‘DELAY UNAVOIDABLE

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4561, 17 April 1942, Page 8

‘DELAY UNAVOIDABLE

TELEPHONES AND TELEGRAMS

“Civilian toll and telegraph traffic is now subject to heavy delay, and this condition is not likely to improve while the war lasts,” said the Post-master-General, the Hon. P. C. Webb, at Wellington yesterday. Mr Webb explained that the post office could do nothing to alleviate the position because it had not now the number of lines available that it formerly had for handling civilian traffic. Even before the war most of the toll circuits were carrying full loads, and to-day, after meeting the ever-grow-ing communication requirements of the armed forces—requirements which all would agree had to come first — insufficient circuits remained for handling civilian traffic. The delays on some circuits were particularly heavy, and while Mr Webb regretted that this should be so, he had to ask the business community and other toll users to bear with the post office in its present difficult position.