DEMAND FOR TELEPHONES.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17227, 18 August 1921, Page 10

DEMAND FOR TELEPHONES.

DEPABTOffiIifX SWAM*BD. t

(special .to "tm; nuMa. I ')' ', o ;■.'*. AUCKLAND, Augustl7.:./ The increase in the use;of telephones in New '• Zealandj was the,, subject' of a statement by the ; the Hon; J. G. 'Obates.; Her.Btated ■tihat two records, had been' established by his Department during the past■two years. : In 1919' a number; of 60&) telephones were instaKed,-but .during the last'two yews 10,000, or BQpoa year, had been, linked uV TOatI ter of fact," said.:the. Minister,, ''this .year the number will, be; well over BpCO, as the waiting, subscribers; wrsfanyv exceed this total. Last, we ■ v spent apptoxlmately ; ' over »«a),COO' out of the Telegraph, vote.,.■■; Tjnft jnctades,';of course, the cost ;of: telegrawi- arid, teler phone apparatus. ; The difficulty.is' } to get the ;, 8000 people waiting, for ,telephonee comu'cted up: .Wevwbuld .want, about £900;000 to meet Jul the demands on the' ". ■'":'' '■'■';■■ '/>*' Mr/ Coates; said the number': of ,>tdk* phones in.use arid on'.order is:now.approaohiolg. i,0p0,000. Th* Department was working Btrfullpressuro, arid s was doing the maximum amount "bf development with. the v money ,atite {disposal. Iflvery particle, of material ih;iflie goiin-. try is being; utilised, oaid ">improvising was being indulged in to a dangerous extent. .-.ln /other ''■. words,: ;every reffort was being vwte i to meet' an'extraordinary demand.' ' It w«b interesting' to know that' instead, of' decreasing, t,he> applications "for telephoned were, «'iricreasihff, at■ ah* alarming ?t ate. notwithstanding . the difficult period -, through which thV Dominion ;wasriasairig. A "The plain* fact-of the; matter/' 'said-Mr Coatee, "is that derharids tor.' tiheite'lephone are s'wampmg us, 1 " in; spite of the crowding, tho Departtnont vhas risen to the pcipaaipn;" < ,'■ , /';