HUTT TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 23, 30 October 1930, Page 3

HUTT TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.

Mr Walter Nash, M.P. for Hutt, has xecoivod tho following letter Svom. tlid Postmaster-General in connection with the installation of the Automatic Telephone Exchange at Lower Hutt. "In accordance with your recent oral request and in reply to your lettei* on the subject of the 3rd instant, I am pleased to furnish you with particulars of the position respecting the installation of an automatic telephone exchange at liower Hutt. A .great deal of investigation ai:d enquiry Avas necessary before the Department was in a position to submit to manufacturers full particulars for the dual telephone service proposed. These were then- required^ to be submitted to "the manufacturers in England. Because of tlie intricacy of the whole, installation, particulars could not be cabled; and for the same reason- the tenders required •to come from England by post.' The order for the required equipment was placed by the Department on the 2nd June last, prompt stops being taken by the local agents of the manufacturers to cable the order to England. The apparatus is now being manufactured, and every effort has been made, and will-continue to be made to expedite -the delivery; but even so, some time must necessarily elapse beforo complete delivery is made in New Zealand. In the meantime, action is proceeding to ensure that arrangements shall be sufficiently advanced to allow of the installation of the apparatus to be put in hand immediately the apparatus is received. The laying of the steel pipes to contain the telephone cable has been going on for some time, and action to provide the required building on the departmental site at the corner of Laing's Eoad and Knight's Road is being taken. Sketch plans have been received and are now under consideration; and it is hoped that the plans will be finalised and co'nrpleted-and tenders invited for the building in time to enable the work to be adyaneed^unieiently to allow the installation of. the equipment to proceed without hitch immediately it Is received in quantity sufficient to justify , erection proceeding. The provision of the new facilities; is dependent*on,,the, delivery of the nocesary apparatusj but I■'regret that at present I am unable to indicate when the new service will be available. As stated, evQiy endeavour is being made to hasten the manufacture'-anddelivery of the equipment, and no effort is being spared by the Department to provide the dual service as early as possible." '.'.'.'■