telegram Stationery .. 19 Inland Code Telegrams .. .. 20 Continuous Attendance for Cable Traffic .. 20 Radio-telegram Charges from British Ships.. 20 Opening of Radio-telegraph Offices . . 20 Overseas Letter-telegram Service .. 20 General Election and Licensing Poll, 1938 21 Telegraph Weather Reports . . 21 Multi-channel Voice-frequency Telegraphy 21 Printing Telegraphs . . .. 21 Telephone Toll Service .. .. .. 21 After-hour Toll Facilities . . . . 21 Toll Accounts: Enveloping .. 21 Carrier-current Telephone Systems .. 22 Extension of Toll and Telegraph Systems.. 22 Maintenance of Telegraph and Telephone Services .. .. .. 23 Poles and Wire .. .. 24 Field Operations : Mole Cable Plough . . 24 Cook Strait Cables .. .. 24 Foveaux Strait Cable .. .. 24 Wellington-Radio . . . . 25 Awarua-Radio . . . . 25 Apia-Radio .. .. .. 25 Emergency Radio Service .. .. 25 New Radio Station (Musick Memorial) at East Tamaki .. .. 25 Aeradio Services .. .. 25 Radio Equipment for Marine Department.. 26 Telephone Development . . . . 26 Telephone Equipment, Miscellaneous : Reduction. in Charges .. .. 26 Telephone-exchange Attendance . . 27 Number of Telephone-exchanges .. 27 Public Call Offices .. .. 27 New Automatic-telephone Equipment . . 27 Increases in Exchange Switching-equip-ment, &c. .. .. .. .. 27 Telephone Statistics .. .. 29 Overseas Radio-telephone Service.. . . 30 Radio-receiving Licenses .. .30 Private Broadcasting-stations .. ..31 Private Experimental Stations .. .31

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TABLES.

PAGE Receipts and Payments .. .. .. . . . . . . .. 32 Money-order Business .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 32 Parcel-post, Overseas .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 33 Post Office Savings-bank : Statement of Business during Year in various Postal Districts . . 34 Post Office Savings-bank: Business since 1867 ... .. .. .. 35 Letters and other Postal Packets posted and delivered .. .. .. .. 36 Inland Telegraph and Toll Business .. .. .. ' .. .. . . 37 Overseas Telegraph, Radio-telegraph and Radio-telephone Business .. .. .. 38 Variations in Cable Rates since 1876 .. .. .. . . . .. 38 F

GRAPHS.

PAGE Revenue and Expenditure .. .. .. .. . . .. .. 39 Revenue under Separate Headings . . . . .. . . .. .. 40 Total Turnover .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4] Post Office Savings-bank . . .. ~ .. . . .. .. .. 42 Permanent Officers .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 43 Postal Business .. .. . . . . . . . . .. . . 44 Telegrams and Toll Calls . . . . . . . . ~ .. . . 45 Telephones .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 46

PHOTOGRAPHS.

PAGE New Post-office, Devonport .. .. .. .. . . .. .. 47 New Post-office, Tauranga .. .. .. .. . . .. .. 47 New Post-office, Milton . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. 48 Proposed New Chief Post-office, New Plymouth .. . . . . .. .. 48 Proposed New Post-office, Lower Hutt .. .. .. .. .. .. 49 Mole Cable Plough . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. 49

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1939. NEW ZEALAND.

POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT (REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR 1938-39.

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

To His Excellency the Right Honourable Viscount Galway, P. 0., G.C.M.G., D.5.0., 0.8. E. May it please Your Excellency,— I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency, with the following comment, the Report of the Post and Telegraph Department for the year ended on the 31st March, 1939 : — RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS. The revenue collected during the year exceeded that for the previous year by £385,320. The amount received was £4,687,564, compared with £4,302,244 for 1937-38. Increases in revenue were again recorded in respect of all phases of the Department's activities. Payments for the year in respect of working-expenses (including interest on capital liability amounting to £588,000) totalled £4,529,358. The excess of receipts over payments was £158,206. POST OFFICE SAVINGS-BANK. Post Office Savings-bank deposits were £30,434,292, compared with £33,041,082 during the previous year. Interest credited to depositors amounted to £1,726,574. The withdrawals totalled £34,597,708, compared with £29,629,074 in the precedingyear. The amount at credit of depositors at the 31st March was £60,710,087. The number of accounts open at the 31st March was 946,822, which is 26,017 in excess of the total recorded at the end of 1937-38. STAFF. During the period —over three years —the Department has been under my control I have lost no opportunity of acquainting myself with the ramifications of the Service and the diversified duties of the staff, and I view with pleasure and satisfaction the commendable spirit of service and pride in achievement that characterize the work of officers of all ranks. Heavy increases in work are met cheerfully, emergencies are faced confidently, and new systems and services necessitated by changes in conditions or in legislation are introduced without affecting the efficiency of the organization as a whole. Above all, opportunities of serving the public are accepted with alacrity. I appreciate that in giving good service officers are actuated by the desire to advance in status by demonstrating their worth to the Department, and it is pleasing to record that towards the end of the year Government was able to raise the salaries of some seven hundred officers, most of the increases being made retrospective to the Ist April, 1938.

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BUILDINGS. The building programme which was drawn up in 1936 is well advanced. Since my previous report was presented in June, 1938, the erection of eight new postoffice buildings, seven postmasters' residences, and nine other buildings has been completed, and additions and alterations have been made to a number of existing building's. TELEPHONE SERVICES. At the close of the year the number of telephone subscribers in the Dominion was nearly 158,000, the highest on record. After allowing for relinquishments the increase in subscribers for the year was 9,755, or 6-6 per cent. Toll calls also reached a record total, the number handled being 15,567,000, an increase of more than 1,000,000 calls, or 7-5 per cent., over last year's figures. The large increase in telephone toll traffic over recent years has necessitated additional toll outlets, and during the past twelve months an unprecedented number of new circuits was provided between the principal centres of the Dominion. While the extensive programme for the expansion of the toll system is not yet complete, the additional facilities provided during the year have eased considerably the heavy traffic loads previously carried on many important circuits. DETAILED REPORT. A detailed report of the Department's activities during the year ended on the 31st March, 1939, follows. I have the honour to be, Your Excellency's most obedient servant, F. Jones. General Post Office, Wellington, (J. 1, 30th June, 1939.

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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL OPERATIONS AND BUSINESS OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1939. RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS.

The receipts and payments of the Department for the financial year 1938-39 are shown in the following account: — Receipts. Payments. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Balance forward .. .. 42,404 15 2 Salaries .. .. 2,322,762 0 8 Postages .. .. 1,420,545 2 7 J Conveyance of ocean and Money-order and postal- airmails .. .. 123,893 12 10 note commission .. 92,487 17 11 Conveyance of inland mails 150,690 15 2 Private box and bag rents Conveyance of mails by rail 105,192 16 4 and rural-delivery fees.. 58,754 18 9 Maintenance of telegraph Miscellaneous receipts .. 521,231 5 10i and telephone lines .. 248,436 510 Paid telegrams .. 341,486 10 Renewals and replacements 255,188 16 11 Paid tolls .. .. 695,730 13 0| Motor services and workTelephone - exchange shops .. .. 118,196 0 6 receipts .. .. 1,557,327 7 Maintenance of Post and —— 4,687,563 15 J.o£ Telegraph buildings .. 48,592 11 2 Miscellaneous .. .. 562,095 2 5 Interest on capital liability 588,000 0 0 Sick Benefit Fund .. 6,310 0 0 — 4,529,358 1 10 Renewal and replacement of Assets Fund (investment) .. .. .. •• 160,000 0 0 Balance carried down .. .. •• 40,610 9 2| £4,729,968 11 0| £4,729,968 II 0J £ s. d. Balance brought down . . .. •. 40,610 9 2£ The total casli value of the transactions of the Department, inclusive of the above, amounted to approximately £286,000,000. STAFF. The steady expansion of the Department's business referred to in previous reports is again reflected in the staff figures in respect of the permanent staff, which during the year was increased by 447 officers. In view of the widespread changes and improvements effected in the preceding year on the occasion of the reclassification of the Service, it was not to be expected that there would be any substantial alterations in the salary schedules then decided upon by Government; but the question whether officers who at the reclassification were placed on an intermediate salary-step were to advance to the maximum of the class was considered, and towards the close of the year it was decided by Government to allow a limited number of such advancements. Although the improvement effected in this way may not have been all that officers expected, the fact that there has been a partial movement in the direction indicated will be viewed with satisfaction by the staff as a whole. A feature of the staff activities during the year was the number of retirements from the Service in accordance with the accepted policy of retirement on completion of forty years' service. Several senior officers of the Department were concerned, and the filling of their positions, together with consequential vacancies, has opened additional avenues of advancement for officers awaiting promotion. The Appeal Board in the course of its sittings during the year reviewed practically the whole of the Department's policy in connection with the 1937 reclassification, and the results of the Board's deliberations created a good deal of interest among officers generally. Once again the extensive and efficient organization of the Department and the versatility of its staff have been recognized in Government's decision to entrust to the Post Office the work in connection with the registration of youths and females under the Social Security Act. In addition, the Department will be required to act as collecting-agent on behalf of the Social Security Department, and in many instances it will pay the benefits due under the Act. That the additional work will be carried out efficiently, there is no doubt. The organization of the Department is such that any new work can be handled smoothly and expeditiously.

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Comparative .Return of Persons employed in the Department. Details of the personnel of the Department on the Ist April, 1939, compared with that on the same date last year are as under Permanent Staff — I st April, 1938. Ist April, 1939. Administration . . .. .. .. . • 14 16 First Division . . .. .. . • ■ • 4,220 4,325 Second Division .. .. . . .. .. 5,899 6,223 Message-boys .. .. .. .. .. 811 827 10,944 11,391 Temporary Staff. . . .. .. .. . • 105 154 Casual Stall . . . . . . . . . . 588 666 11,637 12,211 Non-permanent Staff— Country Postmasters and Telephonists .. .. 1,641 1,603 Postmasters who are Railway officers . . .. 83 88 13,361 13,902 Health o:f Permanent Staff. The following table shows, in comparison with the figures for the preceding year, the average number of days on which officers were absent on sick-leave during the year - „ . . ~ Average Absence Number Average Absence for ea * ch officer Year ended 31st March, 1939 — on a . pei uc cer. employed. Men .. .. •• 10,427 11-02 6-16 Women .. .. .. •• 964 14-59 9-70 Year ended 31st March, 1938 — Men .. .. •• 10,026 11-08 4-64 Women .. • • • ■ ■ • 882 12-63 7-62 Twenty-three officers died during the year. The higher average sick-leave absence was due entirely to the epidemic of measles experienced throughout the country during the year. Personal. Mr. F. J. Shanks, Deputy Director-General, retired on superannuation on the 31st October, 1938, after completing forty-three years' service. He was succeeded by Mr. J. G. Young, Second Deputy Director-General, who was, in turn, succeeded by Mr. W. R. Newall, Divisional Principal, General Post Office. Mr. J. McDermott, Chief Engineer, retired on superannuation on the 28th February, 1939, after completing nearly forty-two years' service. Mr. McDermott was succeeded by Mr. P. V. R. C. Miles, Superintending Engineer, General Post.Office. Mr. G. McNamara, C.8.E., Director-General, commenced leave on the Ist April, 1939, prior to his retirement on superannuation. Mr. J. G. Young, Deputy Director-General, is acting in control of the Department. Mr. F. W. Furby, Chief Postmaster, Christchurch, retired on superannuation on the 21st January, 1939, after completing forty years' service. He was replaced by Mr. G. Clark, Chief Postmaster, Palmerston North. Mr. J. Madden, Chief Postmaster, Wellington, left the Dominion on the 24th February, 1939, to attend the Universal Postal Congress at Buenos Aires. During Mr. Madden's absence Mr. F. G. Nind, Senior Inspector, General Post Office, is acting as Chief Postmaster, Wellington. Visit of Engineering Officers to Australia. Mr. H R. Hounsell, A.M.1.E.E., Superintending Engineer, went to Australia in May for the purpose of investigating and studying matters pertaining to field engineering, and particularly underground plant distribution for telephone-exchange subscribers. Mr. Hounsell spent some six weeks in the Commonwealth, where he was extended every privilege and courtesy by the officers of the Postmaster-General's Department, and the information he obtained will prove of great value in dealing with one of the Department's pressing problems. In December last Mr. E. H. R. Green, M.Sc., A.M.1.E.E., Radio Engineer, also visited Australia. His mission was concerned primarily with arrangements for the projected trans-Tasman air service, in respect of which a Conference of air, meteorological, and radio experts was held at Melbourne. At the conclusion of the Conference Mr. Green spent about a fortnight in Sydney and Melbourne on general inquiries regarding radio services and equipment.

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Promotions and Salary Increases. The question of further improving the position of officers who received an intermediate salary increase at the 1937 reclassification was considered by Government during the year, and it was found practicable to place a number of such officers on the maximum salary of their respective grades of classification. Consideration was also accorded to a number of Overseers of the Construction and Maintenance Branch and Senior Mechanicians graded in the Electrical and Workshops Section. In addition, a review was made of Class VII officers in receipt of the maximum salary of £305 per annum, and authority given for a further group to be advanced to Class VI at a salary of £320 per annum. The total number of the salary increases and promotions authorized on this occasion was not far short of seven hundred, the majority being effective as from the Ist April, 1938. Minimum Remuneration for Adult Married Officers. In order that there should be uniformity throughout all branches of the Public Service in the amount paid as the minimum remuneration for a married officer of adult age, the rate from the Ist September, 1938, was fixed by Order in Council at £210 Bs. Id. per annum. Appeal Board. Mr. H. A. Young, Stipendiary Magistrate, Christchurch, was appointed Chairman of the Post and Telegraph Appeal Board on the 20th June, as successor to Mr. E. D. Mosley, who tendered his resignation on account of ill health. It was with regret that the Department learned of Mr. Mosley's death not long after he had severed his connection with the Appeal Board. The Board, in one session during the year, handled an unusually large volume of work. Appeals totalling 892 (received from 873 officers) were adjudicated upon, with the following results : Allowed, 15 ; conceded by the Department, 16 ; withdrawn, 102 ; did not lie, 134 ; disallowed, 625. The large number of appeals lodged as a result of the reclassification of the Service in the preceding year necessitated the Board's remaining in session for over four months. Although the work of the Board was a good deal more onerous than usual, the appeals were dealt with efficiently and expeditiously, each individual case being accorded careful consideration. Sittings of the Board were held not only at the main centres, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, but also at other places at which the number of appellants warranted local hearings— namely, Whangarei, Hamilton, Thames, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Napier, Gisborne, Nelson, Blenheim, Greymouth, Timaru, and Invercargill. This arrangement reduced to a minimum the travelling-time of appellants as well as the period of their absence from official duties, and enabled the itineraries of the Board to be planned well ahead in such a manner as not to disorganize the normal working-arrangements of any office or branch. It also gave to the Board the distinct advantage of having within easy call any witnesses who were required to giveevidence during the hearings. Reports on Officers. With the object of improving the system of reporting on officers of the Department, a new form of personal report was introduced during the year. The form, while retaining a number of the features of the previous system, was altered considerably. A change of importance was the provision made on form Stall 33 (form of report on senior officers) for intermediate markings to be allotted between the " satisfactory " and " superior " standards. The new form thus permits of a somewhat finer discrimination of the relative degrees of merit of officers. The headings on the reports were rearranged, with the object of grouping separately those which refer to the officer's performance of the duties he is actually engaged upon and those which apply to his potentiality and suitability for increased responsibilities. Provision was also made for the reporting officer to indicate the higher-graded positions m which the officer reported upon could be expected to meet fully the requirements of the Department. In the case of junior officers of the Second Division who are qualified or partly qualified for promotion, there is now provision for the reporting officer to express his opinion as to the degree of suitability of such officers for employment on First Division duties. The end of the period covered by the new reports was altered from the 31st December to the 30th. September. To synchronize with this change, the date of the half-yearly reports on junior officers, previously the end of June, was brought forward to the end of March. The changes made to the reporting forms necessitated a complete revision of the instructions issued to reporting officers in connection with the preparation of reports. The new instructions set out clearly for the guidance of reporting officers what was required of them, how the markings should be allotted, and the significance, from the point of view of the promotion of officers, of the various reporting terms. The Department in framing its reporting system has always aimed at simplicity, and it can be said that the changes made have not complicated in any way the preparation of reports. In point of fact, reporting officers have a wider marking-scope with the new forms than they had under the old system. It is hoped that the new form of report will result in a truer differentiation of the respective merits of officers who are in competition with one another for advancement, and that a careful and intelligent study of the comprehensive instructions will bring about a more uniform standard of marking by reporting officers.

