LOWER HUTT 'PHONES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 81, 2 October 1929, Page 12

LOWER HUTT 'PHONES

AUTOMATIC EXCHANGE

A SITE ACQUIRED

Tho first step towards providing Lower Hutt and Petone with an automatic telephone exchange has been the acquisition under tho Public Works Act of a suitable "site. This is at the corner of Laing's road and Knight's road, Lower Hutt, and has an area of nearly 27 perches.

Although tenders Have already been called for the installation, a start will not be made with the erection of the building until the tenders have been finally dealt with. This will be in about a month's time/ and by then it will be known what dimensions *will be required in the exchange building. The providing of Lower Hutt with an automatic telephone exchange presents problems not likely, to be met with in any other part of New Zealand. Inhere will be two classes of subscribers to be catered for—those who only want connection with other parts of the Valley and who are prepared to pay an additional fee for a toll call to' Wellington, and those who wish to be able to call Wellington without the trouble of putting through a toll call." The annual rental of the instrument will depend upon whicb^.service is required, the through connection to the city naturally being tho more expensive of the. two.. It will be impossible to provide a separate line for each subscriber needing a through connection, but it is anticipated that difficulties can be overcome, and delays reduced to a minimum. It is as yet too soon to predict the date when the new service will be in operation, but the fact that the site for the exchange has been acquired and that tenders have already been called 3«r the installation will be received with something like rejoicing by many telephone^ubscribers in Lower. Hutt