TALKING TIME

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 138, 8 December 1938, Page 8

TALKING TIME

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Since the new harsh regulation came in of limiting conversations on public telephones to three minutes, there must have been a big drop in revenue. Before that, one often had to wait a turn, but now they are .practically deserted. This is apparent to anybody about the city. The reason is not far to seek; the three minutes is totally inadequate. Generally, a deputy answers the call, and then has to get the required person, by which time another penny is demanded. If a reference has to be made, or a note taken, a further fee is demanded. Seldom or never will the one penny do. This also means carrying about a stock of nasty coppers or the annoyance of being "buzzed off" before one is finished. Further, the alleged three minutes is very often reduced to two, as has been proved between my partner and self with a stop-watch. The result is so unsatisfactory that we have had to largely abandon our former practice of ringing up our own or other offices when out about town. Ten minutes would not be too much to allow as the time limit. As things are, nearly all the public telephones are standing idle, while the public are deprived of their service and their revenue is lost. Sir, here shows out one of the great evils of bureaucracy. Such a loss of revenue or efficiency would never be tolerated in a proprietary concern.—l am, etc., COMMON SENSE. [The above letter was referred to the Director-General, Post and Telegraph Department, who commented as follows:—"The limiting of the period of conversation from slot telephones is now adopted by all the foremost telephone administrations of the world, and is necessary in the public interest. The timing devices on slot telephones in New Zealand are adjusted, to allow a full three minutes' conversation from the time the coin is inserted until the warning buzz is given. Actually, the full period of conversation possible before the line is disconnected is slightly in excess of three minutes, the minimum charge for which is Id. In Ausjtralia and in the United Kingdom the minimum fee is 2d, while in Canada it is 5 cents, or 2Jd. The fixing of timing devices to slot telephones has not caused a decreased use of such facilities, as is borne out by the collections. During the past six years the average revenue from each public telephone has increased by 12 per cent., notwithstanding that during the same period the number of installations has grown from 750 to 1066. The fact that the Department has found it necessary to duplicate many of the busier installations to prevent congestion is a clear indication that slot telephones are enjoying increasing popularity."]