TELEGRAPHIC ORIGINS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 234, 28 June 1921, Page 5

TELEGRAPHIC ORIGINS

A DELUDING SUB-OFFICE. Tho address "Te Aro, New Zealand,” is not very illuminating to the outsider, who would never dream that Te Aro was actually the heart of the Empire City, yet as such it is known, as an office of origin, and therefore an address to reply to. One firm recently pointed this out to the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. H. D. Vickery (the secretary) made inquiries, and then wrote as follows to the Secretary of tho Post and Telegraph Department:—"Dear Sir, —One day last week I had the opportunity of discussing with Mr. Andrews, of the Telegraph Department, the manner which sub-offices of Wellington are shown in cablegrams. The case in point was that of Te Aro. A cablegram handed in at Te Aro is, I understand, not dispatched from there, but from the Wellington office. Te Are, I gather,' is a telegraph office, and is so recorded in the list of international cable offices, the designation being "Te Aro, New Zealand.” Since my discussion with Mr. Andrews I have had the opportunity of discussing the matter with several members of the chamber, and, although it is admitted that difficultydoes not often arise, and that the recipient overseas- of a cablegram showing Te Aro as the office of origin, could readily ascertain at his own office the locality of Te Aro, New Zealand, yet the fact is that on occasions difficulty does arise in this way—the recipients may know the sender of the cablegram as domiciled in Wellington, but not in Te Aro. I understand that the practice in connection with some city sub-offices is that the office of origin can be shown as ‘sub.* I am asked, therefore, respectfully to inquire whether, in view of the difficulties which have arisen, you would consider the advisableness of the Wellingtoii substations being recorded as ‘Wellington sub.’ A cablegram sent from overseas to anyone here addressed Wellington would, I believe, .be no more difficult to deliver than one addressed to Te. Aro, inasmuch as both would be delivered from the Wellington office." In reply, Mr. A. Markman (First-As-sistant Secretary) wrote:—"Sir,—ln reference to your letter of the second instant, inquiring whether in cable messages presented at any of the Wellington sub-telegraph offices, tho office of origin could be given as ‘Wellington sub, I beg to inform you that To Aro is the only Wellington sub-telegraph office the name of which is signalled in cable messages, and that, as regards Te Are. the office of origin will, be shown ns ‘Wellington sub,’ as in other cases.”