P.—l,

WEEK-END LETTER-TELEGRAM SERVICE : EXTENSION. The week-end letter-telegram service has been extended to the undermentioned countries from the dates and at the rates shown : —

MAINTENANCE OF TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION. Notwithstanding the visitation of a number of storms of exceptional severity which caused disruption in varying degrees of telegraph and telephone services, communication throughout the Dominion was well maintained, and this again testifies to the sound policy pursued by the Department in the construction and maintenance of its lines. In those cases in which disruptions of the service occurred, prompt and efficient steps were taken to restore communication with a minimum of delay. CARRIER CURRENT TELEPHONE SYSTEMS. The further extension of the long-distance-telephone network by the installation of carrier systems and voice-frequency repeaters, has been more or less completely suspended since the beginning of the year, but a considerable amount of investigational work has been carried out with a view to providing additional carrier-telephone channels over the Cook Strait single-core telegraph cables. The existing facilities provided by the cables are sufficient for present requirements, but it is desirable, if practicable, to establish several additional channels over alternative routes so that they may be available for use in the event of interruption to the Wellington-Seddon four-core continuouslyloaded telephone-cable which yields four of the five inter-island telephone channels now in operation. This investigational work has not yet reached a stage at which the possibilities in this direction can be definitely gauged, but, notwithstanding the fact that the problem presents serious difficulties, it is hoped to complete the establishment during the coming year of the minimum number of additional channels required to provide for the emergency mentioned. Plans have been prepared for the installation of voice-frequency repeaters on a number of open aerial trunk telephone-lines in various parts of the Dominion in order to improve the speech efficiency of the circuits. Some, if not all, of these will be put into service during the coming year if funds are available. A modern type of toll test-board, equipped with improved facilities for the testing of lines and equipment and the patching out of faulty units, has been installed at the Central Exchange, Wellington. Test-boards of this kind are essential adjuncts to the carrier-telephone equipment located at the principal toll centres. EXTENSION OP TOLL AND TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS. Apart from a few cases in which it was necessary to erect new lines to meet traffic and other conditions, efforts were directed during the year towards reconstructing and rearranging existing lines for the purpose of effecting needed improvements to telegraph and telephone facilities, and incidentally reducing maintenance cost which is necessarily a heavy item of expenditure over the Department's network of toll and telegraph systems. The following are the places between which the efficiency of existing circuits was improved or between which new circuits were provided :— Okaihau-Mangamuka. Governor's Bay - Diamond Harbour. Kerikeri-Okaihau-Kaeo. Christchurch-Ashburton. Whangarei-Kirikopuni. Temuka-Winchester. Dargaville-Ruawai. Geraldine - Beautiful Valley. Auckland Waimauku. Timaru-Maungati. Thames-Paeroa. Cromwell-Arrowtown. Tuakau-Onewhero. Palmerston - Shag Point. Hamilton-Morrinsville. Portobello - Taiaroa Heads. Tauranga-Matamata. Gore-Lumsden. Awakino-Mahoenui. Lumsden-Balfour. Carterton-Masterton. Balfour-Riversdale. Greytown-Masterton. Riversdale-Gore. Wellington-Dannevirke. In addition to the foregoing, 270 miles of toll and telegraph pole-line were reconstructed during the year. This work also involved the replacement of 560 miles of wire.

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I Country. i Bate. Bate. I J_ Holland .. .. . . I 1st April .. .. 7§d. per word, with minimum charge of 12s. 6d. for 20 words. Greece and Islands of Greece . . I 15th May .. .. 7|d, per word, with minimum charge of 12s. 6d. for 20 words. Russia .. .. .. | 1st June .. .. 8|d. per word, with minimum charge of 14s. 2d. for 20 words. Danzig . . .. .:. 1st October .. .. 8d. per word, with minimum charge of 13s. 4d. for 20 words. _ _.__ J