A RECURRENT TROUBLE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17274, 15 September 1916, Page 4

A RECURRENT TROUBLE.

Piik periodical breakdown of telegraphic comii.unication betwoca Chiisiciiurch .aid tlio northern part of this island ..nd with the North Island invariably brings a pretest from the community .aid ospecialiy from the commercial interests, but unfortunately these protests are not continued and the inc:Jcnts are forgotten. Parliament, unfortunately, is out cf session, and we may have to wait eight or nine months ;cforc a complaint can be presented .n such a form that the Governn cut will bo bound to take notice of it. But the Chamber of Commerce and the ioeal members of Parliament cught to make a note of the latest interruption, so that when the opportunity offers representatons may be made to tho responsible Minister. It is ridiculous that the whole of the Scnth Island hould be cut off from communication with the north for even twenty-four hours. The trouble occurs every year, tot always to the extent, of a com>lcto break, and the causes are well r ccg-'iscd. The Department, of ccurse, defends its inactivity on the score of 'xprnse, but surely tho business of the community is sufhVently valuable and important now to be adequately protected. Certain stretches of line on tho oast coast and others on the road to the west coa?t are liable to be broken sometimes by gales, sometimes by heavy snow and occasionally by lantlsPps, and iter the long experience of such interruptions the Department might reasonably be expected to have found a emedy. Years ago wo were told by a .Minister of the Crown that it was intend'd to strengthen-'posts and lines, and if that measure did not prove sufSe;ent to make a deviation. Later we vcre told that no deviation could give "ertainty of communication, and that he wires would have to bo taken past the dangerous sections underground. It was oven suggested, we bel'eve, that : t nvght be found necessary to lay a uibmarine cable hrtwecn Well'ngton tnd a point on the coast south of Knilcoura. So far as we know, however, the authorities havo not recently '-ad a report prepared on the subject, ind prrbably if the Minister were asked lie would be unable to say what the oft of safe lines would be. The position is very unsatisfactory. Naturally, •'•e feel strongly on the matter, because wo aro dependent on the land lines for

utr fore ; gn news, and just now the nublo are particularly anxious for nnj crap of information concerning the •,v:r. But the publ-'c are the real sufferers through the interruption, and the lbsence of war news is only one of the to which they are subjected. The officers of the Telegraph Oepartment, we are bound to say. meet 'ho situnt-'on energetically. The breaks •re repaired as rnp'dly as pops : ble. and tho accumulation of messages is cleared but the fact remains that th« d"lav is serious. We hope that it will not be neocsarv again to complain of the attitude of the responsible authorities. The M : nist"r ntn»M to have n report on the whol» po« ; t : on prepared •v : Tfcnut rlolav, and whatever measure* •niv be necessnrv to secure the service -T-vnst interruption should be taken this vear.