MORE 'PHONES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 141, 17 June 1938, Page 9

MORE 'PHONES.

AUCKLAND'S GROWTH.

RAPID DEVELOPMENT. SUBURBAN REQUIREMENTS. Important extensions of the Auckland automatic telephone exehanjre system, to cope with the rapid expansion now occurrin,". , . are beinp carried out by the l'ost and TelejMnph Department, and plans for a number of new exelianpw or additions to existing buildings are jn preparation by the Public Works Department. The districts affected include St. llelier's, Otahuhu. Takapuna. Devonport, Mount Eden. Ponsonby, Avondale and Mount Albert.

Durinjr the past six weeks members of the Departments technical staff have been enjrajred in installing 400 new lines and equipment at the Mount Kden exchange, a work which should be completed by the end of this month, end 200 more lines ore .being provided at Ponsonby. No announcement of tbe order of development in the other districts has yet been made, but it is expected thot Jit least some of the buildings will be put in hand timing the next 12 months. The interiors will be of standardised design, with dust-proof walls and plaster finish, and air-conditioning plant will probably be included to prevent trouble due to condensation caused by variations in temperature.

The proposed building programme i* a reflection of the progress which has been maintained for many months past. To satisfy the heavy demand for telephones, the Department has been kept exceptionally busy, and there is no sign at the moment of any falling off in the increase of new subscribers. Aβ fast as the Department can provide the lines, instruments and equipment, houses and business premises are being linked up. and the number of telephone* in use in the city and suburban nrea continues to mount at a fairly constant rate of about l">0 a month. Every phase of the Department's business has felt the effects, and toll calls have been largely increased. Since the introduction of cheaper and more efficient inter-island communication less than three years ajro, longdistance conversations have become a pa¥t of the daily routine, and a steady I increase in talks with people overseas I lias olso 1-een recorded.