GISBORNE IN THE PAST.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3997, 30 July 1913, Page 3

GISBORNE IN THE PAST.

INTRODUCTION OF THE TELEPHONE. A LESSON OF PROGRESS. In these advanced days, what a state of ciiaos commercialism would lie in if we were deprived of the use of the telephone! The ’phone is an absolute* essential in the - business world and. it provides a rapid means of communication between town and country and from town to town. It is only sixteen years since the good people* of Gisborne were able td speak out their business over the wires and at that time, a very exhaustive canvass had to be made before the residents agreed in sufficient numbers to the establishment of the telephone sj’stem. There were then only (JO subscribers and the total of those in direct connection with the exchange at the end of J une of the nresent year was 1145, with 101 extension telephones. These figures provide striking emphasis of Jho march in progress tiiat Gisborne and the district is making. 1 A few facts about the establishment of the system in Gisborne should be of interest. The local Post and Telegraph Office was opened on October 4, 1879, and the telephone exchange was not opened until March 1, 1897. The hew Post Office was opened on October 13, 1902, but the telephone exchange did not remove to the new building until the following March. The hours then were daily from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. and the exchange opened on all holidays excepting Christmas Day and Good Friday, on which days it opened from 9 a.m. till 10 a.m. On February 1,1909, the exchange commenced to stay open all day on Sundays and the exchange has been a continuous one since October 1, 1912. , ' Mr John Townley showed a “Times” reporter yesterday one of the original iists of subscribers, which contained the following names (00 in all)V Albion Club Hotel (W. F. Crawford) ; Bank of New Zealand; D. Barry, cordial manufacturer; Dr. Browne-Grahame; S. A. CampbellNoble, dentist; A. Clark and Sons (T. C. Dawson, manager) ; Clayton and Co., timber merchants; Dr. Cole; John Coleman, commission agent; Common Shelton and Co.; Dr. John Craig; James Craig, baker; C. A. deLautour, solicitor; J. F. Dickson, coal merchant; Charles Dunlop; T. Dalrymple, ironmonger; J. Erskine, baker; H. J. Finn, solicitor; Geo. Foster, chemist; Gisborne Brewery Coy.; Gisborne Freezing Coy. ; Gisborne Hotel (J. H. Martin) ;* Herald Office; Dr. Hughes; R. N. Jones, solicitor ; Kennedy and Evans, coal merchants; A. F. Kennedy; C. F. Lewis; Loan and Mercantile Coy.; W. D. Lysnaiy solicitor; James MacFarlane, Te Hapara; Masonic Hotel (J. A. Harding); J. Maynard, butcher; J. McKee, grocer; Nelson -Bros., freezing Company; Nolan and Skeet, solicitors; D. M. Orr, produce merchant. Parnell and Coy., ironmongers; IV. Pettie, draper; Post Office; Poverty Bay Club ; Poverty Bay Farmers’ Association ; Rees Bros., solicitors; Rees and Day, solicitors; W. L. Rees; Robertson and Adair, drapers; Royal Hotel (F. A. Martin); Settlers’ Hotel (J. A. Lucas); F. J. Skelton: W. O. Skeet, builder; \Y. Sykes, dentist; John Townley; Turanganui Hotel (Mrs Sheen) : Union Bank ; Union S.S. Coy. ; Williams and Kettle. _ A still further stop towards perfection has l)een promised for some time in. the form of a metallic circuit, and the introduction of this advanced system is badly needed. The amount of induction which occurs through the Gisborne exchange is deplorable on occasions, and,makes it a difficult matter to hear clearly, owing to the cross conversations. The bulk" of the material for the newer system is already in sttfVe here, and it v'ould be inter‘<fcting to know when the authoiities intend putting it into operation.