AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 4 February 1927, Page 4

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES

FIRST ALL=BRITISH SYSTEM. HAWERA CITIZENS ENTERTAINED G BESTS OE BRITISH GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY. To mark the successful installation of the Hawera automatic telephone system, the first all-British automatic installation in New Zealand, the British General Electric Company, contractors for the work, entertained at the Central Hotel last evening representatives of various local bodies and of the Press.

Those present were: Sir William Noble, a director of the company in England, Mr E. Hir-su, managing director of the company in Australia; Mr A. Gibbs. Engineer-in-C-hief of the Post and Telegrenii Department of New Zealand ; Mr L. J. Bull, postmaster at Hawera; Mr A. Wallace, consulting engineer to the company in New Zealand : Mr H. E. Taylor, New Zealand manager for the company; Mr* R. W. G. Lye Telegraph Engineer for the Wanganui and Hawera districts; Mr J. Orchiston, ex-Chie-f Telegraph Engineer for New Zealand ; the Mayor of Hawera (Mr Pacey); Mr 11. G. Dickie, M.P.; Mr E„ Dixon, President of the Hawera Chamber of Commerce; Mr T. I A. Winks, chairman of the Federation of Dairy Factories; Mr J. R. Corrigan, chairman of the South Taranaki Winter Show Committee; Mr P. Bond, general manager of the Hawera Star; Mr F. GiHanders, chairman of the Hospital Board; Mr S. C. Tonbs, president of the Egmont A. and P. Association; and Mr L. A. Abl.stt, editor of the Hawera , Star. An apology for absence was re- I ceived from Mr J. B. Murdoch, chairman of tbe Hawera County Council, who was absent in "Wellington. Mr Hirst presided, and introduced Sir William Noble, who, prior to joining the British Genera] Electrical Co., was Engineer-in-Chief to the British Post Office,

The Mayor expressed the -pleasure of the guests at being present, and said that they appreciated the honour of representing the first town in New Zealand to install an all-British automatic telephone -system. They hoped that it was but the forerunner of many more- contracts that would be -secured by the British General Electric Com-, pany, and he assured Sir "William Noble that New Zealanders were only too anxious to deal with the Mother Country, provided they could get the goods they wanted at prices they could afford to pay. Sir. William Noble said that he had arrived in New Zealand only the previous day. and though he had only a fortnight to -spend in this country, he wa-s determined to see all he could of both islands. He hoped later to pay a second and more extended visit to both Australia and New Zealand. He had learned while in Australia thatthere were some directions in which British manufacturers could adapt their goods to the requirements of the overseas demand, and he would'lose no opportunity upon his return to the Old Country to impress upon his friends, espeeiallv those in the motor-car manufacturing trade, that they were missing opportunities. (Hear, hear). He was glad to find in Australia and New Zealand a readiness and an eagerness on the part of businessmen to purchase British goods so long as the goods met their requirements. He wa-s glad to be able to say that a realisation of the -needs of the Dominion was gradually becoming more general in England. They had to remember that for -some years after the outbreak of the war America was engaged in perfecting her industrial -system while England _ was engaged in manufacturing munitions, and the United States had in 00-nse-quence gained a big lead. But England was not "done” and was making ’ great efforts to overcome her handicap, and she ’-o-oked to the Dominions to -assist her bv providing the markets for many of her exportable lines. The company, of which he was a director, employed some 3000 hands, and it was enedavouring at every passible opportunity to use British material and British tools. It wa-s in the manufacture of tools of trade- that America had gained a big lead, but his company had found that British manufacturers could make most of their requirements upon a sample being submitted. He hoped, with the Mayor, that the installation iu.st completed by his company would not be the last contract that would he secured by a British firm in New Zealand. GOOD WORK BY P. AND T. DEPARTMENT. A high tribute to the Post and Telegraph Department of New Zealand was paid by Mr Wallace, consulting engineer to the company, in the course of a -speech. He said that the Department- had trained its own -staff, and had bi.en solely responsible for the nighy -successful installation of the automatic -system in Ne-w Zealand. Mr Gibbs. Engineer-in-Chief, in the course of an interesting -speech, -said that he had never known a similarly distinguished gathering of telephony experts to he -assembled in any place in New Zealand previously. Sir William N-oble was one of the recognised telephone engineering -authorities in Ragland, and the British Post Office engineers, to- whom he was formerly attached a§ chief, were recognised as the equal of any in the- world. Mr Gibbs expressed the entire -satisfaction of the Department with the installation in Hawera, and said that the Department had experienced here less trouble during the first few days of operation of the new automatic -system V than they had anywhere- in New Zealand. This wa« accounted for by the painstaking effort of the local officers to make the pubhc acquainted with the new system, by the intelligence- of the public* and by the publicity given by the Press. In the course of his speech. Mr Gibbs mentioned that New Zealand came fourth among the nations of the world in the use of telephones. The United States came first, Canada second, and Denmark third. In New Zealand the proportion of tele-phone subscribers was 10 to the 100 of population. In Hawera, he added, the proportion was 16 to tlie 100. The Dominion did not have one automatic system 15 years ago, but to-day it had over 30.000 automatic lines, and with the addition of Dunedin, and later this year of Christchurch, the number of automatic lines would be greatly augmented in the near future. Mr Gibbs then introduced Mr Orehi-s----ton, ox-Chief Telegraph Engineer, who was at one time in his career —53 years ago—postmaster at Hawera. Mr Orchiston held the- close- attention of his hearers with anecdotes, of the eavlv days of the service, touching upon the innovation of the telephone at a- time when he was a telegraphist, and he contributed some amusing reminiscences of the early days in Hawera and of some of the well-known residents- of the town of half a century ago. Mr Dickie. M.P.. Mr Corrigan, and Mr Tavlor also spoke. k A verv enjoyable social evening, and / one which will rank as a milestone in the historv of the development of the town of Hawera was concluded with the toast of the health- of the representatives of the company and of the Department.