F.—l

Hereunder is a return showing automatic-exchange equipment installed and in use in the Dominion on the 31st March, 1926 : —

In the telephone statistics of the world (compiled on the Ist January, 1924) the United States leads as regards density, with 13*7 telephones per 100 of population; Canada is second, with 11 telephones ; Denmark is third, with 8-7 telephones ; while New Zealand takes fourth place, with 8-3 telephones. Australia and Great Britain occupy seventh and eleventh places respectively, with 5 and 2-5 telephones per 100 of population. The number of telephones per 100 of population of the world is I*4.

37

Number of j j Total Number Party Lines Number Number Total Number Numb( , r of installed. of j of .Number Exchange. Individual Individual Party- of Ext e nsion Auto ° matic Lines Line line Main *• mi , installed. | Two- , Four- , Stations. Stations. Stations. a 1 n Stations 6 party, j party. | Auckland Exchange Area — Wellesley Street .. .. 7,200 .. 100 5,501 120 5,621 1,906 7,527 Remuera .. .. .. 1,600 .. 100 1,493 235 1,728 129 1,857 Mount Eden .. .. 1,600 .. 100 1,579 274 1,853 83 1,936 Ponsonby.. .. .. 1,200 .. 100 1,049 94 1,143 95 1,238 Onehunga .. .. 400 .. 307 .. 307 31 338 Devon port .. .. 500 .. .. 432 .. 432 22 454 Christchurch Exchange Area — Hereford Street* .. 1,500 .. .. 1,498 .. 1,498 155 1,653 St. Albans* .. .. 500 .. .. 497 .. 497 53 550 Sydenham* .. .. 300 .. 299 .. 299 30 329 Wellington Exchange Area — Courtenay Place .. 3,800 100 100 3,058 316 3,374 733 4,107 Wellington South .. 1,400 100 100 1,355 489 1,844 113 1,957 Kelburn 1,200 .. 100 925 128 1,053 61 1,114 Khandallah .. .. .. 100 100 115| 235 350 7 357 Stout Street .. .. 7,600 .. 100 3,430 192 3,622 2,608 6,230 Single-office exchanges — Blenheim .. .. 700 100 687 142 829 93 922 Hamilton .. .. 1,600 .. 100 1,461 311 1,772 283 2,055 Masterton .. .. 1,000 .. 100 987 188 1,175 192 1,367 Oamaru .. .. 700 100 681 73 754 92 846 Palmerston North .. 1,800 .. 100 1.827J 207 2,034 248 2,282 Wanganui .. .. 2,500 200 100 2,046 352 2,398 533 2,931 Totals .. .. 37,100 500 1,500 29,227 3,356 32,583 7,467 40,050 * Auxiliary apparatus. t Party lines used for individual stations. J Twenty-seven party lines used for individual stations.