Cheaper Telephone Calls The announcement -of further reductions in the
charges for telephone calls is a consequence of the drastic overhaul of the system and the new efficiency that has been breathed into the service under the present administra- tion. There was some ground for the complaint that trunk calls were too expensive. The full rates are now to be reduced, the period during which the intermediate rates will be charged is extended, and the night charge between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. will be at a flat rate of one shilling for any distance. This substantial reduction for night calls will be a boon felt, not as a rule by people engaged in business, but by individuals wishing to talk to friends. Sir Kingsley Wood has taken the long view in estimating that lower charges will encourage long-distance talks and that the /500,000 loss of revenue from the reductions will be at least balanced by additional calls. Sonic years ago the defects of our telephone system were a standing reproach to a great State service. That is no longer the case.
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