ALTERATIONS CAUSE DAMAGE TO TELEPHONE LINES IN BUILDINGS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18629, 5 December 1928, Page 4

ALTERATIONS CAUSE DAMAGE TO TELEPHONE LINES IN BUILDINGS.

The Canterbury Builders and Contractors’ Association met last night, Mr G. D. Simpson presiding over a good attendance.

Mr D. E. Parton, acting District Telegraph Engineer, wrote stating that it had come under notice that certain builders in this district were responsible for breaking and indifferently repairing telephone wires when making alterations to the internal structures of buildings. These wires were frequently hidden from view and subsequent complaints from subscribers caused endless expense and trouble in tracing the damage. In all such cases the joints were left unsoldered and were not easily traceable under present manual working conditions as they’ only partially interfered with the service. When the automatic system was introduced, however, subscribers would find it impossible to raise the exchange at all. It was a very serious matter and he was seeking the association’s cooperation in order to reduce the cause of such interruptions to a minimum. The matter was brought under the association’s notice in order that the members would realise the necessity of seeing that the greatest care was exercised. It was really’ an offence to interfere with telephone wires at all, but where unavoidable accidents happened the attention of the District Telegraph Engineer’s office should be drawn to them without delay so that no dislocation of business would result from indifferent repairs.

The secretary’ (Mr W. IT. Winsor) said he had replied to Mr Parton stating that he would bring the matter under the notice of members of the association.

Mr C. E. Foweraker. Lecturer in charge of the School of Forestry, Canterbury College, wrote forwarding a copy’ of a letter he had sent to the North Canterbury Timber Merchants’ Association, offering to inaugurate a special course of lectures dealing with the drying of timber, provided sufficient support was forthcoming. He invited members of the Builders’ Association to take advantage of the course. The course would be given by’ Mr F. E. Hutchinson, B.Sc., F., lecturer in forest utilisation. It was considered that the School of Forestry could, through such a course, extend considerably its value to the community at large, and to the timber using industries in .particular. The letter was received and it was decided to send a letter of thanks to Mr Foweraker.