A STRANGE ARRANGEMENT

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 89, 17 May 1929, Page 8

A STRANGE ARRANGEMENT

TELEPHONE OFF IN SCHOOL HOL1DAYS. P0SIT10N AT TE HAROTO. Tho fact that a motorist who on Wednesday got stuck at To Haroto, 011 the main Napier-Taupo road, liad to walk eleven miles back to Tarawera to 'plione for assistanco as tho telephone bureau was closed during the* school recess, was revealcd to members of the Napier Chamber of Commerce yestei'day afternoon by Mr H. Andcrson, who stressed tlie necessity of providing a conthiuous tcleplione service at tliis point. Ho stated in explanation tliat the teleplione bureau was at present operated by the local schoolmastcr, and wlien he went away for the seliool holidays the bureau elosed down until his i*etuni, and telephouic communication to and from To Haroto was cut off" during that period. Dlembcrs expressed the greatest surpriso at such a Ktate of affairs and Mr Andcrson and tho secretary were appointed a deputation to wait upon the postmaster in Napier, Mr B. E. S. Brodie, to seo if a continuous service could not be arranged. Mr Andcrson "tlien hrought up the question of toll communication between Napier and Hastings, stating that lie con-sidercd that the toll rates sliould be cheapened by the department, and really fclt that tlie time had come for a freo exchange between Napier and Hastings, as was now in operation between Wellington and the Hutt. Mr DI'eLeay : If Wellington can gefc a service, are we not cntitled to it? Members generally expressed tliemselves as desirous of seeing such a forward step put into operation, and Mr Anderson and tlie secretary wero instructed to seo the postmaster on this matter also.