F.—l.

The manner in which the exchanges are classified, the number of exchanges in each class, and the number of stations connected therewith on the 31st March., 1936, are shown in the following table : —

In addition to the stations shown in the preceding table, there were 3,895 stations connected by private telephone-lines directly or indirectly with departmental toll stations, making a grand total of 166,565 telephone-stations on the 31st March, 1936. The following table shows the number of telephone-stations in the North and South Islands on the 31st March, 1935 and 1936, respectively : —

The number of telephone-stations (main and extension) connected with each of the fifteen principal exchanges on the 31st March, 1936, was—Auckland, 23,130 ; Wellington, 21,333 ; Christchurch, 13,340 ; Dunedin, 8,691 ; Wanganui, 3,478 ; Palmerston North, 3,316 ; Hamilton, 3,255 ; Invercargill, 3,096 ; Hastings, 2,745 ; Gisborne, 2,731 ; New Plymouth, 2,318 ; Timaru, 2,125 ; Napier, 2,119 ; Masterton, 2,025 ; Nelson, 1,869. The number of party and rural lines on the 31st March, 1936, was 13,100, to which were connected 47,872 main stations—an increase of 1,026 and 1,839 respectively on the figures for the previous year. The following table shows, for each class of exchange, the respective percentages of business and residential stations, also the respective percentages of individual and party-line stations, on the 31st March, 1936 :—

34

Class I. Class II. Class III. Exchanges or Net- Exchanges or Net- Exchanges or Networks observing works observing works observing Class IV. Continuous Continuous Continuous Exchanges Attendance and Attendance and Attendance and or Networks Dominion having more than having 1,001 to having 201 to where the Totals, 3,500 Paying 3,500 Paying 1,000 Paying Attendance Subscribers' Main Subscribers' Main Subscribers' Main is restricted. Stations con- Stations con- Stations connected therewith, nected therewith. nected therewith. Subscribers' main stations .. 46,177 25,096 29,205 26,578 127,056 Toll and service stations .. 832 565 964 1,785 4,146 Public call offices .. .. 663 134 65 8 870 Extension stations— P.B.X. .. .. .. 11,789 2,863 899 120 15,671 Ordinary .. .. .. 7,881 3,631 2,367 1,048 14,927 Telephone-stations: Class totals 67,342 32,289 33,500 29,539 162,670 Number of exchanges in each class 4 14 61 269 348

Number of Telephone Stations on 31st March, 1935. 1936. I Percentage Main Extension T , , Main ! Extension „ , Increase. Stations. Stations. * Stations. Stations. 0 a ' North Island .. | 90,163 20,419 110,582 94,233 21,798 116,031 4-9 South Island .. 36,581 8,244 44,825 37,839 8,800 46,639 4-0 Totals .. 126,744 28,663 155,407 132,072 30,598 162,670 4-6 I

Percentage of , ® ass ' Class II Class III Class IV Dominion Exchanges. Exchanges. Exchanges. Exchanges. Percentages. Business stations .. .. 38 33 27 20 31 Residential stations .. .. 62 67 73 80 69 100 100 100 100 100 Individual-line stations .. .. 86 74 48 I 30 63 Party- and rural-line stations .. 14 26 52 70 37 100 100 100 100 100