LISTENING IN AT EXCHANGE ALLEGED

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30839, 26 August 1965, Page 14

LISTENING IN AT EXCHANGE ALLEGED

The chief postmaster at Thames, Mr R. M. Arnold, is inquiring into allegations of listening in to telephone conversations in the Paeroa telephone exchange.

A toll operator at Paeroa said today that he had resigned because of “animosity” displayed by other operators since he complained of listening in to telephone conversations.

The operator, Mr W. G. Maynard, who is 43, has worked at the exchange for the last two years and a half. He said that when he went on to day work, after two years on the night shift, “it opened my eyes to how bad it is.”

He said he complained to the supervisor about three months ago. “Since then because of outright animosity, it just became impossible to work there,” he said. He had submitted his resignation, to take effect from September 4, to the chief postmaster at Thames.

“It is just a matter of right or wrong,” said Mr Maynard. “People expect to have their calls private.”

Mr Arnold had come to Paeroa to discuss his resignation and had said the matter would be investigated. But he had not heard yet of any action.

Mr Arnold said today the case was under investigation and he would make another visit to Paeroa tomorrow.

“Listening-in is not condoned by the department in any way and if detected is taken up with the officer concerned,” he said.

Operators were not allowed to extend the normal regular monitoring of calls to check if the parties were still “working.”