TELEPHONE MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 May 1921, Page 4

TELEPHONE MATTERS.

The recent visit to New Plymouth of the district telegraph engineer (Mr. H. L. Cummings), on a visit of inspection, was availed of by the Chamber of Commerce and the municipal authorities to discuss informally several matters concerning the existing telephone service and its extension. That the departmental officer viewed the proceedings in a commendably practical way is evidenced by his remark that “five minutes’ talk was worth tons of paper,” and if this attitude were more generally adopted by the chiefs of other Government departments much correspondence and no little friction would be avoided. JJoreover, Mr Cummings hit on the right keynote by emphasising that the local officers were not only well acquainted with their work, hut were keen to give an ideal telephone service. Of late years the department has been hampered in its development work by the lack of sufficient material, and (to this fact is due the delay in carrying out improvements. The first work to be put in hand is the provision of an extra pair of wires on the Opunake circuit, after whieh the circuit from Stratford to Whangamomona is to be undertaken, and as this work will be the first step in the trunk line to Ohura it should not be long before the gap between Tatu and Tahora is bridged and a long-standing need supplied. Mr. Cummings’ view regarding automatic telephones for New Plymouth is somewhat conservative, but his argument that, as the present service was satisfactory, it was hardly necessary to go to the expense of installing the automatic system, is not unreasonable in these times of stress when it is essential to concentrate on absolute necessaries. The difficulty of taking on more subscribers is due to lack of cable. Naturally the departmental officers would only too readily do this work and improve the revenue, but without the material it is impossible. This much, however, is promised, that, consideration will be given to urgent cases, and that is as much as can reasonably be expected. It is satisfactory to know that a repair shop is to be established in New Plymouth in the near future, and, in fact, the result of the interview indicates clearly that this branch of the Government service is in capable hands, is being administered on progressive lines,‘and that every effort will be made to remedy all grievances that are made known to the officials. So far as New Zealand is concerned it has good reason to be satisfied With the way in whieh the post, telegraph and telephone staffs conduct the business in their charge.