NEW TELEPHONES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 61, 15 March 1924, Page 8

NEW TELEPHONES

DIFFICULTY OVER EXTENSION

SWITCHBOARD ACCOMMODATION

SPECIAL FACILITIES FOR SLOT

MACHIKKS.

The Postmaster-General (the Hon. J. G. Coates) was asked last week to provide slot telephones at John street and Eiiroa road. Mr. Conies at the time referred to the difficulty which existed in respect to insufficient switchboard accommodation, but promised to make a detailed statement on the matter.

To-day tho v Minister informed ,n. "Post" reporter that the first section of tho existing branching multiple switchboard, providing for 1000 subscribers, was installed in Wellington over thirty years ago, and from time to time additional sections were added to meet normal growth. In 1912, htfwever, this type of switchboard had become obsolete, and additional equipment of that pattern was unprocurable. The Department, therefore, decided to make provision for the installation of automatic equipment, Accordingly, in 1912, provision was made for the installation of 500 lines of automatic switching apparatus purchased from the Automatic Electric Company. At the same time tenders were called for the installation of a f.'.1l automatic system for the Wcllnxjlrarea, but war conditions rendered it necessary for the Department to increase the Automatic Electric Company's equipment by the addition of apparatus to take care of 500 lines. To meet the exceptional demands then being mado for new telephone exchange connectio.-i, it was found necessary to install also an auxiliary manually-operated section, consisting 'of 6-100 number magneto switchboards.

CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE

INCURRED.

Although it was recognised that this mixed system would tend to decrease the general efficiency of the service, ib was necessary to improvise in the direction indicated in order to provide accommodation for new subscribers. In 1918, when tho Courtenay place and Newtown automatic branch exchanges were opened, the six auxiliary switchboards and the Automatic Electric Company's switching apparatus were dismantled, the latter being utilised in an auxiliary capacity elsewhere. Additional automatic exchanges at Kelburn and Khandallah were opened in 1921 and 1922, respectively, to provide for the telephone requirements in those districts. The installation of these automatic exchanges in the. Wellington area made it necessary to provide temporary equipment in the shape of "B" boards for the purpose of transferring calls from manual ,to automatic and vice versa. These conditions will obtain until the .whole area is convented to automatic. In view of the foregoing, it has been necessary to continue the use of the manual apparatus much beyond the period of its life generally, and the service has been maintained and expanded at considerable expense and effort.

"The reason why the Department has not been able to meet immediately all the. demands for hew telephone exchange connections in recent years is that during the- war period, and for some time afterwards, it was impossible to obtain telephone materials, particularly leadcovered cable, due to a world-wide shortage of cable, coupled with an exl»aordiriary demand elsewhere,V added' Mr. Coates^ "The absence, of lead-covered cable made it impossible to provide for the requirements of additional subscribers, more so in outlying districts. The requirements in this direction have been gradually met, and tho present situation is that, except in limited areas, there is no difficulty in meeting the demands of new subscribers. No prospective subscriber in the Wellington city area has been waiting longer than six months, and it is expected that the limited areas mentioned will be provided.for within the next three months. COMPLETION OF NEW EXCHANGE. "The change-over to .full automatic working will take place with the opening of the new Telephone Exchange in Featherston street. The new building to accommodate- the automatic switching apparatus is now in the course of erection, and it is ' expected that it will be completed by September this year. The switching apparatus is to be installed on the top lloor, and in order that installation work may be commenced at as early a date as possible, efforts are being made to have the top floor finished off prior to the remainder of the building. It is anticipated that the automatic equipment can be installed and brought into service within 18 months of the completion of the' building. The telephone set-vice in the Wellington metropolitan area will then be wholly., automatic, except for a small number of long-distance rural lines. SLOT TELEPHONES. "With regard to slot telephones : These require special facilities for handlingcalls, and, therefore, cannot be placed on the same switchboard positions as subscribers. Tho special sections provided are. now equipped with as many lines as operators ,are able to handle during normal tunes. During the busy hours, the slot sections are overloaded, and to this fact is due the somewhat inefficient working of these machines. In the circumstances, it is.impracticable to add new connections to the already overloaded slot sections, and these conditions will obtain until the completion of the new automatic exchange."