D.—2.

LIV

Telegraph and Telephone Facilities.—lo7 miles of poles have been erected and 402 miles of wire have been run during the year; fifty-nine connections to railway telephone circuits have been provided ; thirty-five new connections to public exchanges have been provided ; fifteen electric bells have been installed. Metallic circuiting of telephone-lines has been completed on the following sections : WhangareiOpua ; Otiria-Kaikohe ; Wanganui - East Town ; Wingatui-Middlemarch ; Timaru-Normanby ; Woburn-Hutt Park; Lepperton Junction - Waitara ; Riverton-Tuatapere ; Millers Flat - Roxburgh ; Waiotira Junction - Kirikopuni; Tahawai-Matata. Telephones have been superimposed over the existing Morse lines between Lambton and Masterton. An exchange connected to the public automatic has been installed in the Auckland Goods Office, comprising three trunk lines and twelve intercommunication lines. Automatic intercommunication exchanges (PBX system) are now being installed in the following workshops: Otahuhu, Hutt Valley, Addington, Hillside. The totals now in use are —-Morse instruments, 286 ; telephones, 2,156 ; electric bells, 403 ; miles of wire, 1 ] ,641 ; miles of poles, 3,044 ; separate connections to public exchanges, 590. Electric-lighting Installations. —During the year flood lighting has been installed in the following station-yards : Mercer, Napier, Westport, Auckland (additional). At Newmarket a special hoarding in workshops yard has been flood-lighted. The following stations have been equipped with electric lighting : Woburn Station ; Waterloo Station; Onehunga Wharf, Station, yard, and signals ; Oratia Station; Onehunga Station and locomotive-shed ; Napier Station, yard, goods-shed, locomotive shed, and signals ; Waimauku Station and yard ; Helen sville South Station ; Riversdale Station and yard ; Lumsden Station and yard ; TJtiku Station and yard ; Ohingaiti Station and yard ; Riverton Station and yard ; Plimmerton Station and yard ; Otaki Station and yard ; Carterton Station and yard ; Waipahi Station and yard ; Westport Station and yard, locomotive shed, workshops, and signals; Turakina Station and yard ; Tauranga Station and Yard, and refreshment-room; Paengaroa Station; Dunsandel Station and yard ; Greatford Station and yard ; Te Kauwhata Station and yard ; Ward Station and yard ; Porirua Station and yard; Fordell Station and yard; Beach Street Station; Horopito Station and yard ; Halcombe Station and yard ; Avondale Station and yard, and signals ; Glen Eden Station and yard, and signals ; St. Andrews Station and yard ; Washdyke Station and yard, and signals ; Mercer Station and yard, signals, refreshment-rooms, and locomotive shed; Ngahere Station and yard ; Bay View Station and yard. At Auckland the electric lighting and heating of the new Outwards Goods-shed and offices, combined Tourist and Railway booking-offices, Queen Street, and Parcels and Booking Office, Symonds Street, have been completed, and at Greymouth the electric lighting of the Elmer Lane new locomotive-depot has been completed. The following shops, halls, &c., have been equipped with electric lighting : Oamaru, social hall; Gore, engine-shed ; Invercargill, main store, and foreman of works' trust store ; Kumeu, stock-yard ; Addington, foreman of works' trust store ; Blenheim, goods-office ; Moumahaki, stock-yard ; Auckland, yard foreman's office ; Ashhurst, cattle-yard ; Tokomaru, stock-yard ; Wanganui, miniature rifle range ; Arthur's Pass, reticulation of public street and connecting of twenty-six private houses to railway supply completed during year. The electric lighting of the existing workshops at East Town is completed. The electric lighting of the new workshops and flood-lighting of the workshop yards at Otahuhu, Hutt Valley, Addington, and Hillside is in hand and nearing completion. A contract has been let for the electric lighting and heating of the new station and platforms at Auckland. Alterations involving 160 new lighting-points have been made to existing installations of all kinds, and fourteen heating and power points. During the year 343 railway houses have been equipped with electric light. The total number of stations lit with electricity is now 219. The total number of station-yards equipped with flood lighting is twelve. The total number of railway houses electrically lit is now 2,062. Electric-power Installations.—Through the year the electrification of Elmer Lane locomotive depot has been completed. The electrification of the new workshops at Otahuhu, Hutt Valley, Addington, and Hillside, also existing workshops at Napier, is in hand and nearing completion. At the Otahuhu, Hutt Valley, Addington, and Hillside workshops, substation equipment has been provided for the following maximum demand : Otahuhu, 1,500 kv.a. ; Hutt Valley, 2.100 kv.a.; Addington, 1,500 kv.a. ; Hillside, 1,500 kv.a. There is now approximately 10,000 h.p. installed. Railway Electrification.—The Lyttelton to Christchurch electrification has been completed and opened for traffic. Complete schemes and detailed estimates have been prepared for the electrification of existing lines, including Upper Hutt - Summit, Wellington-Paekakariki.