F.—l

The following is a comparative return of the telephone-exchange connections for the years 1899-1900 and 1900-1901 :— -,-, , No. of Subscribers or Connections : Exchan § 6 - Mar. 31, 1900. Mar. 31, 1901. Ashburton ... ... ... ... 100 ... 106 Auckland ... ... ... ... 1,134 ... 1,263 Blenheim ... ... ... ... 75 ... 91 Christchurch ... ... ... ... 968 ... 1,048 Eangiora ... ... ... ... 14 ... 13 Dunedin ... ... ... ... 1,082 ... 1,204 Balclutha ... ... .... ... 15 ... 16 Kaitangata ... ... ... ... 6 ... 5 Milton ... ... ... ... 20 ... 20 Palmerston South ... ... ... 15 ... 15 Port Chalmers ... ... ... 17 ... 19 Waikouaiti ... ... ... ... — ... 8 Feilding ... ... ... ... 78 ... 98 Gisborne ... ... ... ... 145 ... 184 Greymouth ... ... ... ... 94 ... 114 Hawera ... ... ... ... 91 ... 105 Bltham ... ... ... ... 9 ... 12 Manaia ... ... ... ... 9 ... 14 Invercargill ... ... ... ... 250 ... 278 Bluff ... ... ... ... 22 ... 23 Edendale ... ... ... ... — ... 5 Gore ... ... ... ... 58 ... 63 Lumsden ... ... ... ... — ... ■ 14 Mataura ... ... ... ... 8 ... 9 Otautau ... ... ... ... 22 ... 24 Eiversdale ... ... ... ... 13 ... 16 Eiverton ... ... ... ... — ... 18 Winton ... ... ... ... 13 ... 17 Woodlands ... ... ... ... 5 ... 5 Wyndham ... ... ... ... ... 13 Masterton ... ... ... ... 81 ... 104 Napier ... ... ... ... 297 ... 316 Hastings ... ... ... ... 45 ... 48 Nelson ... ... ... ... 78 ... 107 New Plymouth ... ... ... 212 ..'. 230 Inglewood ... ... ... ... 6 ... 11 Waitara ... ... ... ... 11 ... . 14 Oamaru ... ... ... ... 127 ... 161 Ngapara ... ... ... ... — ... 1 Pahiatua ... ... ... ... — ... 63 Woodville ... ... ... ... — ... 15 Palmerston North ... ... ... 127 ... 157 Stratford ... ... ... ... 57 ... 68 Thames ... ... ... ... 79 ... 78 Timaru ... ... ... ... 91 ... 123 Wanganui ... ... ... ... 250 ... 284 Marton ... ... ... ... 9 ... 25 Wellington ... ... ... ... 1,417 ... 1,585 Total ... ... ..'. 7,150 8,210 The connections may be classified as follows : Paying, 7,550; free, 202; bureaux, 458; total, 8,210. The telephone-exchange receipts amounted to £49,117 os. Bd.—an increase of £5,813 17s. lOd. as compared with the subscriptions received during the previous year. The working-expenses and 5 per cent, interest on capital cost for the year amounted to £45,348 9s. lOd. The following are the particulars of telegraph- and telephone-wires, &c, in the colony on 31st March, 1901 :— Telegraph. Telephone. Miles of line, Ist April, 1900 ... ... ... ... 6,910 501 31st March, 1901 ... ... ... 7,249 545 Miles of wire, Ist April, 1900 ... ... ... ... 19,228 6,343 31st March, 1901 ... ... ... 20,682 6,987 Increase during the year —- Miles of line ... ... ... ... ... 339 44 Miles of wire ... ... ... ... ... 1,454 644 Submarine cable, Ist April, 1900 ... ... ... 242 knots 8 knots. 31st March, 1901 ' ... ... ... 244 knots 11-6 knots.

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