THE TELEPHONE "CUT OVER"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 270, 11 August 1919, Page 4

THE TELEPHONE "CUT OVER"

TO TAKE PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 20. According to the "Telephone Directory" issued last week the' highest number given to any subscriber is 4094. Over and abovo that there are a few numbers, but they are only those connected with the Post and Telegraph Department, Of tho number mentioned some KM odd telephones, or roughly half of the whole, are connected oitner with the Newtown or Courtemiy Placo automatic telephone sub-stations, so soon to bo co-related under a new automatic system. The iact is surprising, and indicates very plainly the trend of commerce in Wellington. Some twenty years ago three-fourths of the telephone subscribers were located in Wellington North and Central, ancj. the centre of Wellington was Lamliton Quay, but all that is changing, and the "Telephone Directory" shows it. During the last twenty years Courteiiay l'lacc has fyecn completely metamorphised from a residential to a business thoroughfare. and the valuo of the land has increased from .620 to Mio per foot. Twenty years ago Lyall Bay was undiscovered territory. It was known as "The Sands." A few hardy souls used to tramp over the hills to the surf on a Sunday to bo free, of tho shackles of the town for a few sunny hours, and schoolboys used to organise parties to raid the llax clumps in the whip-top season ; now Lyall Bay is a- sizable township that is rapidly growing in iaiportancc. Twonty years ago llataitni was u waste of manuka and gorse, with a few cows grazing on the green patches in the gully. Now it is one of. the brightest of suburbs; Kilbirnie North and South and Roseneath nave also grown up within the past two decades. That is why the "Telephone Directory" has such a tale to toll.

Tho Director of Telephones (Mr. E. A. Shi'impttm) lias fixed on Saturday night, September 20, for the "cut-over" from tho present telephone systems in uso in the areas covered by the two now substations mentioned, to the new Western Electric system. The work of installing tho new telephones in the houses is now proceeding,'and the whole of them aro to lie ready for tho change by tho dato mentioned. The authorities, taught by experience, aro perfectly Rwaro that ther'o will bo a great deal of confusion for n day or two. This has been the case elsewhere, latest of all at Masterton, but onco having "got the hang of the thing" Masterton is delighted with the new ordoi of telephony, and now wonders why it ever put up with the old order for so long. _ The trouble in Wellington is that, in tho caso of tho districts mentioned, tho two systems iyill still obtain, i.e., people connected with either the Courtenay Place or Newtown sub-stations will still have to ring up much in the same way as at present for numbers not vet connected with the automatic system. It is to lie profoundly regretted that the bi,e central station in Feathorston Street was not proceeded with (as well as the Kelburn and Thorndon stations) so that tho whole city would be automatic, but the restrictions are duo to tho waK which prevented tlin consummation of tbo scheme, and one-half of the city will lmvo to wait a year or two for its automatics, As previously explained the present automatic system partially installed in Wellington in tho Strowgei system, which is to be replaced by tho Western Electric system on September 20. Boforo that dato full instructions will he given to subscribers as to how to manipulate tho new telephones, and if these aro carefully rPad until they are thoroughly understood, and that understanding put into practice in using the tho machines, it will greatly aid tho Department in its week of worry ahead. In the now directory that will be issued before the "cut over" all the automatic numbers will consist of fivo figures, and will, for example, be printed with a dash between tho second and third figures, as 21—077. The reason for having a fivc-figuro basis is a mechanical one, and the reason for the dash is that a number is more easily and readily memorised than if it were only divided by ,a comma or nothing at all'. A thoughtful act on the part of the Department will lie the provision of an automatic number, the dialling of which will give a subscriber the correct time without his having to ask for it. At present the Central Exchange receives between 300 and 100 inquiries between 7.30 and 10 a.m. for tho correct time, and each has to be referred to the person known as "Information," which makes the process n little lalxirious, but in the future tho dialling of a ccrtain jiumber will at onco give tho time.