WIRELESS AND CABLE RATES.

Clutha Leader, Volume XL, Issue 73, 20 March 1914, Page 3

WIRELESS AND CABLE RATES.

CHRLSTCHIIRCH, March IS.

| Hon. R. Hen ton Rhodes (Postmas-ter-General) left for Wellington, this evening. In an interview by reporter , beforo his departure, ho made several important statements with regard to ( telegraph -ami other affairs, "Upon the [ subject of wireless telegraphy the Minister said that tire five rauio stations in the Dominion were in full operation. In Wellington the station was open continuously for all classes of business, and the stations at Awanut-and Awarua maintained continuous service for emergency calls besides transacting ordinary business during the evening. The stations at Auckland and Chatham Islands were also open during restricted hours. The Dominion might now be regarded as being well served in the installation of wireless telegraphy. Close attention was given, he said, to afford every practical facility in radio-telegraphy, and charges were fixed ( a.s low as circumstances permit.- As an instance of this it might be stated that at the beginning of this year the rate for messages to and from steamers exclusively between Australan and New Zealand ports to any office in this country was fixed at ninepence a word, a reduction of 50 per cent. Referring to the cable rate to and from the United Kingdom, Mr Rhode* said that he had publicly stated that the Pacific Cable Hoard was favorably disposed towards reducing the rate for cable messages between here and the United) Kingdom, via, the -Pacific, from 3s to 2s 8d a word. This was understood to be the outcome of a motion tabled by this Dominion's representative on the Board.

On the subject of automatic telephones Mr Rhodes said that in the six centres for which automatic telephone exchanges had been decided on the preliminary work was well in hand. The' apparatus was being manufactured, the necessary buildings were being provided, and the engineering plans incidental to the change, of system were being w. riotl out.

The M-ittttter.ps able to give returns for both tho Bermitaae and Hanmei* for this yetU 1 tip to March 1, in comparison With the same period hut year. The figures were: —Hermitage, 1913, £1550: 1914, £l9ll. Eanmer, £1023 and flLs;l.