TELEPHONE PROGRESS

Horowhenua Chronicle, 10 May 1939, Page 2

TELEPHONE PROGRESS

LAST YEAR A RECORD SUBSCRIBERS TOTAL 157,619 "The expansion of the telephone system during the last few years has been marked by a number of records Doth in the way of monthly increases in the number of exchange connections and in the annual rate of progress," states the Postmaster-General (Hon. F. Jones). "No fewer than 36,000 more telephone connections are in use to-day than in 1933, and the nett gain for the year ended March 31st last made another new record with a total of 9769 — a figure which has never previously been exceeded in any financial year." Throughout last year the monthly gains were satisfactory, and it might have been thought that a period was approaching when the demand for tele- ( phones was almost fully met. But that was not the case, for in March last the nett gain of 1000 in new telephone connections made,still another record, and brought the total subscribers up to 157,619. This remarkable and continuous expansion has been accompanied by further development of long-distance toll facilities to adequately cope with the increasing demand for rapid communication from office to office and home to home.