QUESTIONS BY MR KIRK

Press, Volume C, Issue 29554, 1 July 1961, Page 9

QUESTIONS BY MR KIRK

Telephone Services (From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 29. The provision of telephone services in the Governor's Bay area and in the Chatham Islands was the subject of two questions asked the Postmaster-General (Mr Kinsella) by Mr N. E. Kirk (Opposition. Lyttelton), in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Mr Kirk asked whether Mr Kinsella would indicate the extent to which he planned to increase the already high rentals set for the proposed new Governor’s Bay telephone exchange, and whether, "in view of this additional impost, he will consider remitting the special zone fee—included in the present scale of charges—without interfering with the direct connexion to the Christchurch exchange system to avoid making the new service unreasonably expensive for the residents.” Chathams Service On the Chathams service, Mr Kirk asked whether "in view of the stage which surveys and investigations in connexion with the proposed new telephone service for the Chatham Islands had reached by last November,” the Minister could indicate the approximate date when the work of installation would be likely to begin, and how soon after that the equipment could be brought into service.” Question on Cabinet In a third question, directed at the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake), Mr Kirk asked whether the failure to fill the vacancy on Cabinet was due to “the vigorous opposition of the present Ministers to any suggestion that they surrender or share their power, the reluctance of back-bench National Government members to accept any responsibility for the unnecessary and unpopular actions of the Government the grave risk of widening divisions of opinion in his Government, or to reasons which the Prime Minister is most anxious should not become public,”