THE TE WHARAU TELEPHONE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9670, 18 December 1909, Page 5

THE TE WHARAU TELEPHONE.

WHY IT WAS CUT OFF. I Some light waa thrown; at the meeting of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce, yesterday, on the Jitte mystery surrounding the recent "cutting on!'.' Of the telephone sej 7 vice at'Te WhW&u fur over a" week. The matter cropped up during the hearing of a deputation of settlers from Te Wharau touching the alteration in the ma il service from Maeterton. "There is another grievance we have," said Mr R. Barrer, one of the deputation, "and that is the recent trouble over the cutting off of our telephone." Members looked interested, and one or two remarks were made as to the settlers in question not paying their telephone subscriptions. Mr Barrer "Oh yes, we have paid, our subscriptions." The speaker then went on to relate how their telephone service was first inaugurated by six of the settlers becoming bondsmen for any deficiency that occurred in the working of the line. The time of the bond had since expired and they had been asked by the Department to make up a deficiency of £2B 19s lid, which they had refused tu do. They had entered into communication with the Department in regard to the matter, but had received no satisfactory answer as to the actual date when the bond expired. When they wrote to the Department again they were informed that the telephone would be cut off, which was done. The settlers absolutely refused ' to pay the money, but through the i representations of Mr Buchanan, I M.P., the Department gave way, and they were now once more able to use the line.