394 OR 396

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 136, 13 June 1927, Page 10

394 OR 396

TELL YOU ALL

MINES OF INFORMATION

EXCHANGE'S SERVICES

If you want to know the time, ask a policeman, used to be the saying. Nowadays one doesn't; one just dials a certain telephone number, and almost before you havo removed your finger from the dial a dulcet voice tells you the time correct to the nearest minute. Other information of tho most varied sort, from the time of the departure of your last tram or bus to the forecast of to-morrow's weather, from tho distance it is from Wellington to New York to the present address of a lady who left your street some months ago, all this and much more is now at the disposal of the telephono subscriber, upon the ringing of a certain number.

This information service has developed from small beginnings. In the early days of telephone exchanges inquiries of the switchboard operators consisted of requests for the correct time or perhaps for an unlisted or changed number. With the growth of the telephone system has synchronised the growth of the scope of inquiries, until the officials have been forced to create in the big exchange a special department to deal with inquiries. This is a purejy voluntary service on the part of the Department,, and, although the service is given free and willingly, there rests no obligation with the Department to supply it—a point which one or two users of the service might bear ih; mind. In some American exchanges this information service has developed to such an overwhelming extent that it is being discontinued owing to the congestion caused in certain sections of the exchange. In the Wellington exchange two operators are perpetually on duty doing this work, and there is provision made.for four, which is none too large a number at certain times, so great is the advantage taken by the .public of the service.

"TIME, PLEASE."

Amongst the instructions at the beginning of the telephono directory one is told that to obtain the correct time it is necessary to dial 396, and "don't talk, just listen, and tho timo will be given.'? One operator doing practically nothing else is needed for the timegiving service. On her desk lies a clock under control trom the Dominion Observatoiy. For hours on end it is her job to say- often to as many as fivo subscribers .at once, "11.45,- 11.46; 12.18, or 3.59," as the case may be—; always giving the correct time to the. nearest minute. A monotonous job certainly, but the tedium is somewhat .relieved.by the same operator in conjunction with another also acting as a dispenser of information. The requests for tho time begin to come numerous at about 7 a.m. Then is the ' hour when hubby is thinking about' his breakfast and the tram or train which he must catch for his day's work; ho has no desire to start a single minute before ' necessary, and apparently he has no implicit faith in the family timepieces, so he dials 396. Between 8 and 9 a.m. the dialing of 596 reaches its maximum, as many as 850 calls, or one every four seconds, being put through during that hoUr.' Thereafter tho demand to know tho right time eases off somewhat until it is approaching the hour when work for the day. ceases. An "Evening Post" representative happened to be in the exchange on' Saturday morning listening to tho operation of tho information department. It waa remarkable how, as the usual hour for tho closing of offices on Saturday morning approached, tho number of requests" for the timo increased. Ono could only suppose that Wellington's many hundreds of office workers were only too anxious not to knock oft a minute before the' correct, time; in their anxiety to work full hours they enlisted tho services of the exchange.

AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA.

The information department of the Telephone Exchange' has developed into a veritable mine of information. A special notice to subscribers says:— "Information in regard to sports fixtures (other than horse racing), weather reports and forecasts, hours of public institutions, visiting hours of public hospitals, times of arrivals and departures of overseas mail steamers, times of closing and arrival of ovorseas mails, data in regard to tho more important 'train times, and other matters of public interest will bo furnished (if availablo) by the information attendant. (Telephone No. 394.)" That is fairly comprehensive in its undertaking, but the information wanted by subscribers goes even further at times. Sporting results aro what most inquirers aro seeking. When the All Black football team was pursuing its victorious career in England tho results of the matches were the most sought for information. Our cricket team's doings at the [present time are supplying tho basis of much information, but the giving of cricket scores over tho 'phone is a more lengthy process than just giving the bare result of a football match; but still it is done, and done willingly. Golf just recently, too, has proved to be a reason for many inquiries.

There are innumerable inquiries for the times of arrivals or departures of steamers, trains, buses, or service cars; for the hours at which tho library, baths, or hospital are open; for the time of the closing of the mails; for the address of Mrs. Jones who used to live in such and such a 6trect; and for the nearest telephone to the house of Mrs. So-and-So, who has hot got a telephone. Inquiries like the last are answered with discretion, so a- not to encourage the illegal use of other people's 'phones, but with a multitude of directories at hand the operator usually finds it possible to give a wanted address even on tho slenderest of clues.

Every request, however outrageous ft may seem, is complied with 'as far as the operators are able. They have at hand to help them directories and timetables without number, and last but not least amongst their aids to reliable information is the "Evening Post" Almanac, for it is no uncommon thing for a subscriber to want to know' what date is the anniversary of such and such an event.

PECULIAB INQUIRIES.

Some of the inquiries made are a bit staggering. Not long ago a voico politely asked the operator if she could tell him where he could get a shave. At first sight this seemed like someone's idea of a joke, but courteous inquiry showed that the information was really needed. The ringer-up had come in from the country with six days' growth on his chin, only to find that it was the day for the barbers' picnic and therefore impossible to get a shave. At first the ladies in the Telephone Exchange could only be sympathetic and suggest the purchase of a razor. But the inquirer explained that he could not use one himself owing to a war disability. Then the braira of the exchange got busy, and within a few xrtim-.tes was .supplied tho address of a man who made a speciality in shaving those who could not shave themselves; as he had not gone to the picnic all was well.

On another occasion a lawyer earae ift from thjo country nrgemtfar needing

to see a Wellington lawyer. It happened to be a holiday, and the latter's office was closed and his houße gave no response to a ring. But the exchange located him and arranged a meeting between tho two.

"My pussy is sick, and I won't take her to a man; do you know of any woman who will treat sick cats?" The exchange of course did know, but the inquirer never rang up again to say if poor pussy recovered.

About the only thing which the information department of tho Telephone Exchange has not been requested to do is to solve a crossword puzzle, but as its service becomes more widely known it may come to that in time. If it does, tho request will be politely but firmly refused, although in all other legitimate inquiries an answer is given if an answer can possibly bo found from the information at the department's disposal. Facetious inquiries, however, are not appreciated, tho work is too strenuous to allow of wasted time, but what is appreciated is the same patience, and courtesy from inquirers as the exchange itself is prepared to give.