ODD COLLECTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26769, 12 May 1948, Page 4

ODD COLLECTION

YIELD FROM SLOT TELEPHONES

ATTEMPTS TO AVOID PAYMENT

An odd assortment of articles inserted in the slots of public telephones during the past six months has been a source of concern to officials of the Post and Telegraph Department. Motives of mere curiosity are perhaps discernible in several objects in the

collection, while others seem to present planned attempts to cheat the Government of its lawful due. Just what success the instigators expected to obtain by the use of such articles as a Yale key and a penknife blade is rather difficult to conjecture. An official of the department pointed out that even carefully manufactured lead “ coins ” would have little chance of gaining the required results, as the machines were gauged for the thickness and weight of a penny. Such ventures would hardly prove economical, the official added, as the slugs used would cost more than a penny to produce. The futility of attempting to establish connections by inserting foreign objects was thus stressed. The conseauent jamming of the telephone might have serious results if the services of a doctor, ambulance or fire brigade were urgently required.