TELEPHONE CHARGES

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 134, 22 February 1923, Page 7

TELEPHONE CHARGES

EFFECT OF NEW TOLL RATES

Having had three weeks’ experience of the effect of the new rates for “toll” calls on the telephone, the Postal Department was asked yesterday by a Dominion reporter whether the new scale of charges was giving sa.tr isfaction. The following reply was made The idea seems to be widely prevalent that the alteration in the rates for toll communications is a general increase. This, however, is not a fact.. The minimum of 3d. for subscribers speaking over a short distance, e.g., 25 miles, now becomes 4d. alike to subserbers and non-subscribers. Previously, tho latter were required to pay a minimum of Cd. The new rates are calculated on a basis of .2d. per mile ; and five-milo sections are charged instead of 50-mile sections as before. Under the new rates, a subscriber who uses a lino just over 50 miles in length pays for only 55 miles or 60 miles, as the case may be, instead of for 75 miles as before ; similarly a subscriber using a line just over 100 miles pays for 110 miles instead of 150 miles. In some cases, there are increases of a Id. or 2d., Others remain the same; and some show a Id. or 2d., and even 5d., decrease. Another concession is the operation of the half-rate from 9 p.m. instead of from 10 p.m., as hitherto. This concession now applies at all exchanges open at any time between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. A further concession is the granting of six minutes’ conversation instead of three minutes between midnight and 6 a.m. without an increase in the minimum charge. This means that whatever the length of a conversation, the charge, would be considerably less than if it took place prior to midnight. It will, therefore, be seen that there are four rates now in existence, namely: —

(a) Urgent rate. (b) Ordinary rate. (c) Night rate between 9 p.m. and midnight’ and between 6 and 8 a.m. ; and ~ . . , (d) Special rate between midnight and 6 a.m. i n The schedule shown hereunder will illustrate to readers at the places named what exactly the rate for three minutes’ conversation from Wellington was, and is now: — Old rate Ncivrate * charge charge

Disfor 3 for 3 F 1’0 m Weitance, minutes, minutes, lington to miles. s. d. a. Auckland . . 433 6 9 7 4 Carterton . .. 58 1 0 1 0 Eketahuna . .. 94 1 6 1 7 Feilding Foxton . 105 .. 75 1 3 0 1 1 10 3 Hastings .. .. 193 3 0 3 4 Levin Mangaweka .. 62 .. 157 1 3 0 0 2 8 9 Marton .... .. 127 2 3 Napier Paekaknriki . 206 30 3 0 9 9 3 0 6 6 Palmerston IN. 93 1 6 Plimmerton 18 0 3 0 4 Upper Hutt ~1 Wninukurau 164 0 3 3 0 0 O 10 Wanganui Woodville . .. 130 . 110 2 2 3 3 2 1 10