FLAT RATE

Southland Times, Issue 25313, 17 June 1935, Page 7

FLAT RATE

TELEGRAPH CHARGES REINTRODUCTION NOT JUSTIFIED MINISTER’S STATEMENT (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, June 15. “A wrong interpretation appears to have been placed on. the remarks I made at Dunedin recently when referring to the present scale of telegraph charges,” said the PostmasterGeneral, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, today. “I was reported as saying that Chambers of Commerce throughout New Zealand had been written to within the past few weeks for their opinion on the present scale of telegraph charges and that not one reply had been received. Since the alteration in the system of charging was adopted in April last year most of the Chambers of Commerce have written urging that the flat rate system of charging be reverted to, and their opinion on the alteration was therefore known to me. A promike was given that the matter would be reviewed after the new scale had been in operation for some time. What I stated at the interview in Dunedin was that the Associated Chambers of Commerce and several other Chambers had been advised that after an exhaustive review of the returns it was considered that there was no justification for re-introducing ■Flnf - T’u'tp epalp The Minister said that the returns for the first year of operation of the new scales showed that apart from Press messages there had been a decrease in the volume of telegraph business of .92 per cent., whilst the increase in revenue amounted to only .87 per cent.