TELEPHONE SERVICE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XIII, Issue 1359, 27 April 1920, Page 5

TELEPHONE SERVICE.

EXTENSION WORK HAMPERED. LACK OF MATERIAL. Yesterday references in Southern journals to the difficulties under which the Post and Telegraph Department is working were brought under the notice of the local postmaster, Mr R. Blakiey. who was asked if the Borough and district ware affected. Mr Blakiey said that for a long time the acute shortage of labour had hampered the work locally, and probably elsewhere, but to-day the position was reversed. Lack of material was the trouble. An exchange was to be opened at Aria; the men had been working there for the past six weeks or two months, and that work bad been waiting for over four years. He bad been struggling to get a connection a mile away, and only recently bad connected one applicant who bad been waiting over 16 months. Asked as to the position regarding party wires, Mr Blakiey said that they were waiting for material to erect 30 miles of party wires. Places within the Borough they could deal with fairly quickly, but long' party wires demanded a lot of material. Mr Blakiey added that in some parts of the Dominion there was a shortage of poles. A very large order had been placed in Australia, and that should meet the demand. It was not simply a question of poles and wire. Many necessary things, such as insulators, were difficult to obtain. The delays occurring were of no possible benefit to the Department. Take the local demand. The 30 miles of party wire would possibly add 24 subscribers to the list, and the annual fees would be over £2OO. 'And, probably, that added revenue would be obtained without any increase in staff being necessary. Delays were occurring, but they were solely due to the absolute inability to obtain the necessary material.