F.—l

Table showing Use by the Public of Telegraph and Toll Services. 1925-26. 1924-25. Number of ordinary telegrams sent per unit of population .. .. .. 4-54 4-43 Number of toll communications per unit of population .. .. .. 6-37 6-54 Number of paid messages, telegrams, or toll communications per unit of population 11-49 11-71 Number of paid telegrams for every 100 letters posted .. .. .. 4-39 5-05 OCEAN CABLE SERVICES. Although a number of minor troubles occurred on the overseas cable routes, there was no serious interruption of cable traffic during the year. As remarked in last year's report, the Pacific cable is worked to its full carrying-capacity. Duplication of the Vancouver - Fanning Island and the Fanning Island - Fiji sections will be commenced shortly, and when the work is completed a faster service will be given. During the year 322,722 messages were transmitted from and 290,728 received in New Zealand by overseas cables. This is an increase over last year's totals of 38,471 messages in the case of forwarded and of 38,792 messages in the received. PACIFIC CABLE BOARD. After considerable delay in selecting a successor to Mr. John Milward as Manager in the Pacific the Pacific Cable Board recently appointed Mr. Percy Hunter. Mr. Hunter is a man of very wide commercial experience, both in Australia and in London, and that experience should prove of great value to him in his new position with its onerous duties. Mr. Hunter, whose headquarters are in Sydney, visited New Zealand in May, 1926, and conferred with the Postmaster-General and with the Secretary of the Department. In view of the approaching duplication of the cable between Fiji and Vancouver, and the consequent greater capacity of the line, the discussions proved of considerable interest. INTERNATIONAL TELEGRAPH CONFERENCE. After having been postponed from time to time since 1913, owing in the first place to the Great War and in the second place to post-war conditions, an Internationa] Telegraph Conference was opened at Paris on the Ist September, 1925. Previous similar Conferences at which the Dominion was represented were held at London in 1903 and at Lisbon in 1908. At the London Conference New Zealand was represented by Messrs. W. P. Reeves and R. J. McKay, the latter being an officer of the British Post Office. At the Lisbon Conference Mr. W. P. Reeves was New Zealand's sole representative. It was considered that as a suitable departmental officer could'not be spared to attend the Paris Conference the services of a competent person resident in London should be availed of, and it was finally decided to appoint Major T. E. Donne, formally of the High Commissioner's Office. The British Post Office authorities very generously offered to afford the New Zealand representative every assistance ; and the assistance given was much appreciated. A considerable number of amendments were made to the regulations governing the exchange of telegrams between the countries adhering to the Convention, and these will come into operation on the Ist November, 1926. CABLE RATES. From the Ist April, 1925, the rates via Eastern for full rate and deferred cable messages to any part of the United States of America were reduced to the level of those chargeable for messages sent via Pacific. The ordinary Press rate between New Zealand and Great Britain was reduced from 7|d. to 6d. a word from the 7th July, 1925. On the Ist August, 1925, the cable rate for Press messages exchanged between New Zealand and Canada, via Pacific, was reduced from sd. to 4d. a word. The special rate of 3Jd. on messages exchanged with Vancouver City was reduced to 2fd. a word. The whole cost of the reduction was borne by the Pacific Cable Board. From the Ist August, 1925, the rate for cable messages to France by both Eastern and Pacific routes was increased to 2s. 6|d. ordinary and Is. 3|d. a word deferred. This represents an increase of Jd. and Jd. a word respectively. From the 25th January, 1926, cable messages for Belgium, France, Holland, and Switzerland have been accepted " via Pacific and Marconi " at the same rate as " via Pacific," and cable messages for Germany have been accepted " via Pacific and Marconi " at the same rate as " via Pacific and Imperial." Formerly the rates via Pacific and Marconi were 2d. a word higher. DAILY LETTER CABLE MESSAGES. The daily letter-telegram service has been extended to include Iraq, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island. In order that daily letter-telegrams lodged on Saturdays might not be at a disadvantage in the matter of delivery as compared with the cheaper week-end messages, it was decided to effect delivery of the former on Mondays irrespective of the hour of lodgment on Saturdays. The daily lettertelegram service which was introduced in 1923 is now firmly established, no fewer than 31,340 such messages being sent from New Zealand during the year.

23