INSULTS COSTLY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18661, 22 March 1935, Page 2

INSULTS COSTLY

'PHONE TEMPERS HEAVIER PENALTY LONDON, February 23. Insults to telephone girls may prove expensive when a bill to amend the Postal Act- becomes law. Subscribers who give vent to their irritation at wrong connections or delays by abusing the girl at the switchboard or become abusive or insulting on any pretext, will find that the law takes a very much more serious view of their offence than hitherto. The Postmaster-General, Sir Kmgsley Wood, informed the House of Commons when introducing the new bill that these offences were increasing. At present there are only two ways of dealing- with such unpleasant people. One is to proceed against them under the Larceny Act, but the only charge which can be brought against, them under that Act—that o 1 fraudulently using electricity—is not a very satisfactory one. The other is to try to bring the offender within the law; relating [to, obstruction. In fiitner case the only penalty is. a fine or £-. Sir Kingsley does not consider tins sufficient and'asks for power to deal "adequately"'with such people. .222,000,000 POSTAL ORDERS. Another provision of Hie new bill will allow the P.M.G. to increase the present maximum denomination ol postal orders, which is one guinea, at his discretion. British post, oflices sell " 1J, 2,000,000 postal orders every year. " Postal orders of low denominations will also be. issued in books. The bill provides also for specially low postal rates for paper used' tor making books for the blind. At the instance of: Sir lan Fraser, the blind 'MP these were, extended to cover the special records now being made for the blind, by which a single disc will give 30 to 40 minutes' reading on one side.