Disaster Led To Record Toll Traffic In Chch

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31656, 17 April 1968, Page 10

Disaster Led To Record Toll Traffic In Chch

The Wahine disaster was the main cause of of the record number of 13,093 toll calls handled at the Christchurch central exchange last Thursday. The Chief Postmaster (Mr M. E. Wilson) said the number easily eclipsed the previous record of 11,531 set on December 19, 1966. Last Wednesday there were 11,518 toll calls and on Good Friday more than 6000 making a record pre-Easter total of 30,611. The large number of calls lodged on Thursday and Friday had also been increased by the storm damage and the alteration to holiday arrangements. The Post Office in Christchurch also handled 14,912 telegrams last Thursday which was more than on any day last Christmas and slightly fewer than the record set on ‘be Thursday before Easter 1966. Mr Wilson said disruptions to country exchanges and the dispatch of messages by the

Amateur Radio Emergency Corps to country areas swelled the telegraph traffic. Post Office staff in town and country were cleaning up minor faults yesterday after major disruptions to toll and subscribers’ circuits and damage to two Post Offices. A new roof had to be built on to the Hillmorton Post Office to replace that blown off last Thursday. Two inches of water on the Post Office floor had to be mopped up before things were completely back to normal. At Little River new tiles had to be put on the Post Office and the place cleaned up. The engineers' office reported that apart from lines to Port Levy and-Little Akaloa all was well in country areas between Ashburton and Kaikoura.

There is one line open and two others have to be restored. The line to Little Akaloa is still “shaky." In Christchurch there were a few cable faults to be repaired.