EQUIPMENT FOR TELEPHONES

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25638, 29 October 1948, Page 6

EQUIPMENT FOR TELEPHONES

COMMENT BY MR F. HACKETT N.Z. STILL WAITING FOR SUPPLIES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 28. A recent statement in Auckland by Sir Louis Beale, vice-president of the International Standard Electric Corporation, abouf full telephone equipment, including exchange gear, being manufactured in quantity now for ex-, port, was reassuring but called for some comment, said the PostmasterGeneral (Mr F. Hackett) to-night. The Post Office had for some time had outstanding orders in Britain for telephone equipment valued at more than £3.000,000., Until the present time, there had been no improvement in.the supplies available to New Zealand. Equipment' now coming to hand had been on order for many years. In April, 1946, orders for telephones (and exchange equipment valued at £700,000 were outstanding. By Sepfeinber, 1948, further orders for £3,200,000 worth were placed, but deliveries totalled ofily about £900,000 a month. Before the end of this year, additional orders totalling £600,000 would be placed. ■ ‘ Mr Hackett said that other factors, such as the availability of cable and telephone poles, affected the position, but in the last 12 months, nearly 18,000 new telephone connexions have been made. This was a record, and had been achieved imthe face of great difficulties. * From 1939 to the present time. 112,000 new connexions had been made There t 1 .per eent more telephones installed m New Zealand to-day than in 1939. The demand for telephones to-day was phenomenal, and New Zealand s demand was one of the world’s highest. Mr Hackett said that everything possible was being done for persons wait, ing for telephones, but supply diffieultime C ° Uld nOt be overcome in a short