RURAL EXCHANGES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22464, 20 October 1947, Page 5

RURAL EXCHANGES

P. AND T. POLICY TELEPHONE SERVICE EQUALITY THE AIM (P.R.) ’ WELLINGTON. Oct. 18. No matter how far they were from an automatic telephone exchange or any other exchange,, people should not be penalised because of the distance involved. The policy which the Government intended to follow was that it was unfair that persons who lived next to a Post Office should enjoy a cheaper rate than those who were opening up back country. This assurance was given in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon by the Postmaster-General, Mr. F. Hackett, during the discussion of the Estimates of his department. The future plans of the department, said Mr. Hackett, depended upon the availability of material and the priority of building permits. A priority in equipment had been received from British manufacturers as a result of New Zealand’s decision to switch entirely to equipment of British make. “We —the Government and the department—believe that people who do not now enjoy communication services should be the first to receive those services,” said Mr. Hackett. As soon as possible, he said, rural automatic exchanges would be put in and, also as soon as possible, everybody who wanted to get a telephone would get one. Criticism of the early closing of telegraph offices and the deterioration in delivery and other services was voiced by Mr, G. H. Mackley (Oppos., Wairarapa), who blamed the Labour laws of the present Government. Tribute to Employees

i A tribute to the services of the Post ' and Telegraph employees, who, he said, were the most efficient but the poorest paid in the Government service, was paid by Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Oppos., Central Otago). The salaries of officers who had been 20 years or more in the department were a reproach to the country, he said. A country postmaster had more staff and more responsibility than a local bank manager, but in comparison was “as poor as Lazarus,” he added. The member for Central Otago was weeping crocodile tears, replied the Postmaster-General. Mr. Hackett. “We realise that they are not as well paid as we would like to see them,” he said, and quoted the increases in wages that the Government had granted over the past several years. Claiming that the Socialist policy of government was continually loading more duties on to the post offices, Mr. E. B. Corbett, Oppos., Egmont) made a plea for increased accommodation in country post offices. “Post Office officials are working in deplorable conditions and the public is getting a very poor service,” added Mr. Corbett.

The Miinster of Internal Affairs, Mr. W. E. Parry, interjected that the Government was suffering from the legacies of previous administrations, and Mr. Corbett began his retort by referring to “the ossified brain of the Minister of Internal Affairs”—a reference he had to withdraw on the instructions of the Chairman of Committees, Mr. Clyde Carr. ■