D.—2.

General.—Much work of a general character has been undertaken throughout the year. At several stations alterations and additions have been carried out to the existing signalling and interlocking apparatus, motor points have been provided at several crossing-loops, and a number of stations and sidings have been equipped with tablet locks. At Auckland additional track circuits have been installed, and similar work has been put in hand at Invercargill, Greymouth, and Blackball. At Waitaki Bridge approach lighting of the " Down " signal has been installed. The crossing-loop at Pitcaithly's has been closed and a new crossing-loop opened at Andrews on the automatic signalling section between Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt. The total number of signalling installations in use throughout the system is as follows : — M, Oh. Number. Miles of single-line automatic signalling .. .. .. 224 78 Miles of double-line automatic signalling .. .. .. 99 26 Automatic crossing-loops .. . . .. .. .. . . 39 Automatic switch-locked sidings .. .. .. .. .. 42 Power interlockings .. .. .. .. .. .. 40 Mechanical interlockings . . .. . . .. .. .. 96 Interlocked tramway crossings . . .. .. .. . . 7 Fixed signals and Woods' locked stations . . .. .. . . 301 Tablet locked sidings .. .. .. .. .. .. 280 Tablet-working.—Tablet was installed on the section between Whakapara and Opua, Hukerenui Motatau, and Kawakawa being equipped as "switch-out" stations and Maromaku, Otiria, and Opua as permanent stations. Waihou was opened as a special holiday switch-out station, and Ahuroa, Wharepapa, Pukemiro, and Lochiel converted to switch-out working. Rotowaro was closed as a switch-out station and equipped as a permanent station. The tablet on the Wellington - Johnson ville and Taumarunui-Okahukura sections was superseded by automatic signalling. Wellington, Ngaio, Khandallah, Johnsonville, and Taringamotu were closed as tablet stations. The present position with regard to block working is as follows : — Total mileage equipped with tablet instruments. . .. . . 1,594 Number of tablet instruments in use .. .. .. .. .. 891 Number of tablet stations .. .. .. .. .. .. 359 Number of tablet exchangers .. .. . . .. .. -318 Telegraph and Telephone Facilities. —During the year 335 miles of copper wire were erected in new circuits. A new pole-line was built between Milton and Lawrence, giving a direct telephone service to Dunedin from the Lawrence Branch. Between Wellington and Palmerston North, via'the Wairarapa, train-control selective telephones were installed, and similar work is in progress on the Napier - Palmerston North section. In addition, train-control apparatus was provided between Greymouth and Hokitika, linked in with the system between Christchurch and Greymouth. The rebuilding of the communication lines between Parnassus and Waipara, connecting with the new South Island Main Trunk line, is nearing completion. The construction of the pole-lines being built in conjunction with the Public Works Department on the Napier-Gisborne and South Island Main Trunk railways has continued during the year. In Dunedin a 150-line automatic exchange with a three-position manual board combining Railway and Post and Telegraph lines and two cord-circuit repeaters, providing more efficient service for long-distance calls, have been installed. At Napier a new fifty-line manual-telephone exchange was installed. A new fifty-line switchboard tied in directly with the Wellington Station Exchange has been installed at the Hutt shops and extra circuits provided to meet the increased requirements between Wellington and the workshops. A platform-announcing system was installed at Dunedin. The statistics of communication facilities are as follows :— Morse instruments .. .. .. ' .. .. .. 148 Telephones .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,364 Miles of wire .. .. .. .. .. .. 18,231 Miles of poles .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,118 Railway exchanges, automatic . . . . .. .. .. 9 Railway exchanges, manual . . . . . . . . . . 13 Public-exchange connections . . . . . . . . . . 680 Level-crossing Alarms.—Flashing-light signals have been installed as follows : Huntly, Hakanoa Road; Paeroa, Pokeno-Paeroa Road ; Claudelands, Grey Street; Hastings, St. Aubyn Street; Waikanae, Akatarawa Road ; Amberley, Douglas Road.; Greymouth, Herbert Street; Edendale, Salford Street. The necessity for their use having disappeared following the provision of overhead bridges, subways, or deviations, traffic alarms at nine crossings have been removed. Flashing lights were added to the bells at Bridge Street, Mataura, and superseded, wig-wag signals at New Lynn, Titirangi Road; Feilding, Kimboltou Road ; and Levin, Queen Street. The total number of level crossings now fitted with automatic devices is 119. In addition there is a number of manually controlled bell signals.

XI