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Measles Epidemic. The prevalence of measles during the year caused numerous absences of officers from duty, and at many offices the staffs employed were seriously depleted for a time at least. Fortunately the absences were not of lengthy duration and it was possible, without any inconvenience to the public, to make temporary arrangements to meet the position. In view of the extent and the nature of the epidemic, officers who contracted the complaint were allowed up to two weeks' sick-leave on full pay without charge against the sick-leave pay normally due under the regulations. The period allowed was sufficient in most cases to cover the full period of the officer's absence from duty. Charwomen : Payment of Wages foe Sick-leave. Commencing in. November, charwomen absent from duty on account of sickness were granted sick-leave with pay in accordance with the schedule operating in the Department in respect of permanent officers. The change in policy was made in order to accord to charwomen in the employ of the Post and Telegraph Department the same treatment in the matter of sick-leave pay as is enjoyed by similar employees in Government Departments controlled by the Public Service Commissioner. Sick Benefit Fund. During the year 386 officers were granted assistance from the Sick Benefit Fund. CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL. The Correspondence School was reopened in May, 1938, the curriculum being confined to the subjects of the various Controlling Officers' Technical Examinations. Previously, most of the technical courses available covered too wide a field to be treated comprehensively in single courses. The new courses were therefore subdivided into sections corresponding to the sections of the revised syllabuses of the examinations. This arrangement facilitates the work of instruction and reduces the difficulties hitherto experienced by some students in passing the examinations. The following subjects are now included in the curriculum : Magnetism and electricity ; introductory course for outside plant ; introductory course for telephony and telegraphy ; Morse telegraphy ; multiplex systems ; teleprinter systems ; radio (a) ; outside plant, stages I and 11. It is proposed to add later two more subjects, radio (b) and transmission. During the year 1,250 officers applied for tuition, and of those who availed themselves of the facilities of the school 71 per cent, passed the examinations held at the conclusion of the courses. One hundred of the students, who were studying the magnetism and electricity section of the technical courses were accredited with a pass in that section. EXAMINATIONS. Officers who were candidates for departmental examinations during the year numbered 4,757, of whom 2,671 were either wholly or partially successful. SUGGESTIONS BOARD. Some 143 suggestions for the better working of the Department were received from officers during the year, and seventeen awards, involving a total sum of £40, were made for meritorious proposals. COMMERCIAL BRANCH. The business dealt with by the Commercial Branch during the year represented a revenue value of £77 190, being £7,986 (11-54 per cent.) in excess of the figures for the preceding year. It is estimated that approximately' £1.9,617 of the total amount can be classified as " new business "--i.e., business which would not have been secured or which would have been deferred but for the interest created and the information supplied by commercial officers. In assessing the value of the business handled, no cognizance is taken of items which do not affect the revenue position, such as, for example, the internal or external removal of telephones, the rearrangement of existing equipment, or the transfer of telephones from one person, to another, although commercial officers render extensive and valuable service to the public in connection with such matters. Of the business secured, £45,039 represents the value of telephone transactions, the balance (£32,151) being in respect of advertising, postal, and miscellaneous. Included in the functions of the Commercial Branch is the selling of advertising space on the blotting-pads used on public desks at post-offices, the revenue thus obtained being a very helpful offset to the expenditure on this item of office stationery. During the year an improvement has been made by replacing bound pads by loose sheets of advertising blotting-paper m suitable holders. Publicity arrangements regarding departmental services were continued during the year, both by newspaper advertising and by the distribution of folders, brochures, &c.

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STORES BRANCH. The following statement shows 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 £808,704. Of this amount, £314,634 represented the cost of stores for supply from within the Dominion, including £55,519 for stores purchased under contracts arranged by the Stores Control Board. The total value of orders placed during the previous year was £980,491. 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.

During the year the purchase of 362 motor-vehicles for other Departments and 94 motor-vehicles for the Post and. Telegraph Department was arranged. The figures for the previous year were 404 and 107 respectively. Auckland Stores District. On the Ist March, 1939, a Stores Manager was appointed at Auckland to take over from the Chief Postmaster control of stores activities in that district. Sale of Obsolete and Unserviceable Material. Several auction sales of obsolete and unserviceable material, including worn-out motor-vehicles from various Departments, were held during the year. The total value of property disposed of was £3,855. This sum includes the value of scrap metals. Marine Insurance Fund. Th« 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 £665,009. WORKSHOPS. The departmental workshops at various centres throughout the Dominion have continued to provide a very efficient service. Where necessary the operations of the workshops have been extended to meet the increasing demands of this and other Government Departments. Equipment has been kept up to date, and increased accommodation provided as required. The total value of work performed during the year was £234,542, of which £29,455 represents the value of services rendered to other Government Departments.

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1938-39. 1937-38. r> • a * t * I Stock on hand, . , . , * * Stock on hand, Receipts.* ! Issues.* l 31st March, 1939. RecelpK Issues.* 3 i at March, 1938. j I I £ £ £ £ £ £ Auckland .. 368,990 314,74-8 195,151 272,554 234,953 140,909 Christchurch .. 143,265 128,179 85,577 107,136 98,113 70,491 Dunedin .. 117,867 98,727 69,621 84,109 75,162 50,481 Wellington .. 792,277 670,421 468,394 630,84.9 532,839 346,538 Dominion totals .. 1,422,399 1,212,075 818,743 1,094,648 i 941,067 608,419 * Excluding transfers within storekeeping districts.

Value of Items purchased. Year ended Requisitions. Items. - —*- On Indent. Locally. j Total. £ £ £ 31st March, 1939 .. 5,299 24,135 21,304 320,201 341,505 31st March, 1938 . . 4,328 21,058 20,088 199,979 220,067

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BUILDINGS AND LAND. The erection of nine new post-office buildings and one major addition to an existing building has been completed during the year. Particulars of the official ceremonies held in connection with the opening of these buildings are as follows : —

In addition, a ceremony at which the Postmaster-General, the Hon. P. Jones, officiated was held in connection with the laying of the foundation-stone of the Invercargill new chief post-office building on the 2nd August. Also completed during the year were Postmasters' residences at Cambridge, Kaipara Plats, Mangaweka, Poolburn, Waiau, and Wairoa, and a staff residence at Te Teko ; a line, store, garage, and workshops building at Gisborne ; a line and store building at Huntly ; a line, store, and garage building at Geraldine ; a line and battery building at Clyde ; line, store, and garage buildings at Amberley and Milton ; and garage buildings at Devonport and Motueka (2). The first floor of the post-office building at Bluff was converted into living-quarters for the Postmaster, and the old post-office building at Maungaturoto was converted into a residence for the lmeman. Major additions and alterations were made to post-office buildings at Newmarket, Parnell, Te Awamutu, Waimauku, Waitangi (Chatham Islands), Wakefield, and Wellesley Street (Auckland). Improved accommodation was provided at the following places : Ashhurst (addition), Balfour' (addition to quarters), Christchurch (alterations to garage), Geraldine (addition), Gore (alterations to garage and store), Lyttelton (alterations), Mount Albert (addition), Paekakariki (addition to quarters), Takaka (addition and alterations), Taradale (addition and alterations), Te Akau (addition to quarters), and Warkworth (addition to quarters). Buildings no longer required at the following places were disposed of: Aria, Avondale, Blackstone Hill (old post-office buildings), Castlecliff (cable hut), Dunedin (telegraph-office building), Havelock (residence), Otiake (post-office building), Pahiatua and Tauranga (old post-office buildings), and Waitara (residence). The post-office buildings at Linwood, Milton, and St. Albans were demolished to make room for new buildings. The post-office buildings at Mahoenui and Motueka and the lineman's residence at Tolaga Bay were destroyed by fire during the year. Sites no longer required at the following places were relinquished or disposed of: Avondale and Castlepoint (old post-office sites), Dunedin (telegraph-office site), Havelock (site of lineman's residence), Herbert and Katikati (redundant sites), Kumeu (old post-office site), Opunake (portion), Owaka (redundant site), Pahiatua (portion of old post-office site), Tauranga (old post-office site), Tuatapere (redundant site), and Waitara (site of Postmaster's old residence). Sites were acquired at Balclutha, Bulls, Christchurch, and Gore (extension of post-office sites), Helensville (for line, store, and garage building), Hokitika (for post-office building), Karori (for automatic exchange), Levin (extension of site for post-office addition), Lower Hutt (for post-office building), Matamata (for garage and store), Palmerston North (for line, store, workshops, and garage building), Papakura (right-of-way at rear of departmental site), Ponsonby (extension, of site for automatic exchange), Roxburgh (for storage purposes), Silverdale (extension of post-office site), Stratford (for garage, store, and line building), Takapuna (extension of telephone-exchange site), Taumarunui (for Postmaster's residence), Taupo (for new post-office), Tauranga (for line, store, and garage building), Te Puke and Waipawa (for Postmasters' residences), and Wellesley Street and Wellington South (for new post-offioes). The following buildings were in course of erection at the end of the year : Christchurch (chief post-office, No. 1 block), Dunedin (store and workshops), Gisborne (automatic exchange), Hamilton (chief post-office), Invercargill (chief post-office), Mount Pleasant (automatic exchange), New Brighton (automatic exchange), Okaihau (residence), Otorohanga (post-office and residence), Wanganui (chief post-office), Wellington (office and line depot building), and Whakatane (line, store, and garage building). Other works as follows were also in progress : additions and alterations to the chief post-office buildings at Auckland, Oamaru, and Palmerston North, and to the post-office buildings at Ellerslie, Huntly, Kaipara Flats, Okaihau, Opotiki, Rangiwahia, and Waiau; and additions to the automatic-telephone-exchange building at Mount Eden and the store and garage building at Kaitaia. Buildings-maintenance gangs were established in the Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin Districts for the painting and renovating of departmental buildings.

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Building. Date of Opening. Ceremony performed by Avondale .. . . . . 19th August, 1938 . . . . Hon. H. G. R. Mason, M.P. Devonpart .. .. .. 14th November, 1938 .. Mr. F. W. Schramm, M.P. Grey Lynn .. 13th February, 1939 .. Mr. J. A. Lee, M.P. Linwood .. .. .. 26th April, 1938 .. . . Hon. D. G. Sullivan, M.P. Little River .. .. .. 30th April, 1938 .. . . Mr. H. S. S. Kyle, M.P. Milton .. .. .. 12th December, 1938 .. Hon. F. Jones, M.P. St. Albans .. .. .. 3rd February, 1939 .. .. Mr. S. G. Holland, M.P. Sumner .. .. .. 23rd November, 1938 .. Mr. T. H. McCombs, M.P. Tauranga . . .. 1st December, 1938 .. .. Hon. F. Jones, M.P. Te Awamutu (major addition) . . 8th April, 1938 . . . . Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, M.P.

F.— 1.

NEW ZEALAND CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION: DEPARTMENTAL SERVICES AND EXHIBITS. At the Centennial Exhibition to be held in Wellington between November, 1939, and May, 1940, the Department will conduct for the convenience of the public a working office with postal, telegraph, telephone, money-order, and savings-bank facilities. Attached to the office will be a philatelic, bureau and stamp exhibition. A feature of the telephonic facilities to be provided at the Exhibition will be the public coin-in-the-slot telephones, provision having been made for the installation of up to fifty at strategic points in the Exhibition buildings and grounds. In a separate court there will be many interesting exhibits illustrative of the activities of the Department. These will include the following : — A " Pageant of Progress," in which the development of the Department throughout the years will be illustrated strikingly by a succession of cut-outs and models moving across the front of a cinematograph screen, on which will be shown, by way of contrast, modern methods of work and up-to-date equipment. A mechanical postal map showing Empire and other air mail-services. A relief model illustrating the Cook Strait communication services. A radio-telegraph transmitter. A " magic dial " (showing how ultra-short radio waves are used for communication purposes). A radio-telephone channel in miniature. Telegraph and telephone apparatus (historic and modern). Telephone-line-construction equipment. A small private automatic-telephone exchange. At intervals departmental activities will be illustrated by cinematograph films in the main cinema hall at the Exhibition. TRANSPORT OF CORONATION ROBES. The transport by road of the Coronation robes and regalia displayed at various centres throughout the Dominion between the 27th April and the 9th July was undertaken by the Department. Notwithstanding the unusually large size of the cases transported, the work was carried out in the scheduled time and without mishap. DEPARTMENTAL MOTOR - VEHICLES. Departmental transport activities during the year necessitated an extension of the Department's fleet of motor-vehicles. It has been necessary not only to provide more trucks for line construction and maintenance purposes, but also to meet a general increase in car transport in and around the four main centres. During the year 142 new vehicles (23 cars and 119 trucks and vans) were placed in service. All of the vehicles were of English manufacture, and the bodies for the trucks and vans were constructed in the Department's workshops at Wellington and Auckland. Thirty-seven vehicles were withdrawn from service. Vehicles in commission at the end of the year numbered 872, comprising 649 trucks and vans and 223 motor-cars. The fleet, including old vehicles held for sale, shows an increase of 105. The total mileage covered for the year was 6,879,738, representing an increase of 671,087 miles. BICYCLES. Details of bicycles in use at the end of the year are as follows : — Machines owned by individual officers for the use of which allowances are paid .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 748 Machines purchased by the Department and supplied free of cost to officers, who are required under agreement to maintain and utilize them in the Department's service for a fixed period based on the average weekly riding-time . . . . . . . . .. .. .. 134 Machines owned by the Department and held for use by officers as required for official purposes .. .. .. .. .. 575 During the year there was an increase of 28 in the number of bicycles in use. POSTAL SERVICES. OVERSEAS LETTER - POSTAGE RATES : REVISION. Government's decision that New Zealand would participate in the Empire air-mail scheme when it was extended to Australia in July necessitated a review of the letter-postage rates to all overseas countries, whether or not air transport was available. The new rates, which came into force on the 26th July, are as follows : — British countries (except Australia) and Egypt .. .. I -J,-d. each half ounce. Australia and dependencies .. .. .. .. Id. each ounce (rate unaltered). Foreign countries .. .. .. .. .. 2|d. first ounce and l-|d. each succeeding ounce (Postal Union rates). The special rates on letters sent by air to foreign destinations were retained.

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INCREASES IN RATES ON INLAND PARCELS AND INLAND AND OVERSEAS PACKETS : REDUCTION IN " FRAGILE " FEES ON INLAND PARCELS. When railway charges, including railway parcel rates, were increased by 10 per cent, in December last, Government decided, in order that there would be no general diversion of parcel traffic from the Railways Department, to increase also the rates on inland parcels sent by post. On parcels in the heavier categories of weight the increases exceeded 10 per cent. This was justifiable, on the ground that the previous charges on such parcels, which for the most part require to be transported over long distances, did not cover costs. In 1936, when parcel rates were reduced, it was expected that the Post Office would obtain a reasonable proportion of short-distance traffic, an expectation that was not realized. A preponderance of long-distance traffic was offering —no less than 72 per cent, of the heavier parcels requiring inter-Island transit, and a large number also involving long transit by rail. Details of the changes in respect of ordinary parcels are as follows : —

Appropriate increases were made also in the special rates on parcels of cinematograph, films and on parcels that exceed in size the ordinary parcel-post limits. Previously, the rate for inland packets was the same as that for commercial papers and printed papers —i.e., -|d. for each 2 oz. Opportunity was taken to fix for such articles a minimum charge of 2d. up to 8 oz., the rate otherwise remaining unchanged. The overseas sample-packet rate was increased from Id. for the first 4 oz. and Jd. for each additional 2 oz. to 2d. and Id. respectively. In fixing a higher minimum rate for packets than for printed papers and commercial papers, New Zealand has followed the practice adopted in other British countries. The special fees payable on parcels of a fragile nature for the transit of which the senders desire the protection of. containers other than bags were reduced from Is. 6d. and Is. to Is. and 6d. respectively, the higher fee being payable on large parcels. " Fragile " fees were not included in the general reduction of parcel rates made in 1936 because of the extra cost of forwarding parcels in the heavy wicker hampers then in use. In the interval, these hampers have been replaced largely by lightweight cardboard cartons, a change which made possible the reduction in the fees. It is hoped that full advantage of the special service provided for the protection of parcels containing articles liable to damage in transit will now be taken by the public, many of whom are indifferent to the need for the thorough packing of such parcels. The new rates became effective on the 12th December. INLAND MAIL-SERVICES. The contracts for the inland mail-services in the Auckland, Hamilton, and Thames postal districts expired on the 31st December last, and were relet for a further term of three years as from the Ist January. A number of the services were improved either by extension or by an increase in the frequency of the trips. A large number of contracts were renewed with the previous operators, the terms generally being arranged by mutual agreement. In some instances it was necessary for the appropriate Transport .Licensing Authority to fix the payments to be made under the new contracts. Indicative of the continued popularity of the rural mail-delivery system, was the increase during the year of 2,054 in the number of rural boxholders. At the end of the year there were in the Dominion 30,900 boxholders, the highest number yet recorded. While the carriage of mails by road on the established routes between centres not served by rail is more or less a matter of routine, the provision of adequate mail facilities in the more isolated localities requires special consideration. It is the policy of the Department to extend the postal facilities in rural districts when this can be arranged at reasonable cost. In such cases the general practice of despatching the mails by the vehicle which conveys goods, newspapers, and passengers is followed. Weather and other conditions beyond control occasionally cause interruptions in the mail transport schedule. Exceptionally heavy floods experienced in the Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay districts in April, 1938, interrupted the services in operation there. The most serious effect was the complete stoppage for a period of the conveyance of mails by road between Napier and Gisborne, necessitating the use of alternative routes, including air and sea services, between those centres. The driver of the mail-truck which left Gisborne on lie evening of the 24th April had to abandon his vehicle, which was completely isolated, and it was not until the 12th May that the final portion of the mail was recovered from the truck. Fortunately, the mails, though delayed, suffered little damage. Floods occasioned, by torrential rain in the Takaka Valley on the 16th September caused a slip which destroyed several chains of the main highway at Upper Takaka and completely interrupted road communication with the Takaka district. Mails were forwarded by sea the following day, after which it was possible, by transferring the mails across the slip, to resume the road services.

