Article A37 · Book 1 · Scrapbook page p.30
Priest protests by refusing to pay phone bills
A Roman Catholic priest is among a number of Cedros subscribers who have stopped paying their telephone bills in protest against the lack of a proper service.
Fr. Michael Pascall, parish priest of the area, Mr. A. Low who is a shopkeeper, Mr. Clyde Austin and Mr. and Mrs. Ramjohn have not paid their bills since October and their phones have been disconnected by the Telephone Company.
"It makes no differences at all," Fr. Pascall said yesterday "whether the phones are connected or disconnected. The effect is the same. No phones working. In fact Cedros is in a permanent state of 'out of order.'
"If it rains the phones don't work at all, if there is a strong wind that affects the line too. Even if someone sneezes too hard we are disconnected."
He added that even when the telephones are supposed to be working the connection is so bad users have to shout to make themselves heard and usually 'one can't understand head nor tail of what is being said.'
"Fortunately for the police," he said, "they have a direct radio link with Port-of-Spain."
DIFFICULTIES
Fr. Pascall said that Cedros urgently needed proper communication facilities now that a widescale co-operative movement has been launched for the development of the area.
Commenting on the situation Mr. Rowland Parris, Public Relations Officer of the Telephone Company, said that the company was aware of the difficulties being experienced by Cedros subscribers and were taking steps to remedy the difficulties.
Last week the District Manager and the engineers toured the area and a decision has been taken to establish a direct radio link between Cedros and San Fernando to replace the open-wire circuit which is constantly subject to break-downs caused by bush fires, falling trees and branches.
Equipment for the radio link is already in the country and it is expected that it will be installed and ready for service by June next.
Mr. Parris added that the company's five-year development plan includes a new 100-line dial exchange for Cedros to be installed in 1972-73 which would put Cedros on automatic dialling.
During last week's tour by the company officials a visit was also paid to Freeport to assess the feasibility of a new service for that area.
[Photograph: portrait captioned "FR. PASCALL"]