TELEPHONE INCREASES

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11422, 19 January 1923, Page 7

TELEPHONE INCREASES

‘SHOOK TO BUSINESS MEN’ STRONG PROTEST RAISED ALL OVER DOMINION. CONFERENCE TO BE HELD. The announcement of the new scale of telephone charges in the morning papers had come as a. great shock to business men, stated Mr W. F. Cuthbertson (president) at yesterday afternoon’s meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

The post and telegraphs committee of the chamber, he. added, had met that morning to consider the matter, and it had subsequently had an interview with the heads of the Post and Telegraph Department. As a result, it ‘ had been arranged for the Superintendent of Telegraphs and the Chief Electrical Engineer to the Post and Telegraph Department to meet representatives of the chamber and discuss the new scale of charges with them on Tuesday afternoon next. It might be that, after they had heard the explanations of the officers of the department, commercial men would not be so sore about the matter.

A CHRISTCHURCH VIEW WIDESPREAD PROTEST SUGGESTED. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, January 18. In regard to the increased telephone charges, the general impression in business circles in Christchurch appears to be that the Government will be compelled to devise some alternative soheme, since the volumo of protest that will be evoked by the Minister’s proposals will be so great as to compel their abandonment.

MORE DISSATISFACTION NEW PLYMOUTH OPINION. Per Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, January 18. Strong protests against the proposed new telephone charges were made by New Plymouth business men when interviewed to-day. The local rates mean an increase practically of 100 per cent, for business ’phones, which will go from £7 to £l3. “These proposed charges really mean we are not going to get any real benefit from the reduced postal rates,” said one merchant. It is suggested that Bmal] traders will prefer to do without the telephone rather than pay 85 per cent, more, and householders also protest, though they get off lighter.