AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15096, 12 September 1912, Page 4

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES.

the SYSTEM EXPLAINED,

EFFICIENCY WITH ECONOMY.

SOME DOUBTS ALLAYED.

Tire automatic telephones which are recommended by Mr. Buckley, chief electrician, for use in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch, are the subject of an exhaustive report, frhich has been issued by the. Department. Mr. Buckley, in his introductory, states that " the extent to which automatic exchanges have come into use in America, and the rapid strides that have been made with them in that country during the last two or three years, have attracted the notice of telephone engineei'3 generally. So much is this the case that certain of the Canadian Provincial Governments, the German and the Bavarian Administrations have adopted the full-automatic system on a considerable scale, while the British Post Office is erecting two or three small installations, and purposes one or two large installations quito shortly. The Commonwealth also is erecting an installation of full Strowger automatics at Geelor.g in Victoria." '

His explanation of what is called the Strowger system affords an exact impression of what the automatic telephone really is.

"Tho Strowger system is a full automatic system, manufactured by the Automatic Electric Company, of Chicago. The extent to which it is in operation, and the rapid strides it has made of recent years, have already been referred to. At the subscriber's station a common battery telephone of the usual manual type may bo used. Attached to this is a disc cut into tho circuit, so as to make and break contact a number of times according to the figure pulled. Mechanism placed usually at various centres responds to the impulses given rise to by the make and break. These impulses may vary in speed up to about 20 per second. Tho most recent form of disc is but little complicated. There are circular holes cut in the front disc through which figures from 0, 9, etc., to 1 appear. To send in, say, number 5643 the telephone-receiver is removed from its hook, tho finger is inserted in the front disc opposite the figuro 5, and the disc is rotated to its stop and released. The rotation winds a spring and tho five impulses are sent during the return or the disc to normal. Similarly for the remainder of the figures when the subscribers will find his call • through. Criticisms Answered.

"When automatic ringing is being done the calling party hears that the bell is being rung. If the called subscriber is 'engaged* when a connection is being sought, a ' Busy ' signal will be heard by the calling party. The selectors may bo in, different exchanges. When the conversation is completed the calling party can disassemble the connection immediately and put in another connection at once. It' a mistake has been made in calling, and it is detected before tho call is completed, it is only necessary to depress tho switch-hook an instant and call again. It can be arranged if necessary, although it is not generally found necessary, to give what is called 'back release'—that is to connect up so that the party called can free himself from the calling party. For numbers that have been given up, those of persons out of town, or for any numbers that for any reason are temporarily out of use, connections are arranged so that any calls to them will arrive at an ' information' table, where an operator will confer with the calling party. Alarm signals are provided, so that switchmen can promptly and with little difficulty ascertain what part of the mechanism calls for attention.

" It is sometimes objected against full automatic that the dial cannot bo worked in the dark. It can bo worked in the dark, but not easily. That objection has been closely inquired into, and is found not to be of much consequence. The operating companies find that it is extremely rare to get any complaint on that score, or that it affects in any way their getting subscribers. ' Long distance' is 0, "easily found on the dial in the dark. Calls going in on that number either meet an attendant, or the office arrangements are such that a bell is rung so that some person can be reached who can give the required information. ' Information' or 'Police' can be given numbers easily found in the dark, such as 1111. It is only on special or unusual occasions that such a difficulty could possibly arise. That people like the automatic was found on inquiry at Los Angeles, Grand Rapids, Columbus, and many other parts."

What the Automatic Costs. Continuing, Mr. Buckley says : — "It is proper in reviewing systems the use of which may bo contemplated to compare the most approved of one type with the most approved of another type, and this will now bo done as between full -automatics and manual common battery. It is assumed that the exchange is a single office. This assumption leaves the outside work in both systems the same and thus avoids complication. The number of lines and telephones is taken as 6000, with an ultimate capacity of 10,000 and a calling-rate of eight per subscriber per day. The first cost of such a manual switchboard . would .be, approximately, 6000 lines at £3 10s each —£21.000, plus £4000 for installing £25,000. The first cost of full-automatic central-exchange apparatus would bo for 6000 lines at £5£30,000, plus £4000 for —£34,000. At the subscriber's telephone there would also bo required a dial costing £1, making an additional amount of £6000.

" The annual charges for the manual exchange would be & Interest 4 -per cent, depreciation 3 per cent.=l2 per cent, on £25,000 ... 3,000 1 Manage!- 300 1 Wire-chief _ ... _ 220 1 Assistant wire-chief 160 2 Distributing-frame men at £150 ... 300 2 Trouble or switchboard men (inside) at £170 540 1 Information clerk at £80 80 1 Complaint clerk at £80 80 1 Observation clerk 300 56 Operators at £70 3,920 4 Monitors at £110 440 2 Supervisors at £160 320 £3.260 Annual charges for automatic : — £ Interest 4 per cent., depreciation 65 per cent. = 104 per cent, on £34,000 ... 3,570 1 Manager • 500 4 Information clerics at £80 and 4 complaint clerks at £80 320 1 Switchboard foreman 250 1 Wire-chief 220 1 Wire-chief assistant 160 2 T)istriluiting-framo men at £150 ... 300 8 Trouble attendants {inside) at £170 1,360 Extra for interest, depreciation, and maintenance of dials at subscribers' stations, particulars already shown 1,260 £7,740 " The difference in favour of automatics is £1520. If tho depreciation on automatics be taken tho samo as manual— i.e., 8 per cent.j instead of 6£ per cent.— tho difference mentioned would bo reduced by £510 to £1010.

Mr. Buckley also shows that if automatic telephones were at present in use in Wellington the saving to the State would bo £2000 per annum. As Auckland has only about 300 moro telephones than Wellington, it may be assumed that another £2000 would bo saved here, and if this is applied to Dimedin and Christchui'ch tho total saving would probably amount to £8000 per annum. Again, it has to bo considered that this saving would eventually apply throughout the whole Dominion as the automatic system was extended.

Briefly, Mr. Buckley advocates efficiency with economy, and as this view has been unofficially endorsed by the PostmasterGeneral, all that is required to got the system going is tho necessary finance and formal sanction of Parliament.

" AVhero there's a will there's a -way"— but thero's only ono way to make good Brandy, and Martell's havo always adopted it. ''