F.—l

10

The number of Government telegrams forwarded was 111,355, valued at £5,776, as compared with 99,476, valued at £5,030 —an increase of 11,879 in number and £746 in amount. The number of paid forwarded telegrams to every hundred letters posted in New Zealand was 9-31. The length of telegraph and telephone line and wire on the 31st March, 1914 and 1915, respectively, was as follows : —

Telegraph and interurban-tclephone lines were overhauled and reconstructed in the several districts as follows: Auckland, 307 miles; Canterbury, 271 miles; Nelson, 233 miles; Otago, 540 miles; Wellington, 286 miles: total, 1,637 miles. Approximately 1,000 miles of wire for interurban-telephone metallic circuits have been erected or reconstructed on the "spiral" or "twisted" system. This method ensures a silent circuit, free from inductive interference, and lends itself to the provision of additional or so-called " phantom " circuits, which are, within limits, developed from the existing spiral circuits, without the necessity for increased expenditure on the erection of new wires. Largely owing to the steady improvement in the general condition of the lines, and wherever the traffic is heavy enough to warrant it, direct telegraph working by means of telegraph repeating apparatus is being instituted between large and remote centres instead of the present method of handling the traffic by medium of transmitting-stations. By means of repeaters at Wellington, Auckland has now direct communication with both Christchurch and Dunedin, which eliminates the necessity for the handling by Wellington of the large amount of traffic between Auckland Province and South Island stations. Amended regulations for the service of notices by telegraph were made by Order in Council dated the 12th May, 1914. By Order in Council dated the 3rd August, 1914, authority was given for the performance of a special-messenger service by motor-cycle at telegraph-offices where such machines are available. The fee "was fixed at 2s. 6d. an hour or fraction thereof, in addition to the special fee of Id. for each article above one and the additional delivery fee of 3d. for each packet over 1 lb. in weight. By Order in Council dated 3rd August, 1914, provision was made for the effective regulation, control, and prohibition of telegraphic messages in time of war. By Order in Council dated 26th January, 1915, tho transmission of telegrams of the following nature or character was prohibited : — (a.) Telegrams which are indecently or obscenely worded, or which appear to contain matter of a treasonable, seditious, libellous, or grossly offensive character. (b.) Telegrams in plain language relating to betting or to investments on the totalizator, or in coded language reasonably supposed to relate to betting or to investments on the totalizator, addressed to any person on a racecourse. (c.) Money-order telegrams addressed to a racing club, or to a secretary or other officer, agent, or servant of a racing club, relating to investments on the totalizator, whether addressed to a racecourse or elsewhere. (d.) Telegrams in plain language relating to betting or to investments on the totalizator, or in coded language reasonably supposed to relate to betting or to investments on the totalizator, addressed to any person who has been convicted in a Court of law under the Gaming Act, 1908, or any amendment thereof, of any offence relating to betting or investments on the totalizator; and any money-order telegram addressed to any such person. (c.) Telegrams relating to Customs duties during any period for which the transmission thereof is prohibited by the Minister of Telegraphs. (/.) Telegrams instigating or aiding the commission of any criminal offence or fraud. The Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department is authorized to determine whether any telegram comes within the definition given in paragraph (a), and in the case of any other telegram the officer for the time being in charge of the telegraph-office at which that telegram is presented for transmission is authorized to determine whether it comes within any of the other definitions. New Zealand Sdbmabinu Cable Service. There are 374 knots of submarine cable in the Dominion. The submarine cables across Cook Strait have been entirely free from faults for a period of fifteen months. The cable steamer " Tutanekai " has not been in commission for repairing the Dominion's cables during the year. The latest tests show that all cables are in good order.

Mil les of Pole Li: ie. Miles of Wire Year ended 31st March, 1914. Year ended 31st March, 1915. Increase. Year ended 31st March, 1914. Yearonded 31st March, 1915. Increase. 'elegraph and interurban telephone 'elephone-exchange plant... 13,044 2,514 13,434 3,029 390 515 44,642 79,154 46,778 113,479 2,136 34,325 Totals 15,558 16,463 905 123,796 160,257 36,461