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INTERNATIONAL TELEGRAPH AND RADIO-TELEGRAPH CONFERENCE. The International Telegraph and Radio-Telegraph Conference, at which New Zealand was represented by Mr. M. B. Esson, formerly Second Assistant Secretary of the Department (now the Dominion's representative on the Advisory Committee of Imperial and International Communications, Ltd., London), was in session at Madrid from the 3rd September to the 10th December last. Details of the alterations effected in the International Telegraph Regulations are given at page 17 of this report. The system of week-end cable messages has been abolished ; and an alteration has been made in the method of charging for daily-letter telegrams exchanged in the international service. The restriction of the use in deferred and daily-letter telegrams of figures written in words has been lifted, and the charge for urgent messages has been reduced from treble to double rates. In addition, important alterations in the method of charging for code words in cablegrams are to take effect next year. BROADCASTING SERVICE. Control of the Broadcasting Service by the Board set up under the provisions of the Broadcasting Act, 1931, is proving highly successful. The first year's operations are reviewed in the Board's report to the Minister of Telegraphs, which is being laid on the table of the House. One of the initial important problems of the Board was to evolve methods of providing good reception over the whole of New Zealand ; and to this end it appointed a Coverage Commission to investigate reception. One of the results has been the decision to proceed with the erection of a new transmitting station on Banks Peninsula to replace the existing apparatus installed in Station 3YA, Christchurch. Action has also been taken to secure a site for the erection of a new broadcasting station at Auckland in replacement of the existing Station IYA. Both at this station and at Dunedin (4YA) the provision of modern transmitters is projected. In addition, auxiliary broadcasting apparatus has been provided for emergency use at the Wellington station (2YA), and action has also been taken to improve the existing equipment from a transmitting point of view. The report of the Coverage Commission indicated that in several parts of the Dominion reception from the Board's stations was not satisfactory. Eor this reason the Board is rendering financial assistance to eight private broadcasting stations situated in areas affected. In furtherance of the aims of the Board to provide a maximum of service to listeners, the hours of transmission at the Board's stations have been appreciably increased. The Board has also pursued a progressive policy of providing the best possible talent in arranging programmes. Proof of the wonderful development of the service of broadcasting is afforded by the great increase in the number of licensed radio listeners. On the 31st March the number of listeners was 93,489, representing an increase of some 18,500 for the year, this large increase following an increase of 12,500 listeners in the previous twelve months ; and in the middle of August the number reached the large total of 100,000. The balance-sheet of the Board, attached to its report, sets out clearly the position of the Board's finances. A feature of great interest during the year has been the number of occasions on which overseas broadcasts have been made available to New Zealand listeners. An outstanding broadcast of this nature was that arranged for Christmas Day last, when practically the whole Empire participated in a special programme in which greetings were conveyed from the Mother-country to practically all parts of the Empire, and responses made. A message from New Zealand was included, from the Right Hon. the Prime Minister. A fitting climax to the broadcast was a special message to the Empire from His Majesty the King. As the time of the actual broadcast was not suitable for New Zealand reception, a recording of the programme was made in London and broadcast for New Zealand listeners on the morning of the 26th December.

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