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MAINTENANCE OF LINES. Auckland Engineering District. —A severe gale on the night of the 18th June caused interruption to main lines throughout the Auckland Engineering District, the majority of the faults being south of Auckland. In the North Auckland section the east-coast wires were thrown out of action on the 26th June by a pole being blown down at Te Arai, while the central route was interrupted by a tree falling across the wires near Waikiekie, causing communication with Whangarei to be lost. The breakdown was soon repaired, and the accumulation of traffic for northern stations was rapidly overtaken. This gale also caused the dislocation of communication in the vicinity of Taupo, five poles being destroyed nineteen miles south of that station. Temporary repairs were effected, and traffic became normal within a few hours. Other gales of a less severe nature caused minor interruptions to traffic during the year. Wellington Engineering District. —Heavy gales were experienced in December and January in the Wariganui-Taranaki section, but, while some damage was done between Awakino and Mahoenui, the lines in all other parts of the district stood up satisfactorily to the ordeal. In the Nelson section, during the first two or three months of the year, several line-interruptions were caused by blasting operations on the Whangamoa and Rai Hills, where a considerable amount of work was carried out on road-improvements. In March a bush-fire on the Takaka hills destroyed about twelve poles, resulting in two miles of line requiring attention. Other minor interruptions were experienced in the Wellington District, but, on the whole, the lines stood up well to the unusual stresses caused by heavy weather. Canterbury Engineering District.—A large number of interruptions was experienced during the year, the most severe being the result of the earthquake on the 17th June. Very heavy damage was done to this Department's plant by the earthquake, the worst-aflected part of this district being the Westport-Karamea area. The damage done by the earthquake has been fully dealt with in another section of this report. On the 18th: July all south lines were interrupted south of Temuka, due to floods. Heavy thunderstorms in the Reefton locality on the 18th September caused the dislocation of traffic between Eeefton and Westport, communication being maintained by radio. Several other heavy gales were experienced in various parts of the district, the year being a bad one from an interruption point of view. Every effort was made on all occasions to restore communication at the earliest possible moment. Otago Engineering District.-—Early on Saturday, the 29th June, a heavy snowstorm swept the Dunedin-Ciinton main-line section, with the result that at 6 a.m. on the same day a total interruption was experienced on the main south toll and telegraph circuits, three and a half miles north of Balclutba. In addition, a number of simultaneous faults appeared on the Clinton-Balclutha section, together with interruptions on the Clinton-Waipahi main-line section, and a total break on the ClintonMataura Gorge section. Line parties were despatched at daylight when it was found that the damage was very extensive, and justified the immediate transfer of a line party then engaged at Owaka. Snow blizzards were experienced all day on the 29th June, and transport difficulties were increased on account of the heavy drifts thus formed. A small party from Dunedin reached the scene of the breakdown, thrfee and a half miles north of Balclutha, at midday. The line here is heavily angled where it is built over an exposed ridge on a winding road, and it was found that a two-mile gap existed, extending southwards. Insulated wire was immediately run over the gap to re-establish communication. Over a large part of the two-mile break the poles were bent to the ground or twisted and displaced at all angles, the intervening spans of wire being destroyed. By Tuesday evening, the 2nd July, all the breaks were repaired temporarily and a complete main-line service was reinstated between Dunedin and Invercargill. The same snowstorm, accompanied by a heavy south-west gale, also caused interruptions throughout the Invercargill section. Besides causing trouble on main lines, the storm brought down a large number of subscribers' lines at Balfour, Clinton, and Riversdale, and a smaller number at other exchanges. Temporary repairs were made as soon as the weather conditions permitted, and later on permanent repairs were effected. General. —The exceptionally large number of heavy gales experienced during last winter provided a very severe test of the Department's telegraph and telephone lines. No line can be built to withstand the severest bufferings of nature or a load of tons of snow, and there must come a time in the height of the storm when the most stoutly built line has to succumb to the elements. That the cases in which complete dislocation occurred were comparatively few proves that the Department's standards of overhaul and maintenance are high and are fully justified. In almost every case of a breakdown communication was restored within a few hours, which speaks well for the loyalty and efficiency of the Department's construction and maintenance staffs, the whole resources of which are thrown into the breach in cases of emergency. The repair gangs are often called upon to face very severe climatic conditions, but their hazardous tasks are invariably carried out with a maximum of speed and efficiency and a minimum of delay. The rapid increase in the mileage of bituminized and metalled roads throughout the Dominion has greatly assisted the Department in the maintenance of telegraph and telephone lines, and has largely assisted in the solving of transport difficulties. On the other hand, a considerable amount of expenditure has been involved in altering lines to conform with new alignments determined by road and rail construction. The interruption of telegraph and toll communication caused as a result of the earthquake of June, 1929, is covered in the article concerning that happening which appears at pages 13-16 of this report.
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