TELEPHONE SERVICE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18231, 15 November 1924, Page 3

TELEPHONE SERVICE.

EXTENSION HINDERED.

(OMCIiX TO "33£8 SWISS.") ;. AUCKLAND, November 14. A notable extension of the telephone] services in Auckland is hindered by an unfortunate delay in obtaining the essential apparatus from Europo for th© new automatic telephone service, the first shipment having been hopelessly damaged by water when the steamer Matatua suffered collision m tho English Channel. There are 1080 applications for telephone service, these making a prospective total of 10,000 subscribers for the new system which, with its seven exchanges, will have an actual capacity of 33,000 telephones and a potential capacity, by means of extending apparatus, of 100,000 telephones. Meanwhile no appreciable number of new subscribers to th 6 existing system can be connected until the automatic plant is brought into operation. The date of the change over to a complete automatio system is still open. Departmental officials bad hoped to have finished the installation of the plant and connexions before the end of this year at latest, but it is fair to note that such confidence was expressed before the mishap to the Matatua, and the irreparable damage to the original shipment of essential automatic telephone apparatus by that steamer. It is now stated that the change-over to the full system of automatic telephones cannot be made until early in the New Year.