TELEPHONE CHARGES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 265, 3 August 1920, Page 4

TELEPHONE CHARGES

, • 4 DISCUSSION IN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. At yesterday's meeting: of tho executive of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce Mr. C. M. Banks moved— That in the opinion of ilie chamber tho present method of assessing telephone charges according to tho distance from tho exchange is inequitable. and that there should ho a uniform average flat rate for both business and privato connections within the city, and that tho present method of charging extra mileage should apply only to the suburbs and long-distance lines.

The chairman (Mr. A. F. Roberts) seconded the motion, and in doing 60 mentioned tho unfairness of a person being penalised because their placo happened (o be a little farther away from the exchange than another's. Another memlxsr introduced tho subject of the proposed toll system in telephones, whereby, a subscriber was charged according to' the number of calls made. If they intended to protest against Buch a system it would be better to do so now rather than wait until it was introduced. Rather than pass the resolution off-hand Mr. If. D. Bennett 6aid that it might bn better to leave the matter'ovor until next meeting, mid in tho meantime find tfut exactly what was being done. That was agreed to.

In this connection it may bo stated that the toll Bystom is to bo introduced as soon as the automatic system is installed in its entirety. Under this system tho big users will have to pay a good deal more than they are asked to do at present, whilst the small users will not have to pay so much. The system is in use nearly all over the world.