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lines by specially designed underground cables, only limited expansion of the number of speech, channels between the larger centres is possible in the immediate future. Plans covering future requirements for the full development of toll services are in hand. As with telephone service, much leeway lost during the war years has yet to be overtaken. Radio-telephone Toll Channels The three radio-telephone channels between Wellington and Eastbourne, referred to in last year's report, were brought into operation during May, 1947, to augment the existing land-line circuits, thus giving an improved service between the two places. The majority of the toll calls exchanged between Wellington and Eastbourne are now completed while the caller waits on the line. Radio-telephone Link At the request of the Lands' and Survey Department, a radio-telephone link has been provided between the mainland and Kapiti Island. The mainland terminal is at Paraparaumu and is a Post Office asset, while the terminal equipment on the island is the property of the Lands and Survey Department. In addition to terminal-to-terminal communication, the radio channel can be connected to the telephone exchange and toll system. Toll Equipment To meet the growth in toll work, additional toll-operating positions have been provided at Auckland (fourteen positions), Christchurch (eight positions), Oamaru (a new switchboard of four positions), and Wellington (fourteen positions). In addition, an eight-position toll extension at Hamilton is in course of installation and will be available by August, 1948. PUBLIC CALL OFFICES At the 31st March there were 1,514 public call offices (coin-in-the-slot) telephones installed in New Zealand. The total collections for the year amounted to £107,895. (See also Table Nq. 6 in Appendix.) RADIO SERVICES OVERSEAS TELEPHONE SERVICE The radio-telephone services to Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and through these places to certain other countries, continue to be well patronized. The total number of calls handled during the year was 9,673, as compared with 8,164 calls handled during the previous twelve months. New Zealand's share of the revenue was £9,447. On the Ist February, 1948, the radio-telephone service was extended through the United Kingdom to Switzerland. Transmitting-station for Overseas Radio Services For some time past area limitations at the overseas radio-telephone transmittingstation at Wellington Radio on Mount Wakefield have militated against the provision of adequate transmitting aerial arrays. To meet the position and to ensure the provision of a high-grade direct service with the United Kingdom, it has been decided to establish a modern high-power transmitting-station specially designed to cater for radio services beyond New Zealand. For this purpose an area of flat land of approximately 2—F 1

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