THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10710, 2 September 1912, Page 5

THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT

AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT

CHEAPER CABLES PROMISED

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WELLINGTON, Last Night

Speaking last night at the animal dinner of the Wellington Letter Carriers' Association the Hon R, H. Rhodes, Postmaster-General, said a valuable report h-ad been submitted ' by Mr Buckley, chief electrician, and though he had not yet been able to master all its details thoroughly, ho was confident it would enable the Go-' vernment-. to institute a number of important reforms before very long. The Minister said ho considered auto-, matic telephones beadoptedh in* the larger centres." "This system would greatly reduce the average.,; lettgth, of; wire' used,. for . each' sub-: i scriber, and thus lessen the cost and I widen the use of the telephone. In connection with this scheme, it is proposed to put exchange at Courtenay Place and Newtown. Mr Rhodes said the recent arrangement under which "deferred cables" were sent at halfrates was by no means satisfactory, and no effort should be spared to seen ;o reduced rates on ordinary cable messages. This would bo feasible, without an additional charge to tho country, if the partners in the Pacific Cable owned tho cable across tho 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 cf tho Atlr.v.tic c:.bb, v.ith other. arrangements to bo made, would enable ..the charge on ordinary messages between Nov Zealand and Britain to be reduced from 3r; to 2 r ; per'word. When .the conference was held, ho proposed .also to take up tho question of a reduction i" tho cable rates between New Zealand and Australia. Tho new 'cable between Sydney and Auckland would probably bo"rcady for working .-.bout December. Arrangements had been made with the Union Company and tho Railway Department, which.

V3?.kl ' enr.Vo tho Gov:n:ment to shortly malr.j 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 fruit-growers into direct touch with town consumers.