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Weight of Parcel. Old Hate. New Rate. s. d. s. d. Over 1£ lb. and up to 3 lb. . . . . 0 6 0 7 „ 31b. „ 7 lb. .. .. 1 0 1 2 „ 7 lb. „ 14 lb. .. .. 16 19 „ 14 lb. 21 lb. .. .. 2 0 2 4 „ 211b. „ 281b. .. .. 2 6 3 0

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OCEAN MAIL-SERVICES. The Auckland-Vancouver ocean-mail-contract service maintained by the " Niagara" and " Aorangi " was performed regularly during the year. Consequent upon the inauguration in August of the service from Australia under the Empire air-mail scheme, the only mails despatched by the contract (Auckland-Vancouver) steamers and by the Matson Line (Auckland - San Pedro) vessels during the latter portion of the year were those for America and intermediate countries, and letter-mails only for the Continent of Europe. The marine post-offices, which had been in operation on the Vancouver contract steamers since 1924, were closed on the inauguration of the Empire air service. . . . . During the year appreciable use was made of vessels sailing via Panama and via Cape Horn foi the despatch of mails for Great Britain and the Continent of Europe. These routes are now being used for the despatch of all second-class mails for Great Britain and Europe, the use of the North American route for this purpose having ceased with the inauguration of the Empire air service.^ The New Zealand-Australia service was maintained during the year by the " Awatea " and " Wanganella," together with vessels of the Canadian-Australasian Royal Mail Line, the K.P.M. Line, and the Matson Line. During a period in August and September the " Awatea " was replaced by the " Maunganui," and for two trips 111 November and December the " Wanganella " was replaced by the " Westralia." . . , A service between Bluff and Melbourne was maintained by the Waitaki during the period April-October and by the " Maunganui " during the remainder of the year. Use was also made of cargo-vessels trading between New Zealand and Australia tor the despatch of mails for Australia and also mails for onward despatch by the Empire air service. A regular service to the Pacific Islands was maintained during the year. AIR MAILS. Inland. Extensions to the inland air services were made 011 the 15th March, when Messrs. Cook Strait Airways, Ltd., inaugurated a daily service between Nelson and Greymouth with calls at Westport in both' directions, and on the 20th March, when Messrs. Union Airways of New Zealand, Ltd., inaugurated a thrice-weekly air service between Auckland and Gisborne with calls at Tauranga and Opotiki in both directions. The service previously operating between Auckland and Dunedin via New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Blenheim, and Christchurch now operates between Palmerston North, Blenheim, and Christchurch only, while the Auckland-Wellington service has been extended to provide a through service daily in each direction between Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, the second service Auckland Wellington and return continuing. New Plymouth is now served one way 011 this second service and one way on the main service. The steady increase in the number of letters conveyed 011 the inland air services has been maintained. Particulars of the number of letters carried during the last three years are shown hereunder

Unfortunately, a serious accident occurred on the 10th May, when Union Airways' Lockheed " Kotare " crashed shortly after leaving Mangere Aerodrome (Auckland) and the two pilots were killed. Mails despatched from Auckland, comprising 180 letters and 3 parcels, were lost in the fire which broke out when the machine crashed. Empire Air Service. An event of outstanding importance during the year was the extension at the end of July of the Empire air-mail scheme to include Australia and New Zealand. The first services under the scheme commenced from Great Britain on the 28th July and from Australia on the 9th August. New Zealand participated in the scheme from the outset on the basis originally suggested by Grea,t Britain—that, is, all letters posted in New Zealand for the Empire countries served by the Australia-England and England-South Africa air services are transported by air at the postage rate of l|d. each J oz. Previously the air-inail postage on letters to Great Britain was Is. 6d. each \ oz. At the outset the air service operating between Bangkok and Hong Kong was not included in the general scheme, and accordingly correspondence from New Zealand for Hong Kong was forwarded from Australia to Singapore by air and thence to destination by sea. On the sth September, however, the Empire scheme was extended to include this service, and since that date all correspondence for Hong Kong has been carried to its destination by air. The air service operating between Khartoum and Accra has not yet been included in the Empire scheme, and special rates are still payable on correspondence for Nigeria and the Gold Coast Colony which is required to be conveyed by air.

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| 1936-37. | 1937-38, 1938-39. I I June quarter .. ■■ 179,073 325,584 508,625 September quarter .. 215,202 381,019 558,642 December quarter.. .. • • 256,559 466,813 649,437 March quarter .. .. . ■ 283,807 515,225 665,723

F.—l.

The change from surface to air despatch, which involved a considerable amount of internal reorganization, was made smoothly, and the new arrangements are operating very satisfactorily for the Department and the public. Before the change-over to air despatch, the average time taken by letter-mails from New Zealand to Great Britain was twenty-eight to thirty days. The average time taken since the air-mail scheme came into operation is approximately fifteen days. It is anticipated that the trans-Tasman air service will commence before the end of the year, and this should reduce the transit time by at least another two days. Accident to Flying-boat " Calpurnta." Imperial Airways' flying-boat " Calpurnia," which left Southampton on the 25tli November with mails for Australia and New Zealand, met with disaster on the 27th November while attempting to land at Lake Ramadi, Iraq, during a sandstorm. Unfortunately, of the crew of five, three, including the Commander, Captain Attwood, were killed. The New Zealand mails aboard, which closed at London on the 23rd and 24th November, included a large amount of Christmas mail from Great Britain and Ireland. After the accident, salvage operations were put in hand, and the mails, all of which were damaged by water, were forwarded on from Bagdad at intervals as they became available. The damaged mails were received in the Dominion over the period 19th December to 9th January. When the bags were opened, the contents were found to be damp and more or less damaged. All articles in reasonably good condition were put in course for immediate delivery, and those that were damaged to any extent were renovated and released as quickly as their condition would allow. While the writing on most of the articles was legible, difficulty was experienced in reading addresses on a considerable portion of the mail. Unfortunately, owing to the effect of water on the gum of envelopes, the contents of a large number of letters had become separated from their covers, and in many instances the task of associating contents with covers was a hopeless one. Efforts to effect delivery of badly damaged mail were continued until all deliverable articles were disposed of, and it is estimated that approximately four-fifths of the mail was delivered. All registered articles of which notification of despatch had been received were accounted for and, with few exceptions, delivered. The insured articles were all delivered. FIRE ON " RIMUTAKA " : DAMAGE TO PARCEL-MAILS. Portion of the mails, consisting principally of parcels from Great Britain to New Zealand, on board the New Zealand Shipping Co.'s vessel " Rimutaka," which left London for Auckland via Panama on the Bth December, was damaged considerably by water, heat, and chemicals as a result of the fire which broke out in No. 3 hold on the Bth January, a few days before the vessel arrived at Auckland, and which burned for nearly twenty-four hours. In the damaged portion of the mail there were 1 13 bags of parcels and 14 bags of other mail which were stowed in the strong-room in the forward part of the hold. The remainder of the mail, 146 bags of parcels stowed in lockers in the lower part of the hold, was undamaged. Only parcels suffered to any extent, the damage to these varying from slight to serious according to the nature of the contents. Some parcels were a complete loss, but few of the insured parcels were damaged. OVERSEAS PARCELS : PREPAYMENT BY SENDERS OF CUSTOMS AND OTHER CHARGES. For many years persons in Great Britain and in certain countries (including Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Denmark) for which Great Britain acts as intermediary for the exchange of parcels with New Zealand have been able to prepay the Customs and other charges on parcels sent to New Zealand. From the Ist May a similar service was introduced in respect of parcels sent from New Zealand to Great Britain and the other countries concerned. Previously, the only countries to which parcels from New Zealand could be sent under this system were Australia, the Union of South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, and Malaya. EXPRESS-DELIVERY SERVICE WITH EMPIRE COUNTRIES. Reciprocal arrangements for the exchange of express-delivery letters were made during the year with Great Britain, Australia, the Union of South Africa, and a number of other Empire countries. It is expected that when the service becomes more widely known considerable use will be made of it in conjunction with the Empire air services for ensuring the earliest possible delivery of urgent correspondence. An express-delivery service for inland correspondence has been in force in the Dominion for many years. FANNING ISLAND : CLOSING OF NEW ZEALAND POSTAL AGENCY. The New Zealand postal agency at Fanning Island, which was established in 1902, was closed on the 14th. February, from which date the post-office at the island came under the control of the postal administration of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. It is of interest to recall the circumstances in which a postal agency of New Zealand was established at Fanning Island, in the North Pacific Ocean. When the Pacific Cable Board's station was opened at the island in 1902, the trans-Pacific mail-steamers called there on the voyage from Auckland to San Francisco. The first Superintendent of the Cable Station, Mr. David Cuthbert, realizing the value of direct communication by steamer and telegraph with New Zealand for obtaining mails and provisions,

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represented to the Department how great would be the convenience to his isolated community of a postoffice providing facilities for the receipt and despatch of mails (including parcels) and the purchase of postage-stamps. The Department readily agreed to the proposal, and the agency was opened on the 29th November, 1902, in Mr. Cuthbert's charge. A money-order office was opened on the 16th October, 1903, and a branch of the post office savings-bank on the Bth May, 1907. After the mail-steamers ceased to call at Fanning Island the mails were forwarded from Auckland by indirect routes unless a direct boat happened to be available, but, notwithstanding the absence of direct sea connections, New Zealand was still in the best position to supply the postal needs of the island. It was, of course, inevitable that the office at Fanning Island should pass eventually to the control of the Administration of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony to which it belongs, but officers of the Department regret that the transfer involved the severance of the bond of fellowship which for thirtysix years existed between them and members of the cable staff on their lonely island in mid-Pacific. POSTAGE-STAMPS, ETC. King George VI Stamps. King George VI stamps in the denominations of Id. and l|d. were placed on sale on the Ist and the 26th July respectively. The effigy on both stamps is similar to that of the fd. King George VI stamp which was issued on the Ist March, 1938. Booklets of King George VI Stamps. On Ist July a booklet of Id. stamps was placed on sale and in November two booklets, one containing lid. stamps and the other Id. and |d. stamps, were issued. It is not intended to obtain further supplies of the booklet containing Id. stamps only. Pictorial Stamps. The Id. and ljd. pictorial stamps were withdrawn from sale on the 30th June and the 25th July respectively. New plates were used to print supplies of 2d. and 4d. stamps. " Official " Stamps. The Id. and I|d. pictorial stamps overprinted " Official " were withdrawn from sale on the 30th June and the 25th July respectively. King George VI Id. and Ifd. stamps overprinted " Official" were issued on the Ist and the 26th July respectively. The 2|d. pictorial stamp similarly overprinted was placed on sale on the 26th July. In July the overprint " Official " on the ss. fiscal stamp was changed from block to italic letters. Air-mail Stamps. The Id. air-mail stamp was withdrawn from issue on the 31st December. The remaining values of" the set—3d. and 6d.—will remain on sale until stocks are exhausted. Health St4mp. The 1938 health stamp of the value of 2d. (Id. for postage and Id. for the Health Camp Fund) was issued on the Ist October and withdrawn from sale on the 15th February. The design had for its subject two small children playing on a lawn, with a hedge and a New Zealand tree-fern in the background. Mr. J. Berry prepared the design from suggestions and material supplied by Messrs. G. Bull and S. Hall. The stamp was engraved and printed by Messrs. Bradbury, Wilkinson, and Co., Ltd., England. Once again the campaign to promote the sale of health stamps, undertaken by Health Camp Committees throughout the Dominion in co-operation with officers of the Department, was highly successful. During the four and a half months they were on issue, stamps to the value of over £10,000 were sold. The " health " value of the stamps, £5,145, together with donations amounting to £1,882, was distributed among the Health Camp Committees according to the amounts raised in their respective districts. It is gratifying to record the generous response made annually by the people of the Dominion to the health-stamp appeal, which is now established as the principal source of' revenue for the maintenance of children's health camps in New Zealand. Stationery. Halfpenny and Id. embossing dies bearing a portrait of His Majesty King George VI were brought into use in October. The Jd. die is used for embossing quantities of envelopes for private persons and the Id. die for impressing envelopes for sale to the public. Niue and Cook Islands Stamps. The Niue Is. and 2s. stamps and the Cook Islands Is., 25., and 3s. stamps bearing a portrait of His Majesty King George V were withdrawn from sale on the 30th April.

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New stamps of the denominations Is., 25., and 3s. for both. Nine and the Cook Islands were issued on the 2nd May. The Is. value bears a portrait of His Majesty King George VI, while the 2s. and 3s. denominations depict scenes appropriate to the islands. The borders for each value and the centres for the 2s. and 3s. stamps were drawn by Mr. J. Berry. The vignette for the Is. stamps and the necessary dies and printing-plates were the work of Messrs. Bradbury, Wilkinson, and Co., Ltd., England, and the stamps were printed by the Government Printer, Wellington. Centennial Postage-stamp Issue. Following Government's decision that a special set of postage-stamps be_ issued to commemorate the Dominion's Centennial celebrations in 1940, artists were invited to submit designs in accordance with specifications embodying memorable events in the Dominion's historical and industrial development. The specifications were prepared by the National Historical Committee, which was set up by Government as part of the Centennial organization. Subsequently, a Stamps Sub-committee consisting of three members of the National Historical Committee, two officers of the Department, and two prominent New Zealand philatelists, was appointed by the National Historial Committee to select the most suitable designs for inclusion in the issue. The designs selected were as follows - (1) The landing of the Maoris ; the main migration of about 1350 id. denomination. (2) A Maori Council, representing Maori institutions and importance of Maori contributions to Polynesian culture —7d. denomination. (3) Abel Tasman's discovery of New Zealand, 1642 —2d. denomination. (4) Captain James Cook's rediscovery of New Zealand, 1769 —Id. denomination. (5) The landing of the New Zealand Co.'s immigrants on Petone Beach, 22nd January, 1840 —3d. denomination. (6) The Treaty of Waitangi, 6th February, 1840 -2Jd. denomination. (7) The hoisting of the British flag at Akaroa, 11th August, _ 1840—5 d. denomination. (8) The period of gold-mining (1862) and the development of the industry—9d. denomination. (9) The first overseas shipment of frozen mutton from New Zealand (despatched from Port Chalmers to London on. the 15th. February, 1882) —6d. denomination. (10) The progress of transport in New Zealand—4d. denomination. (11) One hundred years of New Zealand history under the .British. Crown — ljd. denomination. . „ , (12) The giant kauri tree, Tane Mahuta ; symbolizing the whole period of New Zealand history —Is. denomination. Nine of the successful designs were submitted by Mr. J. Berry, Wellington, and the remaining three (those numbered 1, 5, and 10) by Mr. L. C. Mitchell, Wellington. It will be seen that the subject of each design is worthy of representation in an issue that will commemorate an event of national importance —the completion of the first hundred years of established government in New Zealand. Very careful consideration was given to the designs before the final selection was and no pains have been spared to ensure that the set, when completed, will be highly satisfactory in every respect. Messrs. Bradbury, Wilkinson, and Co., Ltd., England, were entrusted with the engraving and printing of the stamps. The die proofs have been approved and the printing is now proceeding. The stamps will be placed on sale at all post-offices in the Dominion on the 2nd January next and will remain on sale for the full period of the Centennial celebrations. HONEY-SEALS. At the request of the Internal Marketing Division of the Primary Products Marketing Department, the Post Office arranged for the production of the adhesive seals to be affixed by apiarists to containers of honey in accordance with the Honey Marketing Regulations 1938. The seals, the denominations of which are ] : d., |d., Id., 2|d., 5d., and 2s. 6d. were printed at the Government Printing Office from typograph line-etched plates prepared by Messrs, Coulls, Somerville, Wilkie, Ltd., Dunedin. They were placed on sale by the Internal Marketing Division on the Ist December, 1938, the date on which the regulations became operative. STAMP-VENDING MACHINES. To meet the convenience of the public, machines vending two |d. stamps for eacli Id. inserted were introduced during the year, and 185 of these machines have been installed throughout the Dominion. The number of machines vending Id. stamps has increased, to 300. INSPECTION. The values at every accounting office were audited by departmental Inspectors at least once during the year. In addition, Inspectors, with a view to maintaining the required standard of efficiency and to ensuring uniformity of procedure, examined closely all phases of the work undertaken at the offices visited.

