Communications For One Day Of Tour

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30038, 24 January 1963, Page 3

Communications For One Day Of Tour

(N.Z. Prea Association) WELLINGTON, Jan. 23. An automatic telephone exchange, a post office, and a radio station will be established at Waitangi for one day—February 6 —to ensure that the whole of New Zealand and many places overseas will be able to share in the ceremonial arrival of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and their participation in Waitangi Day celebrations. Waitangi provides the Post Office with its greatest communications problem of the

Royal tour as the three existing telephones would be quite inadequate to deal with the thousands of words describing the day’s ceremonies which will be sent to newspapers throughout the world. There will be wire pictures for transmission to all parts of New Zealand and overseas, and broadcasting and television facilities will be required to ensure a nationwide hook-up.

To create this communications centre the Post Office will have to lay 9000 ft of temporary cable, install 50 extra telephones, establish a temporary Post Office, install a 49-line automatic exchange, wire eight broadcasting points, install wire photo equipment, provide additional toll circuits, and telegraph and radio circuits. Extra local telephone links between Waitangi. Paihia, Opua. Russell, Kawakawa. and Whangarei will also be necessary to deal with the vast increase of calls in the area.

Emergency generating plants are being established

at six points in case of power failure.

A special Post Office at the Waitangi Treaty House itself will deal with the date stamps which are being issued for philatelists. Anticipating that all roads round the Treaty House will be crammed with motor-cars, the Post Office has arranged that all staff on duty during the day will travel by boat. Another interesting problem in communications arises on the day that the Duke of Edinburgh visits Anakiwa, the Outward Bound headquarters in the Marlborough Sounds, while the Queen drives from Nelson to Blenheim. A V.H.F. radio will ensure that any time of the day there will be communication between the Queen’s car and the Duke’s amphibian and that both will be able to connect with the Royal yacht.

Born writers make their own rule, or, rather, they have none. They change style at every moment, at the dictation of inspiration.—Anatole France.