500 More Telephones Installed In Northland

Northern Advocate, 15 July 1949, Page 2

500 More Telephones Installed In Northland

MOKE than 500 additional telephones were installed in Northland during the past financial year. Most of the new connections serve farmers in accordance with the Post and Telegraph .Department’s policy of concentrating on the reduction of rural waiting lists.

Further to the Installation of additional telephones, in an area which extends from Maungaturoto to Awanui, many other residents in remote places have been given access to the department’s toll service by connection of lines, erected by the settlers themselves, to “telephone offices,” providing a useful, although restricted service in localities where no exchanges have been established. DISTRICT CONNECTIONS Additional telephone connections made during the period—in excess of, telephones relinquished and reinstalled —were as follows: Awanui 39, Broadwood 4, Dargaville Off, Herekino 2, Hikurangi 22, Kneo 41, Kaikohe 37, Kaitaia 29. Kawakawa 15, Kerikeri Central 8, Kohukohu 12, Mangonui 8, IVJaungakaramea 0, Maungaturoto 10, Ohaeawai 37, Okaihau 1, Paihin 21, Paparoa 2, Parakao 5, Rawene 7, Ruawai 12, Russell 8, Te Kopuru 7, Towai 2. Waimamaku 4, Waiotira 3, Waipu 12, Whakapara 3, Whangarei 79. “Although most exchanges show substantial numbers of new subscribers connected, the figures for some do not appear to reflect much progress,” the telegraph engineer (Mr C. G. Pryor) explained in commenting on the returns. Apart from the few cases of small exchanges in which there was little or no waiting list, there were various reasons for tile small increases. In some instances considerable numbers of connections had been made shortly before the period of the return, while only recent applications, which had to await their turn, had been left, he said. MUCH WORK INVOLVED In other cases such as Kaikohe, Kawakawa and Russell, little progress could be made until extensive additions to the underground cabling systems had bden made. These additions involved cable from overseas (and, for a long time, this had been in short supply) as well as months of labour for gangs. laying, testing and connecting it. At other exchanges, such as Kerikeri Central, Mangonui, Maungakaramea, Okaihau, Paparoa and Whangarei, plans for large-scale attacks on the waiting lists had been made, technical difficulties had been overcome and installation work had either commenced or would do so as soon as sufficient material could be assembled. UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND

During the last' year or two there had been an unprecedented rush for telephone connections, and estimates based on past experience and increased by what had been thought to be a generous measure had proved quite inadequate, Mr Pryor added. Every effort was being made by the department to provide the service for which there was such a demand and the figures given for the past year showed that good progress was being made.

“It will be a long time, however, before the waiting lists, which now total many hundreds throughout the district and to which further names arc continually being added, can be reduced to the happy state in which a request for a telephone can be met without delay,” Mr Pryor concluded.