f.—l

RADIO SERVICES ESTABLISHMENT OF RADIO-RECEIVING STATION AT MAKARA In order to strengthen the Department's resources in regard to radio-receiving services a new station was established in the Makara district. This will permit of the closing-down of the temporary station erected some years ago at Mount Crawford. Makara Radio will provide the receiving facilities for the important long-distance services now being conducted by the Department. Arrangements were also made at Makara for the receiving side of important services which may require to be established in the event of interruption to the submarine cables connecting New Zealand to Australia and Canada. NEW ZEALAND - AUSTRALIA RADIO-TELEPHONE SERVICE The New Zealand - Australia radio-telephone service, which was in use prior to the war, is still suspended. The efficiency of the radio-telephone link has been improved by the installation of a modern 5 kW. transmitter at Wellington to replace the 1 kW. transmitter which had been in use since 1930. This plant is at present being made available for use by the National Broadcasting Service. INTER-ISLAND VERY-HIGH-FREQUENCY RADIO-TELEPHONE LINK With a view to supplementing the existing submarine cable facilities in order to meet the demands of the Armed Services for additional communication circuits, and to provide a means of inter-island communication in the event of a disruption of existing facilities, arrangements were made for the establishment of a developmental very-high-frequency radio-telephone link between Wellington and Seddon, which interconnects with existing toll circuits. Communication was first established on the sth May, 1944, and in March, 1945, experimental communication on a multi-channel system was introduced. SAMOAN RADIO SERVICES A commercial radio-station is shortly to be opened at Sataua, on the Island of Savaii, Samoa, for communication with Apia. PRIVATE COMMERCIAL RADIO STATIONS Additional private commercial radio stations (low power) have been opened in the Kaingaroa and Rotorua Forest areas for use by the Forestry Department in connection with the prevention of firespread. Altogether nineteen stations are now operating in these areas. In addition, four similar stations are being operated in the Tapanui (Otago) District. The Public Works Department is also making extensive use of portable radio-transmitting stations for communication purposes. Low-powered stations are being operated at the Karapiro Dam site and also by line construction parties working between Karapiro and Hamilton. VISIT OF ENGINEERING OFFICER TO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA During the year an engineering officer attended the International Radio Propagation Conference held in Washington. The officer, who spent almost four months in the United States of America, visited several radio establishments in Washington and New York. The information gained as a result of this visit will be of considerable assistance to the Department in the development of radio services with other countries and throughout the Dominion. RADIO LICENSING RADIO-RECEIVING LICENSES The total number of radio-receiving licenses current at the 31st March, 1945, was 379,242 representing an increase of 3,787, or 1 per cent., over the number current at the end of the previous year.

APPENDIX

Table No. 1 Receipts and Payments for the Years 1943-44 and 1944-45

8

Other Disbursements. Balance of — ; "Rnlnnpft Payments for Receipts over Depreciation Fundi contributions ssss. —* jwgjE sas Payments. tare on Renewals, offloera'Kilt aDd 3 e CetT t8 i — fS: Liawl,ty - £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 1943-1944 .. 39,404 6,251,242 4,344,591 1,906,651 1,208,000 4,911 693,480 39,664 1944-1945 .. 39,664 6,694,901 5,205,969 1,488,932 770,000 5,475 708,800 44,321