SLOT TELEPHONES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1664, 3 February 1913, Page 4

SLOT TELEPHONES.

THE GREAT DEMAND FOR THEM. (By Teicsrapli.—Press AtsoolaUon.l ! Chrlstchurch. February 2. Tho Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Postmas-ter-General, on his return from the south on Saturday, 'was seen by a reporter, and tho Minister's attention was drawn to remarks, mado by Mr. Ell, M.P., regarding a statement made by Mr. Rhodes to S'preydon deputation which '"r a 'slot telephone for that district. , Mr. Ell had criticised the.-Minister's ments .that moro slot telephones would be erected if funds .were available, and that estimate?.] wero drawn up bv tho present Government's predecessors In office, and that there were not, sufficient funds to supply all'needs in the matter of providing slot telephones.:, . Mr. Rhodes said that in the references yhich ho made dt Spreydon he did not intend to,reflect in any way upon the estimates prepared by Mr. Ell, for. no one oould have foreseen _the. inoreased demand for telephone extensions which arose during the first three months of the present Ministry's term of office. In that' period telephono subscribers had increased by 100 per , cent. As ho (tho Minister) had stated on'a previous occasion, , this increase was partly duo to the restriction of telephone rates provided for by tho party wire system. The result was that the capital expenditure, which is made from the Public Works Fund (voto for telegraph extension): had increased ionsiderably beyond the amount estimated, and while this increase left the Administration with'very restricted funds at'its disposal,, on tho other hand ~it tended to considerably inoreaso tho revenue from what is regarded as a paying business. Though the not result was an eminently satisfactory one, the amount" available out of the Publio Works Fund vote for) telegraph extension was loss than otherwise would have been the case,' and it is for this reasoh that the issue .of 6lot machines has had to be somewhat restricted in tho meantime.- As to Mr* Ell's remark that tho Minister was "quito unjustified in refusing the Spreydon deputation's.request," Mr. Rhodes_ said that he. desired to point out - that it was not only the Rnreydon request that he had to consider. There were Tenuests for a very large number not enly from the four centres, but, from smaller towns!