POSTAL REFORM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 90, 2 September 1912, Page 5

POSTAL REFORM.

CABLES AND PARCEL POST. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Speaking last night at the annual dinner of the Wellington Letter-carriers, the Hon. R. 11. Rhodes, Postmaster-General, said that a valuable report had been submitted by Mr. Buckley, chief electrician, and though he had not yet been able to master all its details thoroughly he was confident it would enable the Government to institute a number of important reforms before very long. The Minister said that he considered that automatic telephones should be adopted in largercentres. This system would greatly reduce the average length of wire required for each subscriber, and thus lessen the cost and widen the use of the telephone. Iji connection with this scheme, it is proposed to put exchanges at Oourtenav I'lace and Newtown. Mr. Rhodes said that, the recent arrangement under which "deferred" cables were sent at half rates, was by no means satisfactory, and no effort should be spared to secure reduced rates on ordinary cable messages. This would be feasible without additional charge to the country if the partners in the Pacific cable owned a cable across the Atlantic. Arrangements had been made with the Commonwealth to hold a conference on the subject, probably soon after the present session of Parliament. He believed the laying of the Atlantic cable, with other arrangements to be made, would, enable the charge on ordinary messages between New Zealand and Britain to be reduced from :is to 2s per word. When the conference was held he proposed also to take up the question of a reduction in the cable ratea between New Zealand and Australia. The new cable between Sydney and Auckland would probably, be* ready for working about December. Arrangements had been made with the Onion Company and the Railway Department which would enable the Government to shortly make a reduction in the charges for parcel post. The reduction would probably amount to 25 per cent. He was considering a scheme for bringing country fruitgrowers into direct touch with town consumers.