TELEPHONES IN AVONDALE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20640, 12 August 1930, Page 12

TELEPHONES IN AVONDALE.

Sir, —Notwithstanding tho fact that Avortdale has now been a city suburb for some considerable time, that it boasts a population of 5000, and that there are several hundred telephone subscribers, there is not a public telephone booth in Avondale. New Lynn, two miles further on, has two, and for twopence one can ring any number on the city exchange and converse for five minutes. If you want to ring anywhere from Avondale you have to make a bureau call from the post office and on Saturday last five minutes' conversation cost me sevenpence. Deoply incensed at this extortion 1 made a few caustic comments to various business people about their apathetic attitude in the matter and was informed that representations had been made 'to tho department and that an automatic exchange had been promised as soon as tho subscribers numbered 100. This mark was passed ages ago. As ifi. now is. one man whom I know is connected with the city exchange and he has to pay a bureau call of 4d (in addition to his annual rental) if ho rings his grocer in Avondale. Similarly a man living opposite pays as big a yearly telephone rental as the other chap, but is only connected to the Avondale exchange and has to pay fourpence too if lie wishes to ring town. It is high time that public penny-in-the-slot telephones were erected at Church of Christ corner, Brown Street, Blake Street and Avondale Road. It is up to the department and the Avondale subscribers. Utility.