XLV

D.—2

A commencement has been made with, providing superimposing facilities over some of the existing circuits, particularly with a view to simplifying the carrying-out of the general programme. The position in regard to communication facilities is tabulated below : — Morse instruments .. .. .. .. .. .. 287 Telephones .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,256 Miles of wire .... .. .. .. .. .. 11,920 Miles of poles .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,045 Public-exchange connections .. .. .. .. 646 Railway exchanges, automatic .. .. .. .. 4 Railway exchanges, manual .. .. .. .. 2 Level-crossing Alarms. —Warning signals have been installed at the following level crossings : Waianakarua ; Invercargill —Ness Street, Ythan Street, Liddle Street; Pahiatua, Hall Street ; Papanui, Blighs Road, Sawyers Arms Road ; Addington, Clarence Road ; Southdown, Church Street ; Kartigi, Main Road ; Middleton, Wright Street. The total number of level crossings fitted with warning-devices is 109. Preparations are being made for the installation of further devices during the coming year. Auckland Station. —The work at Auckland Station, embracing as it does signalling, communications, lighting, and power, is the largest individual work being carried out by the branch. Considerable progress has been made with all phases of the work, and preparations are being made to enable the change-over from the old to the new station to be effected with the least possible delay. Christchurch - Lyttelton Electrification. — The Christchurch - Lyttelton electrification has been operating satisfactorily during the year. Electrical. —In connection with the electrification of the workshops at Otahuhu, Hutt Valley, Addington, and. Hillside, the following motors have been installed.: Otahuhu, 200 motors, aggregating 2,000 h.p. ; Hutt Valley, 220 motors, aggregating 2,350 h.p. ; Addington, 125 motors, aggregating 1,860 h.p. ; Hillside, 200 motors, aggregating 2,600 h.p. In addition to these motors, a considerable number of smaller electrical facilities has been installed, and the work in connection with the main schemes has been practically completed. There is also some additional work in regard to the provision of additional facilities yet to be carried out. The flood-lighting of the workshops-yards has been partially completed, and will be finalized early in the new year. The dismantling of the electrical equipment in the old workshops at Newmarket and Petone has been carried out. In the Auckland locomotive depot repair-shed one electric crane and four motors, aggregating 18 h.p., have been installed. In the outwards-goods shed at Auckland, two 30 cwt. electric cranes, eight motors aggregating 40 h.p., have been brought into use. At Westport a substation and crane (15 ton), and three motors aggregating 122 h.p., have been installed. A number of smaller motor installations have been completed as follows : Auckland locomotiverepair shed, two motors, 20 h.p. ; East Town Locomotive Workshops, eight motors, 205 h.p. ; Pumping-plants—Waipukurau, Duntroon, Riccarton, Sockburn, Amberley, Islington, Putaruru ; Elmer Lane locomotive-repair depot, five welding-points. The electric lighting of the main workshops at Otahuhu, Hutt Valley, Addington, and Hillside has been completed, while electric lighting of the existing workshops has been carried out at Napier. With reference to the general lighting programme, the following works have been carried out: Electric lighting of stations at —Te Puke, Taneatua, Ngongotaha, Mamaku, Clive, station and yard ; Te Mawhai, platform ; Temuka, station and. yard ; Kai Iwi, station, yard, and signals ; Ashhurst, Kurow, Hampden, Ormondville, Waitoa, Waipawa, Ngakawau, Lawrence, Southbridge, Hangatiki, Dunollie, Glenavy, W T aimate, Morven, Leeston, Midhirst, Islington, Seacliff, station and yard; Upper Port Chalmers, station and platform ; Rata, Runanga, Takanini, Buckland, Paerata, Tariki, station and yard ; Clinton, station, yard, and locomotive-shed ; Owaka, Koputaroa, Linton, Paraparaumu, Ohau, Tokomaru, Paremata, Manakau, Waikanae, Levin, station and yard ; Foxton, station, yard, and locomotive-shed : Te Horo, Granity, Pokeno, Ava, Makikihi, station and yard ; Mount Albert, New Lynn, station, yard, and signals ; Tuatapere, station and yard ; Palmerston North, station, yard, goods-shed, and signals; Wakefield, Mataroa, station and yard; Pukerua Bay, station, yard, and signals. The following booking-offices, refreshment-rooms, halls, &c, have been equipped with electric lighting : Napier Bus and Railway Booking-office ; Rotorua Central Booking-office ; Wellington (Courtenay Place) Central Booking-office ; Paeroa Refreshment-room ; Taumarunui, Refreshment Staff Hostel; Auckland locomotive-repair shed ; Ngaio Railway Settlement, street-lighting ; Rotorua Railway Avenue, street-lighting ; Palmerston North social hall; Longlands, stockyards ; Dunedin, advertising hoarding, Cumberland Street; Balfour, stockyards ; Waihao Forks, stockyards ; Waikaka, stockyards ; Auckland, Foreman of Works' office and Ganger's shed ; Thorndon new yard. The following stations have been rewired and improved lighting installed : Lyttelton Station, signal-lighting and improved yard-lighting; Gore, Sawyers Bay, Te Aroha, rewired; Hastings, station and improved yard lighting ; Greymouth, station, yard, goods, improved wharf-yard lighting and signals ; Tauranga, station approach, yard, and locomotive-shed.