HOTEL EXCHANGE

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20224, 30 April 1931, Page 4

HOTEL EXCHANGE

automatic telephones. every bedroom connected. By the installation of a private automatic telephone exchange, with a telephone in every bedroom, the United Service Hotel lias been placed on a plane, in respect of facility of communication, with the most up-to-date hotels in the world's centres. The installation, which is the first on a large scale in the South Island, is not yet completed, but the work is well advanced. It is a replica, in miniature, of the central automatic exchange, and is operated by independent electrical apparatus. ' Unlike the ordinary inter-phone system, the new exchange will ensure absolute privacy for all conversation. It has been installed in an upper room of the hotel, and about 100 local lines connect it with the bedrooms. The mechanism is entirely automatic and requires inspection only occasionally. It is operated with electric current supplied from batteries at 48 volts. Dialling Calls. Calls aro put through in much the same way as with an ordinary business telephone. The occupant of a room in the hotel may dial through to any other room in the building in the usual way, but if he wishes to get through to the main exchange he must first dial 0. That will connect witli the exchange and he will then have to dial the number he requires. The "system ia simplicity itself, and thero will be no delays in getting through to the main exchange unless there are an unduly largo number of calls at the same time. Five calls can be made from within the building to the main exchange at the one time. It will also be possible to put through bureau calls, a record of these being kept by the attendant at the switchboard which is installed in the office. All incoming calls will pass through this switchboard. Several hotels in Wellington already have these branch automatic exchanges installed, and they have provo.l a great convenience to the guests, and paiticularly to commercial travellers who require to make a number of telephone calls.