AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 264, 4 August 1919, Page 6

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM

NEW SYSTEM FOR WELLINGTON,

If. is anticipated that the automatic telephone sub-stations at Courtenay Place and Newtown will bo ready for the "out over" at the end of next month. In tho case of Courtenay Place the suition has been ready for a couple of mouths past, but tho telephones lor the subscriuars had not arrived from America. It is now anticipated 'chat the telephones will all come to hand in lime for the new system to bo inaugurated at the end of next iiioutn. With an automatic system it is an advantage lor every subscriber to have the same" num. iiw o; in tho tolrpliooe directory, and in the case of Wellington that number will be five, that is to say, that when the Western Ijlectric system is installed, there will bo no number under 10,050, and such numbers will be sho>vn on the directory, with a dash between the secund and third nunietul in order to facilitate the calling up of automatic numbers when the .manual has to be employed. Tho automatic system that is co bo used in Wellington is not tho one partially installed at present. The' latter is the Strowger system, whilst tho new system for which sub-stations have been provided 'at Courtenay l'ltice and Newtown, and another is to be built immediately at Kelburn) is the Western Electric system. Tho difference between the two is considerable when an examination is made in detail. The dialling is done in the samo manner, only that on the Western Electric dial the "figures (1 to 10) read from left to right, whereas tho Strowger dial reads from right to left. Ou tho Western Electric the subscriber lifts the receiver from the hook, and listens for whut is called the "dialling tone" or buzzer before dialling the number wanted. In this way the Western Electric is more faithful than tlio Strowger, as the latter will "buzz'" tho signal "engaged" when the number is not engaged, bit: thero is no machine at liberty to make tho connection; with the Western Electric system as soon as tho subscriber hears the dialling tone he can bo certain of a through connection, but, of course, whether tire number is engaged or not is another matter.