D.—2

XVI

A number of trunk telegraph lines have been changed from continuous to intermittent working. Totals now in use : Morse sets, 288 ; telephones, 1,677 ; electric bells, 301 ; miles of wire, 7,233 ; miles of poles, 2,618. Electric Light and Power. Electric-light installations have been made as follows : Whangarci, railway house No. 39 ; Newmarket, rail way-station, stores buildings, workshops library ; Mount Eden, station building and yard ; Pukckohe, station building and yard. ; Ngaruawahia, railway house No. 38 ; Frankton, waitresses' house ; Thames, loco, running shed ; Matamata, Stationmaster's house ; Rochfort, railway station and yard. ; Raetihi, station-yard and Stationmaster's house ; New Plymouth, railway station and yard ; Wellington, architectural offices ; Christchurch, station and yard ; Belfast, ganger's house ; Ashburton, goods-shed and yard ; Oamaru, engine-shed ; Dunedin, station-yard, " D " goods-shed, yard foreman's office, houses Nos. 49 and 50 ; Mataura, new railway-station ; Invercargill, loco, running sheds, " A " goods-shed, goods offices ; Winton, station buildings and yard ; Wakefield, Stationmaster's house. Additions and alterations have been made as follows : Auckland, three additional yard-lamps and light in coalman's room; Frankton, electric light in mail-room, two additional yard-lamps, electric lights in machine-shops; Hamilton, additional yard-lamps; Taihape, additional lights in engine-shed; Thorndon, additional light; Lambton, additional light; M'osgiel, additional light for turntable. Between Christchurch and Woolston a 3,300-volt power-line has been installed. The mains are taken from the substation at Woolston, and transformers installed at Linwood. for the supply of current to the loco, depot, and at Christchurch for the lighting of all railway premises. The telephone and block wires between the same points have been cabled in a lead sheathed cable. A motor has been installed at Mosgiel to operate the pump for water-service. At Sockburn a pair of points has been fitted with motor operating gear working in conjunction with the interlocking. The following work has been done in connection with the electrification of machinery in locomotive workshops : Petone—A 10 horse-power motor has been installed for the foundry rumbler ; Addington —a 15 horse-power motor has been installed, for the planing-machine. Track Circuits. Track circuits in conjunction with the mechanical interlocking have been installed at Christchurch. Level-crossing Automatic Alarm-bells. Ten level crossings have been fitted with automatic electric warning-bells at the following places : Water Street and Rust Lane, Whangarei ; 1 mile 17 chains, Thames Branch, near Hamilton ; 1 mile 68 chains, Wanganui Branch, near St. John's ; 10 chains, Wanganui Branch, near Aramoho ; 147 miles 29 chains near Aramoho ; 113 miles 53 chains near Port Ahuriri ; 86 miles 76 chains near Palmerston North ; 59 miles 51 chains near Levin ; 172 miles 22 chains near Herbert. The present number now in use is 45. Expenditure. Particulars of expenditure for the Signals Branch for the year ending 31st March, 1921, are as follows :—■ New works— £ s d. Signalling and interlocking .. .. .. .. 10,750 14 2 Electric-tablet working .. .. .. .. .. 844 0 10 Telegraph and telephone facilities .. .. .. 3,660 12 0 Electric light .. .. .. .. .. .. 11,796 8 7 Electric motors, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 273 12 5 Level-crossing alarms .. .. .. .. .. 1,802 15 10 £29,128 3 10 Maintenance —■ Signalling and interlocking .. .. .. .. 30,192 11 3 Electric-block, telegraph and telephone lines .. .. 27,314 15 5 Lines, &c, maintained by Post and Telegraph Department .. 1,753 8 6 Electric light .. .. .. .. .. .. 8,616 19 10 Electric motors, cranes, fire-alarms, &c. .. .. .. 1,557 11 4 Level-crossing automatic bells .. .. .. .. 1,043 12 8 £70,478 19 0