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BURGLARIES. Twenty-nine post-offices were entered by burglars during the year. In eight instances safes were opened by explosives. Three persons were arrested in connection with the burglaries at five of the offices and were sentenced to terms of imprisonment. As only a minimum amount of money is held at offices overnight, the average loss as a result of the burglaries was small. A number of offenders were arrested for thefts from street posting-boxes, public call offices, and stamp-vending machines. The loss to the Department as a result of the offences was no greater than usual. DEAD-LETTER OFFICE. 1938. 1937. Letters returned to senders in New Zealand .. .. 518,570* 451,846f Other articles returned to senders in New Zealand .. 397,134 465,271 Letters returned to other Administrations .. .. 49,829J 47,815§ Other articles returned to other Administrations .. 56,313 49,202 Letters destroyed (senders unknown and contents of no 32,526 28,828 value) .. .. .. .. .. 32,526 28,828 Letters intercepted addressed to persons and firms on prohibited list .. .. .. .. 178 289

* Including 16,696 registered. f Including 16,463 registered. J Including 580 registered. § Including 492 registered.

The proportion of undelivered letters to the total number of letters delivered was 0-38 per cent. POSTAL PACKETS REPORTED MISSING. During 1938, 7,973 complaints were received by the Department concerning the non-delivery of postal packets. In 4,027 cases, or more than half the total, the articles were traced or accounted for satisfactorily as follows : — Sender responsible .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,463 Addressee responsible .. .. .. .. .. 1, 380 Post Office responsible for delay or loss .. .. .. .. 379 Responsibility not fixed . . .. .. .. .. .. 805 In 3,946 cases the manner of the disposal of the postal packet could not be determined. This represents 0-0013 per cent, of the total number of articles posted during the year. MONEY-ORDERS. Money-order business increased appreciably during the year, 848,050 orders, of a value of £4,802,293, being issued. This represents an increase compared with the previous year of 63,555 in number and £489,664 in value. POSTAL NOTES. Postal-note business also increased, the sales being 3,806,503, of a value of £1,469,125, compared with 3,746,560 notes, of a value of £1,454,793, during the previous year. The commission totalled £35,616 ss. Bd., an increase of £358 12s. lOd. on the commission earned in 1937-38. BRITISH POSTAL ORDERS. The British postal orders issued increased in number and amount, 97,620 orders, of a value of £46,109 Bs. 9d., being sold, as against 95,391, of a value of £44,577 16s. 4d., during the previous year. British postal orders paid decreased in number and amount, 28,719 orders, of a value of £13,986 75., being cashed. In the previous year 32,293 orders, of a value of £15,791 12s. 6d., were paid. SAYINGS-BANK. Deposits lodged in the Post Office Savings-bank during the year amounted to £30,434,292, and the withdrawals to £34,597,708, an excess of withdrawals of £4,163,416. The interest credited to depositors was £1,726,573 lis. 2d., and the amount at the credit of depositors at the end of the year was £60,710,086. Savings-bank ledger offices were established at Matamata and Pahiatua on the 16th July and at Waitangi (Chatham Islands) on the Ist April, 1938. School Savings Branch. At the end of the year the school savings-bank scheme, the object of which is to encourage thrift among children, was in operation in 764 schools, an increase for the year of 205. The deposits amounted to £38,851 4s. 4d. and the withdrawals to £21,360 15s. lid., an excess of deposits of £17,490 Bs. sd. The total number of operative accounts at the 31st March was 68,268, the amount at credit being £67,665 14s. 2d. Interest to the amount of £1,115 ss. 9d. was credited to depositors. On leaving school 3,483 depositors transferred their accounts to the Post Office Savings-bank.

3—F. 1.

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The success of the scheme is due largely to the co-operation received from teachers, and, in recognition of this, donations ranging from 10s. to £2 10s., according to the size of the school, were granted during the year to School Committees for expenditure on school libraries or other approved forms of school activity. Since the inception of the scheme in 1934 the sum of £16,330 13s. has been transferred from school savings accounts to Post Office Savings-bank accounts opened in the names of the children. SAVINGS-BANK LETTERS OF CREDIT. Letters of credit numbering 7,763 were issued during the year for an aggregate amount of £146,543. The letter-of-credit system enables Post Office Savings-bank depositors to make withdrawals by instalment up to a total sum of £50 in a period of four weeks at any branch of the bank. In this way depositors, while travelling in the Dominion, are relieved of the responsibility of carrying cash in excess of that required to meet their immediate expenses. POST OFFICE INVESTMENT CERTIFICATES. The total sales of Post Office investment certificates for the year amounted to £20,945. WORK PERFORMED FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS. The volume of work performed by the Department on behalf of other Government Departments continues to expand. The total sum handled in this respect during the year amounted to approximately £62,000,000, an increase of about £9,000,000 on the previous year's total. Registration of Motor-vehicles and Associated Work. Motor-vehicles licensed at the 31st March last numbered 305,828, an increase of 27,478, or 9-87 per cent., over the number licensed at the corresponding date in 1938. Registrations of motor-cars during the year —namely, 28,937 —were lower by 900, or 3-01 per cent., than those effected during the previous year. Commercial vehicle registrations reached a new high level, the total being 10,862, compared with the previous highest total of 10,413 for the year 1937-38, an increase of 449, or 4-31 per cent. Motor-cycle registrations, which numbered 2,233, showed a decline of 785, or 26-01 per cent., compared with the registrations during the preceding year. Notifications of change of ownership totalled 164,265, compared with 150,290 for the previous year, an increase of 13,975, or 9-3 per cent. Approximately 15,000 applications for duplicate certificates of registration were issued. The total amount of registration fees collected was £592,763, an increase of £48,758 compared with the previous year. Detailed statistics concerning the work undertaken by the Post and Telegraph Department in connection with the registration and licensing of motor-vehicles appear in the report of the Transport Department. Premiums were oollected during the year on behalf of forty insurance companies authorized to underwrite business in terms of the Motor-vehicles Insurance (Third-party Risks) Act, 1928. Approximately 310,000 nomination forms were handled. The gross amount of premiums collected was £357,006, an increase of £58,778 over the amount received during the preceding twelve months. A. total of 52,54-7 claims for refunds of duty on motor-spirits consumed otherwise than as fuel for licensed motor-vehicles were approved for payment during the year, the total amount refunded being £195,091 18s. 3d. Compared with the figures for the previous year the claims increased in number by 1,582 and in amount by £6,646. Mileage-tax (payable in respect of vehicles not propelled exclusively by means of motor-spirits and certain other vehicles exempted from other forms of taxation) collected during the year amounted to £14,184, in respect of 327 vehicles. In the previous year tax to the amount of £9,876 was collected on 276 vehicles. Employment Work. The registration levy and a large proportion of the employment charge on income, payable under the Employment Promotion Act, 1936, were paid through the Post Office. The Department also made the payments to those persons receiving allowances under the Act. Postmasters continued to act as certifying officers for the Employment Branch of the Labour Department. The employment receipts and payments for the year amounted to £8,008,354, made up as follows £ s. d. (a) Collection of registration levy .. .. . . .. 467,393 2 8 (b) Collection of employment charge .. .. .. 1,133,001 0 4 (c) Sales of employment stamps .. .. .. .. 1,558,575 9 9 (d) Wages-tax oollected in cash .. .. .. .. 1,262,414 3 0 (e) Wages and sustenance payments .. .. .. 3,586,970 5 4The Employment Promotion Act, 1936, was repealed by the Social Security Act, 1938, some of the provisions of which came into operation on the Ist April, 1939.

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TELEGRAPH AND TOLL SERVICES. TELEGRAPH TRAFFIC. Telegraph business continues to increase at a very satisfactory rate. The following table shows the growth in volume and revenue during the last five years : —

REDUCTION IN EMPIRE CABLE RATES. Mention was made last year of reductions in Empire cable rates from the 25th April, 1938, as an outcome of the conference of representatives of Empire Governments which took place during the Imperial Conference in London in 1937. Briefly, provision was made for a flat rate of Is. 3d. a word for full-rate messages to all British Empire points to which the rate previously was above that level, code telegrams, deferred telegrams, and letter-telegrams being charged for at two-thirds, one-half, and one-third, respectively, of the new full rate of Is. 3d. a word. In 1876 the full rate on messages to the United Kingdom was lis. 4d. a word. By 1891 the rate had been reduced by steps to 10s. 2d. a word. In 1893 a substantial reduction to ss. 2d. a word was announced ; and by 1931 the rate had reached the low level of Is. Bd. a word, this amount being again reduced on the 25th April, 1938, to Is. 3d. a word. A history of the alterations that have taken place in the cable rates between New Zealand and the more important Empire countries since 1876 is shown at page 38. INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE, CAIRO, 1938. An International Telecommunications Conference at which telegraph, telephone, and radio matters were considered met at Cairo on the Ist February, 1938, and New Zealand was represented by Mr. M. B. Esson, the Dominion's member of the Imperial Communications Advisory Committee in London. The following is a summary of the more important amendments made to the regulations governing the acceptance of overseas telegrams : — (1) " Deferred " telegrams are subject to a five-word minimum charge. (2) Provision has been made for " refer to sender " paid service requests. The party requesting this service must pay a fee of Is. 7d., which is retained by the Administration originating the request. (3) In a telegram composed of plain-language words and passages in cipher language, the plainlanguage words are counted at the rate of five (reduced from fifteen) letters to a chargeable word. (4) The fee for a certified copy of a telegram was reduced to 6d. up to fifty words. (Previously the minimum charge for a certified copy was Is. 3d.) (5) Radio-broadcasting stations are entitled to receive overseas telegrams at press rates. (6) The multiple service is available for letter-telegrams. These changes took effect on the Ist January, 1939. In the radio section of the Conference much time was devoted to the reallocation of the bands of frequencies, and as a result of the decisions arrived at many changes will take place on the Ist September, 1939. DECORATIVE TELEGRAM STATIONERY. The provision of decorative stationery for telegrams of a greetings nature has proved most popular, the number of these messages continuing to increase. A change in the design of the " received " form and envelope was made in April last, and a special " forwarded " form for this class of message was introduced.

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„ , , Number of Paid Messages Year ended (all Classes). Revenue. £ 31st March, 1935 .. .. 4,175,929 280,124 31st March, 1936 .. .. 4,566,010 288,775 31st March, 1937 .. .. 5,117,498 313,070 31st March, 1938 .. .. 5,453,637 329,905 31st March, 1939 .. .. 5,712,087 341,487

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

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

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

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GENERAL ELECTION AND LICENSING POLL, 1938. The general election and licensing poll, held on the 15th October, resulted in the usual large accretion of telegraph traffic. Adequate arrangements were made throughout the Dominion for the prompt handling of election returns and the large number of other telegrams and telephone calls incidental to the election. The traffic generally was handled accurately and expeditiously, and, as usual, officers accepted willingly the long hours of duty and the arduous working-conditions which the election occasioned. TELEGRAPH WEATHER REPORTS. Further development of commercial aviation within the Dominion has necessitated greater coverage so far as the meteorological service for aviation is concerned. As a result, the work performed by the Department in the preparation and transmission of weather reports is increasing. The number of weather reports transmitted to Wellington daily from various offices throughout the Dominion rose to 201 during the year. In 1934 the number of reports handled daily was only 76. MULTI-CHANNEL VOICE-FREQUENCY TELEGRAPHY. As foreshadowed in the report for last year, multi-channel voice-frequency telegraphs have been introduced in the Dominion, the initial application of the system being the provision, of three channels between Wellington and Christchurch and eight channels between Wellington and Blenheim, while further extensions are pending. This system of utilizing carrier speech channels for telegraphic communication makes it possible to operate up to eighteen two-way teleprinter or Morse telegraph channels over one carrier speech channel. PRINTING TELEGRAPHS. By the installation of teleprinter machines at Motueka and Hokitika and additional machines at Wellington, Greymouth, Christchurch, and Dunedin, further progress was made in the mechanization of the Department's telegraph system. Thirty offices in the Dominion are now equipped with machine-printing telegraph apparatus. TELEGRAPH BATTERIES AND POWER-SUPPLY. The old-type batteries previously in use at Greymouth were replaced during the year by secondary batteries, and the office is now operated on the universal battery system, which, as has been proved at other offices at which circumstances have favoured its adoption, is more economical and more reliable. TELEPHONE TOLL SERVICE. The number of toll calls handled during 1938-39 reached the record total of 15,566,998, an increase of more than 1,000,000 calls (or 7-5 per cent.) over the previous year's figures and of 6,500,000 (or 73-3 per cent.) over the number handled six years ago. • The revenue return for the year was £695,731, an increase of £57,924, or 9 per cent., over the figure for the previous year. Figures indicating the volume and value of toll traffic during the last three years are shown hereunder :—

AFTER-HOUR TOLL FACILITIES. Wherever practicable, the telephone-communication system of the Dominion is available to the public at any hour of the day or night. After the post-office is closed at places at which there is a telephone-exchange, members of the public may make toll calls from the exchange, and when exchanges which do not observe continuous attendance are closed it is possible, in most cases, to arrange a call from the Postmaster's residence. At all exchanges where the demand warrants it, facilities for dealing with after-hour calls are provided, a special telephone and, in many instances, a special cabinet being installed for the purpose. The latest innovation for dealing with after-hour toll calls is the " multi-coin " machine, a facility which takes shilling, sixpenny, and penny coins and from which members of the public may obtain toll calls in much the same way as local calls are made from public call offices. Multi-coin installations were provided during the year at Christchurch and Dunedin, and machines will be installed at several other centres during 1939. TOLL ACCOUNTS. An innovation at the four chief, centres during the year was the enclosing of toll accounts in envelopes. It is intended to envelope toll accounts at all offices as soon as stocks of the old type of self-enveloping account form are exhausted.

