Telephone for Apiti.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 189, 9 February 1895, Page 2

Telephone for Apiti.

Mr Logan, Chief Inspector of Telegraphs accompanied by Messrs Robertson (officer in charge of the telegraph department) and Mr J. H. Stevens (the Feilding postmaster) made an official visit yesterday to the post offices at Cheltenham, Kiwitea, Birmingham, Apifi, Waituna, Stauway and Makino. The visit to Apiti was of some importance to that district as the application for telephonic communication with Birmingham was under consideration. We understand that a guarantee of about j620 a year for four years will be required from the settlers, and as soon as that is forthcoming the Department will at once commence the erection of a wire. It is probable the Pohangina County Council will be asked at its meeting to-day, by the energetic representative of the Mangapikopiko Riding (of which Apiti is a portion), Mr W. Vicary, to guarantee a moiety of the amount required, and, if so, it is almost certain the Council will accede to the request, as there is already an understanding to that effect on the point it having been arrived at a few meetings ago, when the Council promised to guarantee £7 for the wire to the Pohaugina township from Ashurst, but which has not yet been erected. Should this Council agree to guarantee a portion of the amount required we understand it would not be necessary to pay the money at the time of signing the guarantee, but would only have to be paid should there be a deficiency in the revenue. Settlers guaranteeing an amount, however, would be obliged to pf y at the time of signing, but their money would be refunded should the revenue cover the expenditure. "We would strongly advise the settlers in the Feilding Small Farm Block (Apiti) to take advantage of the very liberal terms offered and make a formal application, with the necessary guarantee, at once, otherwise the Department may indefinitely postpone the establishment of telephonic communication with that place. With reference to a wire to Pemberton and Rangiwahia, as no application has yet been made nothing can be done, but we do not think it improbable that the Department would favorably consider an application from the residents in those places and connect them with Apiti. The official visit to Waituna may, at some more distant date, result in a wire being erected from Cheltenham. Messrs Logan, Robertson and Stevens made an official visit to-day to the Awahuri, Campbelltown, Sandon and Bulls post offices.