AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1923, Page 24

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES

EXCHANGES FOR LONDON" AND EMPIRE WIRELESS.

The benefits of the automatic telephone have not yet been extended to London, but exchanges under these more modern conditions are to be erected very shortly. The Postmaster-General (Sir Laming Worthington-Evans) recently stated in the House of Commons reports the "Daily Telegraph," that the problem is exceedingly complex, and it will be a considerable time before London 6 1,000,000 subscribers—the figure which the Post Office ultimately expect— #an communicate with each other without the intervention of an operator. Still agreement has bejen reached with three oJ the leading telephone manufacturing companies on tho subject of patents and orders aro immediately to bo placed for two large exchanges for Central London. Within the next three years it is hoped to place orders for the equipment of about 85,000 lines in London _ During the past year there was a net increase throughout the country of 51,----000 telephone subscribers. The cheaper rates for rural areas are being taken advantage of to an increasing degree, and though at present the service is not remunerative to tho Post Office, it is expected in time to pay its way. _ As the subject of broadcasting licenses is being considered by a Committee, Si<Laming. Worthinston-Evatis was, unable to make any announcement of policy, but he gave the following figures of the number of licenses issued:—

Experimental receiving licenses 52,264 Broadcast receiving licenses 111905 Transmitting. licenses ...:..».. 843'

Mith regard to an Empire wireless service, it was explained that a contract has practically been completed with the Marconi Co. under which: the Government operators will work the company's stations and their own. and the revenue wjll be pooled. The Eastern Telegraph Co. have applied for a license to erect a station for service between India and this country, but a decision in this case awaits the action to be taken by the Indian Government. For agreeing to permit private enterprise tohaveaeharo in Empire -wireless communications the Government were bitterly attacked by Sir Henry Norman, • who declared that it was a reversal of the policy recommended by every expert body which had studied the subject. As a warning to those who are urgin" the Government to return to a penny letter rate of postage, the Postmastergeneral informs the House that the increase of business which had resulted from the recent'reduction from 2d to l><d had not met expectations. ' Instead of the number of letters posted going up °y 20 per cent., as had been anticipated, there was a rise of only 5 per cent Printed papers, on the other hand were more by 25 per cent., instead of the expected 20 per cent., but this the Post-master-General said was largely due to a substantial fall in the cost of printing