PAPAROA TELEPHONES

Northern Advocate, 23 January 1936, Page 9

PAPAROA TELEPHONES

COMING OF POWER ASSOCIATION DECIDES TO JOIN GOVERNMENT SERVICE A decision to link up with the Government service on a fiat rate basis, was reached by a general meeting of the Paparoa Telephone Association. Eighty were present. • The position was forced by the impending reticulation of the district, and the consequent probable dislocation of existing private lines. The present rate payable by subscribers is £2 10/- per annum, but under the Government system there is 1 a minimum rate of £3 on party lines, with proportionately higher rates for | non-party and business ’phones, j The bulk of the discussion at the meeting concerned the possibility of ■ arranging for an average flat rate charge over the whole area. Such a ! charge, while costing those within two I miles of the exchange a higher fee, i would tend to reduce the charges in i the outlying district, and by this means . it is hoped that the whole association ' will go over to the Government in one block.

! Mr H. H. Sutherland presided. The j Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, M.P. for Kaii.para, and Mr J. G. Barclay, M.P., for i the Marsden electorate, were present, j along with representatives of the local j bodies and other telephone associaj tions. Mr Connan, of the P. and T. i Department, Whangarei, was present i in an advisory capacity. | Report Tabled.

A sub-committee appointed by the association, presented the following report:— “In order to avoid severe inductive interference from power lines, it would be necessary to rebuild to correct modern standards all lines passing by, or running close to, electric power lines. Transposed metallic return circuits would be essential, and it would be necessary to have poles correctly spaced to obtain an average electrical balance. Any electrical unbalance in the telephone lines would cause interference in the shape of a loud humming sound over the circuits. It would be possible for certain of the outlying lines to be carried on as earth working, such lines being metallic return up to a point say, half-a-mile beyond the terminal point of powerlines, a transformer being used to convert them to. earth return, but any earth-working lines situated less than within 20 chains of power lines would be subject to interference—and within less than 10 chains would cause severe Interference.

“The terminal point of .the Government 50,000 volt transmission line will be at ‘The Mount,’ Wairere, about three, miles from Paparoa, and all distribution of power within the board’s area will be made from this point, the power lines generally following, the roads. It will thus be seen that the network of the Paparoa Association will be particularly subject to interference In reticulated areas it is necessary to keep up a high standard of maintenance, all repairs requiring to be done thoroughly and correctly. The law lays it down that Government telephone and telegraph lines shall take one side of the road, and power-lines the remaining side. No objection would be raised by the Post and Telegraph Department to private association lines being erected on the same side of the road as theirs, providing they were not so close as to cause inconvenience to the work of the linesmen. In the event of faulty private association lines picking up severe inductive interference, the interference would also affect the Government lines adversely, and in this case the Department might be compelled, in self protection, to deny toll connection.

The Paparoa . Association owns approximately 50 miles of line, averaging about five circuits per mile. The cost of building a six circuit (12 wire) telephone line, (using 30 poles estimated to cost 25/- each) to the mile would be £l2O per mile, the materials costing £B6 and the labour and cartage £34. A five circuit line would cost about £8 or £9 per mile less. The total cost of converting the system would be weir over £5,000 after allowing for the materials already in possession of the Association.” The Government System.

Going into the costs pf an alternative Government system, the report stated that the Government would be willing to credit each subscriber with having pair his service connection entrance fee of £l, conditionally on handing over his present telephone irrespective of its type or condition.. The annual subscription, (based on an exchange of 150) within a service area within a two mile radius from the exchange, would be: Four party line, £3 10/-; Three party line, £4 10/-; Two party, £5 10/-; Private line, £6; Business phones 30/- extra. Exchange hours would be: 50 subscribers, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; 100 subscribers, 6 a.m. to midnight; 200 subscribers, continuous. Sundays and holidays, 12 hours. Subscribers living beyond the service area would come under a different rating, called Rural party lines, each party line to return £5 per mile to the Department, this amount being divisa'ble between the number on the line. The reading of the report was followed by a general discussion. Prohibitive Cost. Mr. O. Hughes said his chief objection to the Government system was to the rates, and as it was the intention of the Post and Telegraph to instal an exchange at Paparoa and > one at Maungaturoto, there would be a heavy monthly toll account. For the great number of the settlers in the outlying districts, the cost of the phone was going to be prohibitive, and the present service was one of the best social services in the district. The highest the subscription had ever been was £4, and was now £2 10/with 200 subscribers. “The crux of the | matter” concluded Mr. Hughes, “is that | when the power arrives the people 1 will be deprived of their phone, and [something should be done now.” I At this stage the meeting, on the j suggestion of the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, j went into committee. ! Upon resuming in open meeting Mr. | R. Coates moved the following resolution, which was seconded by Mr. O. Hughes and carried unanimously, “That the members of the Paparoa Telephone Association strongly supj ports a flat rate system, based on the j average of the Department’s charges, jfor a period of four years pending the j reticulation of the area with electric j power.” j The present executive committee of ; the Paparoa Association was appointed j a committee to make final arrangei ments with the Post and Telegraph on | a flat rate basis, with power to act.