CITY TELEPHONES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18239, 25 November 1924, Page 8

CITY TELEPHONES.

PROGRESS OF IMPROVEMENT SCHEME. Steady progress is being made with the scheme for the improvement of the city telephone Service which is to be effected by placing the main telephone feeder cables underground, and by the establishment of a new exchange. Practically every overseas steamer that arrives brings some of the equipment for the new exchange,, aud.the tentacles of the underground cable system are extending as fast ae possible to the outskirts of the city. . The multiple-way self-aligning ducts, which carry the cables underground, have been laid from the new exchange in Hereford street to the St. Albans sub-exchange and a number of the cables hatve been drawn in and are being jointed. The laying of the ducts from the now exchange along Hereford street to the corner of Linwood avenue, with a branch along Stanmore road to the Linwood post office, has been almost completed and will be finished probably in a week or two. It was intended, after the completion of this part of tile scheme, to put in hand the reticulation of Sydenham to the foot of Cashmere Hills. Representations have been made to the Telegraph Department by the city traffic authorities that it would be desirable to postpone this work till after January next, when ,the traffic in the main streets to be'opened up will not ba so great. The Department is cooperating with the city traffic authorities in this matter and operations in Colombo street and Manchester street will be postponed accordingly. The next portion of the work to be put in hand will be probably, the reticulation from the St. Albans post office to the Papanui post office.