p.—l

the'fWanganui-Canterbury match (at Christchurch) on the 26th were telegraphed to Eden Park and Athletic Park and exhibited for the. information of spectators. The scores werejpromptly conveyed to the Rugby Union officials responsible for announcing them to the public. . The Department's service was performed free of charge. At Athletic Park and Eden Park telegrams giving progress results of the matches or other information were accepted also from the public. During the three days that the offices were open 45 telegrams (exclusive, of Press messages) were lodged at Eden Park, and 5 were presented at Athletic Park. Great appreciation of thejfacilities provided was expressed. TELEPHONING OF WEATHER-FORECAST TELEGRAMS TO EXCHANGE SUBSCRIBERS. Weather-forecast telegrams may now be telephoned to an exchange subscriber at the prescribed charge irrespective of the length of line of his connection. Formerly the facility was not granted in the case of a subscriber whose premises were situated within a mile of the exchange. INLAND LETTER - TELEGRAMS. The inland letter-telegram service has now become an important factor in the Department's telegraph business. The growth of letter-telegram business is no doubt due to the very cheap rate that applies to this class of telegram. Such messages may now be accepted written in Maori language. As letter-telegrams are transmitted after other telegrams and throughout the day as opportunity offers, they are the means of keeping the telegraph circuits engaged at times when they would otherwise be idle. The number of letter-telegrams sent during the year was 317,484, an increase of 102,011 on the number sent during 1924-25. PRESS TELEGRAMS. In order that people throughout the Dominion might be kept in touch with the progress of the Dunedin and South Seas International Exhibition the free transmission was authorized of a daily Press telegram relative thereto, not exceeding 200 words, addressed to all Press Association newspapers. PRESS-TELEGRAM RATES. Up to the 31st March, 1926, evening newspapers were permitted to receive, at Press rates, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily, an aggregate of 2,000 words of inland news. Any excess of that number was charged for at the rate of Id. a word. As it was found that occasionally the restriction pressed heavily on evening newspapers, authority was given for the number of words that may be charged for at Press rates to be increased to 3,000. The alteration came into operation from, the Ist April, 1926. MISCELLANEOUS (TELEGRAPHS). Particulars of the offices opened, &c., during the year are as follow : — Offices opened, 30 ; offices closed, 73 ; offices remaining open on 31st March, 1926, 2,212. Of this number 340 are operated by Morse, 1,858 by telephone, 4 by radio-telegraphy, and 10 are toll stations only. There are also four other radio stations on the mainland (Awanui, Auckland, Wellington, and Awarua) and five in the Cook Islands. As was the case in the year 1924-25, the number of offices closed exceeded the number opened. This decline is due to the extension of the telephone-exchange system in rural areas rendering a number of small offices unnecessary. TELEGRAPH AND TOLL TRAFFIC. The figures which follow show the position in regard to telegraph and telephone traffic. Fuller information is contained in Table 11.

Total of all Classes of Message and Value thereof.

Schedule of Paid Telegrams, Cable Messages, and Toll Communications. , T , Value. Number. Ordinary .. .. .. .. .. .. •• 6,043,563 508,169 Urgent 317,021 32,385 Press . .. .. .. .. •• 488,487 67,481 Letter •• 317,484 14,738 Toll communications .. .. .. .. .. ■■ 8,976,859 358,037 16,143,414 980,810 Less net amount paid to other Administrations on cable and radio messages .. 198,130 Net total for paid messages of all codes, 1925-26 .. .. .. 16,143,414 782,680 Net total for paid messages of all codes, 1924-25 .. .. .. 15,410,390 749,100

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i 1925-26. ; 1924-25. Increase. pe^Cent Number .. .. .. 16,201,874 15,471,950 729,924 4-717 Value .. .. .. £787,670 £753,520 £34,150 4-532