BUSINESSMEN'S MEETING

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 165, 25 March 1955, Page 5

BUSINESSMEN'S MEETING

•The monthly meeting of the Comniittee of ^he Taupo Businessmen's Association was held on Thursday, March 17, Mr Ian Logan being in the chair. The watter of a 24-hour telephone service for* Taupo was again discussed, members mentioning that the recent fire at Messrs Tuck Bros.' mill property had indicated how valuable a eontinuous service woiild be in such emergencies. It was decided to engage a capable canvasser, who would be paid to collect the necessary signatures to a petition asking the Post and Telegraph Department to institute the required service. The Association already has some hundred odd signatures, but it is essential to secure considerably more, as the petition mu.st be si'gned by two-thirds of the subscribers. It is known that the Department plans to commence the erection of/ the new telephone exchange shortly, and it is therefore considered desirable to have the matter of a eontinuous service finalised as soon as possible. It was mentioned that there were now some 573 subscribers on the Taupo - fexehange list, and that a considerable further . number of applications was already in hand. The great majority of towns with 400 subscrii)ers had secured eontinuous telephone service, and many centres with from two to three hundred had had eontinuous services for years. In view of its tourist and lioliday chafacter, Taupo might be considered as being jmaykedly behind the times in not having secured such a service ere this. Subscribers may sign the necessary petition at Mr Ian Logan's Sports Depot, Tongariro Street, or at Mr M. L. Svensen's office, Heuheu Street, which will lighten the task of the canvasser. The pieeting discussed the matter of a local bus service and parcel delivery service, and decided to support the application for same. The matter of the Pueto Bridge, on the Taupo-Broadlands Road, was discussed, and it wras decided to write to the Taupo County Commissioner expressing thanks for the improvement made to the approacli on the- Taupo side, and ai-o to the Rotorua County Council requesting that the approach on the northern side be rectifled, as it was dangerous at present, particularly in view of the. fact that traflic would be detoured over this route when work was in progress on the Mihi Bridge oil the Rotorua-Taupo highway.