NEW TELEGRAPH CHARGES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21123, 26 March 1934, Page 12

NEW TELEGRAPH CHARGES

SYSTEM ELABORATED OPINIONS OF BUSINESS MEN* I Further information regarding the ■ alteration in the charges for telegrams shows that for the purpose of pp mg the sliding scale of rates, t e Dom nion has been divided into ' tng aieas, as far as possible unilioim m square in shape, and measuring approximately 15 miles m each <; do. For relatively short distance traffic, those rating areas cc-st tu e the units tor determini° tl e tes for the transmission of ttfera" " For t longer distance tia the postal districts constitute ' the m s lor determining the rates, p e charge jumps from 6d for 1 10 al messages to 9d in the first up out«ide the city, lOd in the 1 nd group, and lid in the third 1 Tap Thereafter come the dist%2 ce charges which range from Is 2 Is 3d j The charges from Christchurch in 1 he distance group are as follows: 1 !To Auckland Is 3d, Blenheim Is lei, Dunedin Is Id, Gisborne Is 3d, GreyI mouth Js Id, Hamilton Is 3d, Invercargiil Is 2d, Napier Is 3d, Nelson I Is id, New Plymouth Is 2d. Oamaru Ms W, Palmerston North Is 2d, Thames Is 3d, Timaru Is, Wanganui Is 2d, Wellington Is Id, and West'Dort Is Id. In the inner area, specimen rates are as follows:—Christchurch to Rangiora, 9d: Christchurch to Waifcari, Springfield, or Rakaia lOd; Christchurch to Ashburton or Culverden, lid. Business 31. n's Views Opinions gathered from business men were generally Savourable but it was felt that the alterations would mean an increase to most persons who were in the habit of sending telegrams. i The Chamber of Commerce recently discussed telegraphic rates and made a request to the Government that the rates should be reduced, said Mr T. N. Gibbs, chairman of the postal committee 01 the chamber. It was felt particularly, he said, that the present double rate for urgent messages was excessive. The reduction of the charge to a fixed 6d extra only was a recognition of that, and he was sure the new basis of the charge would be widely welcomed. Mr Gibbs said he did not expect the increase of business in urgent messages to hold up ordinary telegrams. He understood the li.muvs. of the department showed that in recent years, urgent telegrams had averaged about one in 50. Principle Attacked While he considered the newcharge for local telegrams at sixpence was quite reasonable, Mr Gibbs was very doubtful about the proposal to differentiate the charges according to the distance between telegraph offices. He recognised as sound the principle of charging according to distance for railway freights and distance telephone services, but he thought that the principle wotdd be held to he unsound for postage rates on letters. He thought the telegram was comparable with the letter rather than with the railway service. It would appear, he said, !h;h a person in Christchurch would. in future, be charged Is hi for sendme, a telegram to cither Wellington or Dunedin. and Is 3d for a message to Auckland. An urgent message to Auckland would cost Is I'd, so that they would have threepence put on to their ordinary telegrams and threepence taken off the urgent messages. As ordinary messages averaged at 50 to one compared with urgent messages, obviously the now rate represented a substantial increase in cost for the majority vf. telegrams. The extra threepence on collect telegrams was probably justified. Mr Gibbs said that those were his personal opinions only. The matter had not been considered by the Chamber of Commerce, but they would be probably at its next meeting, immediately after Easter. Mr A. F. Wright, president of the Canterbury Chamber of Commeiee. said that the chamber a little time ago passed a resolution suggesting that the time was ripe for a revision of the charges for telegrams, and he thought that the new rates, possibly, were the result of those representations. Mr Wright said he thought the zoning system was quite a good thing and that any reduction in charges would mean an increase of business. More Particulars Wanted More information regarding t ! w stages of the increase m cost was sought by Mr W. Machin, who however, that the alteration _ v.a.; very interesting- He would lil'-o to know the boundaries of the stages ot .increase and what the income of the post office had been ovm- the last two years for the differed, distances, now "introduced, at the old rate. Will the new charges bring in more revenue to the department over the different distances or will the revenue be the same? he asked. He was not in the habit of sending many telegrams within the city, but he sent a great many to distant places and it looked as if he would have to pay more than previously. All the same, the new scale might average out at Is. If that was the case the department seemed to be going to a great deal of trouble to make a gift which was not really a gift at all. In fact, instead of making a gift, the department would be taking something away. In the meantime, he would like to suspend judgment on the matter. No Overwhelming Advantage A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the new telegraphic rates operating from April 3, though bearing a relation to distance, will give an overwhelming advantage to any central area. The general principle followed is to reduce charges below the former minimum in areas having a community of interest. Telephone experience shows that 00 per cent, of calls relate to an area within one hundred miles. It is hoped by framing tile telegraph tariff on similar 'inos to increase business.