TELEGRAPH CHARGES

Southland Times, Issue 22293, 7 April 1934, Page 5

TELEGRAPH CHARGES

THE NEW RATE.

DISSATISFACTION IN WELLINGTON.

(Per United Press Association.)

Wellington, April 6,

The new telegraphic rates which came into operation a few days ago have been responsible for an increase in the telegraphic bills of several Wellington mercantile houses to the extent of 20 per cent., although it is a little too early to obtain anything in the way of an accurate average figure. The business opinion seems to be that the new charges definitely mean an increase, notwithstanding the fact that local telegrams cost less to send to-day than under the old schedule rates.

One city business man expressed the opinion to-day that if discrimination was being made in the charges for telegrams according to the distance they had to be sent, he did not see why the same principle should not be applied to letters. It cost only Id to send a letter from Wellington to a half-mile distant post office or To the northernmost portion of Canada. It seemed to him that the distance the telegram was sent made little difference to the actual handling charges and increased charges appeared to be unjustified. OVERSEAS TELEGRAMS REDUCTION IN CHARGES ADVOCATED. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, April 6. Efforts are being made by the Associated Chambers of Commerce ,to secure a reduction in the rates for international telegrams operative in New Zealand and other countries, which were increased at the last International Telegraph Conference in Madrid. A remit on the subject was submitted by the Associated Chambers to the last congress in London of the Federated Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire. This was taken up by the congress and since then the New Zealand chambers have been collecting statistics from local firms with regard to the effect of the new rates and have forwarded them to London for use, and then further representations are to be made.