128 37. Posts and Telegraphs. With two exceptions there was no important extension of the ppst an?i telegraph system during the period of the war.

During the Darfur operations the head of the telegraph system was pushed 246 miles westward to El Fasher, Material for the extension wa obtained by dismantling two other telegraph lines of less importance and utilising the material so obtained and all spare material in the country.

Communication by wireless was introduced into the Soudan in 1915. In that year stations were installed at Port Soudan, Malakal, Nasser and Gambela; in 1916 at El Fasher and Kebkebia (in Darfur); and in 1918 at Kereinik (in Darfur), Wau and Mongalla.

Owing to the impossibility of obtaining material the historic Suakin-Berber desert telegraph line has had to be dismantled and the supplies so obtained utilised in maintaining other lines. The wire was run on poles alongside the railway.

The old Turkish cable connecting Suakin and Jeddah (262 miles), was taken over in 1916, the two terminals being worked by the Soudan and Hashimite Administration respectively.

Rates. The telegraph rates remained unaltered during the war. The postal rates were altered in two small particulars only: owing to the increase in transport rates the charges for transport of parcels between Egypt and the Soudan and in the Soudan itself were slightly raised; and owing to the increase in the cost of stationery the price of stamped stationery was slighDy raised.

In spite of this the revenue increased 106 per cent, from £E. 68,810 to £E. 141,597.

As a result of rigid economy, and in spite of rising prices, the expenditure only rose 31 per cent, from £E. 93,753 to £E. 122,547. The greater part of this increase was absorbed by salaries.

The indoor and outdoor staff increased from 416 to 485 and 434 to 456 respectively.

The number of post and telegraph offices permanently open for traffic and including travelling offices increased from 84 to 90.

Correspondence dealt with increased from 6,650,607 to 7,533,758. All the mail services were maintained. The parcel traffic increased from 115,130 to 172,297 packages, and the receipts from £E. 4,363 to £E. 10,420.

The C.O.D. parcel traffic increased from 25,304 packages, valued at £E. 33,845, to 36,477 packages valued at £E. 123,846.

Remittances by money order increased in value from £E. 1,980,171 to £E. 5,059,5, and revenue derived from the comrtiission from £E. 7,967 to £E. 12,531.

Savings bank deposits increased from '£E. 3,189 held by 707 depositors to £E. 18,831 held by 1,638 depositors. Interest at per cent, was paid. The bank was inaugurated in October 1913.

The telegram traffic increased from 558,561 messages to 894,473 messages, and the receipts from their transmission from £E. 39,121 to £E. 95,888.

Telephones.

Owing to the difficulty in obtaining materials, the policy has been adopted of concentrating all telephones in any one building in a branch exchange in preference to making direct connections to the main exmiange. By doing this the limited capacity of the main exchanges has not been exceeded, but the financial result does not represent the actual increase of the system.

The system has increased from 7 exchanges, 10 branch exchanges and 353 telephones to 7 exchanges, 18 branch exchanges and 424 telephones.

In spite of this decentralisation the number of calls dealt with by the main exchanges has increased from 2,360 to 3,274 per day.

The revenue derived from subscription has increased from £3,057 to £3,198 per annum.

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