PASSING OF “HANDLE” ’PHONES

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 30 September 1933, Page 11

PASSING OF “HANDLE” ’PHONES

ry\HE “antediluvian” telephone, i? doomed. The Post Office has decided to abolish every surviving example of it, and is starting immediately with thirty-five important exchanges in all parts of the kingdom (says the “Daily 1 Express”). This museum-piece of the telephone system, still common enough in many countries besides England, is known to Pols-t. Office engineers as? the “magneto” type. It .is distinguished from all modern telephones by having a handle which must be, turned rapidly by the person who wants to use the tb-c----phono and must first draw the attention of the exchange. Tne exchange operator, in turn, has to turn another handle in order to call the prom or exchange to which hie is transferring the call. . This furious rotation of handles vs not only physically exhausting to telle-, phonists and exchange operators, who are at it all day; it also wastes a great deal of time.

Systems Being Scrapped in Britain

As an outlet for fuiry on the paitt of these who, are u nab He to get a(n a"s.ver. the handle, however, had .its use. A spell of ringing ait 120 mp.ni. ■nabied manv a subscriber to. express his opinion of the service. Although it was the first important system introduced in this country, amd so was at one time universal in goahead centres, it has now b eCOfin.e a puzzle to large numbers of people who have been brought up on the present manual or automatic systems.

Every magneto exchange i's 1 mow to be converted to automatic, alnd'the staht which is being made immediately, with magneto -exchanges serving morie than 700 subscribers each, will affect Ets■tr.ee, Eri'th, Oleethorpes, Kell tiering. Parch am, Seaford, Slianklin, Newport (1.0. W.), Ilfracombe, Exmouth; Swindon, Rhyl. Galashiels, Arbroath, and partis of Liverpool, Ma.nchieisfer, Newcastle, Sheffield, Belfast, and other district®.