BACK-BLOCK TELEPHONES

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 37, 12 August 1920, Page 7

BACK-BLOCK TELEPHONES

Answering a question "by Mr. Hockly regarding telephone mileage charges as they affect back-block settlers, the Post-master-General (Hon. J. G. Coates) ex:' plained in the House of Representatives yesterday that these charges pressed less heavily on back-block settlers than others, as they '• were mostly on the party-line systeim, so that the. charges were divided. 'When there were six parties on the line the increased mileage only commenced after three miles, and was'lOd a quarter-mile. Settlers might also erect their own lines, when no rental was charged for the sectioni and under the new scheme the.Depart-, ment would provide supplies at cost price as soon aB .they became available. The Minister had occasion again to announce that it was impossible to accede to the popular -demand of the pub-, lie for increases in the salaries of members of the Department, and meet the additional cost.of material and maintenance, without putting,.up, t the general charges to the public; there must be revenue to pay for all this. The matte* arose out of a complaint by Mr. M'Callum that the new ohajge of five shillings per quarter-mile outside the six-mils radius of an exchange wou^d be felt very severely by settlers, Many of them, he said, had their own private lines. The Minister replied that the regulations were" already framed.,/ He pointed out, however, that where' a private line existed no charge was made.