F.—J

During the year 43 offices were opened, and 73 removed to new positions. The total number of offices open on the 31st March, 1922, was 2,327. Three offices were converted from telephone to Morse, and 2 from Morse to telephone. New test-boards were installed in 6 telegraphoffices, and. 37 offices were rewired. At the end of the year 850 telegraph instruments, classified as follows, were in use: Constant current, 359 ; intermittent current, 293 ; single-current duplex, 42 ; double-current duplex, 38 ; direct sounders, 3 ; quadruples, 80; quadruples translators, 33 ; Murray printing installations, 2. To operate these instruments 44,623 cells, classified as follows, were, required: Loclanche, 32,832; Gordon, 3,561 ; Daniell, 5,676 ; bichromate, 1,863 ; storage, 227 ; dry, 464. The length of telegraph and telephone pole line and wire on the 31st March, 1921 and 1922 respectively, was as follows : —

During the year 106 miles of new telegraph and inter-urban telephone pole line were erected, and 38 miles dismantled for erection elsewhere, or, in localities where the Department no longer required it, sold to the, settlers for use as private lines. Of telegraph and inter-urban telephone wire 998 miles were erected and 48 miles dismantled, making an increase of 950 miles during the year. The total length of telegraph and inter-urban telephone wire in use —viz., 52,177 miles -may be classified as follows: 11,571 miles used exclusively for telephone toll-traffic, 13,847 miles used exclusively for telegraphic traffic, and 26,759 miles used simultaneously for telephone toll and telegraphic traffic. The total length of wire available for telephone toll traffic is therefore 38,330 miles ; the total length available for the transmission of telegrams, 40,606 miles ; the length of wire gained for telegraphic transmission by superimposing, 9,071 miles ; and toll lines over which telegrams are transmitted by telephone, 17,687 miles. Phantom circuits were increased by 412 miles, and superimposed circuits decreased by 104 miles. During the year 2,699 miles of telegraph and inter-urban telephone linos were overhauled and in some instances reconstructed. Subsidized Lines. From the 508 subsidized lines and private wires the amount of rent and maintenance received was £3,892. Machine Printing-telegraphs. The necessary apparatus for a machine-printing-telegraph system was received in Now Zealand in October, 1921, and an installation between Wellington and Christchurch was opened for traffic on the sth December, 1921. The traffic-carrying capacity of the line was increased by 200 per cent., and during the Christmas rush of traffic (24th and 25th December) 10,600 messages and 4,000 words of Press work were passed over the circuit between Wellington and Christchurch. The system is now being installed for operation between Wellington and Auckland. This will release telegraph-wires and make a continuous telephone service available between the two centres. Consideration is being given to-the matter of extending machine printing to other main telegraph circuits. Greater efficiency and increased economy in the handling of telegraph traffic will be obtained by the use of machine printing-telegraphs ; and it will be possible with the extension of the system to release telegraph-wires for telephone purposes. Curtailment of Telegraph Attendance. The reopening from 7 to 8 p.m. for telegraph work was abolished at 22 offices at which the volume of business transacted during the evening was infinitesimal, and at which the attendance could be abolished without causing any public inconvenience. In the same circumstances the 1.0 to 10.30 a.m. Sunday attendance at 17 offices, and the 5 to 5.30 p.m. Sunday attendance at 26 others, was abolished. Transmission of Telegrams by Telephone. The regulation requiring the sender of a telegram to pay a fee of 3d. for the service of telephoning a message from the office of destination to the addressee was revoked in November, 1921. When the sender desires a telegram to be telephoned to the addressee he is now required to insert in the address the word " Telephone," followed, when known, by the number of the addressee's exchange connection. The instruction is charged for as part of the telegram. Abolition of Special-messenger Service. The special-messenger service,-which was suspended since March, 1917, has been abolished, the Department being no longer able to satisfactorily perform it at a reasonable cost.

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Mile cs of Pole Liii lie. Mi lies of Wire. Year ended 31st March, 1921. Year ended 31st March, 1922. Increase. Year ended 31st March, 1921. Year ended 31st March, Increase. 1922. Telegraph and inter-urban telephone Telephone-exchange plant 13,699 5,441 13,767 5,984 68 543 51,228 192,027 52,177 950 207,529 15,502 259,706 16,452 Totals 19,140 1.9,751 611 243,255