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Year ended Number. Increase. Value. Increase. Per Cent. £ Per Gent. 31st March, 1937 .. .. 13,143,171 14-9 562,543 12-55 31st March, 1938 .. .. 14,480,207 10• 1 637,807 13-38 31st March, 1939 .. .. 15,566,998 7-5 695,731 9-08

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CARRIER-CURRENT TELEPHONE SYSTEMS. Additional toll facilities between Wellington and Christchurch were made available in August by the establishment of a further three-channel carrier telephone system. The installation of this system, which is operated over the submarine coaxial telephone cable between Wellington and Seddon and thence over one of the open aerial metallic circuits to Christchurch, has enabled the Department to increase from nine to twelve the number of inter-Island telephone circuits. Increased facilities between Christchurch and Dunedin were provided by the establishment of two three-channel carrier systems which were brought into commission in December. One of the six channels thus provided has been permanently connected to a Christchurch-Wellington circuit, to give a direct toll outlet between Wellington and Dunedin, and speedier and more efficient service between these two centres is now assured. Consequent on the provision of this Wellington-Dunedin direct toll circuit, the twelve telephone channels available across Cook Strait have been allocated as follows : Wellington-Christchurch toll service, 6 ; Wellington-Christchurch voice-frequency telegraph service, 1 ; Wellington-Dunedin toll service, 1 ; Wellington-Blenheim toll service, 2 ; WellingtonBlenheim voice-frequency telegraph service, 1 ; Wellington-Nelson toll service, 1. As the toll and telegraph business expands, additional carrier equipment will be installed to provide further facilities over the coaxial telephone cable for inter-Island traffic. A three-channel carrier system was brought into operation between Seddon and Greymouth during the year, and the three channels have been extended to Christchurch by way of Seddon-Christchurch circuits in order to provide temporary toll facilities between Greymouth and Christchurch pending the rearrangement of the toll and telegraph lines via the Otira route necessitated by the enlivening of the Canterb ury-Westland 66,000 volt transmission-line. Other carrier systems brought into service during the year are as follows : — Wellington - Palmerston North .. .. .. One three-channel system. Wellington - New Plymouth .. .. .. One three-channel system. Auckland - New Plymouth .. . . . . One three-channel system. Auckland-Hamilton .. .. . . .. One three-channel system. Hamilton-Napier .. .. .. .. .. One three-channel system. Gisborne-Napier .. .. .. . • • • One three-channel system. Wellington-Napier .. .. .. .. One three-channel system. Diinedin-Invercargill .. .. .. .. Two three-channel systems. Nelson-Takaka .. .. .. .. .. One single-channel system. Dunedin-Cromwell .. .. .. .. One single-channel system. Dunedin-Heriot .. .. .. .. .. One single-channel system. Incidentally, the establishment of these systems has enabled the Department to provide a high-grade direct toll outlet between Wellington and Gisborne and additional direct toll outlets between Wellington and Auckland and between Wellington and Hamilton. Further three-channel carrier equipment is now being installed in various parts of the Dominion, and seven additional systems will be brought into commission within the next five or six months. When these seven systems have been installed the Department will have a total of thirty three-channel and twenty-eight single-channel carrier telephone systems in operation. These fifty-eight systems will provide the backbone for a substantial long-distance toll network and will assure an adequate number of high-grade toll circuits on all important sections. This will undoubtedly stimulate further the general development of toll business. EXTENSION OF TOLL AND TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS. That the public is appreciative of the toll facilities available is evidenced by the steady increase in the number of calls made ; and the demand for the provision of new outlets, either by the erection of new lines or by the adoption of carrier-current systems, is ever present. During the year additional facilities were provided between the following offices: — Kaitaia-Awanui, Kaikohe-Okaihau, Hikurangi-Whananaki, Whangarei-Pipiwai, HendersonKarekare, Auckland-Hamilton, Auckland-Rotorua, Auckland-Napier, Auckland-New Plymouth, Auckland-Wellington, Huntly-Mercer, Ngaruawahia-Huntly, HamiltonHuntly, Hamilton-Taupiri, Hamilton-Ngaruawahia, Hamilton-Napier, HamiltonWellington, Te Kuiti - Piopio, Te Kuiti - Awakino, Waharoa-Walton, Rotorua-Taupo, Gisborne - Te Karaka, Gisborne-Nuhaka, Gisborne-Wairoa, Gisborne-Napier, GisborneWellington, Wairoa-Napier, Napier-Wellington, New Plymouth - Eltham, New Plymouth - Hawera, New Plymouth - Wellington, Inglewood-Stratford, StratfordEltham, Eltham-Hawera, Wanganui-Raetihi, Wanganui-Ohakune, Raurimu-The Chateau, Patea-Waverley, Palmerston North - Bulls, Palmerston North - Rongotea, Palmerston North - Pahiatua, Palmerston North - Wellington, Levin - Waitarere Beach, Pahiatua-Eketahuna, Pahiatua-Masterton, Masterton-Featherston, GreytownFeatherston, Wellington - Nelson, Wellington-Christchurch, Wellington-Dunedin, Blenheim-Nelson, Nelson-Takaka, Wakefield-Thorpe, Kekerangu-Kaikoura, KaikouraWaiau, Parnassus-Conway, Hawarden-Amberley, Kaiapoi-Rangiora, ChristchurchAmberley, Christchurch-Greymouth, Christchurch-Dunedin, Mayfield-Ashburton, RossWaiho Gorge, Lake Tekapo - Hermitage, Timaru-Dunedin, Oamaru-Dunedin, ClydeOmakau, Lawrence - Miller's Flat, Dunedin-Cromwell, Dunedin-Balclutha, DunedinGore, Dunedin-Invercargill, Balclutha-Gore, Gore-Mataura, Gore-Invercargill.

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In addition, 319 miles of toll and telegraph-pole line were reconstructed during the year. This work involved the replacement of 843 miles of wire. Other improvements to the plant and equipment used in connection with the toll and telegraph services include the following : — (a) The installation of toll switchboards at Dargaville, Maungaturoto, Paeroa, Matamata, Pahiatua, and Greymouth, and important extensions to the existing equipment at Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, and Wellington. (b) Increased facilities for the direct dialling of toll communications between MaungaturotoWhangarei, New Plymouth - Hawera, New Plymouth - Stratford, Eltham-Stratford, Kaponga - Stratford, Inglewood - Stratford, Whangamomona - Stratford, StratfordHawera, Eltham-Hawera, Manaia-Hawera, Patea-Hawera, Bulls-Marton, FeildingMarton, Bulls - Palmerston North, Marton - Palmerston North, Tokomaru - Palmerston North, Shannon - Palmerston North, Ashhurst - Palmerston North, PahiatuaPalmerston North, Rangiotu - Palmerston North, Paraparaumu-Wellington, PahiatuaMasterton, Eketahuna-Masterton, Carterton-Masterton, Martinborough-Masterton, Featherston-Masterton, Greytown-Masterton, Duntroon-Oamaru, Kurow-Oamaru. (c) The installation of new toll testboards at Napier, Hamilton, and Greymouth, and the replacement by combined filter racks and testboards of the testing-equipment previously installed at Maungaturoto, Warkworth, Wellsford, Waipu, Woodville, and Culverden. (d) The installation of special toll switching-equipment at Lower Hutt, thus providing for more prompt disposal of local traffic in the Hutt Valley - Eastbourne areas. (e) The laying of special underground cable providing a hundred and fifty trunk lines between Napier and Hastings. (/) The provision of special relay lines for the National Broadcasting Service between Napier and Opapa and Invercargill and Dacre. MAINTENANCE OF TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION SERVICES. Meteorological conditions of the type likely to interfere with telegraph and telephone communications were not widespread during the year, and many areas had no serious interruption of service. Towards the end of April phenomenally heavy rainfall was experienced on the east coast of the North Island, and flooded rivers and washed-out roads and bridges were responsible for numerous breaks in the toll and telegraph circuits between Napier and Taupo and Napier and Gisborne. For several days the line gangs worked under great difficulties, and the Department is indebted to settlers in the affected localities who generously provided the men with food, accommodation, and transport. In some localities the conditions for transport were so bad that food, clothing, line material, tools, &c., for the workmen had to be dropped from aeroplanes. The efficient service cheerfully given during the restoration operations was appreciated fully, and gratuities in recognition of outstanding work were granted to over thirty men. On the 30th July a very severe snowstorm was experienced in the Dannevirke, Norsewood, and Ormondville area, with the result that upwards of two hundred and fifty subscribers to the Dannevirke exchange were temporarily deprived of service, while at Norsewood and Ormondville practically every subscriber was without service. Communication was, however, restored promptly. Fire which broke out in an adjacent building early on the morning of the 2nd August was responsible for the destruction of the Motueka Post-office building. Immediate steps were taken to restore telegraph and toll communication, which had ceased at 5 a.m., and by 7.30 a.m. limited services were available. By 9 a.m. the post-office had been reopened in temporary premises and telegraph and toll services had been fully restored. The provision of service to the telephone-exchange subscribers, some five hundred and fifty in number, was a larger job, but continuous work by the Department's officers enabled the exchange to be reopened at 1 p.m. on the sth August. On the 9th August a severe gale struck the northern portion of the South Island, and the lines on the east-coast route north of Christchurch and the circuits on the west-coast routes north and south of Greymouth were extensively damaged. The dislocation of services on both routes, which occurred early in the afternoon, interrupted communication between the North and South Islands, with the exception that the Nelson and Blenheim districts still had circuits working to Wellington. Traffic conditions were made more acute owing to the heavy traffic occasioned by the Grand National Race Meeting, which was in progress at Christchurch. All available radio channels were brought into service with a view to disposing of traffic with a minimum of delay. Shortly after 9 a.m. on the following day it was possible to reopen a multiplex channel between Christchurch and Wellington, and the other circuits were restored gradually during the day. By 6 p.m. the situation was normal. The storm also interrupted the service to some hundreds of telephone-exchange subscribers throughout North Canterbury, but the major portion of the damage was repaired the following day. On Saturday, the 3rd December, exceptionally heavy rain was experienced in Dunedin, approximately 4 in. falling over a period of twenty hours. The resultant flooding of certain parts of the city was responsible for water penetrating to the Department's underground telephone cables, and service to approximately seven hundred subscribers was interrupted. By working long hours an augmented cable staff enabled full service to be restored early in the morning of the following Wednesday. An electrical storm of unusual severity was experienced throughout Marlborough, Nelson, and West Coast (South Island) districts on the night of the 7th and the morning of the Bth December. Electrical discharges caused the operation of many circuit fuses, resulting in numerous interruptions to telephone and telegraph service, while in some cases considerable damage was done to lines and

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equipment. The interruptions to major telegraph and toll lines, however, were not serious, the circuits being repaired without delay. At Blenheim approximately two hundred subscribers were without service for some hours. A strong north-west gale which swept the east coast of the South Island on the night of the 18th February caused extensive damage to all the main-line toll circuits on that coast north of: Dunedin. Much damage was also done to subscribers' lines in towns in the eastern portion of Canterbury. The breakages of lines were caused mainly by falling trees and branches. At a point approximately twenty miles south of Kaikoura all wires for a distance of more than a mile were broken in this way. The road was impassable at this point, and a deviation across country was necessary. Line gangs were despatched from several towns in the affected areas, and by the afternoon of the 20th February all toll and telegraph circuits were restored. Repairs to subscribers' lines were finally completed on the 24th idem. POLES AND WIRES. During the year 23 miles of pole-line and 2,000 miles of wire (including wire in submarine cable) were erected for telegraph and telephone (toll) purposes, while 82 miles of pole-line and 1,299 miles of wire were dismantled or, in localities where no longer required by the Department, sold to settlers for use as private telephone-lines. The lengths of pole-line and wire (including wire in submarine cable) in use for telegraph and telephone toll purposes on the 31st March., 1938 and 1939, respectively, were as follows

FIELD OPERATIONS: MOLE CABLE PLOUGH. In accordance with the present-day policy of placing telecommunication circuits underground as far as practicable, consideration has been given to ways and means of reducing the cost of laying underground cables, and by the adaptation of the old agricultural implement, the mole drain plough, the Department has evolved an appliance the use of which will result in substantial savings in labour charges on this work. The plough is drawn by a tractor, and the cable to be buried is coiled on a drum which is mounted on a j inker and towed behind the plough. The cable is fed underground by means of a pipe behind the cutting-blade. The mole, or torpedo, which forces the underground channel for the cable is fitted, on the front foot of the cutting-blade. On one section of work which was completed during the year approximately one mile of twenty-five-pair cable was laid in five hours at an average depth of 20 in. The number of men employed was eight. It is estimated that the same work, if performed manually, would have required the services of fifty-five men for a similar time. The disturbance of the surface of the ground on cultivated grass areas is so small that no restoration work is necessary after the cable has been laid. In other areas the surface is restored simply by running one wheel of the tractor over the cut. At present the Department has only three ploughs available for this work, but it is proposed to obtain one for each of the larger engineering districts of the Dominion. NEW ZEALAND SUBMARINE CABLES. Cook Strait Telegraph Cables. Two of the single-core telegraph cables —namely, No. 3 Oterangi Bay-White's Bay cable and No. 4 Lyall Bay-White's Bay cable —are at present out of commission owing to faults which developed in June, 1937, and February, 1938, respectively. In view of the additional facilities that have been established over the cpaxial cable and the fact that it will be practicable to increase progressively the number of channels over this cable to meet traffic developments, no action is being taken to repair the faulty cables. Foveaux Strait Cable. In January last the Foveaux Strait cable developed a fault which resulted in communication between Bluff and Stewart Island over the cable circuit being totally interrupted. The fault was subsequently found to be due to a break in the cable at a point approximately 1-75 nautical miles from Lee Bay (Stewart Island). In order to restore the cable to good working-order it was found necessary to lay-in a total length of 1-8 nautical miles of' cable from Lee Bay outwards. The repair operations, which were undertaken with the aid of a small oyster-boat, were delayed to some extent by bad weather, but the cable was reopened for traffic on the 24th February. While the cable circuit was unworkable, telegraphic communication between Stewart Island and the mainland was provided via the short-wave radio link established in 1931 between Half-moon Bay and A warua-Radio to meet emergencies of this nature.

24

Year ended Year ended 31st March, 1938. 31st March, 1939. Miles of pole-line .. .. .. 12,053* 11,994 Miles of wire .. .. .. 66,889* 67,590 * Kevised figures.

F. —1.

RADIO-TELEGRAPH AND RADIO-TELEPHONE SERVICES. WELLINGTON - RADIO. The completion of the additions to the transmitting building undertaken last year: has permitted a much improved layout of the equipment at Wellington-Radio. A start has now been made with the erection of the six steel towers which are to replace the temporary wooden masts erected to support the new aerial system. When this work is completed the existing tower will be dismantled. Further transmitting-equipment installed during the year included a I kW. short-wave transmitter ■for use in the broadcasting of synoptic weather reports primarily for the aeradio service. Another I kW. transmitter is now being installed to provide facilities for transmitting on an alternative frequency for the overseas radio-telephone service. AWARUA - RADIO. During the year a low-power short-wave radio-telegraph transmitter was installed to provide for an additional operating-channel in the ship-shore service, while a 60 watt short-wave transmitter to provide improved emergency and local point-to-point services is now in course of construction. In order to assist in the navigation of aircraft in the projected trans-Tasman_ air service, the installation of direction-finding equipment is being undertaken at Awarua. This will work in conjunction with similar equipment being installed at the Musick I'oint station near Auckland. An additional short-wave transmitter is also to be provided for intercommunication with the Musick Point station in connection with the direction-finding service. APIA - RADIO. On account of the station's favourable position in the Pacific for the collection and dissemination of meteorological reports, a 1 kW. short-wave transmitter is being installed at the Apia-Radio station primarily for the transmission of weather information to trans-oceanic aircraft. Two high-tension rectifier units have been supplied to Apia-Radio to enable the radio equipment to be operated directly from the public hydro-electric power-supply. EMERGENCY RADIO SERVICE. With a view to increasing the efficiency of the emergency radio-telegraph service established for the purpose of maintaining communication between centres in the event of the failure of the land lines, improved transmitting-equipment is being provided at a number of stations. Nine 10 watt transmitters are being distributed among smaller centres, while the more important stations are being equipped with 60 watt transmitters. New emergency radio stations will shortly be provided at Wairoa and Opotiki. TRANS-TASMAN AIR SERVICE : ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW RADIO STATION AT EAST TAMAKI. In order to provide adequate radio navigational aids for the proposed trans-Tasman air service, a radio station is to be opened at East Tamaki Head, near Auckland. As a national memorial to the late Captain Musick and his crew, who perished in the disaster which overtook Pan-American Airways flying-boat " Samoan Clipper " in January, 1938, while returning to New Zealand after the inaugural flight of the Auckland-Honolulu air mail-service, the site of the new station will be known as Musick Point and the station will be named the Musick Memorial Station. A building embodying suitable architectural features is being planned, but as it probably will not be completed by the time of the inauguration of the air service arrangements are being made for temporary accommodation. . The station will contain a 1 kW. medium-wave (600-900 metre) transmitter and two IkW. shortwave transmitters. Duplication of the latter is being provided in order that there will be no interruption of the watch for aircraft signals during the period the station may be engaged m exchanging meteorological or other service data with the Australian terminal station. The equipment is on orde£ and is expected to be available in ample time for the opening of the air service. Short-wave direction-finding equipment will also be provided at the Musick Point station and, in addition, at Awarua-Radio, and a point-to-point short-wave telegraph channel will be operated between these two stations. To avoid the maintenance of two radio stations in the Auckland District, the services of AucklandRadio will be transferred from the Chief Post-office building, Auckland, to the Musick Point station. AERADIO SERVICES. The necessity of providing additional aeradio stations consequent upon the extension of the commercial air services has tested the resources of the Department as regards both technical and operating personnel. . . The decision regarding the establishment of aeradio stations rests with the Air Department acting on the advice of the Aeradio Committee, but after the provision of a station has been authorized the work of installing the equipment and the staffing and operating of the station devolve upon the Post and Telegraph Department. _ „ . During the year aeradio stations were opened at Gisborne, Napier, Harewood (Chnstcnurcn), Tauranga, and Westport, increasing to fifteen the number of stations operated by the Department.

4—F. 1.

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F.—l.

