BACK-BLOCKS COMMUNICATIONS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16816, 14 August 1920, Page 6

BACK-BLOCKS COMMUNICATIONS.

QUESTION OF TELEPHONES. <T. TSIvEGRaPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. WELLINGTON, Aug. 13. When discussing the telephone changes last night, Taranaki members united in pleading the cause of the country settlers. Mr. Smith said that the increases wero 'disproportionate in .regard to the value derived bv country subscribers from the telephones. The Hon. J. G. Coates: Can you suggest a better system? Mr. Smith; The Minister has been in Parliament for years and has the advantage of the services of experts. It is unfair to ask me to suggest offhand a better system. Mr. Hawken said they were not concerned so much about the changes as about the difficulty of obtaining the .telephones. The Minister required to watch carefully to see that telephones were not going into cities that should ho given to the country. Ho believed there had been too much of this going on. Mr. Masters strongly supported this, and pointed to cases where it was impossible to get points connected where there was community of interest. He mentioned particularly Ohura’s interest in and desire for connection with Taranaki. Mr. Coates said he was advised by his officers that the Tahora-Ohnra connection would be of little value, and would serve only some auctioneers and business men, and would involve the use of a great amount of material. This would not be warranted while so many settlers had no connection at all. He had looked into the matter very carefully, but would reconsider it.