UNATTENDED 'PHONES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19841, 16 May 1927, Page 2

UNATTENDED 'PHONES

A BRITISH EXPERIMENT “ABSENT SUBSCRIBERS” SERVICE. . LONDON, April 20. Wh u t is known as the “absent subscribers’ telephone service” has been initiated, as an experiment, by the Post Office. TKo city exchange was selected for testng, under which a subscriber, before going out afld leaving his telephone unattended, may inform the exchange as to how long he will bo out and where he may be found, for the benefit of persons ringing him. A Post Office official stated that this service will not be made general unless it is proved conclusively that it works with the utmost smooi/iess and that thsre is a demand for it. A subscriber who wishes to have telephone calls intercepted has to ask for “Absent Subscriber Service” and leave his message with the operator. That message must, not exceed ten words. The fee is: For any period of interception not exceeding four hours, sixpence; exceeding four hours, one shilling. For every call intercepted a charge of a penny will be made. The minimum period for interception is half-an-hour. If a subscriber leaves the message, “T shall be back in an hour” and stays away for two hours the operator continues to intercept calls until the subscriber returns and notifies the switchboard.