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22

Wireless Telegraphy. The New Zealand wireless-telegraph stations, including Chatham Islands and Rarotonga, have continued in operation at a high state of efficiency. The Apia (Samoa) station has been staffed by members of the wireless troop recruited from the Department, and special wireless duties in the Expeditionary Forces are still being performed by officers of the Department. Until the signing of the armistice with Germany commercial wireless business between ship and shore was restricted to a minimum. New Zealand coast stations were engaged on Naval work, and in that- capacity rendered valuable service to the Empire. Restrictions are being gradually removed. and the wireless service is now being largely availed of for commercial and domestic work. The stations are now being organized to meet the increase in wireless traffic that: is expected to follow the removal of all restrictions. The control by the Navy over wireless-telegraph stations and apparatus on both land and sea, referred loin the last'annual report, is still in operation. Telki'uonk Exciia.wks. Eight exchanges were opened and one closed. There are now 62 central and 225 sub-exchanges, a. total of 287. Eight exchanges were converted from single-line earth-working to metallic circuit, and 8 were in process of conversion at the close of the year. There are 43 exchanges still to be similarly converted. The popularity of the party-line system has been maintained. 'The number of party-line connections at the end of the year was 4,370, with a total of 14,940 subscribers, increases of 621 and 2,151 respectively. The total number of telephone-stations (meaning exchange connections of all kinds) in use, in the Dominion on the 31st March, 1919, was 72,561. This includes 11,263 extensions ami 3,72(1 bureau and service connections. The number of telephone-stations at the ten principal exchanges on the 31st March, 1919, was as follows : Auckland, 8,529 ; Christchurch, 6,588 ; Dunedin, 5,329 ; Gisborne, 1,905 ; Hastings, 1,629; Invercargill, 1,651 ; Napier, 1,722 ; Palmerston North, 1,429 ; Wanganui, 1,886; Wellington. 8,570. The following table shows the distribution of telephones in the Dominion and the four chief centres; — a ~. n, i i Inhabitants Population. Telephones. per Tele j )hone . Dominion .. .. .. .. 1,187,203 72,561 16 Auckland .. .. .. .. 138,493 8,529 16 Wellington .. .. .. .. 98,640 8,570 17 Christchurch .. .. *.. .. 95.639 6,588 15 Dunedin .. .. .. .. 70,079 5,329 14 The telephone-exchange system includes 1,789 miles of pole line and 165,962 miles of wire. The total revenue received was £373,109, an. increase of £28,801 on the previous year's figures. The lending of telephones for private-wire connections has had to.be discontinued, the supply of instruments not being sufficient to meet the Department's own requirements. Automatic-tklkpiionh-f.xchanoe Installations. Owing to the war, with the inevitable restrictions imposed upon the manufacture and shipment of automatic-telephone apparatus, expectations with regard to the opening of automatic exchanges in New Zealand were rfrjt realized. Materials are now being received more freely, and every effort is being made to supply certain, essential parts, due to the absence of which a. number of exchanges, otherwise complete, could not be put into operation. The year 1919 should show a, considerable improvement in these matters, and there is every reason to believe that it will be possible to open, before the close of that year, automatic exchanges at Masterton, Courtenay Place, Wellington South, Hamilton, Blenheim, and Oamaru. The installation of automatic exchanges at -other places will be proceeded with as rapidly as the supply of material permits. Slot Telephones. During the year fourteen new slot telephones were installed, bringing the total number in use up to 275. Several other new installations were authorized, but on account of shortage of material the manufacture of the machines has been delayed. The extension of the slot-telephone system will, probably be restricted for some time, owing to difficulty in obtaining the necessary equipment. Installations in business centres continue to return revenue sufficient to cover working-expenses. Those in residential areas arc not so remunerative. The revenue for the year amounted to £13,702, being an increase of £2,138 over the previous year. The system, may therefore be regarded as a success financially, as well as a convenient method of affording telephonic facilities to the general public. The annoyance to genuine users of slot telephones and the inconvenience to the Department caused by mischievous persons show no signs of abatement. Disregard of the directions for using the machines also causes a great deal of trouble.