WANTED-A POLICE 'PHONE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1099, 11 April 1911, Page 4

WANTED-A POLICE 'PHONE.

4ND MINISTERIAL CONSIDERATION.

A tilt at the Government in general, and at the Department of Justice in particular was indulged in by moro than one member of the Petonc Borough Council at the meeting of thiu body last evening, when a letter was received from the Commissioner of Police (Mr. 1. grave), stating, in reply to tho council s application for telephone connection between tho local pohco station and the exchange, that the cost would be too Brent for direct communication with o-lin-ton, and a local connection (with the" Petono exchange) would bo of very ''"Very "unsatisfactory," sjiid Councillor Sl The Mayor remarked that tho letter had been a* long time coming. The council's resolution on the subject was forwarded to.the Minister as loug ago as November last, he said, and no reply to that was received until late ill December, when an acknowledgment came to hand. The town clerk was, in February, instructed to write again to the Minister, and tho replv to that communication was that which had just been received. "This proves conclusively that tho Minister never considered it—he's away, and they answered it his absence," observed Councillor Short. "I think," said tho Mayor, "that the council should persist in this matter— it is most inconvenient to be without a telephone at the police station." Councillor Southgate reminded the Mayor of the occasion when they wore both on the Bench of Justice?, and someone had to "run all over the town to find a telephone," in order to get into touch with some necessary individual. Councillor riper recollected that on a previous matter, where the Department of Internal Affairs was concerned, the I council had waited—not very patiently— 1 for four year* for a reply lo its represen- | tations.

It was decided to again approach tho Department of Justice with reference lo the telephone, stating certain t'acts in support of the council's point that the lack of communication frequently resulted in unnecessary delay and meonveuiance.