D.—2

XI

£2,912. Total number of agreements current at 31st March, 1920, 430; aggregate rental of same, £13,732. Miscellaneous agreements entered into, 38. Total number of Proclamations issued taking or giving up land, 27. Total amount of compensation paid during year for land taken, £14,268 6s. Staff.— Maintenance Branch : Working staff, 3,361 ; office staff, 164 : total, 3,525. Signal and Electrical. Fixed Signals at Officered. Stations. During the year eight stations have been equipped with fixed signals, viz.: Home and distant signals at Ngongotaha, Smart Road, To Roti, Mokoia, Whenuakura, Mangatera ; and homo signals at Waian and Riccarton Racecourse. The following 38 stations have; been equipped with distant signals in addition to previous equipment of homo signals : Waitoa, Te Aroha, Mangaiti, Hikutaia, Puriri, Kopu, Thames South, Thames. Lnglewood, Tariki, Midhirst, Eltham, Normanby, Hawera, Manutahi, Patea,, Waverley, Waitotara, Nukumaru, Okehu, Kai Iwi, Westmere, Wanganui, Okoia, Fordell, Ashhurst, Papatawa, Oringi, Matamau, Makotuku, Onnondvillo, Kopua, Takapau, Marakeke, Hatuma, Waipukurau, Waipawa, Otane. An additional homo signal has boon provided at Culverden. Tho total number of officered stations (including tablet stations) is 485, of which 298 arc equipped with fixed signals, 1.00 arc interlocked, and 87 unequipped. Forty-two signal repeaters have been installed during the year making a total of 331 now in use. Interlocking of Points and Signals. Tho electric pneumatic installation at Dunedin has again worked satisfactorily during the year. Complete signalling and interlocking has been installed at Swanson and Drury service siding. Alterations have boon made to signalling and interlocking at'Otahuhu, Taumarunui, Palmerston North, and Sockburn. Tho following flag stations, sidings, and private sidings have been interlocked with the tablet system during the year : Service siding at 22 m. 20 eh. near Runciman ; the New Zealand Munitions and Supplies Department's private siding near Kaitoke ; Messrs. Borthwick and Sons' private siding near Belfast; Mussel Bay Station; Toiro Station; Kaihiku Station; Kuriwao Station; Wairuna Station ; Arthurton Station ; Otikerama Station ; ballast-pit siding near Gore ; Charlton Station ; Brydone Station ; Ota Crook Station ; Morton Mains Station ; Longbush Station ; Mill Road Station ; Woodend Station. Special switch-locks (Woods) interlocking the facing-points with home signals have been installed at Ngongotaha, Smart Road, Mokoia, To Roti, Whenuakura, Mangatera, Waiau, Nelson. Ten switch-out tablet stations have been equipped with special locking arrangements for points and signals, viz. : Smart Road, To Roti, Mokoia, Whenuakura, Westmere, Nukumaru, Okoia, Mangatera, Papatawa, Marakeke. Total stations now interlocked, 100 ; tramway crossings. 7 ; sidings and flag stations interlocked with tablet, 149 ; stations where Woods locks are, installed, 297. Block Working — Electric Tablet. No additions have been made to tablet working. The total mileage now equipped is 1,657 miles of single line out of a total of 2,963 miles open for traffic. Tablet instruments were installed at Ngongotaha, and Arthurton has been closed as a tablet station. A total of 8 instruments have been taken out and put into stock. The number of tablet instruments now in use is 900, at 376 stations. The total number of automatic tablet exchangers now in use is 345. Lock and Block. The electric lock-and-blook system has worked satisfactorily during tho, year. Track looking of up main lino at Penrose station has been installed. Tho total mileage equipped is 43 miles of double lino. Tho total number of lock-and-blook instruments now in use is 80, at 36 stations. Telegraph and Telephone Facilities. A now Morse wire has been run from Wanganui to Hawora. Seventy-two miles of new line have been brought into use during the year. One additional Morse connection has been installed. Railway-wires ha.vo been placed underground at several places where crossed by high-tension wire. An alarm-bell system in connection with the, railway fire brigade has been installed at Timaru. Twenty-three new connections to railway telephone circuits, 8 new connections to public exchange, and 4 extensions to existing connections have been made. Ten electric bells have been installed. Totals now in use are —Morse sets, 287 ; telephones, 1,642 ; electric bells, 286 ; miles of wire, 7,193 ; miles of poles, 2,606. Electric Lighting and Power. Electric-light installations have been made as follows : Whangarei, engine-shed and Station master's house; Auckland, station building; Frankton, Inspector's office and store; Te Kuti, engine-shed and bookstall; Now Plymouth, goods-offices ; Hawera, now goods-office ; Thorndon, goods-offices ; Christchurch, goods-yard ; Addington, railway store and offices, Locomotive Engineer's office ; Riccarton, station and tramway crossing signals ; Rangiora, railway-station ; Invercargill, signals and cabin at tramway-crossing, Conon Street; Pukekohe, Stationrnastor's house.

iii—l). 2.