ENG-1948 — Page 160

for illegal transmitters in the course of the year as well as prose- cutions for the use of unlicensed Wireless Broadcast Receivers.

Telephones.

The Public Telephone Service is provided by the Hong Kong Telephone Co., Ltd. Before the war the Company was serving 14,000 lines on the island and 5,100 on the mainland besides a system of 500 Government and military lines on a separate automatic exchange. In spite of the grave damage caused by neglect and under-maintenance during the occupation the Telephone Company succeeded in maintaining a continuous, though restricted service from the moment of the re-occupation in spite of the fear of imminent breakdown during the years 1945 and 1946, and has now made good most of the damage.

Concurrently with this work of rehabilitation, preparations for the expansion of the Company's plant have proceeded apace and an ambitious programme is in hand to cope with the ever increasing demand for telephone service. Exchange equipment, cable and telephones have already been received which it is hoped will enable the Company to increase the number of working lines in Central and Kowloon Exchanges by 2,000 lines by May, 1949. Further equipment is on order with the aid of which it is proposed to increase Central Exchange to 17,000 lines and Kowloon to 7,000 lines A new peak Exchange for 400 lines is in course of construction. Two new submarine cables were laid across the harbour during the year. Buildings are under construction to house additional telephone exchanges in Hong Kong and Kowloon.

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