FINE FOR TALK

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 28 February 1935, Page 7

FINE FOR TALK

THE POPULAR PERIODS.

HOW TOLL CALL IS USED.

W hat are the most-talkative periods of the day? Hi graphs compiled by the Post and Telegraph Department a very human story is told in that prosaic way. Here is scheduled a. national, view of the total of talk which has to he paid for at every period of the day over the toll telephone system. These plain lines demonstrate the ehb and flow of the traffic, and throw into high relief many of the activities of a large section of the community.,

The popular “half-rate’’ period for toll communications now .''commences in t.he evening at six*. Formerly it did not start until bight,* when there Aviis a tremendous rush a lid an overloading <>!} the toll lines for quite an. hour. Tile bringing forward of what might be called the concession period lias already had marked effects in spreading the traffic, and appreciably reducing the delay on calls. Distance calls were maintained at maximum between • eight and 10 p.m., but the toll business now commences at 7 in full volume, and, as the new* arrangement becomes better known, it is obvious that the six till seven period, now somewhat slack, will fill up. for that is actually the best time of getting the quickest service. Tile recent extension of the lialfrate period involved a definite sacrifice of toll revenue, but the service is so much appreciated and so widely used that it is only a matter of time when the financial gap will be filled up. . Now let us take a look at the graphs showing variations in all traffic throughout the 24 hours. Midnight to six a.m. is the “zero hour”’ . though the lines are not altogether clear. Then the. community commences its talking activities. Between 7 and 8 a.m. there is quite a good deal of activity; though it does not compare with* the rush fif •seven tillseight at the other end of the day. From bight till nine there is! a marked drop—breakfast and going to business seems to be- indicated. Then we find the normal flow* of, business conversations and another marked dpop at 1 o’clock—lunch.

During this-interval »for refreshment; and thought the business community seems to work out quite a~ number of ideas necessitating the use of the toll lines. So at 2 o’clock, up goes the traffic sharply for quite, an hour,before it drops to the normal daily volume.

The next variation affords another highly interesting commentary on the habits of business people. Just before o o’clock there seems to be a mental overhaul. “What is left to he done? Oh yes! I can got so-and-so in another town.” The cumulative effect of this process, repeated in thousands of mimis throughout the Dominion, boosts up the toll traffic markedly for a few minutes round 5 o’clock, after which there is a drop. - This last-min-ute rush of toll conversations is alsb to bo noted on Saturday; the short and busy morning. T.he fruit of week-end thought is to be noted in the busy state of the telephone toll lines between 9.30 and 11.30 a.m. on Mondays, when the volume of traffic is much above the normal amount for business hours during the remainder of the week. This feature is not peculiar to New Zealandit has been noted bv telephone organisations in all parts of the world.