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an output power of 1,000 watts, was installed in November last, and, in addition, new apparatus of an output power of 500 watts has been provided at Apia Radio (Samoa), which acts as the relayingstation for traffic passing between New Zealand and other Pacific islands. As a consequence of these modernizations the service has been greatly improved in reliability, rendering unnecessary the continuance of the high-power long-wave apparatus at Awanui Radio as an emergency plant. As mentioned hereafter, Awanui Radio was closed on the 10th February, and the apparatus, buildings, and land are now in course of disposal. It is now extremely rare for atmospheric or inductive disturbances to interfere appreciably with the regular exchange of messages on this route ; consequently delay on traffic is reduced to a minimum, with an attendant saving of operating-time. A short-wave transmitter similar to that installed at Apia Radio has recently been ordered for installation at Rarotonga. This will permit Rarotonga to communicate direct with Wellington, and on that account will enable the charges for messages passing between Rarotonga and New Zealand to be substantially reduced. Consideration is also being given to the extension of radio facilities to certain of the more distant islands of the Cook Group. BYRD ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION : RADIO TRANSMISSION. With a view to rendering every assistance to the Byrd Antarctic Expedition, permission was granted to establish a radio receiving-station at Dunedin, with the use of a Morse line from the Dunedin receiving-station to the high-power transmitter on board the " Eleanor Boiling " at Port Chalmers, this enabling the expedition to maintain direct communication with its base. On the occasion of the return to New Zealand from the Antarctic of the expedition a special relay was arranged to enable Admiral Byrd to speak by means of radio with America. The conversation was arranged by the Radio Broadcasting Co. of New Zealand, Ltd., in conjunction with Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Ltd., Sydney, and the General Electric Co., New York, and took place at 12.30 a.m. (New Zealand summer time) on the I2th March, 1930. The speech was relayed from station 4YA, Dunedin, by land line, and submarine cable to Station 2YA, Wellington. The Wellington broadcast was picked up by the Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) experimental station 2ME, Sydney, and transmitted to the General Electric Co.'s station 2ZAF, Schenectady, N.Y., U.S.A.; and the short-wave transmissions from this station were simultaneously received and broadcast in New Zealand, thus enabling a two-way conversation to take place. The transmissions were broadcast by the New Zealand stations and also in Australia and America, and arrangements were made to enable the speeches to be heard in the United Kingdom and on the Continent of Europe. The relay proved an immense success, and further demonstrated the world-wide value of radio communication. AWANUI RADIO. For some time past Awanui Radio has been maintained solely as a stand-by station —firstly, owing to the indifferent reception previously obtainable at Auckland Radio, and, secondly, as an emergency station for the New Zealand-Samoa service. On the institution of remote reception at Auckland, however, and the provision of higher-power apparatus in the overseas service conducted by Wellington Radio, the necessity for maintaining Awanui Radio ceased, and the station was closed on the 10th February, 1930. The closing will result in a considerable saving in annual charges. AUCKLAND RADIO. The radio service to ships in northern New Zealand waters has, since the closing of Awanui Radio, devolved solely upon this station. As an emergency apparatus for use in the event of the impotence of the regular transmitter from failure of the city electric-power supply, a low-power battery-operated transmitter has been provided, and has already justified its existence. The unattended remote receiving-station continues to provide a satisfactory standard of reception but, owing to the extension of electric-power reticulation, inductive interference has lately become troublesome. Experiments are therefore being conducted with a view to determining a more suitable location for the receiver. WELLINGTON RADIO. An additional short-wave transmitter rated at 3 kw. (1 kw. aerial) was installed at Wellington Radio in November last. This equipment is of modern design, and is now in regular use for the shortwave service between New Zealand and the Pacific islands. During the preliminary testing of the transmitter, reports were received from England indicating satisfactory reception during certain hours of the day. High-speed telegraphy tests have also been carried out with Sydney Radio, and speeds up to 100 words per minute were satisfactorily transmitted. The equipment is provided with remotecontrol apparatus, enabling the transmitter to be controlled from the receiving-station. The receiving equipment has been removed to a new building some 200 yards from the transmittingstation. The removal of the receiving-station now enables the medium-wave service to ship stations and the Pacific island short-wave service to be carried out simultaneously. In order to provide for remote control of the transmitter used for the ship service, additional switching-apparatus for automatic starting and stopping and control of wave-length has been installed at the main transmitting-station.