D.—l

XVII

TELEGRAPH-EXTENSION. The expenditure on telegraph, and telephone extension during the year amounted to £392,648. Among the larger works undertaken may be mentioned the construction of the following land lines : Auckland-Wellington, Hamilton-Auckland, Tokomaru Bay - Gisborne, Palmerston North - Marton, Havelock-Eenwicktown, Christ-church-Ashburton, Christchurch-Kaikoura, Christchurch-Sockburn, Little Kiver - Akaroa, Waitara-New Plymouth, Cambridge-Eotorua, and Te AraroaWhangaparaoa; while a low-power wireless station has been completed and opened for business at Chatham Islands, thus bringing that isolated part of the Dominion into communication with the rest of the world. The Awanui and Awarua wireless stations have been finally taken over by the Department. Telephone-exchange development has been abnormal. Twenty-five newtelephone exchanges were opened during the year, and the number of exchange connections has increased by 6,481. Five hundred and thirty-six miles of pole-line and 2,750 miles of wire were added to the telegraph and inter-urban telephone systems, and 537 miles of pole-line and 32,149 miles of wire to the telephone-exchange systems. Buildings are being erected or adapted to accommodate the new automatic telephone system. The proposed vote for the current year amounts to £410,000, made up as under:— ■b Automatic installation .... .... .... 61,200 Material (telephone and telegraph) .... .... 260,000 New telephone-exchange connections .... .... 70,000 Erection of new telegraph and telephone lines .... 18,800 £410,000 LIGHTHOUSES, HAEBOUE-WORKS, AND HAEBOUE-DEFENCES. Lighthouses. The lighthouse-works undertaken during the year were —The preparation of the ground and formation of the track on Channel Islet, off Cape Colville, Hauraki Gulf, for the automatic light which is shortly to be placed there; the erection of the new Marine Store at Wellington; the commencement of the tower for the automatic light on Karori Kock; the construction of a suitable road to Godley Head Lighthouse ; and the protection of the track from Godley Head Lighthouse to the fog-signal. To provide for the completion of-these works, and for the erection of an automatic light on Flat Eock (in Hauraki Gulf) and of a fog-signal on Stephen Island, a sum of £4,758 will be required during the current financial year. Harboub-wobks. The principal works carried out during the year were—The erection of the launch-landing at Kohukohu; the deepening of the Ngunguru Eiver; the erection of the Leigh Wharf; improvement to the Waipu Eiver navigation; the deepening of the Mahurangi River; improvement of Matakana Harbour; erection of a wharf at Moana, Lake Brunner ; and repairs to the protective works at Karamea. The work of improving the entrance to the Wairau Eiver, for which a sum of £1,500 was voted last year, is now in hand, also the erection of a retaining-wall around the reclamation at Kohukohu. The principal new works to be provided for this year are —Protective works at Hokitika (owing to the inroads made by the sea there) ; launch-landing at Eawene; a light on the rocks in The Narrows, Hokianga Harbour; wharves at Mapau, Shelly Beach, and Tokatoka (Kaipara), Te Akau (Eaglan), Parengarenga, Mahurangi, Kennedy Bay, Katikati, and a jetty at Pounawea; further works at Wairau, Waipu, Takaka. Eaglan, and Nugget Bay; and the re-erection of a landing and road at Bruce Bay; the erection of a dolphin off Eawene

iii—D. 1.