MORE TELEPHONES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 161, 10 July 1935, Page 9

MORE TELEPHONES.

NEW SUBSCRIBERS.

STEADY GAIN IN AUCKLAND.

PROSPERITY BAROMETER,

One prosperity barometer continues to rise. This morning Mr. L. L. Macey, chief telegraph engineer, said that more than 200 new telephone subscribers had been signed up every month for the past three months in the Auckland city and suburban areas. During that period there had been some cancellations, which had reduced the net gains, but there remained a substantial increase in the number of subscribers. In order to make provision for new subscribers certain reorganisation and extension of tlte outside cable and aerial extension of teh outside cable and aerial plant was being carried out. This was being done in anticipation of further gains, and Mr. Macey was confident that •the gains would be forthcoming. During each year of the depression a percentage of subscribers to the telephone service is lost, but at the piesent rate of progress these losses would soon be overtaken. Mr. Macey stressed the importance, of his department as a barometer of tha financial state of the community. When the increase was recorded during the first month the Department was inclined to regard it as a "flash in the pan," but figures for the second two months seemed to indicate that looal conditions were still improving. The new subscribers had been gained from all districts in the area and seemed to indicate that the improvement was well distributed over the community.