KIO KIO.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 528, 21 December 1912, Page 5

KIO KIO.

Own Correspondent.

A meeting of the Farmers' Union (Kio Kio branch) was held on Wednesday evening to meet delegates from the Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce. The delegates, Messn Lawson, Stewart and Warburton, were met by a poor attendance. The matter for discusaion was rural telephones. The delegates made out an exceedingly strong case for their own exchange. It appeared that the only real difficulty lay in the fact that Kio Kio settlers are very much nearer to Otorohanga, so that the cost of con truction from that exchange would be very much less than the cost of a line to Te Awamutu. Numerous questions were asked and answered. The advantages of the two exchanges were compared and discussed fully. It wa3 pointed out that the Otorohanga ex change was has very few subscribers, wherea3 that of Te Awamutu would place some two hundred telephones scattered over a very wide area, at the call of our settlers. The general opinion, however, seemed to be that the chief use of a telephone would be in cases of sickness. Settlers could ring up Otorohanga for a doctor and get him within an hour, whereas Te Awamutu practitioners could not arrive for some considerable time. The expense in the latter case would be very heavy compared with that of a visit from the nearer township. There seems little doubt that at least one party wire will connect with the Te Awamutu exchange, but it is highly probable that two, or perhaps, three, will be constructed to Otorohanga. The delegates, however, de serva our heartiest thanks for explaining this matter so fully and clearly to the farmers. They have, at any rate, achieved their main oh' ject—opened our eyes to the ease with which we may install telphones. The meeting closed with a hearty vote of thanks to the Chamber of Commerce and its delegates.