TELEPHONES FOR FARMERS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 204, 8 May 1912, Page 7

TELEPHONES FOR FARMERS

FORWARD POLICY NEEDED. Auckland, May 5. The question of telephones for settlers was discussed with a reporter by the secretary of the Auckland A. and P. Association (Mr. Edwin Hall), who said: "We have been collecting information for some years with the object of inducing the Government to encourage the installation of rural telephone systems by giving more power to local bodies or local residents to undertake the work. From what I have seen in England, Canada and America, I have realised for a lengthy time that New Zealand is somewhat behind in this matter of rural telephones. An adequate and inexpensive system would mean much to the commercial and agricultural progress of a country, like this, as well as to the convenience and comfort of those living in the backblocks.

"It is surely not too much to ask," said Mr. Hall, "that the Government might <lo something to assist the farmers to provide them either through the local bodies or by co-operative effort, as is being done successfully in other lands. The fight for the world's markets is be-j coming fiercer, and our primary produc- j era,' if they are to hold their own, ought to he placed on as good a footing in ■ this respect as their rivals. Farmers ! can erect lines cheaper than any Government can possibly do. Any settler who can erect a wire fence can put up a telephone wire." A statement was made by Sir Joseph Ward to the effect that it was simply impossible for the Government to cope with the demands for country telephones, and that to grant all the telephone re-1 quests now made would cost £7,000,000. After reading this statement while crossing the Pacific, Mr. Hall asked some farmers on the s.s. Moana how the difficulty was met in their country. "In our country they have all got them," said a Manitoba farmer. The council in his district erected the system, and provided farmers with telephones for £3 per annum. Of this sum £ 1 was paid to the Government to give the farmers the use of the long-distance trunk lines without further charge. The farmers were putting their lines in everywhere. There was a regular network of them. A Texas settler stated that the Bell Telephone Company were providing the farmers with telephones (worth 37s 6d> for sixpence per week (=ix dollars a year). The suggestion has been made that the local bodies concerned with the control of outlying districts should take concerted action in an endeavor to have some scheme provided for the establishment of rural telephone systems. One has been introduced in the Northern Wairoa, and is said to be working most satisfactorily with a list of over 100 subscribers. i "' i = i