TELEPHONE CALLS OVERSEAS

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28422, 31 October 1957, Page 5

TELEPHONE CALLS OVERSEAS

High Figure For New Zealand

’ “The Press’' Sveciat Service WELLINGTON, October 30.

New Zealanders are talkative people, judging by the number of overseas telephone calls they make a year. A comparison of figures of outward and inward calls reveals that they “outspeak” Australians, Englishmen and Americans New Zealand's heaviest toll traffic is between Australia, with Britain and the United States next in order.

For the 12 months, ended March 31 this year calls to those three countries were 15.267 as against 13.357 inward calls. That ratio between inward and outward calls has remained comparatively constant, but far more inward calls are received from ships and New Zealand islands During the year, new circuits have brought New Zealand in touch with the Soviet Union. CostaRica. Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama.

Calls to ships in the last year were 276, compared with 507 received, and there were only 298, calls to outlying islands as against 1595 inward calls.

A particularly busy period for operators on the overseas circuit is Christmas and the New Year, when many people call relatives and friends in other countries.

Indeed, the Post Office accepts bookings. This year bookings have been lodged unusually early. Calls to Britain are fully booked from December 23 to 27, inclusive —a total of 80 calls, and there are light bookings for calls to Australia and the United States. The cheapest overseas call that can be lodged is to Australia for £1 10s for three minutes.