TELEPHONE DEVELOPMENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 964, 6 May 1930, Page 11

TELEPHONE DEVELOPMENT

COMMERCIAL BRANCH FOR P. AND T. DEPARTMENT APPOINTMENTS MADE That a commercial branch has been established in connection with, the Post and Telegraph Department is a recent announcement made by the Postmaster-General. The new branch is to be administered bv the secretary of the department, while Mr. M. R. Aldridge has been appointed business manager for the Auckland Provincial District and Mr. W. R. Newall as commercial manager. For the present, activities will be confined to the four chief centres, and as the branch develops, operations will be extended to the larger provincial towns. Although at the outset the activities of the branch will be concentrated on telephone development, it is not intended to lose any opportunities in furthering the department’s interests in every direction. The business managers will act as liaison officers between the department and the public, and any complaints received will be investigated. Concerning telephones, many business firms have systems which do not suit their requirements and the department will make a close study of their systems and endeavour to meet any requirements. There are now 150,000 telephones in the Dominion, and New Zealand is now the third country in the world in the number of phones in proportion to the population. America comes first and Canada second.

A new rental system has also been introduced under which new as well as existing subscribers, may pay their telephone rental monthly in advance, instead of half-yearly as at present. Subscribers paying monthly will receive a combined rental and toll account.