F.—l

The cable, besides bringing a comparatively isolated community and district into closer touch with the rest of New Zealand, will greatly enhance the popularity of Stewart Island as a holiday and tourist resort, and be of considerable benefit to persons visiting the place either on business or pleasure. In addition to its value as a means of connecting Stewart Island with the mainland, the cable will be of great service for defence purposes. Business over Existing Cables. The number and value of cable messages forwarded from New Zealand during 1901 are shown in the following statement: —

The colony's outward international and intercolonial cable business, not including Press, for the years 1900 and 1901 was as follows : — Messages. Value. International, — Number. £ s. d. 1901 ... ... ... 11,879 ... 32,744 4 4 1900 ... ... ... 11,947 ... 42,132 16 11 Decrease ... 68 Decrease ... 9,388 12 7 or 0'57 per cent. or 2228 per cent. Messages. Value. Intercolonial, —• Number. £ s. d. 1901 ... ... • ... 53,080 ... 14,230 13 3 1900 ... ... ... 50,328 ... 13,086 9 2 Increase ... 2,752 Increase ... 1,144 4 1 or 5-47 per cent. or 8-74 per cent. The total increase in 1901 was therefore 2,684 messages, but a decrease of £8,244 8s. 6d. in value. The forwarded and received cable Press business for the past ten years ended 31st December, 1901, has been :—

Note. The intercolonial cable Press rate was reduced from 3d. to Id. per word on the Ist April, 1893,

VIII

Ordii iary. Press. Destination. No. of Messages. Value. No. of Messages, j Value. i international ... few South Wales Queensland 5Outh Australia Casmania /ictoria Western Australia 11,879 29,868 1,172 1,448 2,023 16,589 1,980 £ S. 32,744 4 7,336 0 353 18 476 5 734 6 4,696 16 633 6 d. 4 6 5 4 4 2 6 £ s. d. 302 i 2,011 13 1 1,052 662 6 8 7 1 16 4 59 42 16 11 Total for 1901 64,959 46,974 17 7 1,420 2,718 12 0 Total for 1900 62,275 55,219 6 1 1,034 1,457 4 5

Forwarded. Received. Year. Nu iber of Number of Value. Value. Messages. Words. Messages. Words. 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 791 796 994 1,168 1,069 1,294 1,154 1,570 1,034 1,420 44,263 57,390 103,366 68,682 92,946 128,839 133,342 182,066 139,295 148,400 £ s. d. 898 3 9 504 9 9 899 4 9 433 13 0 531 4 9 945 4 8 907 7 0 1,800 10 4 1,457 4 5 2,718 12 0 2,884 2,883 3,033 3,926 2,946 3,665 3,599 3,822 4,014 3,989 197,477 202,170 203,326 314,136 285,369 323,617 282,882 298,218 333,300 351,291 £ s. d. 2,796 9 4 1,540 17 10 1,179 13 7 1,782 13 5 1,576 1 3 1,752 7 5 1,599 7 0 1,690 12 4 1,878 9 1 1,967 19 3