P.—l.

TELEGRAPH AND TOLL SERVICES. TELEGRAPH TRAFFIC. Telegraph business continues to increase at a very satisfactory rate. The following table shows the growth in volume and revenue during the last five years : —

REDUCTION IN EMPIRE CABLE RATES. Mention was made last year of reductions in Empire cable rates from the 25th April, 1938, as an outcome of the conference of representatives of Empire Governments which took place during the Imperial Conference in London in 1937. Briefly, provision was made for a flat rate of Is. 3d. a word for full-rate messages to all British Empire points to which the rate previously was above that level, code telegrams, deferred telegrams, and letter-telegrams being charged for at two-thirds, one-half, and one-third, respectively, of the new full rate of Is. 3d. a word. In 1876 the full rate on messages to the United Kingdom was lis. 4d. a word. By 1891 the rate had been reduced by steps to 10s. 2d. a word. In 1893 a substantial reduction to ss. 2d. a word was announced ; and by 1931 the rate had reached the low level of Is. Bd. a word, this amount being again reduced on the 25th April, 1938, to Is. 3d. a word. A history of the alterations that have taken place in the cable rates between New Zealand and the more important Empire countries since 1876 is shown at page 38. INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE, CAIRO, 1938. An International Telecommunications Conference at which telegraph, telephone, and radio matters were considered met at Cairo on the Ist February, 1938, and New Zealand was represented by Mr. M. B. Esson, the Dominion's member of the Imperial Communications Advisory Committee in London. The following is a summary of the more important amendments made to the regulations governing the acceptance of overseas telegrams : — (1) " Deferred " telegrams are subject to a five-word minimum charge. (2) Provision has been made for " refer to sender " paid service requests. The party requesting this service must pay a fee of Is. 7d., which is retained by the Administration originating the request. (3) In a telegram composed of plain-language words and passages in cipher language, the plainlanguage words are counted at the rate of five (reduced from fifteen) letters to a chargeable word. (4) The fee for a certified copy of a telegram was reduced to 6d. up to fifty words. (Previously the minimum charge for a certified copy was Is. 3d.) (5) Radio-broadcasting stations are entitled to receive overseas telegrams at press rates. (6) The multiple service is available for letter-telegrams. These changes took effect on the Ist January, 1939. In the radio section of the Conference much time was devoted to the reallocation of the bands of frequencies, and as a result of the decisions arrived at many changes will take place on the Ist September, 1939. DECORATIVE TELEGRAM STATIONERY. The provision of decorative stationery for telegrams of a greetings nature has proved most popular, the number of these messages continuing to increase. A change in the design of the " received " form and envelope was made in April last, and a special " forwarded " form for this class of message was introduced.

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„ , , Number of Paid Messages Year ended (all Classes). Revenue. £ 31st March, 1935 .. .. 4,175,929 280,124 31st March, 1936 .. .. 4,566,010 288,775 31st March, 1937 .. .. 5,117,498 313,070 31st March, 1938 .. .. 5,453,637 329,905 31st March, 1939 .. .. 5,712,087 341,487