PHONES DEMANDED.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 254, 25 October 1919, Page 15

PHONES DEMANDED.

■ViTLX, __E STJPBMED. j i 200 NEW NUMBERS THIS MONTE. I ANOTHER 400 LATER. § BIG AUTOMATIC SCHEME. | SUBURBAN STATIONS AXD 20,000 ! SUBSCRIBERS. Auckland is by no means alone in its i nn-atisfied demand for more, and always more telephones. The complaint is common to Sew Zealand. The shortage of material, and lack of accommodation due to the increasing use of this modern convenience, are apparent all over the world. Developments have been stifled in Australia, in England: and. according to a reliable informant, even m America new connections have had to be limited absolutely to those essential for war purposes.' But the shortage of material has eased a little, and now that some apparatus is available the question of accommodation has become a problem hard to solve. A FULL BOARD. The central Auckland switchboard is quite full, and it is only by the use of party lines that new subscribers can be connected. There are G651 subscribers, but not quite 6000 numbers—4-00 manuals and 1300 automatics. But extensions have been designed for a long time, and preliminary work has borei ? oing on with the material that has been available. Within this month 200 new automatic numbers will be cut in, all these having already been allotted to business applications, which have been <riven precedence over others. But even with these 200 new connections there will still be fifty other business people on the waiting list, while 240 or 250 prospective subscribers for residential 'phones will have no chance unless they can get on a party line until the next step has been taken with the big extension scheme. ANOTHER INCREASE COMING. This next move forward is expected to occur in a very few months, when another 400 automatic numbers will be, cut in. The local telephone branch anticipates that a switchboard will be available from Wellington in two or ' three months, and a month or two alter this comes forward the additional accommodation will be made available in the Remuera sub-exchange as nart and parcel of the central board, thus leaving the 400 numbers vacant on the main switch. THE BIG SCHEME. That installation at Remuera will not be a separate station, but simply the preliminary of the great main scheme, by which it is anticipated that in about two years" time the whole 'phone system in Auckland will be transformed at once into an automatic one, with sub-stations at Remuera, Mount Eden, and Ponsonby, while the present central exchange will be deleted from the map of Auckland, and in it 3 fetead will reign the . city automatic station that will "be installed in the .new Post. Office building in Wel4esley ew**«"'t_e three sub-«c_a-ges"■will''lie''"connected with the -city one by trunk: lines, so that sub--.eribers will connect direct with central, and be able to dial up any number they may require, just as they may do at present. The* growth of the 3emand for telephones has been remarkably rapid here in Auckland, but abnormal conditions have tended to stifle the increasingly large service. Preliminaries for this big automatic scheme are even now in progress, and the great 'phone requirements of the city within the next two years will require an immensely increased accommodation. As a matter of fact, thi= new installation when completed wil! provide not far short of 20,000 numbers and even then the authorities considei that this will be by no means toe much. It will be noted--that the marin; suburbs of Devonport and Takapuna will not be at first in this scheme, nor wil Onehunga, but it is intended to briny these three sub-exchanges into the system as soon as possible, and there is ; whispered hint that a few more of th suburban townships may be included : little later. That will mean, of course that inter-communicition will be estal lished between, say. ""evonport an Remuera with exactly the same facilit. as as present between Queen Street an Herne Bay. The coming scheme will mean a vas amount of reconstruction work, an this i_ always going on as opportunity offer. It is understood that there is tetter chance now of the necessary mi terials coming forward in sufficient quai tity. so the piobability is that the tranposition will not be delayed too long fc the patience of the people. Authority On the subject say that when this autc matie system is properly establishe and conducted —it will be what is know _s -Western Electric" —it is as near i Ideal as possible.