Annual report on the social and economic progress of the people of Sierra Leone.

Date:
[1935]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the social and economic progress of the people of Sierra Leone. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    31/52 (page 29)
    The total number and value of postal-orders issued during the year was 50,381 and £30,748, and the number and value of postal- orders paid was 41,523 and £26,110 as compared with the figures for the previous year which were—orders issued 43,948, value £25,121; orders paid 37,459, value £22,294. The parcel post transactions showed an increase, 32,180 parcels being handled as against 28,334 the previous year. In the cash-on-delivery parcels service (with Great Britain only) 8,512 parcels were received (value £14,451) as compared with 6,164 (value £10,500) in 1934. Telegraph System. The internal telegraph system is maintained by the railway. The main system runs from Freetown to Pendembu (227J miles from Freetown) with transmitting stations at Bauya and Bo; this system is connected up by branches with most of the district headquarters in the Protectorate. The total mileage is 1,099J, plus the railway traffic control line of 455 miles. Telephones. The only service is that in Freetown and district, maintained by the Bailway Department. The total mileage is 392J. Broadcast Relay Service. The Broadcast Service was inaugurated in May 1934, and is owned and controlled by Government. It is a relay service which operates on the rediffusion principle. The equipment, consisting of rectifying apparatus, two short-wave battery operated receivers and five power amplifiers, together with studio and gramophone equipment, is of the latest design. The power amplifiers are capable of giving a combined undistorted output of 300 watts. Directional reflector aerials are used and are erected 500 ft. above sea level. The station relays as a standard programme the whole of Trans¬ missions II and IV in the Empire programme from Daventry on wavelengths of 13, 16, 19, 25 and 31 metres. All transmissions from Daventry are receivable at good signal strength in normal circum¬ stances. The number of subscribers up to date is over 720. Cables and Wireless. Cable and Wireless Limited maintain a cable office and a low- power wireless station in Freetown; the latter is used mainly for communicating with shipping.