POSTAL PROGRESS

Evening Star, Issue 18031, 27 July 1922, Page 10

POSTAL PROGRESS

IMPROVEMENT iH FINANCE.

HEAVY DEOP IN TELEGRAMS

[From Our Parliamentary Repoutesi-j

WELLINGTON, July 27. _ Instead of the expenditure exceeding the revenue by £1,500, the Post and icleprapji Department last year was able to improve its position, showing a credit ot £379,964. A detailed analysis of its accounts indicates that the telephone and" telegraphic services showed a loss .of £1,056, but this was more than covered by the balance of receipts over payments on the postal side of £361,800. . There was an increase of 2,215,000 m the number of letters and other articles posted, but a decrease of 155,000 in post cards, and of 118,537 in the number of parcels handled. Money order business decreased both in numbers and' amounts, ■while the Post Office Savings Bank deposits totalled £29,125.997. and withdrawals £39,236,231, the total balance remaining at the end of the year exceeding forty raiHions sterling. Telephone revenue increased by £80,802. Ordinary telegraphs' reflect the result of increased charges by showing a decrease of 980.500. equalling 15 per cent., and the revenue dectining £17,714.. Urgent telegrams declined by 29 per cent., showing a revenue drop of £12,998. The report shows that the number of row telephone subscribers (9,259) was a record, and that a considerable amount of telephone extension haid been provided for thT oackblocks. 'retrenchment. Consequent upon the falling off in the department’s business, it became necessary during the year to-dispose of surplus officers. Approximately 100 officers voluntarily retired on superannuation,' and the services of fiftv-eight officers, who were regarded, as the' least efficient, were terminated on the completion of three mouths notice. On account of their being returned soldiers or married men, forty-three •officers, who were reported upon as being among the least efficient, were ofiered inferior positions, for which they were considered more suitable than for those which thev occupied. In order that the services of approximately 100 officers might be_ retained. officers were granted time otf in heii of cash payment for overtime performed. The department's staff shows an actual decrease ot 551 officers. Another measure of economy mentioned in the I’eport is that- the Government decided towards the end of 1921 that - all motor vehicles in use by the Government departments in'the chief centres, with the exception of police cars, were to be controlled by the Post and Telegraph Department, which would issue them as required on application by permanent heads pi the departments. The scheme, which involved much rearrangement, is gradually being brought about, and at present is working very satisfactorily. The concentration of vehicles under one control is already showing distinct economy. • This will he more noticeable as the scheme progresses. Motors and spares are being standardised. : RURAL'.MAILS.. . Referring to the' new rural mail delivery regulations,' which originally met with strong opposition, it is stated that oh the position, being better understood the opposition disappeared, and. on March 31 9,157 rural delivery boxes were being attended to. By levying revised charges the department was- enabled 1 ' to cancel the majority . of' contributions formerly paid by settlers ' towards - the cost of certain services, which in- some cases fell heavily on a few. • PACIFIC? cable; duplication. For some-time past -the Pacific Cable Board has been considering the question of the duplication of the Pacific cable. During the year definite proposals were placed before the partner Governments, and some of them, including New Zealand, have approved. For some years the Pacific cable, has .been worked up to its full capacity. • Proposed increased facilities would not. only -reduce tho delay on cable messages for America and Europetransmitted over the .Pacific Cable Board’s route, but would also provide against interruptions. ■ . - . . ■ COUNTRY TELEPHONES. During last ■ year there was put into operation a scheme under which the department assists backb!ocks_ settlers in obtaining telephone communication ' with telephone offices and departmental exchanges. Under this scheme materials for the erection of private lines are sold to settlers at stock list prices on the deferred payment system, interest -being charged on unpaid money at the rate of o per cent-., reducible to 5 per cent, for prompt payment of instalments, paying off both principal and interest in ten years. The first public announcement of this scheme minted in .the receipt of a large number of applications, but lately applicants have been comparatively few; consequently the department has made use of stocks of materials that had previously been reserved for sale to settlers. SLOT TELEPHONES. There was an increase in number of slot telephones- from 319 to 359. Generally' speaking, installations in business centres continue to return revenue sufficient to cover working expenses, while those in residential areas are not so remunerative, and it had been found; necessarv to withdraw some machines. The revenue for the year was £20,188, an increase of £1,982. ‘ DUNEDIN ’PHONES PROMISED AUTOMATIC. Tliere are 239 applications for new telephone connections in Dunedin, according to the annual report of the department. It states-that the system of automatic telephones for'’Dunedin provides for exchanges at Upper Dowling street (main), Eoslyn, and Sputh Dunedin, and is of tho same typo and ultimate capacity as designed for Auckland, Wellington; and Christchurch, But for tho unfortunate delays of recent years the Dunedin system would long before this have been full automatic. The buildings at Roslyn and South Dunedin that are to accommodate branch exchanges were erected some time ago, and the automatic material for these branch exchanges is now ou hand. This apparatus cannot be brought into use, however, until the main exchange, in conjunction with which branch exchanges are to operate, is furnished. A site- has been secured for the main exchange in Upper Dowlffig street, but the erection of a building has been delayed, firstly, on account of the difficulty 'in obtaining materials during the war period, and secondly ? on account ■of the financial stringency which followed. Unlike Christchurch, the outside plant has already been reconstructed and modernised by underground and aerial cables, and it remains only for the main exchange building to be erected’ before the installation of the apparatus preparatory to the introduction of full automatic can be put in hand. In order to alleviate the existing telephone situation at Dunedin a temporary’bra rich manual exchange, making provision for 700 subscribers, and! working as an. auxiliary to the main switchboard, is being operated at Eoslyn. The Dunedin switchboard is also being extended to accommodate 2CO additional lines. These temporary measures cannot be indefinitely resorted to, and in the Dunedin area a practical limit to such expedients has now been reached. Tha subsequent expansion of the system can only be satisfactorily met by the conversion of. the whole telephone* network to full automatic operation. „