F.—l

RESTORATION OF WEEK-END CABLE SERVICE. The week-end cable service via the Eastern Extension Australasia and China Telegraph Company's cables, which was suspended on the sth August, 1914, was restored to Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and the Irish Free State from the Ist November, 1926. CABLE TRAFFIC. The number of cable messages, excluding Press, sent from New Zealand to international offices shows an increase of 0-51 per cent, on the number sent during 1925-26, and the number sent to Australian offices shows an increase of 1-22 per cent. Messages received from international offices increased by 1-87 per cent., and messages from Australia decreased by 0-33 per cent. The proportion of cable messages sent " via Pacific " was less than that sent by the same route during the previous year, the percentages being 64-29 and 65 respectively. The following table shows the total number of cable messages, excluding Press, forwarded by each route during each of the past five years ; also the percentage of such traffic falling to each.

Press messages numbering 3,090 were sent via Pacific and 4,183 via Eastern, compared with 3,163 and 4,827 respectively during 1925-26. The number received via Pacific was 6,671 and via Eastern 3,916, compared with 5,921 and 4,208 respectively. The following table shows the total number of each class of message, excluding Press, forwarded during 1926-27, as compared with the number forwarded during 1925-26 : —

EXTENSIONS TO TOLL AND TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS. The most important work undertaken during the year in connection with the extension of the toll and telegraph systems was the erection of a new trunk telephone circuit between Christchurch and Seddon. This work was prosecuted vigorously with a view to providing at the earliest possible date a greatly extended range of toll communication both within the South Island itself and between the North and South Islands. In addition to providing a valuable link for communication between Christchurch and Wellington, the erection of this trunk line will render possible a rearrangement of the existing circuits between Christchurch and Blenheim, which will considerably improve the toll facilities between Christchurch and the North Canterbury exchanges. A considerable number of lines of less general importance were erected during the year. These either gave service to localities which had previously not enjoyed the privileges and convenience of the telephone, or provided relief between places where traffic congestion had been acute. In addition, a great deal of reconstruction work was carried out both for the purposes of improving the stability and increasing the accommodation of pole-lines and for rearranging the circuits so as to increase their earning-power. A number of earth-working circuits were converted to metallic, this course being rendered necessary owing to the erection of high-power electric wires. Altogether the traffic-carrying capacity of the network of toll and telegraph circuits throughout the Dominion was considerably increased during the year.

23

Pacific. Eastern. Year. Messages. P of Totaf 6 Year 1 -Messages. 86 1922-23 157,895 67-4 1922-23 76,455 32-6 1923-24 167,922 65-9 1923-24 86,797 34-1 1924-25 185,680 65-3 1924-25 98,571 34-7 1925-26 204,586 65 1925-26 110,146 35 1926-27 204,051 64-29 1926-27 113,355 35-7]

1926-27. ] 1925-26. Forwarded. I Received, j Forwarded. Received. 1 __J Full-rate international cable messages .. .. 82,128 78,498 84,074 81,115 Deferred international cable messages .. .. j 23,529 23,895 21,263 21,642 Daily letter-telegrams ... .. .. .. 33,116 24,554 j 31,849 21,086 Week-end telegrams .. .. .. 27,274 15,352 28,020 15,837 Australian cable messages .. .. .. 89,954 88,527 ! 96,266 98,592 Australian night-letter telegrams .. .. 61,405 51,913 j 53,260 42,327 Totals .. .. .. .. 317,406 282,739 314,732 280,599 (For further statement of the Dominion's cable business see page 39.)