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NEW ZEALAND CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION: DEPARTMENTAL SERVICES AND EXHIBITS. At the Centennial Exhibition to be held in Wellington between November, 1939, and May, 1940, the Department will conduct for the convenience of the public a working office with postal, telegraph, telephone, money-order, and savings-bank facilities. Attached to the office will be a philatelic, bureau and stamp exhibition. A feature of the telephonic facilities to be provided at the Exhibition will be the public coin-in-the-slot telephones, provision having been made for the installation of up to fifty at strategic points in the Exhibition buildings and grounds. In a separate court there will be many interesting exhibits illustrative of the activities of the Department. These will include the following : — A " Pageant of Progress," in which the development of the Department throughout the years will be illustrated strikingly by a succession of cut-outs and models moving across the front of a cinematograph screen, on which will be shown, by way of contrast, modern methods of work and up-to-date equipment. A mechanical postal map showing Empire and other air mail-services. A relief model illustrating the Cook Strait communication services. A radio-telegraph transmitter. A " magic dial " (showing how ultra-short radio waves are used for communication purposes). A radio-telephone channel in miniature. Telegraph and telephone apparatus (historic and modern). Telephone-line-construction equipment. A small private automatic-telephone exchange. At intervals departmental activities will be illustrated by cinematograph films in the main cinema hall at the Exhibition. TRANSPORT OF CORONATION ROBES. The transport by road of the Coronation robes and regalia displayed at various centres throughout the Dominion between the 27th April and the 9th July was undertaken by the Department. Notwithstanding the unusually large size of the cases transported, the work was carried out in the scheduled time and without mishap. DEPARTMENTAL MOTOR - VEHICLES. Departmental transport activities during the year necessitated an extension of the Department's fleet of motor-vehicles. It has been necessary not only to provide more trucks for line construction and maintenance purposes, but also to meet a general increase in car transport in and around the four main centres. During the year 142 new vehicles (23 cars and 119 trucks and vans) were placed in service. All of the vehicles were of English manufacture, and the bodies for the trucks and vans were constructed in the Department's workshops at Wellington and Auckland. Thirty-seven vehicles were withdrawn from service. Vehicles in commission at the end of the year numbered 872, comprising 649 trucks and vans and 223 motor-cars. The fleet, including old vehicles held for sale, shows an increase of 105. The total mileage covered for the year was 6,879,738, representing an increase of 671,087 miles. BICYCLES. Details of bicycles in use at the end of the year are as follows : — Machines owned by individual officers for the use of which allowances are paid .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 748 Machines purchased by the Department and supplied free of cost to officers, who are required under agreement to maintain and utilize them in the Department's service for a fixed period based on the average weekly riding-time . . . . . . . . .. .. .. 134 Machines owned by the Department and held for use by officers as required for official purposes .. .. .. .. .. 575 During the year there was an increase of 28 in the number of bicycles in use. POSTAL SERVICES. OVERSEAS LETTER - POSTAGE RATES : REVISION. Government's decision that New Zealand would participate in the Empire air-mail scheme when it was extended to Australia in July necessitated a review of the letter-postage rates to all overseas countries, whether or not air transport was available. The new rates, which came into force on the 26th July, are as follows : — British countries (except Australia) and Egypt .. .. I -J,-d. each half ounce. Australia and dependencies .. .. .. .. Id. each ounce (rate unaltered). Foreign countries .. .. .. .. .. 2|d. first ounce and l-|d. each succeeding ounce (Postal Union rates). The special rates on letters sent by air to foreign destinations were retained.

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