TELEPHONE FROGRESS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20044, 6 September 1920, Page 2

TELEPHONE FROGRESS.

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. The first cry of the telephone was beard by Alexander Graham Bell when -he was -only.twenty-eight years of age, stated Mr D. E. Barton, Deputy-Els-tnct Engineer, in a lecture on “ The 'Telephone ” delivered on his behalf by Mr J. Cotter at Canterbury College on Saturday night before the' Engineering Society. The past, present and future of Deli’s invention were dealt with in the lecture, which waa illustrated by apparatus. In most countries the .telephone reflects the general condition' and prosperity of the community, and is one of the greatest aids to the rapid and effective dispatch of business, said Mr Barton. The general increase in the intelligence of the, people and their growing familiarity . with mechanical and electrical devices resulted in their takings a much more definite view of telephone matters. Engineers had (jome to recognise that subscribers would not tolerate the obsolete types of apparatus and the out-of-date methods used twenty , years ago. Increased cost of labour, and the many new fields that had opened up to womenfolk were among the many circumstances that affected operation of manual switchboardi. If no other excuse were found to justify recent leanings toward automatic working, it would only be necessary to repeat the finding of a commission which reported to the United States House of Representatives recently—that the work of the operator involves such arduous application and nervous strain as alone to warrant its elimination. Tho aim in operating a telephone exchange should be “the quickest and most efficient service at the least expense.” ‘ In the early days of manual working only a very small proportion of business concerns, even, made use of the telephone service. Nowadays it was daily supplanting telegrams, Igtiers and other means of communication, and was required by all sections of the community. In New Zealand the growth of its use was wellmgh phenomenal. Compared with even goJahead Australia, the Dominion was proportionately very far in the lead. “For rapidity of service, manual switching systems have no equal,” Mr I arton asserted. “ Automatic subscribers answer quicker simply because they have no operator to argue with.” The advantage of automatic over manual systems included speed of operation, saving in accommodation, longer life and much increased efficiency. 'To replace an existing manual system, up-to-date with all particulars, by machine switching apparatus, the usual type of telephone could.bfe used, if iitte£ with a dialling switch. The -first complete conversion from manual'to automatic working in the Dominion was carried out at Mastorton some eighteen months ago, without a hitch of any kind. A conversion was recently completed in one of the- States of America in fifty seconds. In another case 11, DUO odd tines wore cut over in ono hundred and thirty seconds. Some stir was recently caused in telephone circles by an outburst on the part of an ex-Mimstor of the Crown in Australia against a. proposal to spend some two million pounds, to develop what he termed “ the doomed automatic system of the United States.” He failed to ascertain, when journeying through the States, that the only automatic systems bought out were those opposing large manual companies in the same area. In another live years most of the largest cities would bo equipped solely with switching machines, in a IUOO-liuo telephone system'it had been shown by experience in Australia that there was a .saving Of at least (is Bcl per telephone per annum in automatic working,as against' hianual working. ■A problem connected with ••Telephone traffic development which automatics had,forced, upon .New' Zealand ciigineers wis, that of the ability.” Although the possibility of all lines connected to any particular switch calling at one and the same moment existed, the probability was that only a small, or at least a definite, percentage would do so. The whole switching equipment of modern exchanges was based on this theory, and it was never found that increased trunking facilities beyond those proscribed in the formula, used' had to. be provided, even under the most abnormal conditions. Developments in the radio departraeut of telephony had been remarkable since the beginning of the Great War. Achievements of a definite practical nature, however, were more or less—and literally—in the air. A performance t of some note was announced recently m New York- A set of only one-third kilowatt power sent out readable signals to a distance of hundreds of miles. Tho successful operation of radio apparatus over a slated .area which would enable several messages to bo dictated; simultaneously depended on an.infinite number of different pieces, of receiving gear being tuned to an infinite number of different wave-lengths At present there was not an infinite number of different wave-lengths available, and the scanty -supply of these small but important air ripples was tin most serious obstacle in the way of sensational radio development. Despite glowing accounts of wireless wonders, the latest information from America, where telephony was more highly developed than anywhere else in the world, went'to Show that no wireless telephone system was sufficiently developed to bo used successfully for commercial purposes. To cover a range of twenty-fivo miles apparatus cost £loO, plus the cost of installing and making connections between the aerials and the earth. Development was rapid, but outside freak performances nothing was definitely known as to the possible success of the experiments. The cost and complexity of the terminal apparatus used at tho present time, the atmospheric disturbances, and interference between sets were amongst the drawbacks.