TE KUITI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 425, 23 December 1911, Page 5

TE KUITI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

At the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce last week, various matters in connection with post and telegraph business were discussed. In the" matter of the extension of the letter carrier service, and the necessity of late posting boxes at the railway station, the secretary, Mr Mostyn Jones, was deputed to wait on the local postmaster, and lay the matter before him. A communication was received from the secretary of the Postal Department to say that the matter was receiving attention. With regard to the proposal to have direct telephonic communication with Auckland " the telegraph engineer, Auckland, wrote that a direct service with Auckland would entail a capital cost of £2750 for the communication of a metallic circuit at an annual cost of £222 for interest and maintenance of such a circuit. Half of this, however, would be taken over by the Government, but it would have to be realised that there would still be a matter of £lll, which would have to be received as revenue and a line devoted entirely to the use of Te Kui i would not bring in this amount annually. He concluded: "I have to inform you that it is recognised that better telep'nonie facilities should be afforded than obtain at present, and with this object in view it is proposed to erect an additional pair of wires from Hamilton to Auckland for the use of the King Country. This should afford ample accommodation for your district."

The chairman, Mr E. H. Hardy, was of opinion that there would be no difficulty in the revenue being obtained if the rates were reduced. Rate 3 of conversation at present were absurd. It cost .Is 6d for three minutes, and very often it cost 3s. ' Reduction of rates and greater facilities would create a demand which did not exist at present.

Mr Mostyn Jones thought that to have the line continued from Hamilton would not be a very great burden. Possibly tradespeople would guarantee from £4O to £SO of the interest. It was resolved to communicate with the department and point out that the accoU3tic arrangements were not good, the cost at present too high, and the service generally unsatisfactory.