TELEGRAM COSTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21758, 24 March 1934, Page 12

TELEGRAM COSTS

tfEW SCALE OF CHARGES cheaper local messages RETURN TO SIXPENNY RATE DEARER FOR LONG DISTANCE A new scale of rates and charges for telegrams, to come into operation on April 3, was announced yesterday by •■ihe Post and Telegraph Department. In a circular issued by the department it was explained that the alteration consisted principally of an ad.ijustment of rates designed on the one iiand to 'enable a sum more in keeping with the cost of transmission to be tiollected from the sender of the longdistance telegram, and on the other Hand to reduce the charge made to jhe sender of the short-distance mesuage. The new scale represents a partial return to the 6d telegram. The new rates and charges are to be as follows: — Local telegrams.—6d for 12 words. Other than local telegrams.—9d to Fs 3d (for 12 words), according to the Sistante', between the office of origin md the office of destination. Additional words in excess of 12. Id per word. Urgent telegrams.—Ordinary rate ijlus fid. On Sundays and holidays.—Ordinary week-day charges. Collect telegrams.—Ordinary rate ■plus 3d. Letter-telegrams.—6d to Is 3d for 24 words. "For some time past the matter of introducing a more equitable system charging for telegrams has been engaging / the Postmaster-General's attention," states the department's anaouneement Present System Inequitable "The present telegram charge of Is for 12 words, irrespective of the distance that the telegram has to be has been open to the abjection of being inequitable. With She new scale no longer will a telegram lodged for delivery in the town of origin or for delivery' in > a town 20 to 30 miles away cost the sender just as Jnuch ''as one that has to be transmitted from the North Cape to the Bluff. "Of course, in order to conserve tho revenue, any adjustment designed to lessen the charge for the short-dis-tance telegram naturally necessitates a slight, increase in the charge for the long-distance telegram, but the incidence of traffic is such that it has been possible to limit the increase for long-distance messages to a maximum of 3d and to commence the scale for the shorter distance messages at as low a figure as 6d. "Evidence has not been wanting of ihe existence of a demand for a cheaper rate for. local telegrams, that Is, telegrams lodged for delivery, from the office of origin, and the adoption of a rate as low as 6d will no doubt be welcomed. It. represents at least' a partial return to the 'sixpenny telegram. The charges for other than local telegrams will vary, in Id. steps from 9d to Is 3d, each Id step in the Shorter distances taking the telegram from 15 to 20 miles, further afield. Urgent' Messages Reduced

"Under the new system, each telegraph office will have its own distinct fecale of charges, and ? in that respect it will not differ materialfy from a railway station with its own distinct fccale of railway fares. "A notable feature of the new scale is the heavy reduction that has been made in 4 the charge for urgent telegrams, Which has'hitherto been double that for ordinary telegrams. An urgent telegram, takes precedence over all others. It involves a special transmission and speedy delivery at the place of destination. It is reasonable, therefore, that the urgent telegram should contribute to the revenue' a little more than the ordinary telegram. • "At the same time, it is desirable that the, facility for sending an urgent telegram/ should not be denied the owner of even the. slender purse. This has been arranged by. reducing the charge for urgent telegrams from double rates to the ordinary rate plus 6d, irrespective of the number of words or of the) distance of transmission. This reduction, it is .expected, frill be the means of bringing the urgent telegram facility within the reach of mofe people. "It will be observed that , the telefraph charges on Sundays and holiays, which hitherto have been double charges,' are now reduced to single fcharges as on ordinary week-days. This reduction of 50 per cent should afford a considerable measure of relief to those who have to send telegrams on Sundays fend holidays. Hope ol Increased Business

' "The sole object in making the iadjustmeht in telegraph charges has been to devise an equitable scale of tat«s more in keeping with what the average person considers he should pay for his' telegram. There has been no <Jirect attempt at increasing the revenue, but no doubt increased business will follow the applying to 'telegrams of what may' well be termed 'popular charges'." For th& purposes of the new scheme the Dominion has been divided into squares and the charges will be levied from various centres according to the distance of the destination of the message as represented by its location in a certain number of squares away. As far as Auckland is concerned the 6d message will be available within the iarea roughly bounded by St. Heliers Bay, Penrose, Onehunga, Point Chevalier and the North Shore boroughs as far as Takapuna. Outside' this zone the 9d charge will commence, increasing by Id per message according to distance until the maximum of Is for destinations within

the Auckland postal district is reached. The Auckland postal district embraces r " the area 'approximately from the latitude of Mercer northward. Outside this 'district the charges will again be progressively/ greater, the maximum charge for a 12-word message in the North Island being Is 2d, some 'examples being:—Hamilton, Is; New Plymouth, Is Id; Palmerston North and Wellington, Is 2d. Twelve-word messages from Auckland to all South Island destinations will be Is 3d.