Reporter's Diary

Press, 26 September 1980, Page 2

Reporter's Diary

Automatic error ... IF YOU live in, Christchurch and made,; a toll call to Kirwee during May this year, the chances are you will have been charged too much for it. During the first two weeks the Kirwee exchange was switched to automatic, a programming fault in the new automatic exchange meant that all Christchurch-Kirwee calls were charged at the Christchurch-Auckland toll rate. This was revealed yesterday by a reader who was about to pay her telephone bill and who noticed that the charge for her call, to Kirwee of $11.25 (the call took about five minutes) seemed a little steep. She complained, and learnt about the error. ... for a fortnight MR J. M. KINRAID, the Acting Chief Postmaster in Christchurch, said yesterday that it was a fortnight before the programming ■ fault was noticed and rectified. In that time, all Christ-chuch-Kirwee calls were

charged at the wrong rate. “All the Kirwee subscribers had their telephone accounts amended before they were sent out, but unfortunately most of the- Christchurch accounts had gone out before We could do anything about it,” Mr Kinraid said. "I imagine that most of those Chrisjchurch subscribers who’made calls to Kirwee during that time would have noticed the mistake and would have had their accounts reduced by now. With hindsight, I think we should have put something in the newspaper at the time, telling people about the mistake.” Mr Kinraid said that if anybody thought they might have been overcharged for toll calls to Kirwee during May, they should let the Post Office know.

Lunch-time concert STUDENTS at the Christchurch Teachers’ College were treated to a sound not unlike the Glen Miller big band sound one lunchtime this week, when a 16-piece group from Darfield High School gave a special performance. Our

reporter on the spot noted that there . were several girls in the band and that the entire performance was recorded on video tape by college staff. Eat your greens! NEXT Wednesday, the New Zealand Vegetarian Society would like everybody to spare a thought for animals and try to do without meat for the whole day. October 1 has been named World Vegetarian Day and New Zealand’s vegetarians will join the millions of other vegetarians throughout the world in a special day devoted to healthy eating. But it is not just -intended to encourage people to give up eating meat for a day — it is also meant to persuade people to give up wearing clothing made from animal skins or using products, such as lipstick, made from animal oils and fat. Ghost writer

THE OTHER day, Barry Grant, producer of the Repertory Society’s forthcoming play, “The Coarse Acting Show,” had a letter from Michael Green, the author Of the’ play. Mr Green was replying to a letter from . Mr Grant, ask-

ing about performing rights, etc., but he went further than just answering the questions. He volunteered to be in the play and to take the part of the sergeant in “Streuth,” one of the four plays that make up “The Coarse Acting Show.” But, as theatre-goers will find out, the sergeant never makes an appearance on the stage. “I should be honoured to play the part of the sergeant,” Mr Green writes. “But please note that I cannot attend rehearsals on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays while Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays may prove difficult.” Oops! THE NEWSREADER On the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Gulf of Carpentaria station was obviously under pressure. He had been reporting on a busy day on the industrial front, as well as numerous other news items of considerable interest to the area. Finally, pressed for time, he signed off: “And that ends this bullcast ... 1 mean newscast .. ..I mean bulletin.”