Youth strikes snag with job advt

Press, 30 November 1978, Page 2

Youth strikes snag with job advt

Nelson reporter Unemployed persons seeking work through the newspapers and advertising a telephone number as a means of contact, are likely to be in breach of telephone regulation 9(c). This is what Murray James, aged 17, of Nelson, found out. Seeking any sort of work, but particularly scrub or gorse cutting, he advertised once in the “Nelson Evening Mail” and sought replies through a private telephone number. Two weeks later the subscriber received from the Nelson Post Office a circular letter advising him that his telephone number had been included in an advertisement for scrub cutting. The letter continued that except in the cases of “casu-j al” advertisements, subscribers who published their “numbers” as part of their business activities were required to pay business rentals. “Should you wish to continue this practice it will be necessary to convert your connection to business status,” said the letter. What constitutes a “casual” advertisement? The Chief Postmaster at Nelson (Mr R. East) said a

casual advertisement would be any advertisement not connected with a business or professional venture. However, if the person concerned advised the department of the situation, it could be reassessed. But any person advertising for work, through a private telephone listing, or wanting to sell a car, or goods, or property, was, according to the regulation, not permitted to do

so unless on a “casual” basis.

All the foregoing excludes farmers. They can use their private telephone numbers to advertise produce for sale at the gate, or for staff, or machinery for sale. This is one of the greatest anomalies and “hot potatoes” in the regulations. The regulation is not new. Mr East, due to retire next month, said it had been in force at least 40 years, and to his knowledge these letters had been going to subscribers for that time.

Some subscribers got “het up” about it, but if they read the letter properly they would see they had recourse to the department where the position could be explained to them, Mr East said. After-hours listings, where la business firm was using a i business phone as its main connections, were permitted in advertising. There does, however, appear to be a loophole in the regulation. An advertiser, without using a listed number, can advertise that replies should be made by telephone to a name and an address. Anybody wishing to reply need then only look up the telephone directory for the listing.