PHONE CULLS TO NORTH ISLAND

Evening Star, Issue 20255, 16 August 1929, Page 8

PHONE CULLS TO NORTH ISLAND

CARREER SYSTEM INSTALLED DUNEDIN HAS TWENTY FOUR HOURS’ SERVICE [Fir Unrrio Press Association.! WELLINGTON August 16. The Postmaster-General (the Hon. J. B. Donald) announces that the first long-distance single-channel , carrier telephone system, to be introduced into the dominion is to be brought into operation for commercial use on the Christchurch - Wellington toll line on August 19. (The equipment is installed at Christchurch and Seddon respectively, and will reduce the delay on calls between Christchurch and Wellington and between exchanges south of Christchurch and thosq north of Wellington. The improvement in transmission by the carrier method will now make it" practicable for Dunedin, Timaru, Greymouth, Hokitika, Westport, Reefton, and the smaller exchanges in the Timaru district to communicate during the whole twenty-four of the "day with Wellington, Auckland, and all other exchanges in the North Island except those north of Napier and Hawera. _ The volume of speech between Wellington and Dunedin will, under the new conditions, be equal to that now obtained between Wellington and Christchurch ._ While it is not practicable at this stage to extend to exchanges south of Dunedin, full facilities for communicating with the North Island, a measure of assistance is granted by making provision for Invercargill and Gore to communicate with the principal exchanges in the North Island between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. and all day on Sundays. At an early date the carrier system, or its equivalent, will be installed between Christchurch and Dunedin, which will give complete telephonic communication with the North Island for all exchanges in Otago. Further extensions and improvements throughout the donation will bo effected during the next twelve months. Another instalment of 'the carrier system will give improved services over the Wellington-Auckland section. The installation of the necessary equipment is now in hand.