F.—l.

TELEPHONE STATISTICS. A comparison of statistics in respect of the telephone system is made in the following table, which shows annually since 1930 the number of exchanges, the total wire-mileage, the revenue, and the total number of telephone-stations, together with the number of telephones for each 1,000 of population of the Dominion :

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, 1939, are shown in the following table :—

In addition to the stations shown in the preceding table, there were 3,504 stations connected by private telephone-lines directly or indirectly with departmental toll stations, making a grand total of 206,216 telephone-stations on the 31st March, 1939. The following table shows the number of telephone-stations in the North and South Islands on the 31st March, 1938 and 1939, respectively : —

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Number of Telephone-stations Year. Numbci of Miles of Wire. Revenue. Ex0hangeS - _ , Per 1,000 Population. [ 7 £ ! 1930 .. .. .. 349 513,096 1,206,714 161,323* 108-37 1931 .. .. .. 349 528,568 1,238,649 161,739* 107-04 1932 .. .. .. 349 556,735 1,218,072 160,779* 105-45 1933 .. .. .. 349 559,890 1,169,512 155.560* 101-21 1934 .. .. .. 349 560,509 1,164,711 155,059* 100-18 1935 .. .. .. 349 548,186f 1,190,773 159,170* i 102-06 1936 .. .. .. 348 557,834 1,252.964 166,565* 1 105-85 1937 .. .. .. 348 569,605 1,338,958 ! 178,599* 112-52 1938 .. .. .. 349 581,428f 1,458,042 192,019* 119-67 1939 .. .. .. 348 600,410 1,557,327 ! 206,216* 126-92 •ffyi < f.fr *jj 1 ' . I s * Includes approximately 4,000 non-exchange stations. t Revised figures.

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. T Subscribers' main stations .. 58,648 31,983 32,593 31,814 155,038 Toll and service stations .. 1,050 680 962 1,878 4,570 Public call offices .. .. 837 177 77 12 1,103 Extension stations — P.B.X. .. .. .. 17,774 4,432 1,412 165 23,783 Ordinary .. .. .. j 9,357 4,644 2,746 1,471 18,218 Telephone-stations: Class totals 87,666 41,916 37,790 35,340 202,712 Number of exchanges in each class 4 16 61 267 348

Number of Telephone-stations on 31st March, 1938. 1939. i Percentage Main Extension j T , . | Main Extension | T , , Increase. Stations. ! StationB. | a ' j Stations. Stations. North Island .. 109,446 27,268 136,714- 117,211 30,395 147,606 7-9 South Island .. 41,452 10,421 51,873 43,500 11,606 55,106 6-2 Totals .. 150,898 37,689 188,587 160,711 42,001 202,712 7-5