REDUCED CHARGES

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19564, 1 May 1935, Page 8

REDUCED CHARGES

RADIO TELEPHONE TALKS.

LINKING UP THE EMPIRE.

SILVER JUBILEE CONCESSION.

(By Telegraph.—Special to Times.)

WELLINGTON, Tuesday. During the period immediately following the Silver Jubilee of Hw Majesty the King, the Empire is to be drawn closer together 'by Aery substantial reductions in the charges foi radio telephone calls, states the 1 ost-master-General, the Hon. Adam Hamilton.

From May 6 to May 31 It has been decided by mutual arrangement between the administrations concerned to reduce the oharges for radio telephone servloe between the United Kingdom and New Zealand from £2 6s to £1 2s 6d a minute with a minimum oharge of £3 7s 6d.

Similar reductions are being effected in the case of calls between the United Kingdom and other parts of the Empire. Slight permanent reductions in the charges for the radio telephone service between New Zealand and Ireland and between New Zealand and 'the Isle of Man are also toeing introduced. In the case of Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, it is proposed as a permanent measure to reduce the basic charge from £2 7s to £2 5s a minute, while in the case of the Irish Free State (Dublin only) the basic rate is being permanently reduced from £2 7s to £2 Cs a minute. During the jubilee period these rates will be reduced by approximately 50 per cent.

Volume of Traffic

Although the permanent charges for radio teleplione service from New Zealand are reasonable compared with those for similar services operating in other parts of the world, the Minister stated that they precluded the use of the telephone except for private and business conversations of the highest importance, and the traffic had consequently been far below the capacity of the available channels. No doubt, during the jubilee period, much greater advantage would toe taken of the service.

Radio telephonic communication was 'first made available between Australia and England on April 30, 1930, and between Australia and New Zealand on November 25 of the >same year. The complete radio link between New Zealand and the United Kingdom was made available on July 23, 1931, and the service while not used to anything like, its full capacity, has been on occasions of very great value to the Government, and to the business community.