TELEPHONE EXTENSIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 9 January 1925, Page 1

TELEPHONE EXTENSIONS

ADDITIONS AT HOKITIKA. About twenty'men are employed at present laying extensions of the telephone line underground. The work i.-. proceeding under the charge of Mr A. D. Baggs. Assistant District Telegraph Engineer. The work has become :i-‘-cessary, a ‘‘Guardian” representative was informed yesterday, because of the growth o i the town, and the fact that to-day several applications for connections are waiting connection. this is v>, particularly in the residential portion of the town. The extension of the telephone cable now being laid will be in tbo direction of Hampden Street, and this will afford extra aceoiiimodilion for about 275 new .subscribers, which will meet the needs of the town lor some considerable time.

A gootl deal of expenditure lias been going on of late on the Meat Coast in regard to telegraph and telephone extensions. due to the. fact that during the war period work of the nature* referred to had to lie suspended practically because of the difficulty and cost of procuring material. The difficulty has been removed, hut although the cost for material is still high it hits to be procured because of the demands for connections. New Zealand makes a good deal of use of the tele| bone. i!elalivclv to its population, it stands third highest in tbo world. The Department is showing a disposition. now that circumstances are more favorable to expand the telephone business to its tallest. The volume of telephone and telegraph business is a. very good index of general prosperity and it is satisfactory to know the work here i.s expanding. The cost [or the service to subscribers is a light one, and naturally with more subscribers the service becomes more anil more useful. This suggests that the time i.s opportune to consider the question of a continuous telephone service, making the system more useful still. The additional cost for the extra hours is very light to the snhx.-libers, while the lienelits are greatly increased. It is part of the policy now to cater for parti lines of two or four subscribers. Tin.- reduces the individual cost, and for a working community .such as this, brings the telephone more within tbi' reach of all. The desire is to have a telephone in eveiv homo, and that aecoiut lished there would he great economic benefits to the (ouniry. Many small centres in the Dominion are great users of tin 1 telephone. In Canterbury, for instance, several towns smaller than Hokitika have larger telephone exchanges in proportion to residential population. The farmers in surrounding i ounfry districts are becoming alive to the value of the telephone for both business and social reasons, and it is extending all the more rapidly on the East Coast because of that recognition. IVrlmps here there will he a like awakening and the telephone will become more used and appreeiafed. The new line now being laid will be mi tlie metallic circuit, (hits ensuring a good service. The trunk connections will) Hokitika arc now very satisfactory. making (lie whole service very

acceptable. No doubt, with the improvement.'- now being made, apatl from applications alreatly wailing, there will lie nil increase of subscribers, steadily adding to the Usefulness of the vsl.'ii, as a "bole.