EXPENSIVE MISCHIEF.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 72, 7 January 1936, Page 6

EXPENSIVE MISCHIEF.

7000 BROKEN INSULATORS. MUCH INCONVENIENCE CAUSED. Faced with an expenditure of over £6OO last year for the replacement of approximately 7000 smashed telegraph line insulators, the Post Office is seeking the co-operation of every citizen in an effort to discourage the actions of children and other irresponsible persons who, without thougivt for the serious consequences, made targets of these useful appliances. Their destruction involves not only loss of material normally capable of giving many years' service, but causes heavy expense in locating the fault, and serious inconvenience to the public through interruptions of telephone and telegraph communication. Parents will be doing good service to the community if children are warned that the smashing of an insulator destroys the efficiency of an electrical circuit and may prevent the prompt transmission or urgent messages relating to sickness, fire, or other emergency. The cracking of an insulator is sufficient to destroy its efficiency. Before any type is adopted for service samples have to be tested to withstand a pressure of liquid up to 2500 pounds to the square inch to ascertain their degree of porosity. The police of the Dominion are keeping a sharp watch on offenders, but the best safeguard to the great network of electrical circuits spreading all over the Dominion is the realisation on the part of everyone that what appears to be trivial damage to telegraph lines may cause serious hardship and loss.