BACKBLOCKS TELEPHONES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 33, 9 June 1915, Page 2

BACKBLOCKS TELEPHONES

A NEEDED EXTENSION. Representations have been made from time to time by the Stratford Chamber of Commerce, the Ohura and Whangamomona County Councils ami other bodies urging the extension oi tiie telephone line from Tahora to Tatu. The present telephonic communication extends eastward as far a» Tahora, and if i fc were extended as urged to Tatu, business relations between Ohura and other parts of Taranaki would be greatly facilitated. The necessity of this has been recognised for a long time by settlers of the district, and they consider the desired extension to be a very reasonable request. The progress of settlement and the consequent increasing business demand a linking up between Ohura and | Whangamomona. Representations have been invariably turned down by I the Hon. Postmaster-General, and the 'latest instance of this is contained in letters received by the Chamber of Commerce and printed hereunder. We are pleased to know that the Chamber has decided to continue its endeavours to have the desirable extension made:

"AN ABSURD REPLY." Mr J. B. Hiue, M.P., to the Chamber I of Commerce — ' Sir, I have the honor of forwarding for the consideration of your executive the accompanying reply received from the Postmaster-General concerning matters submitted by myself at your executive's request. . . . The reply to the request for telephone connection between Tahora and Tatu can only be classed as absurd, and is evidently a copy of an answer kept in stock' by the Minister. It is not the first time we have received this reply from the Department, and such treatment of the backblocks is certainly not going to encouiage tbe development of the inland country. I trust the Chamber will continue their endeavors to obtain this very necessary facility of communication. —Yours sincerely, J. B. HINE." Department's Letter to Mr Hi»e.— "Sir.—ln reference to your letter of the 2th ultimo, asking that a telephone line be erected between Tahora and Tatu : I have fche honor to inform you that the erection of a single extension telephone line between Tahora and Tatu would not provide a serviceable through circuit that could compete with the present means of telegraph communication between the two places. The circuit, if erected, would not be continuous. It would require to be kept divided at both offices and would, therefore, be available only for local working between Tahora and Tatu jThe connection would be of as little benefit to'the Department at it would be to tbe public. "The Stratford Borough Council has suggested that a line could he cheaply installed by use being made of the timber on the proposed route, or possibly by attaching the wire to trees. By the use of birch saplings, the cost of construction would, no doubt, be somewhat reduced but such a line [would require to be renewed in a very 'short time. Wires attached to trees are a source of constant trouble and expense in the removing of faults. No doubt such a cheap line could be inexpensively maintained by private owners, who are living on the spot; but the maintenance would be costly to the Department owing to the distance the lineman would have to travel to remove, perhaps, a minor fault, involving probably a day or two of time for a few minutes' work. In the circumstances, it is regretted that the Department is not at present prepared to erect the desired line.—l have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, R. HEATON RHODES, Post-/master-General."