Extensive tests and improvements have been carried out in the Police V.H.F. radiotelephone system and much additional equipment has been installed. Twenty one launches of the Water Police Department were fitted with V.H.F. equipment. One extra medical launch was also equipped for communication with the Marine Office. A transmitter was installed on a harbour launch to facilitate the calibration of radio direction finding apparatus on board .merchant vessels. Wireless surveys were carried out on 203 ships and 4 aircraft. The harbour fire floats are to be fitted with radiotelephone equipment. The radio beacon on Waglan Island has been in constant service and has proved of inestimable value to ships and aircraft approaching Hong Kong. Public address equipment has been put to extensive use for official requirements, either for ceremonies or on mobile vans for traffic control and
and health
health campaigns. Rehabilitation of the Government system of lines-submarine, cable, and overhead-has continued. A new control cable was laid to the Cape D'Aguilar radio station along a new route selected to avoid frequent interruptions due to cutting by thieves. The rehabilitation of all the New Territories overhead routes was completed. Various individual tele- printer circuits were provided for the airline companies and a low level lines network was made available to Rediffusion (H.K.) Ltd. The Peak radio station route was extended by a further cable and the rehabilitation of the cable along the perimeter of Kai Tak Airport was completed.
A new central battery telephone system for the Kowloon Canton Railway was installed, and the public address equipment at the Kowloon terminus was renovated and vastly improved. The central loop of the new public fire alarm system is now in operation, and work on the installation of the eastern and western loops is proceeding. A cross harbour cable was laid to replace the 41 pair submarine cable which was cut by thieves in December, 1948, and damaged beyond immediate repair.
TELEPHONES
The public telephone service is provided by the Hong Kong Telephone Co., Ltd. On the 31st December, 1949 the total number of direct exchange lines working on the company's system was 19,661 and the number of extensions 8,061, making a total of 27,732 stations. In 1945 the total number of working stations amounted to 6,000, none of which had received maintenance during the war years. Since that date, the exchange equipment has been completely overhauled, 16,693 telephone instruments have been received from the United Kingdom and installed on new lines or used to replace faulty instruments, and the internal wiring on
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