SLOT TELEPHONES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 590, 16 February 1929, Page 13

SLOT TELEPHONES

STREET INSTALLATION There are now 128 public slot telephones in use in the Auckland metropolitan area. At the end of the last financial year, March 31, 1928, Auckland city and suburbs had only 97 slot telephones, but provision was made then for the installation of 31 additional telephones. These have now been completed, anu the whole of the metropolitan area is well served.

Among the 31 new slot telephones Which were provided for in the estimates for this year were eight in front of the Post Office in Queen Street. This number was increased, however, to 18, and the action in increasing the original number has been well justifed. Other slot telephones were installed at St. Heliers, Kohimarama, Birkenhead and Northcote, as well as several in tho city itself and the nearer suburbs. Several of these were opened to the public quite recently. When the old slot telephone booths from outside tho Post Office were removed to make way for the new lot, they were used for other parts of the city. For instance, double boxes were placed in Victoria Street and in Wellesley Street, and single ones in Edendale and Ponsonby and other suburbs. This utilisation of the old booths saved the department considerable expense.

The demand for slot telephones In Auckland is increasing but the officers of the department must be guided by a policy which is dictated from Wellington.