TELEPHONE CHARGES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 41, 18 February 1932, Page 5

TELEPHONE CHARGES

FARMERS WANT EEDUCTION MANY CANCELLATIONS MADF. One of the results of the times has been the cancelling of the telephone by many ‘householders, both in the town and in the country. At a meeting of the Wanganui executive of the New Zealand Fanners’ Union yesterday morning this fact was referred to by -^ r - M. Baker, who stated that he thought some reduction in the charges of the Post and Telegraph Department should be made. As a result of his remarks a motion was passed asking the department to reduce its charges for rural telephones, as the farmers were unable to pay them. It was pointed out that it had been reporter that in one district some 200 people had given up using the telephone. It was considered that this result in a loss to the department in revenue, as the decrease in the number of toll calls would be large. In putting forward his claim that the charges be reduced, Mr. Baker asked whether it would not be possible to arrange a system whereby the charges

for the telephone would be on a level with the price received for produce. “You want them for nothing then,’’ said Mr. J. R. Franklin, causing a laugh to go round the room. Continuing, Mr. Baker said that he knew of a party line at Raetihi which was contributed to by 7 people. A letter had been sent to the department asking whether a reduction in the charges could be made. The reply was in the negative. Subsequently a deputation was formed and it was pointed out that the subscribers could not pay the price asked by the department. This was without effec and it was not long afterwards that the department sent a lorry to the line and carried away with it seven telephones. “The department would have saved money if it had left the telephones on the line for a year free of charge/’ said a member. “It would have made it up on toll calls.” The opinion of the meeting was that a reduction should be made in the charge and the motion was accordingly passed.