A MESSAGE FROM JONES

NZ Truth, Issue 1017, 23 May 1925, Page 5

A MESSAGE FROM JONES

But the Wrong Jones Five Men on H.T. Wire, and a Call for Juice. ; . . The multiple use of the same name among members of the human family has many drawbacks. Not only are the Smiths and the Jones's a terror to the Post Office— they may sometimes be a danger to each other. For evidence, read this extract from a printed circular issued to the employees of the Manawatu-Oroua Power Board by the Chief Engineer thereof:— • A ganger named Jones and four men had to alter some high tension lines (2400 volts). The main switch controlling the line was locked out by\ Ganger and myself m sub-station, and card giving particulars of lock out placed thereon m the morning before work was started. Jones agreed with me to have his job finished by 4 p.m. m order to restore service, as it would be getting dark before 5 p.m. At 3 p.m. the typiste from office 200 yards away came to sub-station (the 'phone m sub-station was not installed at time), and said, "Mr. Jones rang up and wants to know when the power will be put on Kamo Road again as they were waiting for it." I asked if he had said anything about being finished, and the girl said "No." It suddenly occurred to me that there was something wrong with that message, and I wanted to know why he said "they were waiting for power," and yet had not told the girl he had completed his work, more especially m view of the fact that it was only 3 p.m. and he had an hour to go till 4 p.m., and I estimated that the work which was started shortly after 8 a.m. would take him . all his time to dp it before 4\p.m. The girl was positive that it was our Mr. Jones that had rung up.

When I motored up the road two miles to investigate if the message was genuine the five men were on top. of 2400- volt lines soldering joints! No message had come from Jones the ganger! Immediately we started to find out where that message had come from, and one of the men remembered that there was a consumer named Jones, living m the same road, and he was interviewed' and was quite candid. He had rung up and asked for the power to be put on as his wife wanted to use the electric iron! That incident occurred nine years ago, and was responsible for the "code number" system for proof of identity which we employ on this Power Board's operations, and which has already been adopted by other supply authorities..