BIRKENHEAD WANTS AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 324, 9 April 1928, Page 8

BIRKENHEAD WANTS AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES

COMPLAINT OF RESIDENTS The need for the installation of tl>e automatic telephone for Birkenhead and district was again stressed recently when a boy met with an accident. Near the scene of the accideat there are three or four residents with the telephone connected, but because of it being a public holiday tbu Birkenhead exchange was closed and all the telephones disconnected. This meant a loss of time in getting the doctor and the ambulant • The only telephone connected wi* ll the city was the local police station, which was nearly a mile away from the accident. Several associations in the district and the Borough Council have stressed this point several times, but the Pand T. Department will not move to Install the automatic until a guarantee is assured of 200 subscribers. At present the Birkenhead Business Association has about 80 new subscribers signed up, which makes a total of 144. with the 64 names already oa the list. The department is making it ver * difficult to get signatures, owing to * not stating how- soon the automata* exchange would be installed after tn« required number had been obtained. The subscribers wished to be connected with the Takapuna exchange in the meanwhile, as Northcote Birkenhead are the only two distric still on the manual on the No Shore, the Northcote exchange being merged with Birkenhead, but the partment will not allow this.