POST AND TELEGRAPH

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 287, 26 April 1913, Page 5

POST AND TELEGRAPH

WHAT IS BEING DONE. A PROGRESSIVE POLICY. Per Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. At the opening of the Post Office tit Ravensbournc to-day, the Hon .R. Hcaton - Rhodes (Postmaster-General), I made some interesting remarks on the work of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. Touching on wireless telegraphy, he said the station at Awanui, North of Auckland, which now is completed, was of 85 kilowatts power. Tests had for some time past been made to and from Pennant Hills statipn, .Sydney, in accordance with contracts, and would be continued for some time. They had been fairly satisfactory so far, but be was making special arrangements for a series of tests of so searching a character that there should be little fear that the station would fail in any point when openid. The station at Awarua Plains (near the Bluff) would be similar to that of Awanui. He expected that this station would he completed in about two months, when similar tests would be carried out. These two high-power stations, it was anticipated, would be capable of rarrving on wireless communication with Australia at any hour of the day or night, He did not know howfar wireless would be used for commercial purposes. The Postmaster-General of Victoria, who visited New Zealand nome months ago, was anxious that it should be used commercially, and, if possible, he would arrange a scale )"! fees so that it might be so used. fenders have been called for full automatic telephone exchanges at six places in the Dominion, viz., Auckland, Wellington, Blenheim, Hamilton, Masterton and Omaru, Tenders would close at the beginning of next month. Agents representing the principal automatic telephone firms of the world had been in Wellington ascertaining the conditions, and there was evidence that there would be keen competition. The new system would be extended to other places later. The new long-distance telephones between Auckland and Wellington had been working only after 0 p.m., but would ultimately be available for bureau purposes at all hours. The Department had now under consideration the question of providing a submarine cable across Cook Strait, espec■»'lv adaptable for telephoning purposes. The providing of this cable, in conjunction with a modification of the extension of existing land values, would render practicable telephone conversation from Auckland .to the Bluff. Attention was being given by telegraph experts in other countries to direct printing by telegraph apparatus. The Department was obtaining full information in regard to the matter. Considerable attention was being paid by the Department to labor-saving devices. Space had been reserved for a model post and telegraph office at the forthcoming Auckland Exhibition, in which it was intended to show as far as possible how the business of the Department was expedited by the use of the machinery. An automatic telephone exchange set would not be the least interesting of the exhibits.