WHEN TIME IS MONEY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 23 July 1928, Page 6

WHEN TIME IS MONEY

PLEASED TELEPHONE SUBSCRIBERS. ATTENDANT RECEIVES BOX OF CHOCOLATE'S. One. of the ladly attendants at the Ha.we.ro. Telephone Exchange has just received a gift of a box of chocolates — a na.rt-iculiauf.y good box, given under unusual circumstances. It happened itldis- wav: On Saturday r. Knia.ll group of men met to discuss 1 business. and. it became evident, duiring thi? course of the discussion, that if a certain deal wore, to be completed to their adlva.nta.SDa t won I,dy ha necessary f to talk to a business man in Christchurch. It was known that the man in Christchurch had been at his telephone five minutes earlier-, but that he was then about to leave his office. The not insignificant sum of £44,000 odd was involved' in the deal, but the men at this end knew that everything wound he ‘‘off” unless a, lew earnest words could bs poured into the ear of the man- in Christchurch within the next few minutes. Could it be done by telephone in the time? At least in one member of the group thought it could, and he called up the Hawera exchange. •Over thi? ’phone lie- explained to. the fedy attendant that he wanted Christchurch at once— immediately—.urgently. He infused into his- voice and wordt-s something of the excitement that he was expeniencing, and he felt a. little dashed at the measured tones in which, the reply. “We will do our heist;” came back from the other end. Somehow he had anticipated the telephone exchange to reflect fame of his own tense, fed ings, though he realised as isoon as he put down the. ’phone how absurd was that anticipation. The Post and Tellegraph Department ■ would no- more think of betraying excitement- over his £44,(K*c deal than Cabinet would think ot ie.iigni.ng if it failed to come off. His, further meditations were cut short, exactly three minutes after lie had I made his request to be put through to tl-.o Cii‘:v of the Pains, by a telephone announcement that “Christchurch. _is waiting.’’ A two-minute conversation ensued with the man in Christchurch. The “line” was so good that-the words f the mam in the* South Island! could ho heard by all the listeners in the reom in Hawera —and his words were certainly worth listening to, for he m.nde no bother about- -such a. little affair a.s £44,ooo—.apparently they am? k? that in C'hristrhurch. Thu tans'on of the past few minutes over, the Hawera husinesisimeii realised that th? occasion was one which «jhoivjd he" suitably recognised. To their credit l silo, ild bo stated that their first thought was not. of them selves, but of •hi , oh .ging and capable telephone at:endont. Turning to hie colleagues, I til? gentleima.n who hadi been conducting the '-telenhone conversation said, “This “O-inr to cost you the 'best box of •hrrelate? l procurable in Hawera..” And it did.