Improved medium-wave transmitting-equipment lias been provided at Hokitika, Blenheim, and Nelson, the previous equipment being released for temporary use elsewhere. With a view to relieving the congestion on the medium-wave aeradio channels, the Wellington, Palmerston North, Blenheim, Nelson, and Christchurch stations have been supplied with transmitters for operation 011 short waves, and similar equipment will be provided shortly at other stations. This equipment will be utilized for intercommunication between the aeradio stations, leaving the 900 metre wave for solely ground-to-plane communication. An experimental direction-finding station for use in connection with the Rongotai aerodrome (Wellington) was opened at Palmer Head, near Lyall Bay, on the 7th November, while direction-finding equipment has been installed at the Nelson aerodrome and will be brought into service shortly. Equipment for direction finding and also for approach beacons is to be installed at several other aeradio stations. . in v. The establishment of a permanent aeradio station at Raoul Island, in the Kermadec Group, has been approved by Government, and a second radio operator has now been provided at that station. INSTALLATION OF RADIO EQUIPMENT FOR MARINE DEPARTMENT. On behalf of the Marine Department, radio-beacon equipment has been purchased and installed at Cape Campbell, Marlborough. The station transmits the signal ZLOB. Radio equipment for communication with the mainland has also been installed on behalf ot the Marine Department at Cuvier Island, Moko Hinau Island, and The Brothers lighthouses. TELEPHONE-EXCHANGE SERVICES. TELEPHONE DEVELOPMENT. Telephone development continued during the year at a very gratifying rate, and notwithstanding that several telephone statistical records have been established in recent years the figures for t it* year now under review exceed those of any previous year in the history of the Department. At the 31st March the total number of subscribers had reached the high figure of 157,605. lhe number of new connections was 19,025, exceeding the previous year's record by 695 ; but allowing for relinquishments the net gain in subscribers during the year was 9,755, or 6-6 per cent. At the end of the year the total number of telephone stations (subscribers' connections, extension telephones, public call offices, &c.) was 202,712. If to this number is added the number of telephones (3,504) connected by private lines with toll stations, the total number of telephones in service in New Zealand at the 31st March, 1939, was 206,216, an increase of 7-4 per cent, over the number in use at the end of the previous year. n , ~ The telephone density in the Dominion is now 12-69 telephones per hundred ot population, a figure which is exceeded in the United States of America only. During the year a Telephone-manager was appointed to control the operating, accounting, and commercial sections of the Telephone Branch at Dunedin. Concurrently with the installation at Hamilton in November of a modern toll-board equipped for sixteen operators' positions, a Telephonemanager was appointed at that place also. RESIDENTIAL TELEPHONE CONNECTIONS : REDUCTION IN CHARGES FOR MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT. During the year the charges for certain items of miscellaneous telephone equipment associated with residential connections were reviewed. Residential users had been required to pay for auxiliary apparatus on the same basis as business subscribers, and it was felt that, in view of the less extensive use made of such apparatus in residential premises and the consequent lower maintenance charges, the cost to residential subscribers should be reduced. From the Ist October, therefore, the following reductions were made in the charges for auxiliary apparatus associated with residential telephone connections :—

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Installation Charge. Annual Rental Charge. Item of Equipment. , _ „ * Old. New. Old. New. __ ....... £ s. d. £ a. d. £ s. d. f a. d. Extension telephones (ordinary) .. •• 0 15 0 0 10 0 I 10 0 0 15 0 Hand-microtelephones (automatic black) .. .. 0 10 0 0 5 0 Hand-microtelephones (automatic coloured) .. 2 0 0 1 10 0 0 5 Extension bell — Ordinary .. .. •• 0 12 6 0 7 6 0 7 6 0 5 0 Loud 0 12 6 0 7 6 0 10 0 0 7 6 Portable telephones— , „ „ ,, _ _ . Automatic i! J 0 0 15 0 Jack equipment for plugging in portable '* 0 15 0 telephones * No alteration.

F.—l.

The £2 installation charge for coloured automatic telephones represents the difference in capital cost between coloured and black instruments, and the payment of this amount by subscribers at the time of installation enabled the additional annual rental charge to be reduced substantially. That the reduction in the rate for residential extension telephones was well received is evidenced by the fact that for the first six months following the reduction 1,291 new extension telephones were installed, compared with 261 for the whole year preceding the reduction in the rate. The reduction in the rate for hand-microtelephones has also proved to be popular, the number of changes from the old to the new type of telephone having increased considerably. TELEPHONE-EXCHANGE ATTENDANCE. Growth in the number of subscribers enabled several of the smaller exchanges to qualify during the year for longer hours of attendance. In nine cases attendances were increased from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. to 6 a.m.-midnight, with additional hours of service on Sundays and holidays. In a further two instances the hours were increased from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. to 7 a.m-9 p.m. In addition, the subscribers at five exchanges previously having no attendance on Sundays and holidays now receive two hours' service on those days. NUMBER OF TELEPHONE-EXCHANGES. The number of telephone-exchanges in the Dominion at the 31st March was 348. The Mangapai exchange was closed on the 26th October, its ten subscribers having been provided with service on rural lines connected with the Whangarei automatic exchange. PUBLIC CALL OFFICES. During the year 83 new public call offices were opened, and at the 31st, March 61 authorized installations were awaiting erection. Wherever warranted, an endeavour has been made to provide these facilities concurrently with the completion of dwellings in extensive housing-development areas. At the close of the year there were 1,103 public call offices in operation, 1,053 of the Id. type, 7 of the 2d. type, and 43 of the 3d. type. The 2d. and 3d. type machines cater for the more distant parts of the various telephone-exchange areas. Of the 1,053 Id. type machines, 85 per cent, are automatic (dial-operated direct to the called subscriber) and 15 per cent, manually operated through an operator at the local exchange. The revenue collected during the year amounted to £60,823, an increase of 10-2 per cent, compared, with the amount received in the previous year. The average return from each machine was £57 ss. sd. NEW AUTOMATIC-TELEPHONE-EXCHANGE EQUIPMENT. Practically the whole of the equipment for the new automatic-telephone exchange at Napier has been received, and the installation work is proceeding as rapidly as possible. It is expected that the cut-over of this exchange to automatic working will take place in December, 1939. The equipment for the new automatic-telephone exchange at Gisborne was ordered in October and is due to arrive in the Dominion towards the end of 1939. Good progress is being made with the new telephone-exchange building. The extension equipment for the St. Albans automatic exchange, Christehurch, and the initial equipment for the two new sub-exchanges which are to be established at New Brighton and Mount Pleasant (Christchurch), have arrived in the Dominion. Installation work is proceeding at St. Albans, and will be commenced at New Brighton and Mount Pleasant at an early date. Equipment for an extension of the central exchange at Christchurch is under order and due to arrive shortly. Orders have been placed for initial equipment for the establishment in the Auckland metropolitan area of new automatic exchanges at St. Heliers, Otahuhu, Mount Albert, and Avondale, and for extension equipment for the Devonport, Takapuna, Onehunga, Mount Eden, Remuera, Ponsonby, and Auckland Central automatic exchanges. As delivery of the equipment will be spread over a period of three years, it is probable that eighteen months or two years will elapse before any appreciable portion of the equipment can be cut into service. Extension equipment has been received for the Dunedin main exchange and for the Hamilton, Hastings, Hawera, Palmerston North, Masterton, Khandallah, and Miramar exchanges, while equipment for the Whangarei, Courteuay Place, and Wellington Central exchanges is due in the near future. Quotations are expected shortly for extension equipment to be installed at the Wellington South and Lower Hutt automatic exchanges. INCREASES IN EXCHANGE SWITCHING-EQUIPMENT, ETC. The demand for telephone-exchange service has necessitated increases in switching-apparatus at the following exchanges : Kaitaia, Kawakawa, Wellsford, Pokeno, Howick, Waihi, Ngaruawahia, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Gisborne, Napier, Paekakariki, Nelson, Rakaia, Geraldine, Alexandra, Mosgiel, Queenstown, and Riversdale.

27

F. —1.

Small extensions have been completed at the following automatic exchanges : Mount Eden, Remuera, Ponsonby, Devonport, Takapuna, Wellington South, Roslyn, and South Dunediu. To meet the heavy growth in the St. Heliers (Auckland) area, a temporary automatic exchange was established. Small extensions are to be provided in the near future at Oamaru and Blenheim. A new branching multiple switchboard has just been installed at Otorohanga, and similar equipment is about to be installed in the new post-offices at Thames and Tauranga, while at Greymouth the switching-system has been reconstructed extensively and modernized. The following is a summary of other important operations during the year in the development and maintenance of telephone-exchange systems in the Dominion : — The laying or erecting of 81 miles of lead-covered cables containing 17,721 miles of wire for subscribers' circuits. The erection of 481 miles of pole-line and 4,795 miles of open aerial wire for the connection of telephone-exchange-subscribers' stations. The reconstruction or partial reconstruction of open aerial systems at a large number of telephone-exchanges. The replacement of existing switchboards at Paeroa, Waihi, Opotiki, Mohaka, Manakau, Tadmor, Takaka, and Cave. The removal of the telephone-exchange equipment, &c., to new premises at Little River, Geraldine, and Milton, and the re-establishment in temporary premises of the telephoneexchange at Motueka, where the post-office building was destroyed by fire. The provision of a further inter-office trunk cable between Wellesley Street, Remuera, and Devonport exchanges which, in addition to facilitating inter-exchange working, had the effect of improving speech-transmission from the North Shore to the eastern suburbs of Auckland. The installation of ringing-machine apparatus at Kohukohu, Hikurangi, Ruawai, Paparoa, Waipu, Wellsford, Warkworth, Te Kauwhata, Taupiri, Ngaruawahia, Otorohanga, Taradale, Leeston, Greymouth, Pleasant Point, Alexandra, Edendale, Riverton, Thornbury, Bluff, and Mataura, and the replacement of obsolete ringers at Papakura, Pukekohe, and Waiuku. The installation of rectifiers which replaced primary-power units for exchange and toll dialling purposes at Dargaville, Hikurangi, Wairoa, Napier, Waipukurau, Miramar, Lower Hutt, Blenheim, Amberley, and Kaiapoi. The rearrangement of the existing power units and the installation of an additional battery at Hamilton, and the replating of the main telephone-exchange batteries at Auckland Central, Mount Eden, and Dannevirke. The conversion to metallic circuit of many departmental and privately owned telephoneexchange lines which previously operated on the earth-return principle. This has been made necessary by the rapid extension of power reticulation in the North Auckland and Bay of Islands power areas. The installation of air-conditioning plant at Wellington South, and the complete overhaul of the existing air-conditioning equipment at the Wellington Central exchange. The length of various items of telephone-exchange plant in existence on the 31st March, 1938 and 1939, respectively, was as follows :

The percentages of the total wire-mileage in underground, aerial, and submarine cables and open aerial wire respectively for the year ended 31st March, 1939, are as under Telephone-exchange wire in underground cables .. .. 72-0 per cent. Telephone-exchange wire in aerial cables .. .. .. 7-6 ~ Telephone-exchange wire in submarine cables .. .. .. o'4 ~ Telephone-exchange open aerial wire .. .. .. ..20-0 ~

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Cable. Wire. Polfi Sin 8 le ill I f. 016 " Duct T IT , ime ' Line. Under- Aerjal Sub- In Aerial Sub " Open Under all ground. ' marine. Q a j,] e Cable, marine. Aerial. Headings. - j l ~ Miles. | Chains. Chains. Chains. Chains. Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. In existence on 16,33448,841 105,77936,864*1,246 417,786*45,482*1,889 116,271. 581,428* 31st March, 1938 Erected during year 482 2,615 6,104 401 131 17,221 500 j 332 4,795 22,848 Dismantled during 51 53 781 412 .. 2,769 508 J .. 589 3,866 year In existence on 16,76551,403 111,10236,853 1,377 432,238 45,474 2,221 120,4771600,410 31st March, 1939 * Revised figures. f Includes 38 miles of earthworking circuit.

F.—l.

TELEPHONE STATISTICS. A comparison of statistics in respect of the telephone system is made in the following table, which shows annually since 1930 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, 1939, are shown in the following table :—

In addition to the stations shown in the preceding table, there were 3,504 stations connected by private telephone-lines directly or indirectly with departmental toll stations, making a grand total of 206,216 telephone-stations on the 31st March, 1939. The following table shows the number of telephone-stations in the North and South Islands on the 31st March, 1938 and 1939, respectively : —

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Number of Telephone-stations Year. Numbci of Miles of Wire. Revenue. Ex0hangeS - _ , Per 1,000 Population. [ 7 £ ! 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 1935 .. .. .. 349 548,186f 1,190,773 159,170* i 102-06 1936 .. .. .. 348 557,834 1,252.964 166,565* 1 105-85 1937 .. .. .. 348 569,605 1,338,958 ! 178,599* 112-52 1938 .. .. .. 349 581,428f 1,458,042 192,019* 119-67 1939 .. .. .. 348 600,410 1,557,327 ! 206,216* 126-92 •ffyi < f.fr *jj 1 ' . I s * Includes approximately 4,000 non-exchange stations. t Revised figures.

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. T Subscribers' main stations .. 58,648 31,983 32,593 31,814 155,038 Toll and service stations .. 1,050 680 962 1,878 4,570 Public call offices .. .. 837 177 77 12 1,103 Extension stations — P.B.X. .. .. .. 17,774 4,432 1,412 165 23,783 Ordinary .. .. .. j 9,357 4,644 2,746 1,471 18,218 Telephone-stations: Class totals 87,666 41,916 37,790 35,340 202,712 Number of exchanges in each class 4 16 61 267 348

Number of Telephone-stations on 31st March, 1938. 1939. i Percentage Main Extension j T , . | Main Extension | T , , Increase. Stations. ! StationB. | a ' j Stations. Stations. North Island .. 109,446 27,268 136,714- 117,211 30,395 147,606 7-9 South Island .. 41,452 10,421 51,873 43,500 11,606 55,106 6-2 Totals .. 150,898 37,689 188,587 160,711 42,001 202,712 7-5

F.—l.

The number of telephone-stations (main and extension) connected with each of the fifteen principal exchanges on the 31st March, 1939, was —Auckland, 30,607 ; Wellington, 28,810; Christchurch, 16,445; Dunedin, 10,756; Hamilton, 4,253; Palmerston North, 4,132; Wanganui, 4,003 ; Invercargill, 3,740 ; Hastings, 3,251 ; Grisborne, 3,190 ; New Plymouth, 2,886; Napier, 2,521; Timaru, 2,426 ; Masterton, 2,340 ; Nelson, 2,295. The number of party and rural lines on the 31st March, 1939, was 14,827, to which were connected 57,497 main stations —an increase of 688 and 3,224 respectively on the figures for the previous year. The following table shows, for each class of exchange, the respective percentages of business and residential stations, also the respective percentages of individual and party-line stations, on the 31st March, 1939 : —

OVERSEAS RADIO-TELEPHONE SERVICE. A further highly satisfactory increase was shown in the number of overseas radio-telephone conversations during the year. The total number of calls handled was 2,645, an increase of 992 calls, or 60 per cent., over the number handled during the previous year. The greatest number of calls was exchanged between New Zealand and Australia, there being 1,093 calls from New Zealand to Australia and 1,272 calls in the opposite direction. There were 220 calls from New Zealand to the United Kingdom and beyond, and 60 calls from those places to New Zealand. It was possible during the year, with the co-operation of the British and Australian Administrations, to effect reductions in the rates for overseas radio-telephone calls to Australia, the United Kingdom, and other countries. The charge for calls to Australia was reduced on the 25th July from 15s. a minute to 10s. a minute, with a minimum charge of £1 10s. For calls to the United Kingdom the charge was reduced on the 21st November from £1 14s. a minute to £1 10s. a minute, with a minimum charge of £4 10s. The charge for calls to other European countries also was reduced by 4s. a minute. As in previous years, a specially reduced charge was available for calls to Australia and the United Kingdom during the period 23rd December to 4th January. The radio-telephone service with the trans-Tasman vessel " Awatea " continues to be popular, 800 calls to and from the vessel being handled during the year. BROADCASTING SERVICE. RADIO-RECEIVING LICENSES. The total number of licenses at the 31st March was 317,523, an increase of 32,516, or 11-4 per cent., on the number in force at the end of the previous year. The following figures indicate the progressive growth in the number of licensed listeners since the earliest stage of radio broadcasting in the Dominion :— 31st March, 1924 .. .. .. • • • • ■ • 2,830 31st March, 1929 .. .. .. • • • ■ 44,810 31st March, 1934 ■ • • • .118,086 31st March, 1937 . . .. • 241,308 31st March, 1938 •• 285,007 31st March, 1939 .. .. .. .. •• 317,523

30

| Class I Class II Class III Class IV Dominion ercentage ol Exchanges. Exchanges. Exchanges. Exchanges. Percentages. "* T "' P i I, v i I I Business stations .. .. 33 30 24 | 17 27 Residential stations .. .. 67 70 76 83 73 100 100 100 j 100 100 Individual-line stations .. .. 87 73 46 27 63 Party-and rural-line stations .. 13 27 54 73 37 100 100 100 100 100

F.—l.

