AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18075, 27 April 1922, Page 6

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES.

The automatic telephone as we have it in Auckland has been described by a correspondent as " a daily worry." This very accurately expresses the feelings of subscribers. The automatic in this city has been a failure and unless some improvement is effected it is likely to become an intolerable worry to the Postmasi er-General. Even now the department must be greatly worried by complaints and repairs, but apparently it is unable to give any satisfactory relief, though the grievance is widespread and has extended over a long period. The position is such that the Minister should take a personal interest in it and ascertain the facts for himself. The adopted policy is to abandon the manual telephone throughout New Zealand in favour of the automatic. A large sum of money is involved, and before the Government is further committed to that expenditure there should be an investigation of the defects of the present Auckland system. It would be wasteful folly to proceed unless a positive assurance can be given that the causes of Auckland's wretchedly unsatisfactory service are known and can be eliminated. The chief telegraph engineer has not long returned from an extended visit to Europe and America, during which he gathered information on all the automatic systems in use. He should be sent to Auckland to tell us what is wrong with our installation here and provide us with Bpmething better. Unless some step of this kind is taken the PostmasterGeneral will soon find public opinion in Auckland firmly settled in the conviction that further expenditure on automatic telephones is only throwing good money after bad