NEWTOWN NEEDS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 269, 7 August 1920, Page 6

NEWTOWN NEEDS

DEPUTATION TO POSTMASTER-GENERAL NEW POST OFFICE SITE SUGGESTED A deputation from the Wellington South Progressive Association yesterday laid before the Postmaster-General (the Hon. J. G. Coatos) a number of suggestions for improving the postal and telephonic servicea at Newtown. Mr. 0, Mitchell, M.P., introduced tlm deautation. Mr. W. A. Worth described the present post office as cramped, and suggested that the Newtown school site would be a suitable locality for a. new office if the school were removed as proposed. In tho new block of buildings there might be established branches of various Government Departments, such as the Public Trust, State Fire and Insurance, State coal, railway booking office, postal parcels depot, etc. The adoption of this proposal would mean much to the residents of: Wellington South. The present charge for telephone connections at a distance from tlie exchange was, in tho opinion of the deputation, 100 high. The deputation favoured a universal flat rate. It was an anomaly that the persons using the public boxes to ring up Newtown subscribers from the city could do so for Id., while persons using them to call up Wellington from Newtown had to pay 2d. Mr. Worth made representations on several other matters, and Mr. J. Castle supported his statements. The Acting-Secretary of the Post and Telegraphi Department (Mr. A. T. Markmann), who was present, said that when the new automatic system was complete there would be a universal "ground rate" for telephones all over Wellington, nnd the charges over and above that rate would depend on the number of calls made. At present, however, the extra charge of ss. per quarter-mile for distant installations ivas necessary, and would have to be kept in force. The Minister declared himself as favourable to the proposal for removal of the Newtown office to the school site if suitable- arrangements could bo made with the Education Department! The proposal to charge a flat rate for telephonic facilities would mean a loss of 1 revenue that the Department was not prepared to face. There would be no change until the automatic system was fully installed. "Some of the _ charges may be a little unfair in their incidence," he said, "but I am afraid they will liave to remain unfair until the new scheme conies in. ... If I let one go I have to let the ivhole lot go." When the new system would come in depended on how soon the Department could obtain the needed material