ENG-1955 — Page 220

COMMUNICATIONS

Traffic figures for 1955 were :

169

Telegrams transmitted

Telegrams received

Radiophone mins. transmitted

Radiophone mins. received

Ship-shore radiophone mins. transmitted

Ship-shore radiophone mins. received Radio pictures transmitted (366 pictures) Radio pictures received (20 pictures) Press broadcasts (words handled) Meteorological broadcasts (words handled)

TELEPHONES

1,076,470

1,111,579

410,789

807,458

140

290

96,915 sq. cms.

4,565 sq. cms.

55,000,000 700,000

The Hong Kong Telephone Co. Ltd. provides and operates the Colony's internal public telephone service. In cooperation with Cable and Wireless Ltd., the service is extended by radio telephone, and is available to most parts of the world. The number of direct exchange lines working on the Company's system is approx. 39,000. The number of extensions is 17,000, making a total of approx. 56,000 stations.

A new automatic exchange of 5,400 lines was brought into service for Kowloon subscribers, and a new exchange of 1,000 lines was installed to serve the Peak District. A new automatic exchange of 400 lines was provided for the Tsun Wan area in the New Territories.

Work started on the foundations of a multi-storey building intended to house a new automatic exchange of 12,000 lines. This exchange is designed to serve the Western District of Victoria; installation will begin on completion of the building, in 1956.

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES

The Royal Observatory, which is the sole source of weather information in Hong Kong, provides forecasts for the general public, shipping, aviation and the Armed Forces.

During the year Northern Indo-China stopped broad- casting weather reports, and less information was received from aircraft in flight. On the other hand, better radio facilities, and more reports from ships enabled forecasting standards to be maintained.

The Royal Observatory's most important function is to give warning of storms. Whenever a tropical depression,