AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3294, 12 August 1911, Page 9

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

NO ATTENDANTS REQUIRED

After five days’ examination of the trial automatic telephone installation at the Sydney General Post Office, the conference of electrical engineers representing the various States, together with Air. Hesketh, Commonwealth electrical engineer, last week despatched to the Postmaster-General a report on the system. The advantage of the automatic system is that no operators are required at the exchanges. By a simple manipulation of a dial on the instrument each subscriber connects himself with the number required. The system is largely in use throughout America, where, in many cities, it is superceding the manual systems such as exist in Australia. Estimates are being asked for the installation of an automatic system for the General Post Office Department in London, and also for a 12,000 line system for Portsmouth. At Havana (Cuba) where for twelve years there had been a manual system, with 3400 lines, an automatic system was installed less than two years ago with 6000 lines. About six motnhs since 3000 additional lines were ordered, and these are now being installed. About three weeks before the mail left America an additional 3400 lines were ordered, making an aggregate of 12,400 lines up to this time, or,almost three times as many as there were eighteen months ago. The Chicago installation now has 21,000 telephones working, and arrangements have just been completed for extending the plant indefinitely. More than 45000 service contracts have been obtained since May of last year. The Federal Government is now considering a tender for the establishment of the automatic system at Geelong (Victoria), where it is proposed to test the system under Australian conditions.