COMING TELEPHONES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1881, 15 October 1913, Page 8

COMING TELEPHONES.

IN NEW ZEALAND.

THE NEW WAY & ITS FEATURES,

Tlioso subscribers who aro already connected with tlio automatic portion of the Wellington Tclephono Exchange, cannot bo said to Ijo receiving tho full benefits that aro claimed for that system owing to tho wholo of tho subscribers not boing on tho full automatic system, and the necessity therefore of connections between largo numbers of subscribers on tho exchange being effected through, appliances specially -arranged to admit of one system being worked into tho other. Full automatic working is only possible at present for connections between tho comparatively few subscribers connected with the automatic system. Coming Installations.

The work of installing the automatic telephone system in Wellington, Auckland, Masterton, Hamilton, Blenheim, and Oamaru, will probably extend over a period of about threo years. So far as can be gathered it' is tho intention of tho Post and Telegraph Department first of all to instal automatic telephone sub-exchanges at such parts of Wellington as Courtenay Place, Wellington South, and Khandallah, and at Auckland at Mount Eden, Kemuera, and Ponsonbj", and to proceed simultaneously with those and with tho installation <'f tho four smaller exchanges at Hamilton, Masterton, Blenheim, and Oamaru. The erection of suitable buildings to house the plant at the places mentioned -is being pushed forward, and it is expected that tho actual work of installing the necessary switches and telephones will be begun ilext year. The manufacture of the automatic apparatus for tlioso places is now proceeding.

Following on the introduction of tho automatic telephone system into the suburbs montioned, it is the intention to extend the system into other suburbs of Wellington and Auckland, and finally tho large central exchanges at these places will be equipped, and when this is completed the whole system will bo "full automatic." While Things are Changing. During what may be called the transition period, that is, while the exchanges aro being gradually converted from tho present manual system to tho automatic system, it is obvious that an increasing proportion of the subscribers will ha'ro automatic telephones, while tho _ remaining subscribers will still be eauipped with tho present instruments. There will, however, be np dislocation in obtaining communication, but tho continuity of tho service will bo maintained throughout. An automatic subscriber is able to 'call another automatic subscriber automatically, but calls from automatic subscribers for manual subscribers have to be completed by means of operators located at the manual exchanges, and this is also the caso with calls from manual subscribers to automatic subscribers.

Hie full benefits of the automatic telephono system will not bo realised by exchango subscribers until this period of transition is passed, when each subscriber will'then bo able by operating his dial to connect himself automatically with any other subscriber in the whole area.

Long-range 'Phoning. For bureau communications an automatic subscriber desiring to speak over long-distance lines connecting with other towns will not bo able to connect himself direct with the town or person he wishes to communicate with, but will be able to do so by the medium of a "toll" operator located at tho central automatic exchange. In such caso the subscriber will pull No. "0" on his dial, and by this means bring himself directly into connection with the toll operator, w'ho will record and complete the connection to the toll line required. This is tho method adopted in all automatic exchanges for toll. work, as the automatic switch has not yet learned to differentiate between the different rates charged for conversation over toll lines. Cutting out the "Human Element." The automatio telephone system possesses many advantages from a subscriber's point of view over the manual system. In tho former system the human element, which plays so important a part in t'no manual, is almost entirely eliminated.'Ani automatio switchboard maintains a uniform degree of efficiency and promptitude, which is impossible of realisation in tho manually operated system. At any hour of the day or night, on Sundays and on holidays, a few seconds suffice to connect the subscriber to any other subscriber in the whole city area. Aiiother advantage which appeals to tho subscriber is that a distinctive signal is given to him by which he is able to tell immediately tho telephono bell of the party whom he is calling begins to ring. Tho effect of this in automatic exchanges has 'been very marked, and it is found that subscribers (especially business people) answer tho automatic telephono with greater promptitude than is usual in tho manual system, wliero frequently the telephono exchange gets tho blame for delay which should rightly rest upon tho shoulders of tho called subscriber.

Lowering 'Phono Rents. It is hoped that after tlio'entiro exchange areas at Auckland and Wellington are completely equipped with the automatic telephone system it may bo possible to Introduce a more uniform rental in those cities, and thus extend tho benefits of the telephone service to the outlying suburban districts where the rates at present are higher than for subscribers nearer the central exchange. It should, 1 however, be understood that such consideration cannot be given until the whole areas referred to aro converted to full automatic working. _