HUTT EXCHANGE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 9, 10 July 1931, Page 9

HUTT EXCHANGE

TELEPHONE CHARGES

NO .ESTIMATE YET

The estimated charges that will be levied by the Post and Telegraph Department on subscribers to the Hutt Valley exchange, which is expected to bo working by November, have not yet been announced, beyond that there will be two rates, one for a city and Valley service, the other for a Valley district service only. The approximate rates have never been-stated. Residents are naturally anxious to know what these charges will be before signi-fi-ying their'willingness to subscribe to tho new automatic exchange, but it is stated by the Department that all the factors affecting the costs will not be known for. some time. Further particulars of the system intended would be welcomed by residents, but on occasions when the Department has been, approached by a ,"Post", reporter no information of an elucidatory nature on either complete costs or details/of working has been forthcoming. Subscribers served from tho Courtet nay . Place Telephone Exchange have been notified of an •impending change of numbers from the 20,000 to 50,000 groups. The'alteration is necessitated by the inclusion of the proposed Lower Hutt automatic area in the Wellington number scheme. Although the conversion to automatic at" Lower Hutt will not eventuate until tho publication of a later directory, to that at present in course of preparation, the Department finds it necessary to complete its preparatory work in the city exchanges at the time of issue of the October directory, s It is of interest to 4 note that the conversion of the Lower Hutt system to automatic working involves modifications in each of the city exchanges/ including the installation of a largo quantity of additional equipment at Courtenay place, where a change in number for all subscribers is involved. Before any further change in any other city numbers becomes necessary, 52,000 subscribers may be connected, whereas the present scheme provides for only 36,000. In the event of original numbers being dialled the calls will not go astray, as the Department is making provision to divert such calls to new numbers. It is < anticipated that tho work of'installing- the automatic equipment at' Lower Hutt will commence about November next. .