POST AND TELEGRAPHS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14339, 26 April 1912, Page 8

POST AND TELEGRAPHS.

POSTMASTEINGENEHAL'S POLICY. <r-EF.?W ASSOCIATION IKI.ECRVM.t WELLINGTON, April :M. Speaking at the openiim of the n&w pi*i, office at PoriruH to-day, the Hon. H. G. Ell, Postmaster-(Jen«ral, gavo kome interesting information with ie.gard to tho tlevelopment of thf t-elo-phone service throughout tho Dominion. Ho traced the history of tho fervioes from tho year 1881, when telephones first began to be utilised, and instanced the excellent results that had attended tin: Electric Telcgrnpli Act Amending Act, 13SO, giving authority '<» construct, establish and maintain

'Metric communication by telephone.

The first exchange was opened ac ChristchurcJi iv 18d! with twenty-nine Mihscribf>rs. Auckland and Wellington tollov/wl, then Ihinediu. Tho succe-s of these exchanges was rapidly assured, ;md various it'ductiona in rates took place irom L\'2 per annum in 1H63 u> £■') p«T anuurti in IS'JI, and for "party lines"' (iiiruiginated in 1&12) ±;t lo's I>or y<-;ir lor two .subscribers on a line net, exceeding a mile in length. Tho growth in tin- number of telephone »>xciiangi- sufecribors has been very great, h.iid the For the year ondvd -M:irrh ;3LsL, ]«;2. the number wa.s IV>, and for la&.J t!:e number was a/a. ,<u\€o then tin; number has steadily inereascd, and at, the 'nd of lLtH*h;ud» reached v total of 28,003 .subscribers. "As to tho future," said Mr K!l.

I cannot, overlook that tho tendency oi tha age is towards rapidity of communication. Tin- telephone, which was » luxury only a fi-n- year.-, ago, i>, now regarded a.s more or le.ss of a necessity. My policy will b<. .fir st to consider the nrvd.s of back-block .settlers, and to rush on telephone lints a.s rapidly as funds permit. Although the development of telephones and telephone exchanges has been extraordinarily rapid during the J;i-,t few yuar.s, it is the c.-ise that inventive geniuses in America umi eLM'Whore have devoted more attention to tho improvement of exchanges in largo centres than to any method iy winch remote settlers could be brougui, r;;ore readily into communication with tho r«f,t of the world. So far as conn is concerned we are very much in tho position that we were many years ago, but the efforts of my principal officers nro being directed to means whereby Mio cost of lines in remote districts can be reduced without sacrificing »;ffine.ncy. To further enablo telephones to bo within the reach «,? all, I am pushing forward tno installation of slot machines. The preseut machine was invented In- an officer of tho Department, and it is said to be tho best in th o world. Unfortunately, our manufacturing capacity is at, present too low to enable us to turn out the.se machines at a rapid rate. Long distance telephone lines throughout tho txwntry are brims rapidly extended. At present a special coppor-wirois undor course of construction between Wellington and Auckland winch, I>cside,s being xised for telogreph purposes in tin; day time-, should "jilloaoxoclleub speech to bo obtained over the- fotir hundred miles which, so.jxiirate Wellington from Auckland.

'"I might hero mention that to increasing telephone business bt" Mroen Wellington and Porirua and intermediate stations, I recently authorised a new copper wire lor the special use of those places, and tho work of erecting it has been put in hand. While the present low rate of id per word scarcely onables the telegraph division of tho Department to do moro than pay its way, attention is boing given to tho introduction of special telegraph instruments for use on congested lines. These- instruments not only increase the speed of telegraph operators materially, but turn out tho messages in plain Roman typo at the- receiving end. I hope beforo long to have several of those, instruments in xiso. Tho tiso of typewriters for telegraphists receiving telegrams in the ordinary way is being ra.pid]y extended. A largo number of machines have been issued in tho last year or two, and I propose to vigorously carry out this policy.'

"Tho tenders for inland mail «ervices will bo re-let this year. I intend to givo every consideration to the representations made by country residents for tho extension and improvement ot tbo services. It has for some time been under consideration whether the parcel post rates could be reduced. As all mail services arc under contract, it is impossible to carry out this intention during the current trieunium. With tho re-lotting of mail services, however, I will endeavour to make arrangomente with mail contractors w> fall in with tho views of the Department.

"\Vhilo I hare briefly indicated the principal points concerning tho larger questions now under attention, there are many minor matters which will l>e dealt with as occasion arises. The £reat volume of business transacted by the Department brings in considerably more than £1,000,000 of revenue per annnm, and I am glad to say that progress fias boon fully maintained during tho year just oloaed. ,.