P.—lA.

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TELEGRAPH RATES. In 1923 the rate for ordinary inland telegrams was reduced from Is. to 9d. for twelve words. A night letter-telegram service was introduced in November, 1920, the charge being Js. 6d. for thirty-six words. In 1923 the charge was reduced to 9d. for twenty-seven words. Since 1920 the rate per word on ordinary cable messages exchanged with Great Britain has been reduced by 9d. per word; with Canada, by 6d. ; Germany, by 7d. ; France, by sd. ; Italy, by ; Holland, by 6d. ; Union of South Africa, Rhodesia, South-west Africa, and British Central Africa, by 7d. ; Fiji, by 2d. In the case of South Africa the reduction, effected in June last, was the result of strong representations made by New Zealand prior to the visit to South Africa of a New Zealand Rugby football team. The week-end cable service to Great Britain was resumed in 1921, after being suspended for over four years. The rate was then 13s. 4d. for twenty words. It has since been reduced to lis. Bd. for twenty words. A daily letter-telegram service to Great Britain and Canada was introduced in 1923. It has since been extended to the United States of America, and to most of the British possessions, including India, Ceylon, British Central, East, and West Africa, and the Union of South Africa. A night letter-telegram service was established in 1924 between the Dominion and Australia, and between the Dominion and Fiji. Various alterations favourable to newspapers have been made in the method of charging for inland press telegrams. COMBINED TELEGRAM-FORM AND ENVELOPE. A combined telegram-form and envelope which has been introduced makes for a speedier service and eliminates error. It also tends to permit economies in staff. SPECIAL SPORTS NEWS SERVICE. In connection with matters of exceptional interest to the public generally, as, for example, the tours of England and South Africa by a New Zealand representative Rugby football team, and the tour of England by a New Zealand representative cricket team, arrangements were made for official messages conveying the results of matches played to be exhibited for public information at all telegraph and telephone offices. The information was also supplied to telephone exchanges and communicated to subscribers on request. Similar services were given in connection with the tragic attempt at a trans-Tasman aeroplane flight by Messrs. Moncrieff and Hood, and the recent successful flights by Captain KingsfordSmith and his intrepid companions. TELEGRAPH SYSTEM. The multiplex machine-printing telegraph system,, which was introduced into New Zealand telegraph practice in 1921, has been considerably extended, and has almost revolutionized telegraph-operating methods. In addition to speeding up the telegraph service, the multiplex system has permitted circuits previously required for telegraph purposes to be made available as telephone speech channels. On the 31st March, 1927, 2,298 miles of circuit, from which were derived 9,192 miles of two-way channels of communication, were being operated under the multiplex system, the stations linked up being Auckland, Wanganui, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Among other economies that have been effected in the operation and maintenance of the telegraph system is the uuiversalbattery system, which has been installed at the Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Pahnerston North Telegraph-offices. Since 1920 the length of wire available for the transmission of telegrams by means of multiplex, morse, and telephone has been increased from forty thousand to sixty thousand miles. ERECTION OF TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE LINES BY CONTRACT. In order to determine whether telegraph and telephone lines can be erected more economically by private enterprise than by day labour, provision has recently been made for the erection of lines under the contract system.