The number of licenses at the 31st March represented 19-6 licenses per hundred of population, and indicates that 84"2 per cent, of the households in the Dominion are now equipped with receivingsets. The number of free licenses issued at the 31st March was 966. Prosecutions for the use of unlicensed receiving-sets during the year numbered 999, the amount in fines totalling £826. RADIO-DEALERS' LICENSES. The number of radio-dealers' licenses at the 31st March was 1,259, 65 fewer than at the end of the previous year. PRIVATE BROADCASTING-STATIONS. There were six private broadcasting-stations licensed at the 31st March, four fewer than were licensed a year previously. The decrease in number was due to the control of Station 4ZC, Cromwell, being assumed by the National Broadcasting Service, and to Stations IZJ, Auckland, 2ZH, Napier, and 2ZP, Wairoa, being dismantled. PRIVATE EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS. The number of private experimental (amateur) stations licensed at the 31st March was 1,089, an increase of 40 over the number at the corresponding date last year. During the year authority was given for licenses for the operation of amateur transmitting-stations to be issued free of charge to blind persons. As certain technical and Morse-operating qualifications are necessary before a transmitting license can be issued, a special examination has been arranged for blind applicants, and at present there are three qualified blind persons operating amateur stations.

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F. —1.

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.

32

Other Disbursements. Balance of I " ~ x> i _ Payments for Receipts over Depreciation Fund nnntrihufions i Payment to *«• j SSSt —»• J5JSE BSS JSXSU «gx 1 ssr •- sassa siSSs-1 * 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 .. .. .. •• t 1922-1923 .. .. 2,687,768 2,114,994 572,774 .. .. .. ■■ t 1923-1924 .. .. 2,688,954 2,120,584 568,370 .. .. .. ■■ t 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§ 34,717 1932-1933 .. 34,717 3,293,932 2,019,302 1,274,630 272,818 .. 546,000 456,000 34,529 1933-1934 .. 34,529 3,200,414 2,058,861 1,141,553 431,739 .. 553,000 154,388 36,955 1934-1935 .. 36,955 3,342,978 2,216,691 1,126,287 566,864 .. 546,000 13,000 37,378 1935-1936 .. 37,378 3,550,336 2,478,667 1,071,669 520,617 1,600|| 541,000 5,000 40,830 1936-1937 40,830 3,886,098 2,868,486 1,017,612 442,274 5,665 566,000 3,298 41,205 1937-1938 4],205 4,302,244 3,305,680 996.564 143,978 6,104 590,000 255,283 42,404 1938-1939 .. 42,405 4,687,564 3,679,859 1,007 b 705 415,189 6,310 588,000 Nil 40,611 » 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. J Post OHice Account separated from Consolidated Fund, 1st April, 1928. § Section 4, Finance Act, 1931 (No. 2) Depreciation rates revised and adjustment made in amount paid to Consolidated Fund. II Section 26, Finance Act, 1935 (No. 2).

Where payable. — — Total. Year, mission In the Dominion. | United Kingdom.* BriMshPoSeaSons! r° rei g n Oonntries.t received. No. j Amount, j No. j Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. No. Amount. | I J I ££££££ 1863 1,057 2,201 9,6)4 4,740 21,944 4,645 24,145 .. .. 11,586 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 .. .. 172,556 541,133 189.3 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 1913 16,872 516,536 2,821,624 100,634 336,992 73,575 199,158 .. .. 690,745 3,357,774 1923 28 357 545,605 3,849,423 54,461 223,143 68,044 284,778 16,869 32,815 684,979 4,390,159 1933 38 772 555,224 2,933,997 25,107 64,012 47,683 104,795 7,660 9,925 635,674 3,112,729 1934 42 310 564,108 3,003,360 27,470 68,748 54,547 125,524 8,496 12,081 654,621 3,209,713 1935 44'029 578,869 3,157,826 27,383 71,185 56,809 133,074 9,996 11,944 673,057 3,374,029 1936 48 433 633,846 3,552,632 30,608 79,747 59,269 151,708 10,243 10,561 733,966 3,794,648 1937 54 333 676,420 4,042,824 33,455 92,336 62,244 165,217 12,376 12,252 784,495 4,312,629 1938 60'441 731,346 4,501,244 35,642 102,005 68,072 184,508 12,990 14,536 848,050 4,802,293 » Includes foreign offices to year 1913. t Included under United Kingdom to year 1913.

F.—l.

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 1937 and 1938.

5 —F. 1.

33

Table No. 2 —continued. Table showing the Number and Amount of Money-orders issued, etc. —continued. Drawn on the Dominion. Where Issued. j Tota ,_ Year. In the Dominion. j United Kingdom.* Australia and other Foreign * British Possessions. Countries, f No. J 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 .. .. 141,654 441,412 1893 146,133 576,359 8,746 32,617 10,679 40,929 .. .. 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 1933 555,219 2,945,703 9,909 53,898 19,956 96,766 2,600 15,827 587,684 3 112 194 1934 563,291 3,013,540 9,388 48,643 23,050 81,698 2,587 13,822 598,316 3,'l57,'703 1935 568,379 3,167,590 9,485 49,628 34,566 70,964 3,460 13,195 615,890 3,301,377 1936 633,937 3,561,548 9,025 45,043 25,523 72,338 3,806 9,750 672,291 3,688,679 1937 678,018 4,053,369 8,824 44,434 25,509 73,755 3,204 8,647 715,555 4 180 205 1938 732,967 4,495,648 9,347 55,577 25,734 76,166 2,151 6,156 770,199 4,633,547 •Includes foreign offices to year 1913. t Included under United Kingdom to year 1013. Table No. 3. Table showing the Number and Weight of Parcels exchanged with other Countries DURING THE YEARS 1937 AND 1938. Received. Despatched. Places. 1037. 1938. 1937. 1938. Number, j Weight. Number. J Weight. Number. J Weight. | Number. Weight. lb- lb. lb. ]b. Great [Britain and Northern 77,420 621,682 84,697 667,865 14,254 73,216 14,945 68,668 Ireland (and countries via London) New South Wales (including 39,453 182,680 40,872 190,834 11,518 38,454 12,923 44,611 Japan, Italy, &c.) Victoria.. ' .. .. 13,711 57,514 12,734 53,230 5,645 18,949 6,082 20,810 Queensland (including Papua 1,399 3,695 1,353 3,402 1,608 5,035 1,713 5,062 and Netheriand T2ast Indies) South Australia .. .. 913 2,986 852 2,538 746 2,603 878 2 749 Western Australia.. .. 509 1,333 499 1,271 716 2,234 733 2'l05 Tasmania .. .. 195 420 171 418 577 1,769 584 1^588 Norfolk Island .. .. 25 50 7 16 310 1,018 304 '835 Canada .. .. .. 20,497 204,703 21,357 224,877 1,517 6,585 2,163 7,826 Union of South Africa .. 1,169 2,591 1,589 2,774 882 4,349 1,318 5 708 Aden . . . . . . 70 289 87 300 .. . India .. .. .. 3,231 23,015 2,823 18,899 957 5,590 993 5 183 Ceylon .. .. .. 287 1,127 290 1,112 67 268 87 '.351 Malaya .. .. .. 606 2,210 678 2,326 341 1,482 359 1,122 Hong Kong (including Japan, 1,221 13,445 1,606 19,202 754 2,945 745 3,852 China, &c.) Fiji •• • • .. 469 1,634 490 1,718 1,645 8,775 1,727 8,751 Tonga .. .. .. 123 443 179 658 593 3,425 671 3,562 United States of America and 35,477 205,626 38,995 213,655 3,245 11,971 3,664 13,705 possessions Egypt •• •• •• 292 2,134 318 2,172 53 269 61 214 Tahiti .. .. .. 61 403 63 493 116 617 117 643 Uruguay .. .... .. .. .. 20 87 26 128 Nauru and Ocean Islands .. 4 9 5 24 22 95 61 163 Other countries with which 4 15 2 10 14 65 8 5] direct exchanges exist Totals .. .. 197,136 1,328,004 209,667 1,407,794 45,600 189,801 50,162 197,687 Note.—With the countries named above, excepting those in parentheses, New Zealand has direct parcel exchanges. Parcels to and from other countries are forwarded through the intermediary of direct-exchange countries. 5—F. 1.

Table No. 2 —continued. Table showing the Number and Amount of Money-orders issued, etc.—continued. Drawn on the Dominion. Where Issued. j Tota ,_ Year. In the Dominion. j United Kingdom.* Australia and other Foreign * British Possessions. Countries, f No. J 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 .. .. 141,654 441,412 1893 146,133 576,359 8,746 32,617 10,679 40,929 .. .. 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 1933 555,219 2,945,703 9,909 53,898 19,956 96,766 2,600 15,827 587,684 3 112 194 1934 563,291 3,013,540 9,388 48,643 23,050 81,698 2,587 13,822 598,316 3,'l57,'703 1935 568,379 3,167,590 9,485 49,628 34,566 70,964 3,460 13,195 615,890 3,301,377 1936 633,937 3,561,548 9,025 45,043 25,523 72,338 3,806 9,750 672,291 3,688,679 1937 678,018 4,053,369 8,824 44,434 25,509 73,755 3,204 8,647 715,555 4 180 205 1938 732,967 4,495,648 9,347 55,577 25,734 76,166 2,151 6,156 770,199 4,633,547 •Includes foreign offices to year 1913. t Included under United Kingdom to year 1013. Table No. 3. Table showing the Number and Weight of Parcels exchanged with other Countries DURING THE YEARS 1937 AND 1938. Received. Despatched. Places. 1037. 1938. 1937. 1938. Number, j Weight. Number. J Weight. Number. J Weight. | Number. Weight. lb- lb. lb. ]b. Great [Britain and Northern 77,420 621,682 84,697 667,865 14,254 73,216 14,945 68,668 Ireland (and countries via London) New South Wales (including 39,453 182,680 40,872 190,834 11,518 38,454 12,923 44,611 Japan, Italy, &c.) Victoria.. ' .. .. 13,711 57,514 12,734 53,230 5,645 18,949 6,082 20,810 Queensland (including Papua 1,399 3,695 1,353 3,402 1,608 5,035 1,713 5,062 and Netheriand T2ast Indies) South Australia .. .. 913 2,986 852 2,538 746 2,603 878 2 749 Western Australia.. .. 509 1,333 499 1,271 716 2,234 733 2'l05 Tasmania .. .. 195 420 171 418 577 1,769 584 1^588 Norfolk Island .. .. 25 50 7 16 310 1,018 304 '835 Canada .. .. .. 20,497 204,703 21,357 224,877 1,517 6,585 2,163 7,826 Union of South Africa .. 1,169 2,591 1,589 2,774 882 4,349 1,318 5 708 Aden . . . . . . 70 289 87 300 .. . India .. .. .. 3,231 23,015 2,823 18,899 957 5,590 993 5 183 Ceylon .. .. .. 287 1,127 290 1,112 67 268 87 '.351 Malaya .. .. .. 606 2,210 678 2,326 341 1,482 359 1,122 Hong Kong (including Japan, 1,221 13,445 1,606 19,202 754 2,945 745 3,852 China, &c.) Fiji •• • • .. 469 1,634 490 1,718 1,645 8,775 1,727 8,751 Tonga .. .. .. 123 443 179 658 593 3,425 671 3,562 United States of America and 35,477 205,626 38,995 213,655 3,245 11,971 3,664 13,705 possessions Egypt •• •• •• 292 2,134 318 2,172 53 269 61 214 Tahiti .. .. .. 61 403 63 493 116 617 117 643 Uruguay .. .... .. .. .. 20 87 26 128 Nauru and Ocean Islands .. 4 9 5 24 22 95 61 163 Other countries with which 4 15 2 10 14 65 8 5] direct exchanges exist Totals .. .. 197,136 1,328,004 209,667 1,407,794 45,600 189,801 50,162 197,687 Note.—With the countries named above, excepting those in parentheses, New Zealand has direct parcel exchanges. Parcels to and from other countries are forwarded through the intermediary of direct-exchange countries. 5—F. 1.

F. — I.

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, 1939.

34

1 ArJ-L-bi SMUW1JNU 1 HjBJ JJUQ-LiN-EiOO ur inci jl wo a *■" - — © 8 fl 2 Average ■§§=•" X- V 1 Average j Wl , mh „ Average Number Number JNU ™ Der Total Amount Amount goo | dumber Amount j N ™ ber AmouSt Excess ol Excess of of of Ac< £ unt8 standing to the standinRto «lsl Deposits Total Amount of each with . Total Amount of of each Deposits over Withdrawals Interest Accounts Accounts emain . 'L nfeach wm-tAt. received of Deposits Deposit drawals Withdrawals Withdrawal Withdrawals over Deposits for the opened closed ln „ open Open Accounts, ° f each Postal Districts. o . received received during received during during the Period during during during Period. during during a t close inclusive of Open Acduring the Period. during d ™^ B during tne penon. uurmg „ the Period. the the ™ f C '£ 8 e e Interest to the count at •2%3-g the the the Perlod perIod of the close of the Period. Close of Period. Period : Period. renoa. rerioa. the Period. 3 OCQ c6 PH £C1WU . £ s d £ s d ! \ £ s. d.j £ s. d. £ s. d.| £ s. d.j £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Auckland .. .. 201 360,172 5,644,039 2 10 15 13 5 305,417 6,192,545 11 2! 20 5 6 .. : 548,506 8 4 294,909 1 8 22,608 15,804 161,18410,541,544 7 1 65 8 0 Blenheim .. .. 17 19,993 270,985 6 2 13 11 1 16,839 322,851 10 10 19 3 5 .. 51,866 4 8 20,051 3 2 1,066 907 11,129 699,581 17 5 62 17 3 Christchurch .. 78 298,883 4,466,345 2 4 14 18 10 254,893 5,019,483 4 7 19 13 10 .. 553,138 2 3 274,530 4 9 12,609 8,971 135,472 9,664,712 11 0 71 6 10 Dunedin .. .. 82 137,080 2,220,148 5 11 16 3 11 119,495 2,730,861 15 4 22 17 1 .. 510,713 9 5 150,982 4 10 7,822 6,775 70,766 5,166,796 17 6 73 0 3 Gisborne .. .. 29 46,070 591,335 1 2 12 16 9 35,686 712,744 7 1 19 19 5 .. 121,409 5 11 37,547 1 9 2,645 2,107 24,040 1,303,629 16 10 54 4 7 Greymouth .. .. 31 30,529 436,698 1 7 14 6 1 20,534 475,123 14 2 23 2 9 .. 38,425 12 7 28,356 8 4 2,201 1,734 15,524 994,181 5 8 64 0 10 Hamilton .. .. 97 158,865 2,290,158 2 11 14 8 4 121,205 2,469,489 10 5 20 7 6 .. 179,331 7 6 102,605 11 2 12,978 9,397 70,594 3,685,062 12 5 52 4 0 Invereargill .. 43 42,599 616,777 18 6 14 9 7 37,080 838,289 6 5 22 12 2 .. 221,511 7 11 51,040 7 0 2,956 2,827 31,960 1,715,652 6 11 53 13 8 Napier .. .. 49 97,711 1,357,822 5 3 13 17 11 81,048 1,619,540 4 11 19 19 8 .. 261,717 19 8 78,452 18 3 5,591 4,796 45,593 2,740,701 13 4 60 2 3 Nelson .. .. 33 39,111 596,581 2 1 15 5 1 32,162 659,153 3 6 20 9 11 .. 62,572 1 5 34,981 14 4 2,239 1,747 20,174 1,222,438 15 1 60 11 11 New Plymouth .. 37 67,760 1,081,539 4 1 15 19 3 50,433 1,259,618 13 10 24 19 6 .. 178,079 9 9 60,748 3 6 4,150 3,992 35,747 2,144,024 1 4 59 19 7 Oamaru .. .. 12 17,734 350,465 6 5 19 15 3 17,108 435,633 9 0 25 9 3 .. 85,168 2 7 23,896 14 1 1,118 1,022 11,119 822,351 19 9 73 19 2 Palmerston North .. 36 110,229 1,763,237 14 2 15 19 11 89,398 2,006,105 4 6 22 8 10 .. 242,867 10 4 92,890 17 7 7,316 5,927 47,194 3,245,293 19 2 68 15 4 Thames .. .. 38 53,793 824,858 1 6 15 6 8 40,511 892,788 10 9 22 0 9 .. 67,930 9 3 41,459 14 5 4,721 3,879 29,887 1,487,250 14 6 49 15 3 Timaru .. .. 18 45,834 812,830 17 5 17 14 8 41,410 1,051,315 3 0 25 7 9 .. 238,484 5 7 56,776 19 6 2,503 2,390 26,230 1,937,918 10 11 73 17 8 Wanganui .. .. 42 70,579 1,026,459 11 3 14 10 10 56,912 1,187,638 2 5 20 17 4 .. 161,178 11 2 63,301 0 2 4,058 3,875 37,132 2,224,168 19 1 59 18 0 Wellington .. .. 62 490,865 5,877,834 18 9 11 19 6 361,611 6,515,188 14 11 18 0 4 .. 637,353 16 2 301,162 0 2 20,731 15,787 162,18310,650,979 9 2 65 13 5 Westport .. .. 20 11,395 145,538 1 7 12 15 5 7,009 143,059 17 4 20 8 3 2,478 4 3 .. 10,141 11 8 782 610 6,389 366,170 8 5 57 6 3 Western Samoa .. 2 3,738 38,919 8 0 10 8 3 3,729 44,416 12 3 11 18 3 .. 5,497 4 3 1,887 6 10 445 210 2,611 68,847 13 6 26 7 4 Rarotonga .. .. 6 1,996 21,718 3 6 10 17 7 2,212 21,861 9 11 9 17 8 .. 143 6 5 852 8 0 326 91 1,894 28,778 17 11 15 3 11 Totals for year ended 933 2,104,93630,434,291 15 5 14 ~9 21,694,69234,597,708 6 4 20 8 4 .. 4,163,416 10 111,726,573 11 2118,865 92,848 946,822 60,710,086 17 0 64 2 4 TotlS for" 928 2,190,97133,041,081 14 3IF" 1 71,622,34029,629,073 19 3 18 5 33,412,007 15 0 .. 1,669,383 16 5128,927 88,979 920,805 63,146,929 16 9 68 11 6 31st March, 1938 1 ; ! ! —

F.—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, 1928, and Yearly Periods from 1928 to the Year ended 31st March, 1939.

