TELEPHONE CHARGES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 195, 17 August 1912, Page 2

TELEPHONE CHARGES.

A REDUCTION ASKED FOR

O«ESS ASaOOIATION.]

WELLINGTON, Aug. 16. Members of Parliament representing country districts waited on the Postmaster-General to-day. The Members asked that the charge of sixpence for each communication within a twenty-five mile radius on private lines be reduced to threepence, as on ordinary lines. They also urged that the maintenance charge of £2 a mita for private lines was excessive. Several speakers urged that the cheapening; of the telephone system would do a great deal to induce settlement in country districts. The Minister said that he wa» anxious to extend telephone facilitiesto the backblocks; but he could not say at present how far he would be able to go in that direction. He did not think that the proposed reduction of message charges from sixpence to threepence would pay the Department. The whole basis of extending the radius rested on the automatic system ; but he could not hold out any hope at present that he would be able, to extend it to the backblocks. He hoped to be able to extend it to the suburbs; but he would go fully into rae question.