POSTAL FACILITIES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1423, 25 April 1912, Page 8

POSTAL FACILITIES.

INCREASING THEM, POSTAIASTEH-GKXEKAL'S IDEA. The Postmaster-General (Hon. H. G. Ell), in the course of his speech at Poririin yesterday, made some announcements i-unccrning the future extension of postal, iclcgrnpliii', anil telonnpnc inutioi's, "iiy policy," slid the .Minister, "will bo iir.-i iii consider the needs ut Uack-uiocK seniors, iiml l,j nusli mi te.eplione lines n> rapidly us luims p.-rinit. Aiinoiijjli mo development of telephones and telephone, exciiiuigus lias been extraordinarily rapul iliii-iiig tin- ln>t lew years, it is ine case that inventive guniiisi's in America and elsewhere nave devoted more attention to the improvement of exchanges in large centre, than to tiny method Uy which remote settlers could be brought more readily into communication' wii'u the rest of Hie world. *<> f:u as cost is concerned, wo are very much in the position that we were ninny years ago;' but the efforts of my principnl officers are being directed to means whereby the cost of lines in remote districts can be.reduced without sacrificing efficiency. "To further enable telephones to be within Hie roach of all, J- am pushing forward the installation of slot machines. Ihe present machine was invented by an officer of the. Department, and is said to Iμ the best in the world. Unfortunately, our manufacturing capacity is- at present too low to enable us to turn but these machines at a rapid rate. Long distance telephone lines throughout the country are being rapidly extended. At present a special copper wire is under course of construction between '" Wellington and Auckland, which, besides being used for telegraph purposes in the day time, should allow excellent speech to be obtained over the- four hundred miles which separate Wellington from Auckland. I might here mention that, owjng to increasing telephonic business between Wellington and Porirua and intermediate stations, I recently authorised a now copper wire for the sweial use of those places , , and (he work of erecting it has been put in hand. "While the present low rate of }d. per word scarcely enables the telegraph division of the Department, to do more than pay its' way. attention is being given to fie introduction of special : telegraph instrnnien.ts for usn on congested" lines. These instruments not only increase the speed of telegraph operators materially, but turn out the messages in plain Roman tyne at the receiving end." I hope before Innj to have several of these instruments in use. The use of typewriters for telegraphists receiving telfgrams in the ordinary way is being rapidly extended. A large number of machines has been issued in the Inst year nr two, and I propose to vigorously cam' out this policT. / o v " "The tenders for inland mail services will be reiet tais year. I intend to give every consideration to the representations inado by country residents for the extension and improvement of the services. It has|for some time been under consideration whether parcel post rates could be reduced. As all mail services are under contract, it was impossible to carry out this intention during the current trienniiiDi. With the roletting of mail services, however, 1 will endeavour to make arrangements with mail contractors to fall in with tho views of the Department. "While 1 have briefly indicated the principal points concerning tho larger questions now under attentiou, there are many minor matters which will he dealt with as occasion arises. Tho great volume of business transacted by the Department brings in considerably more than .£1,000,000 of revenue per annum, and I am glad to say that progress has been fully maintained during the year just closed.

"It will greatly depend upon the revenue how far we shall be able to extend the .benefit, of cheaper and more rapid communication, but "I have every sympathy with those outside the centres of population. We are doing all we can to cheapen the cost of erecting telephone lines. I think it is our duty to do all we can for those who are pioneering and leaving the nsphalt paths and'the latuplfght"' and spreading out into the country lands of New Zealand." (Applause.)