35

X 1 JAiVill li/iJU -1 KJ in£j Aiiaxv lail J->U-L/ " i U i xixaiivix, i >,j Average Number of Average Number Number JNn ™, Der Total Amount Amount Branches N h D f AmourSof Number Average of of standing to the standingto of the Post Tjeoosits Total Amount of With- Total Amount of Amount of Excess of Excess of Accounts Accounts Credit of all the Credit Year 0fflce deceived of Deposits D e™sit drawals Withdrawals each With- Deposits over Withdrawals Interest for efl closed remain- Q Accounts, of each Yeal ' Savings- received during d d ra £ a ' s durine drawal „ Withdrawals over Deposits theYeai. d £ rj duri lnc i a sive of Open bank open tl ?°S?| r the Year. dnrfnJthe theYelv during during the Year, during the Year. tbe K the a * c }™ e Interest to the Account at at the Close tlle yeal - during the the leai. the Year. Year. Year. he Close of the Year. Close of of the Year. ea Tear - the Year. £ s. dj £ s. d.i i £ s. d. £ s. d.i £ s. d. £ s. d.' £ s. d. i £ s. d. £ s. d. Year ended 31st Mar., 933 2,104,936:30,434,291 15 5j 14 9 21 1,694, 692 34,597,708 6 4 20 8 4 .. 4,163,416 10 11 1,726,573 11 2118, 865j 92,848 946,822 60,710,086 17 0 64 2 4 1939 i Year ended 31st Mar., 928 2,190,97ll33,041 ,081 14 3 15 1 71,622,340|29,629,073 19 3 18 5 33,412,007 15 0 .. 1,669,383 16 5128,927 88,979 920,805 63,146,929 16 9 68 11 6 Year ended 31st Mar., 912 1,940,436130,676,969 3 6! 15 16 2 1,493,580 27,042,003 0 0: 18 2 13,634,966 3 6 .. 1,514,219 16 11 119.339 79,153 880,857 58,065,538 5 4 65 18 5 1937 Year ended 31st Mar., 892 1,585,976 25,619,775 13 7 16 3 1:1,417,04023,533,596 7 2 16 12 22,086,179 6 5 .. 1,406,459 5 8 94,628 71,574 840,67152,916,352 4 11 62 18 11 Year°ended 31st Mar., 871 1,424,534 24,179,537 2 4 16 19 1 1,350,50220,946,562 0 31 15 2 93,232,975 2 1 .. 1,320,347 7 9 90,958 71,603 817,617 49,423,713 12 10 60 8 11 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 56 4 2 31st Mar., 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 72,538 152,531 797,097 42,028,620 14 8 52 14 7 1933 Year ended 31st Mar., 882 1,418,25019,463,985 10 6 13 14 61,535,368 25,488,081 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 o| 19 1 0 .. 3,531,769 4 91,763,824 17 3 98,298 73,012 878,043 47,668,547 1 1 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 ]oj 22 0 9 .. 1,014,139 12 01,806,414 0 1 97,932 73,471 852,757 49,436,491 8 7 57 19 5 1930 i I Year ended 31st Mar., 879 1,618,656 27,252,381 9 0 16 16 9ll,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 1,274,906 30,584,997 14 4 23 19 10 .. 2,973,931 9 31,747,155 13 9 93,331 72,433 804,725 47,758,726 2 11 59 6 11 1928 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 .. j 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 Dec., 1867 I 1 ! ! * 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, Accounts, Circulars, &c., Packets, Newspapers, and Parcels posted and delivered in the Postal Districts of New Zealand during the Year ended 31st December, 1938.

36

Posted in the Dominion. Postal Districts. l etters anZ Accounts ; Lete-oSs. | |J ost-cards. j | Packets. Newspapers. Parcels. Auckland .. .. 33,509,486 957,658 26,459,984 2,168,881 4,884„883 1,335,139 Blenheim .. .. 1,458,359 22,919 480,654 145,925 172,061 29,861 Christchurch .. .. 17,027,665 650,793 14,188,405 1,223,352 2,051,575 588,887 Dunedin .. .. 11,993,019 495,469 8,011,313 888,797 1,251,444 440,349 Gisborne .. .. 3,547,249 49,803 1,443,713 153,218 390,443 55,588 Greymouth .. .. 2,289,359 46,345 920,234 109,304 232,680 55,848 Hamilton .. .. 13,118,429 303,160 4,444,224 559,637 1,556,383 212,771 Invercargill .. .. 6,258,425 163,696 4,337,213 299,611 502,123 109,291 Napier .. .. 7,291,587 154,479 3,483,758 341,016 682,626 106,197 Nelson .. .. 3,560,669 82,905 1,259,489 211,536 274,009 69,563 New Plymouth .. 5,724,657 139,581 3,057,907 296,179 404,933 104,585 Oamaru .. .. 1,552,496 31,616 534,291 80,366 100,759 27,443 Palmerston North .. 7,148,939 158,678 4,039,629 419,419 523,014 168,168 Thames .. .. 3,999,907 83,954 1,636,720 207,974 311,408 76,089 Timaru .. .. 3,984,420 102,453 1,681,250 207,051 250,337 64,740 Wanganui .. .. 5,015,688 158,379 2,076,818 266,071 472,133 99,073 Wellington .. .. 29,039,911 485,459 23,143,321 2,093,404 5,487,998 1,257,126 Westport .. .. 803,414 9,815 210,435 54,613 124,753 22,100 Rarotonga .. .. 53,142 402 .. 3,108 510 4,266 Western Samoa .. 91,927 .1,412 .. 4,468 30,756 1,891 Totals .. 157,468,748 4,098,976 101,409,358 9,734,020 19,704,828 4,828,975 Previous year .. [ 148,731,604 3,433,946 81,736,408 10,154,131 14,425,637 4,494,253 ■ Delivered in the Dominion. Postal Districts. | Post-cards, j | Packets. J Newspapers. | Parcels. Auckland .. .. 34,173,997 937,612 22,517,025 2,426,764 3,417,882 924,768 Blenheim .. .. 1,594,320 41,977 1,080,899 101,243 397,488 78,078 Christchurch .. .. 19,217,549 844,805 14,371,363 2,074,521 3,079,245 492,050 Dunedin .. .. 12,161,019 532,376 8,886,599 1,270,756 2,009,670 446,758 Gisborne .. .. 3,385,265 70,330 2,335,526 233,027 925,769 120,120 Greymouth .. .. 2,477,228 64,129 1,364,475 129,199 420,121 127,335 Hamilton .. .. 11,448,281 430,378 7,519,958 640,571 1,689,922 417,625 Invercargill .. .. 6,244,784 237,146 4,629,230 335,717 1,155,999 219,947 Napier .. .. 7,468,890 257,595 5,085,427 330,074 1,303,666 231,270 Neison ' .. 3,265,041 78,975 2,100,040 198,919 671,073 143,715 New Plymouth .. 5,866,263 214,617 4,524,041 376,764 1,105,858 207,987 Oamaru .. .. 1,604,889 75,400 1,210,336 100,935 337,155 58,760 Palmerston North .. 7,270,263 204,204 5,553,992 555,137 1,343,797 263,744 Thames .. .. 4,331,444 224,224 3,082,068 297,438 736,554 182,936 Timaru .. .. 3,831,360 133,679 2,739,404 200,988 610,090 117,858 Wanganui .. .. 5,050,193 200,707 3,853,315 509,290 944,346 179,530 Wellington .. .. 28,167,308 822,926 15,172,406 1,391,583 3,899,974 588,029 Westport .. .. 1,138,150 40,313 602,131 78,445 288,340 60,333 Rarotonga .. .. 48,624 282 .. 6,510 20,046 2,850 Western Samoa .. 95,725 2,128 ,. 11,812 61,712 2,624 Totals .. 158,840,593 5,413,803 106,628,235 11,269,693 24,418,707 4,866,317 Previous year .. 153,438,423 4,480,951 83,469,438 19,150,770 19,646,642 4,525,596 Total posted and delivered in the Dominion. Postal Districts. | j | c j Pacteta . | Newspaper , _ . , - Auckland .. .. i 67,683,483 1,895,270 48,977,009 4,595,645 8,302,765 2,259,907 Blenheim .. .. 3,052,679 64,896 1,561,553 247,168 569,549 107,939 Christchurch .. .. 36,245,214 1,495,598 28,559,768 3,297,873 5,130,820 1,080,937 Dunedin .. .. 24,154,038 1,027,845 16,897,912 2,159,553 3,261,114 887,107 Gisborne .. .. 6,932,514 120,133 3,779,239 386,245 1,316,212 175,708 Greymouth .. .. 4,766,587 110,474 2,284,709 238,503 652,801 183,183 Hamilton .. .. 24,566,710 733,538 11,964,182 1,200,208 3,246,305 630,396 Invercargill .. .. 12,503,209 400,842 8,966,443 635,328 1,658,122 329,238 Napier .. .. .14,760,477 412,074 8,569,185 671,090 1,986,292 337,467 Nelson .. .. 6,825,710 161,880 3,359,529 410,455 945,082 213,278 New Plymouth .. 11,590,920 354,198 7,581,948 672,943 1,510,791 312,572 Oamaru .. .. 3,157,385 107,016 1,744,627 181,301 437,914 86,203 Palmerston North .. 14,419,202 362,882 9,593,621 974,556 1,866,811 431,912 Thames .. .. 8,331,351 308,178 4,718,788 505,412 1,047,962 259,025 Timaru .. 7,815,780 236,132 4,420,654 408,039 860,427 182,598 Wanganui .. .. 10,065,881 359,086 5,930,133 775,361 1,416,479 278,603 Wellington .. .. 57,207,219 1,308,385 38,315,727 3,485,077 9,387,972 1,845,155 Westport .. .. 1,941,564 50,128 812,566 133,058 413,093 82,433 Barotonga .. .. 101,766 684 .. 9,618 20,556 7,116 Western Samoa .. 187,652 3,540 .. 10,280 92,468 4,515 Totals.. .. 316,309,341 9,512,779 208,037,593 21,003,713 44,123,535 9,695,292 Previous year .. 302,170,027 7,914,897 165,205,846 29,304,901 34,072,279 9,019,849 Average number of letters posted per unit of population : 1938, 98-01 ; 1937, 92-85.

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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, 1939 and 1938.

37

Telegrams. Toll Communications. Total. Year ended Ordinary. Press. Urgent Marine. | =55—- t Number. Value. Number. Value. Number. ! Value. Number. Value. ; Number. - I - I |_ | [■ - £ £ £ f 31st Maich, 1939 .. 5,249,282*440,444 462,805 60,942 27,923| 15,566,998 695,731 21,307,008 1,197, 117$ 31st March, 1938 .. 5,003,761* 443,624 449,876 57,758 29,866f 14,480,207 637,807 19,963,710 1,139,189§ * Including urgent telegrams and letter-telegrams. fNo payment received. {Deduct £159,899 paid to other Administrations in respect 01 cable and radio messages. § Deduct £171,476 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, 1939, as compared with the Year ended 31st March, 1938.

Table No. 9. Variations in Full Rates per Word since 1876 in respect of Cable Messages exchanged between New Zealand and the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, India, and Australia.

38

Cable Messages. International. Australian. Total. Forwarded. Received. Forwarded. Received. Year ended i 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 I Zealand. Zealand. Zealand. Zealand. Zealand. £ £ |s £ £ 31st March, 1939 .. 181,087 1 7,781 155,058 : 6,333 163,650 1 4,929 160,555 5,011 660,350 | 24,054 31st Maroh, 1938 .. 178,643 ! 7,488 158,206 i 6,378 I 168,984 I 4,957 168,815 5,218 674,648 | 24,041 Pbbss Messages (included in above totals). 31st March, 1939 .. 1,792 142 3,543 289 5,286 681 7,260 845 | 17,881 1,957 31st March, 1938 .. 2,340 312 4,414 395 5,409 648 7,394 895 | 19,557 2,250 Radio-telegrams. Forwarded. Received. Total. Year ended Number Revenue Number Revenue Number i Revenue of earned by of earned by of earned by Messages. New Zealand. Messages. New Zealand. Messages. j New Zealand. £ £ £ 31st March, 1939 .. .. ! 14,749 3,384 27,263 4,266 42,012 7,650 31st March, 1938 .. .. I 14,557 3,332 24,855 3,972 39,412 7,304 Radio-telephone Calls. Outward. Inward. Total. Period j Number of Revenue earned Number of Revenue earned Number of Revenue earned Calls. j by New Zealand. Calls. by New Zealand. Calls. by New Zealand. \ i t ; j £ £ £ 31st March, 1939 1 1,676 1,466 1,781 1,432 3,457 2,898 31st March, 1938 : 1,149 1,389 1,383 1,154 2,532 2,543

Yfiar ! Canada. South Africa. India. Australia. x ' Kingdom. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. 1876 .. . • • • 11 4 14 4 .. 8 8 0 10| 1877 .. • • • • 11 6 14 6 .. 8 9 1880 .. .. • • 11 10 12 4 16 11 9 1 1882 .. .. •• 12 8 16 7 .. 0 9 1883 13 10 16 5 1885 .. .. ■ ■ • • 13 6 1886 .. • • ■ • 10 6 11 0 16 4 9 0 1888 .. •• ■• • • 116 •• • • 10 1891 .. ■ • 10 2 112 16 "0 1893 .. .. .. 52 62 10 2 52 05 1896 .. •• •• 10 4 1897 .. .. 76 1900 .. -• •• •• • • • ■ 1902 .. ■■ •' { 3 0* } 4 4 2 6 4 11 | o 4|* 1903 .. .. • ■ ■ • 2 4 •• 2 10 1915 .. 2 8 2 0 1924 .. .. • • 2 3 1925 .. ■■ • • ■■ 19 1927 .. • • ■ ■ 1 11 16 1928 .. •• •• •• 1 n 1931 .. ■■ •• 18 .. 20 1938 .. • ■ 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 0 4| * From 7th December.

F.—l.

REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE

39

F.—l.

REVENUE UNDER SEPARATE HEADINGS

40

F.—l.

TOTAL TURNOVER

6-F. 1.

41

F\—l.

POST OFFICE SAVINGS-BANK

42

F.—l.

NUMBER OF PERMANENT OFFICERS

7—F. 1.

43

L<\—l.

POSTAL BUSINESS ESTIMATED NUMBER OF POSTAL ARTICLES POSTED IN DOMINION

44

Fs—l.

TELEGRAMS AND TOLL CALLS

45

F.—l.

NUMBER OF TELEPHONES

46

B—F. ].

F.—l.

NEW POST-OFFICE, DEVONPORT.

NEW POST-OFFICE, TAURANGA.

47

F - I.

NEW POST-OFFICE, MILTON.

PROPOSED NEW CHIEF POST-OFFICE, NEW PLYMOUTH.

48

F.—l.

PROPOSED NEW POST-OFFICE, LOWER HUTT.

MOLE CABLE PLOUGH. (See page 24.)

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (1,075 copies, including graphs and illustrations), £88.

Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 939.

Price Is. 9d.]

49