MORE ABOUT TELEPHONES FOR FARMERS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXII, 11 May 1912, Page 3

MORE ABOUT TELEPHONES FOR FARMERS.

The question of telephones for settlers is apparently a new idea for Taranaki, and one that they can satisfy themselves with immediately on term's equal to that quoted by the Manitoba farmer.

For years past the settlers in Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay have availed themselves of the telephones and have inaugurated a system of private lines, which lead into the nearest telephone bureau or country exchange, and now there is a perfect network of lines from Mohaka, 60 miles from Napier, right up to Opotiki. Even the Maoris have given the Pakehas the lead in some parts, for at Port Awanui there are Maori-owned lines, with as many as 40 persons connected thereto. In Wairoa (Hawke's Bay) the settlers realised years ago the benefits to be derived from the telephone system, and where they were too far away to join a telephone exchange they erected their own lines to meet the Deprtmental lines a mile from the exchange.

With reference to the local bodies taking action and assisting the farmers to connect with the centres, this has already been done by the Waipawa County Council. The chairman (Mr A. E. Jull) saw years ago how necessary it was for the settlers to be joined up by telephones and started.a system of aid to them, by the Council erecting the lines to the Waipawa Telephone Exchange and charging the holders of the telephones with the interest on the outlay.

The Post and Telegraph Department has issued a new regulation to commence from January 2nd this year which gives everyone who has the desire to join a Telephone Exchange the opportunity of doing so, full particulars of which can be obtained, from any of the principal post offices in the district. The special feature of the regulations is that two persons can join a party line within a mile from an exchange by paying ten shillings entrance fee and £3 10s per annum subscription each; six persons on a three mile party line paying £3 per annum each. When a party of settlers more than three miles away from an Exchange wish to connect, the best plan is for them to combine and erect a light private line on (say) 4x2 poles, strapped to strong totara fencing posts, to the three mile limit from the nearest Telephone Exchange.

If the farmers want the benefit of the system, they must organise and mov£ in the matter themselves, the same as the settlers in other parts of New Zealand have done. Once they enjoy the benefits of the telephone they wouldn't be without it for £50 a year. —{Communicated).