JAN. 18. THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

hours of attendance of switchboard or bureau attendants: For a period
not exceeding six minutes, 2s. 6d.; and a further charge of 5d. for every
additional minute or fraction thereof.

(b.) When special attendance of switchboard or bureau attendants out of
ordinary hours of attendance is required, then for each switchboard or
bureau attendant called upon to make the necessary wire-connections:
For every hour or less, 2s. 6d., in addition to the charges set forth in
paragraph (a).

7. No free conversations on public service are permitted over long-distance circuits.

8. The long-distance circuits are: Invercargill-Dunedin, Dunedin-Christchurch,
   Christchurch-Wellington, Wellington-Napier, Wellington-Auckland, Napier-Gisborne,
   and Napier-Auckland.

PRIVATE LINES.

CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH LINE WILL BE CONSTRUCTED, SUPPLIED WITH INSTRUMENTS,
AND MAINTAINED.

1. Application should be made direct to the Superintendent of Electric Lines,
   Wellington, for any information regarding the cost of construction and the conditions
   under which private lines will be constructed or supplied with instruments.

2. The erection of private lines is not permissible on telegraph or telephone poles,
   nor may such lines be connected with departmental earth-wires, except as specified in
   clause 3.

3. Private wires between places of business or other premises within towns where
   there are telephone-poles available, which in the opinion of the Superintendent of
   Electric Lines may be used for carrying such private wires without detriment to the
   Department's business, may be erected on such telephone-poles at the cost of the
   applicant, and maintained by the Department at the following rates, payable yearly in
   advance:-

For the first mile or fraction thereof, £2 per annum, and 10s. per annum for every
additional quarter of a mile or fraction thereof.

4. If a private line or any portion thereof cannot be erected on any existing telephone-
   poles, and therefore necessitates the erection of new poles, then for such new line the
   maintenance will be at the rate of £4 per annum for the first mile or fraction thereof,
   and £1 per annum for every additional quarter of a mile or fraction thereof.

5. The applicant must use the line for his own bona fide business only, and must
   on no account, directly or indirectly, allow the line to be used for any purpose which
   might be construed as an attempt to defraud the Department of its revenue.

6. The Department may construct private telephone-lines on behalf of the owners,
   but will not license any person to construct his own telephone-line.

7. The construction of a line erected by its owner and at his risk is subject to the
   consent of the County Council, Road Board, or other local body; but such consent will
   not abrogate the claims of the Department to the right of road. Any private line
   interfering with the construction or maintenance of any departmental line will be
   liable to removal on the order of the Superintendent of Electric Lines.

8. Private lines intended to be connected with a telephone bureau must be equipped
   with bridging-bell telephones supplied by the Department, the cost of which, including
   battery, is £5 each. Any other apparatus or material required for the construction of
   a private line may also be purchased from the Department, provided it can be spared
   by the Department and cannot be obtained from any dealer in such goods.

9. The Department does not maintain private lines or telephones constructed as in-
   dicated in clauses 6, 7, and 8.

10. A private line may be connected with a telephone-office at which there is no tele-
    phone exchange on the following conditions:-

(a.) The line must be led into the office under the supervision of a departmental
lineman to a lightning-guard, switch, and telephone. The owner will be
charged with the lineman's time and expenses while engaged in the work.

(b.) The telephone at the telephone-office must be of the bridging-bell pattern if
there is more than one telephone on the line, but it may be an Edison-Bell
telephone if there is only one telephone on the line. It is furnished,
together with the fittings, at the expense of the owner of the private line.

11. When a private line is connected with a telephone-office the service of switch-
    ing the private line to the bureau line and the transmitting and receiving of telegrams
    on the private line will be given free of charge. The usual bureau fees and the cost of
    the transmission of telegrams over the public line will, however, be chargeable.

12. Non-permanent telephonists may fix a fee to be charged for their services in
    switching one private line to another private line, but may charge only the usual
    bureau fees and the cost of transmitting messages for switching to a departmental line.
    Approximately the charge is about £1 10s. per annum per telephone.

13. Where a telephone exchange has been established in a country town private
    lines may be connected with the same on the owners signing the prescribed form of
    application and paying the entrance fee of £1 and the charges set out in clause 14.
    Only one entrance fee is required for each line.

14. When a private line is joined up to a telephone-exchange connection, either
    through a subscriber's wire or direct to the exchange by a departmental wire not
    exceeding a mile in length, the following rates in addition to the entrance fee shall
    apply:-

(a.) For private-residence connections-

If one connection on the private line, £5 per annum.

If more than one connection, either to the same or to different persons, £4
per annum for each connection.

(b.) For business connections: The initial business rate in force at the exchange
with which the connection is made. If there is more than one connection
either to the same or to different persons on the private line, the business
rate chargeable for each connection is reduced by £1.

(c.) If a departmental line exceeding one mile in length has to be erected, payment
of the usual mileage rates is charged to exchange subscribers for the extra
distance, in addition to the charges under paragraphs (a) and (b). Payment
for each connection is to be made on the basis of a division of the total
amount due by the number of connections on the private line from time to
time.