COUNTRY TELEPHONES.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 March 1920, Page 4

COUNTRY TELEPHONES.

PRIVATE WISES FOR SETTLERS, THE GOVERNMENT- SCHEME. . By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Postmaster-General, the Hob. J. Q. Coates, announced to;-day "thai in order to make it easy for* any settle* t*. connect his house or homestead'by * private wire with the nearest telephone office the department will undertake W sell telephones to settlers at the actual cost of the material for a telephone construction, on a deferred payment system, interest to be charged on unpaid money at the rate of. five per cent, per; annum, instalments to be payable halfyearly, and instalments to be of such an amount as will pay W both principal and interest in a perji#l of ten years inv til the whole of. the Brincipal is repaid, the materials to remain the property of the P. and T. Department"The scheme, of coune, refers only to private lines intended to connect with the Department's system and not to private lines intended for private intercommunication apart from the Department's system. Summed up. the position will be that settrera desiring to erect a private wire will.be' able to obtain material from' the Department at the lowest price, and on the easiest possible terms and will also, through a private line .license, obtain the assistanre and advice of the Department's engineers in the erection of the line. If the settlers themselves can supply poles and possibly wire and Insulators and labour for erecting a line, work of construction will cost them, nothing, os the Department will provide supervision of the work by an engineer free. "The greatest difficulty has" been experienced by the Department in getting materials; itm glad to say that at present the Department has fair supplies of telephones and insulators and further supplies arc on order. Wire suitable for country lines is available in fair quantities, but just now the greatest difficulty confronting the Department is the supply of poles of suitable hardwood. Between 20,000 and 30,000 poles are awaiting shipment In Australia and as eoon -a* these- poles arrive it will be possible to make a start with several works already authorised to connect up many bkckblook districts. The Department will then be able to go on with some,of the many party line connections with telephone exchanges which have been held np|for so lwig for want of poles." v