TELEPHONE CHARGES

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11438, 7 February 1923, Page 5

TELEPHONE CHARGES

THE PROPOSED INCREASES BUSINESS MEN APPROVE AND ADMIT NECESSITY. SMALL TRADESMEN’S POSITION. The chairman of the Telephone and Telegraphs Committee of the A\ ellington Chamber of Commerce (Mr AMackenzie) reported at yesterday s meeting of the chamber that the opinion of "the centre was that increased were necessary to enable -he Telephone Department to pay its way, and recommended that under the circumstances the new scale of charges proposed by the department he approved. , Ho accordingly moved: ‘That this chamber, having considered the proposed alteration in the annual charges, while regretting the necessity for the increase in rates, generally - approves of same, and trusts that the time will not be far distant when the department will he able to reduce the present proposed charges.” Mr Mackenzie pointed out that any small business man could get a, 33 l-3rd per cent, reduction in the proposed charge of £lB :* year, if he choso to avail himself of a two-party wire. If he did this, the increase inhis annual charge would he only £2 10s a year, or less than Is per week. The resolution was carried nem con, after a little discussion. INCREASE OBJECTED TO “ARBITRARY TRANSFER” OF £1,000,000. , Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, February 0. The Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution which strongly objects, to the suggested increase an telephone charges, especially in view of the fact that an arbitrary transfer of £IOO,OOO is being made from the telephone to the telegraph section of the department without any sufficient explanation being given. The chamber also believes • that the system of sending monthly accounts would, add seriously to the cost of the administration without a compensating benefit.