TELEPHONE CHARGES

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 556, 10 August 1920, Page 2

TELEPHONE CHARGES

COUNTRY AND TOWN SUBSCRIBERS. AN EQUITAULE ARRANGEMENT. The increase in telephone charges, as atVecting subscribers in the outlying districts, was discussed at a special meeting of the Pukekohe Chamber of Commerce held yesterday, the president (Mr. R. F. Webster) presiding. The general feeling of the meeting was that the country subscribers

were unfairly charged as against those in the city, because the latter were all within a short distance of the exchanges and had few or no bureau charges. The fairer method would be to increase the annual rental of the telephones and reduce the bureau charges. Mr. W. E. Gundy, of the Pukekohe Post Office staff, who was asked to attend the meeting to explain the new arrangement, said that at Onewhero, which was less than 20 miles from Pukekohe the bureau charges cf 3d were not increased. Six subscribers on a party line, say three miles from Pukekohe exchange, would be paying £4 per year each annual rental. For a line four miles out the charge would )>e £5 each.

Mr. Gundy explained that there had been no breach of agreement in regard to annual rentals, the increases only applying as from November 1 next.

The bureau fees in a place like Pukekohe would probably amount to double the subscribers' rentals. The suggested increase in rentals and decreases in bureau charges would mean that the people who did not possess telephones but rang up from bureaux would reap the advantage at the expense of subscribers. Mr. Gundy said that the daily papers' report, which had been taien as a basis of calculation by other newspapers and by the public, was misleading and overestimated the charges. Alter securing further details and examples of charges and distances from Mr. Gundy the meeting unanimously came to the conclusion that the country subscribers were not as heavily charged as were townspeople, and that nothing could be done 1o improve the formers' position; Any alteration in the basis of rentals or bureau fees would probably make matters worse instead of better. The chamber was unable to devise a more equitable arrangement. OFFICIAL STATEMENT.

In order to give our readers a>: authoritative statement of the position, the "Times" has secured, by •o.irtesy of the Pukekohe Telephone Kxchange, the following official statement of the new rates: -

Telephone Subscriptions.—At exchanges not open continuously the subscription for an exclusive circuit is raised from £5 to £6. For party lines the increase is £1 for each subscriber on the line. In additior to this, for lines over three miles ir length an extra charge of 5s pel quarter mile will be imposed, mak ing an extra charge of 10s per quarter mile. This charge of Ids is divided pro rata between the subscribers on the line. Thus a line of three and a-half miles with six subscribers would pay two quarter miles at H)s, equals £l, divided by six gives 3s 4d per annum for each subscriber. In cases where new poles are required this charge is subject to a further charge of 5s per quarter mile (this is same as previous rates), making £1 10s for the half-mile and 5s for each of the six subscribers, in addition to the usual scale increase for increase inAjßtance. The following are specimtlP&harges:—

For two subscribers one mile or less from exchange, £4 10s per annum each. For three subscribers one and ;>.- half miles or less from exchange, *.4 per annum each. For four subscribers, two miles or less from exchange, £4 per annum each. For five subscribers two and a-half miles or less from exchange, £4 per annum each.

For six subscribers three miles or less from exchange, £4 per annum each. For a continuous service exclusiv circuits would pay £7 each, or the business telephones £B, and the private ones £6.

For party lines, for four subscribers or less, £1 per annum additional to the total, and for each subscriber Hp to six 5s per annum additional. This makes a charge of £1 10s pei annum to give a party line of six an all-night service, or 5s per annum per subscriber. Bureau Charges. Up to 20 miles, 3min., 3d: each additional minute Id. Up to 20 miles, 3 minutes, 3d; each Over 20 and up to 25 miles, 3 minutes, Gd; each additional minute, 2d Over 25 and up to 50 miles, 3 minutes, 9d; each additional minute, 2d. Over 50 and up to 75 miles, 3 minutes, Is; each additional minute, 4d. Over 75 and up to 100 miles, 3 minutes, Is 6d; each additional minute, 6d. Over 100 and up to 150 miles, 3 minutes, 2s 3d; each additional minute, 9d. Over 150 and up to 200 miles, 3 minutes, 3s: each additional minute, Is.

Between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. the charges for calls between 20 and 50 miles are reduced to 6d for 3 minutes and 2d for each additional minute. For the longer distances the above charges are halved between the hours mentioned. The first charge given (up to 20 miles) is for subscribers using their own telephones, and non-subscribers would ; pay 6d for i minutes up to 26 miles, j