F.—l

XXV

There was a total increase of 12,089 messages, and of £3,714 18s. 2d. in value. The forwarded and received cable Press business for the past ten years ended 31st December, 1903, has been :—

TELEPHONE EXCHANGES. Twelve new exchanges were opened during the year. 1,472 new subscribers were added to the exchanges throughout the colony, bringing the total connections up to 12,105, an increase of 14 per cent, for the year. Of the total increase, 709 were added at the four chief centres. It will be necessary to make considerable additions to the Wellington Exchange, all the space available for the switchboard being now taken up. In consequence of the growth of the larger exchanges and the introduction of electric tramways in the four principal centres, the installation of metallic circuits has been decided upon to eliminate cross-talk and induction from the tramways. These are now being installed at Auckland, and the material for Wellington and Dunedin, now under order, is expected to arrive shortly, when the work will be put in hand at once. There were on the 31st March last 27 central and 54 sub-exchanges. The following is a comparative return of the telephone-exchange connections for the years 1902-3 and 1903-4 :— „ , Number of Subscribers or Connections : iLxcbange. March 31, 1903. March 31, 1904. Ashburton ... ... ... ... 11l ... 118 Auckland ... ... ... ... 1,554 ... 1,707 Devonport ... ... ... ... 28 ... 34 Blenheim ... ... ... ... 112 ... 133 Christchurch ... ... ... ... 1,297 ... 1,479 Akaroa ... ... ... ... 34 ... 36 Doyleston ... ... ... ... 6 ... 7 Leeston ... ... ... ... 10 ... 11 Lincoln ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 Little Eiver... ... ... ... 7 ... 8 Lyttelton ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 Eangiora ... ... ... ... 14 ... 15 Southbridge... ... ... ... ■•• ••• 6 Dannevirke ... ... ... ... 53 ... 88 Dunedin ... ... ... ... 1,420 ... 1,579 Balclutha ... ... ... ... 20 ... 24 Clinton ... ... ... ... ••• ••• 8 Kaitangata ... ... ... ••• 5 ... 10 Milton ... ... ... ... 20 ... 21 Palmerston ... ... ... ... 20 ... 18 Port Chalmers ... ... ... 21 ... 21 Waikouaiti ... ... ... ••• 9 ... 8 Peilding ... ... ... ... HO ... 133 Sanson ... ... ... ... ••• ■• 1 Gisborne ... ... ... ... 237 ... 281 Greymouth ... ... ... ••• 161 ••• 183 Eeefton ... ... ... ... •■■• ••• 44 Hawera ... ... ... ... 126 ... 143 Eltham ... ... ... ... 26 ... 26 Manaia ... ... ... ■•• 19 ... 18 Otakeho ... ... ... ••• 1 Patea ... ... ... ... 30 ... 31

iv—F. 1.

Forward, led. Received. Year. Nui mber of Number of Value. Messages. Words. Value. Messages. Words. 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 994 1,168 1,069 1,294 1,154 1,570 1,034 1,420 1,830 1,595 103,366 68,682 92,946 128,839 133,342 . 182,066 139,295 148,400 202,968 159,732 £ s. d. 899 4 9 433 13 0 531 4 9 945 4 8 907 7 0 1,800 10 4 1,457 4 5 2,718 12 0 1,772 8 4 1,235 11 1 3,033 3,926 2,946 3,665 3,599 3,822 4,014 3,989 4,443 5,636 203,326 314,136 285,369 323,617 282,882 298,218 333,300 351,291 396,438 425,824 £ b. d. 1,179 13 7 1,782 13 5 1,576 1 3 1,752 7 5 1,599 7 0 1,690 12 4 1,878 9 1 1,967 19 3 2,200 10 6 2,333 10 2