F.—l

XXIII

The charge for ordinary Press telegrams transmitted on departmental holidays for evening papers was reduced from Is. to 6d. from the 19th August, 1907, for each hundred words or fraction thereof. Telegrams in plain language relating to betting or to investments on the totalisator or in coded language reasonably supposed to relate to betting or to investments on the totalisator are forbidden by " The Gaming and Lotteries Act Amendment Act, 1907," to be delivered on any racecourse. Money-order telegrams addressed to a racecourse are refused. Telegrams or money-order telegrams addressed otherwise than to a racecourse are accepted, even though they relate to betting. A cipher code has been introduced which considerably reduces the number of words necessary in weather-forecast telegrams. Telegram pictorial cards conveying Christmas greetings were used at the more important tele-graph-offices during the last Christmas season for received telegrams, in place of the special forms hitherto used. The special forms and cards were used on and between the 18th and 24th and the 27th and 31st December. Amended regulations governing the transmission of telegrams by telephone to or from telegraphoffices and telephone bureau charges were brought into force from the Ist January, 1908. The regulations provide for a fee of £1 per annum, or 3d. for each transmission not exceeding three minutes, to be charged for telephoning telegrams at all chief offices and first and second grade sub-offices. At all other offices no charge will be made. Telegram forms embossed with a sixpenny stamp were issued on the 9th January, 1908. They are bound up in books of twenty forms, interleaved, and are sold to the public at 10s. per book. From the 23rd January, 1908, telegrams are delivered free at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin for a distance of three miles between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. and for a distance of a mile and a half after 6 p.m. At first and seTjond grade post-offices, as well as at all other chief post-offices, the limits are two miles up to 6 p.m. and a mile and a half after that hour. Carriage beyond these limits is at 6d. per mile up to three miles: beyond three miles, delivery to be made by special messenger, and the cost to be added. Amended conditions under which private lines will be constructed and maintained by the Department appeared in the New Zealand Gazette of the 23rd January, 1908. They provide for a reduction of the cost formerly charged. The regulations under " The Electric Lines Act, 1884," have been altered to provide for uniform charges when a telegraph-office is reopened by special request for Press purposes, whether the application for reopening is made by the Press Association or by individuals. Typewriters for receiving telegrams have been in use for some years now, but their use has been confined to a few officers who supplied their own machines. It has been decided to supply at an early date a number of typewriting machines for the use of officers receiving telegrams, and to make a special payment to the officers selected to use them. Officers who at present own their machines may sell them to the Department. A tender to supply the Department with Fox type-writers with special keyboard for telegraph purposes was accepted. The price of bocks of telegram forms interleaved for use with carbonic paper was reduced from Is. to 9d. on the 22nd February, 1908. The total value of the telegraph and telephone business for the year ended the 31st March, 1908, including miscellaneous telegraph receipts and Government telegrams, was £348,749 17s. ljd., as compared with £325,007 15s. 7Jd. for the previous year, an increase of £23,742 Is. 6d., or 7-31 per cent. The following is a comparison of the traffic in paid telegrams during the last ten years : — Number. Net Value. '& 1897-98 ... 2,469,415 ... ... ... 96,537 1898-99 ... 2,717,548 Increase, 1005 percent. ... 101,104 Increase, 4-73 per cent. 1899-00 ... 3,159,093 „ 16-25 „ ... 114,383 „ 1313 1900-1 ... 3,534,444 „ 11-88 126,382 „ 1049 - 1901-2 ... 3,850,391 „ 894 „ ... 141,581 „ 1203 1902-3 ... 4,271,218 „ 10-93 „ ... 153,338 „ 830 1903-4 ... 4,671,904 „ 9-38 „ ... 162,498 „ 5-97 1904-5 ... 4,900,495 „ 4-89 „ ... 167,581 „ 312 1905-6 ... 5,351,084 „ 919 „ ... 180,474 „ 769 1906-7 ... 6,160,050 „ 1512 „ ... 202,301 „ 1209 1907-8 ... 6,958,279 „ 12-96 „ ... 222,926 „ 10-2

The following table shows the number of telegrams forwarded and the revenue derived therefrom during the four quarters of the financial years 1906-7 and 1907-8 respectively : —

Number of forwa Telegrams ,rded. Revi mue. Quarter. Year ended 31st March, 1908. Increase per Cent. cj C c6 9 £U C a; rH ft Year ended 31st March, 1907. Year ended 31st March, 1907. Year ended 31st March, 1908. June quarter September quarter December quarter March quarter ... 1,388,546 1,338,072 1,616,765 1,816,697 1,621,204 1,594,727 1,835,583 1,906,765 16-76 19-18 13-53 4-96 £ a. d. j 47,078 0 2£' 44,976 12 l| 51,908 18 111 58,337 9 2 £ s. d. 51,937 4 5J 50,921 8 9 58,794 16 OJ 61,272 9 2 10-32 13-22 13-27 5-03 6,160,080 6,958,279 12-96 '202,301 0 54 222,925 18 5 10-2