F.-l

XXV

TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE. Auckland. The following new lines have been erected and completed :— Miles of Poles. Miles of Wire. Rotorua to Waiotapu Prison ... ... ... ... 9 9 Whangarei to Kawakawa ... ... ... ... ... 30-J Mangonui to Oruru and Peria ... ... ... ... 10 10 Branch off Waipapa line to Kerikeri ... ... ... 3£ 3-J Ohaeawai to Pakaraka ... ..-. ... ... ... 3-| 5-J Mangawai to Te Arai ... ... ... ... ... i 3-J-Kaihu to Aranga ... ... ... ... ... b\ 5£ Dargaville to Tangiteroria ... ... ... ... 17 17 Auckland to Waiwera . . ... ... ... ... ... 28 Lead off Manukau Heads wire to Manurewa ... ... 1 \ Auckland to Gladstone Road ... ... ... ... \\ Howick to Motuihi ... ... ... ... ... 4 5 Auckland to Strand Arcade ... ... ... ... ... \ Auckland to Mahoenui ... ... ... ... ... 155£ Lead to Mangapehi ... ... ... ... ... ... -| Lead off Tairua line to Gum town ... ... ... 4J 4f Maketu to Te Puke ... ... ... ... ... \\ 12 For Railway Department — Hukerenui to Hukerenui Railway ... ... ... i i Extension of Kamo Railway ~ ... ... ... -| |- Penrose to Mount Smart ... ... ... ... ... -f For Public Works Department— Kaukapakapa to Tatiekeroa ... ... ... ... 9 9 Parootarao to Ongarue ... ... ... ... 13J 15 82f 317| The additions for the year are therefore 82f miles of poles and 317-f of wire, making a total of 1,851-J- miles of poles and 4,474-§ miles of wire in this district. The total number of offices in the district is 225. The following changes were made : Maketu, converted from Morse station to telephone ; Te Puke and Ponsonby, converted from telephone to Morse. Duplex sets were installed at Paeroa and Waihi to relieve the pressure on the AucklandWaihi wire. In addition to the above, the following railway telephone-offices were opened : Porootarao (Engineer's office), Waimeha, Maramata, Ongarue, Makarau, Tahekeroa, Hukerenui, Kamo, Mount Smart, and Remuera. Maintenance. On Cape Maria van Diemen line, 40 miles of No. 14 copper wire were replaced with No. 8 iron wire. The following sections have been overhauled and strengthened : Dargaville-Kaihu, 6f miles ; Thames-Te Aroha and Waiorongamai, 36 miles; Hikutaia to Whangamata, 16 miles. One mile of bad line near Maketu was moved to a less exposed position, and at Rotorua three miles of line were moved to the opposite side of road to clear the Rotorua electric-light wires. The Auckland-Hamilton section is now receiving a thorough overhaul, and spans are being shortened to reduce the frequency of contacts, a considerable source of trouble in the past. The Rotorua-Taupo section is being repoled and strengthened. The Auckland-Kawakawa (via Wade) line requires overhauling and strengthening, as does the Drury-Manukau Heads line. Telephone Exchange. The exchange is in a satisfactory condition, and a steady increase of subscribers has taken place, there being now 1,261 connections, including 52 bureaux, an increase of 127 during the year. Two miles of poles and 90 miles 54 chains of wire were erected. The Grafton Road and Kyber Pass lines were repoled for a length of one mile and threequarters. Two new sections of 300 numbers each have been ordered for the Auckland switchboard. This will provide accommodation for a total of 2,100 subscribers. Thames Exchange. This exchange is in good order; the number of subscribers at the end of the year was 78, including 7 bureaux. At Paeroa an exchange is being installed with a trunk wire to Thames, and will soon be in working-order. iv—F. 1.