TELEPHONE WIRES CUT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21883, 20 August 1934, Page 8

TELEPHONE WIRES CUT

TAXI COMPANY SUFFERS CALL BOXES DISCONNECTED BOGUS MESSAGES RECEIVED The cutting of wires leading ho four street telephones belonging to the Checker Taxicab Company, Limited, and the receipt of a number of bogus calls for cabs, disorganised the company's service on Saturday evening. Another telephone was maliciously disconnected yesterday afternoon. The company offers a reward of £lO for information as to the identity of the person responsible. Wires were found to have been cut at two of the boxes, in Wairere Avenue, Mount Albert, and at the top of Symonds Street, early . on Saturday evening. Shortly before seven o'clock drivers discovered that the telephones in Broadway, Newmarket, and at the top of St. Stephen's Avenue, Parriell, had also been disconnected. The company's telephone at the top of Minto Road, llemuera, was found to have been interfered with about four o'clock yesterday afternoon. In each instance a wire leading down the post to the telephone had been cut. Customers Kept Waiting "The cutting of the wires and the false calls disorganised our service, so that in the majority of instances genuine customers were kept waiting from five minutes to a quarter of an hour, during a period of about two hours on Saturday night," said Mr. A. Sinclair, secretary of the company, last evening. "Fortunately, the weather was fine, and the demand for cabs was normal. Had it been wet, with the usual rush for CJjbs, our position would have been much worse." The telephones at Newmarket, and at the top of St. Stephen's Avenue, the company's two best stands, were cut just before the peak period op Saturday evening, Mr. Sinclair added. The telephones gave direct communication between the company's various stands and headquarters, and were used for transmitting orders to drivers, and keeping in touch with them. Attempt to Verify Calls The position was further complicated by the receipt of a large number of bogus telephone calls for cabs between eight and 10 o'clock. The calls resulted in cars being sent to addresses! in St. Heliers Bay, Remuera, Grey Lynn and other parts of Auckland. In each case the drivers were told, upon arrival, that no car had been ordered. In some instances, attempts were made to verify calls, but this was often impossible, and the cars had to be sent in case the requests were genuine.

Repairs to the four telephones disconnected on Saturday were carried out as rapidly as possible by the Post and Telegraph Department. The'service yesterday was not marred by false calls.

The week-end was the third period in the last eight years in which the Checker Company's street telephones have been disconnected. A series of offences occurred in Devonport when the company was comparatively new in Auckland, and some two years ago there was a recurrence in the city and suburbs.