TELEPHONE CONTROL

Southland Times, Issue 19099, 17 November 1923, Page 5

TELEPHONE CONTROL

SEPARATE DISTRICT WANTED. SOUTHLAND SECOND TO OTAGO. The control of Southland’s telephone and telegraph lines from Dunedin was referred to by Mr R. M. Strang at the quarterly meeting of the Southland League which was held at Otautau yesterday. “We are at present controlled from Dunedin,” said Mr Strang, “and any complaint made by us is forwarded to Dunedin and then to Wellington. The result is that some of the w'ork for Southland is held back.” He went on to say that Mr Veitch was not alive to the necessities of Southland and always considered Otago first. The switching of Invercargill through Dunedin to Queenstown was just a sample of his work. Mr Veitch had admitted that he had held up the work of constructing a direct line to Queenstown when he took up office. They should have a district engineer of their own and deal with Wellington direct. He moved that the League advocate the establishment of a district engineer for Southland. Mr McGregor asked if it were not possible to use the present fine the Railway Department had round the Lake for communication with Queenstown. “It is absurd,” he concluded, “that there should be a line not earning anything round the Lake when we want communication.” It was decided to advocate for a separate telephone district in Southland and to ask if it were possible to use the railway line for communication.