The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-04-23
License Issued to
Put Down It's
Conduits.
ALL DOWN TOWN
WIRES BURIED
Will Install Automatic Exchange
System and Give Government
Valuable Privileges.
rrNpER license granted last week by

YYNDER license granted last week by
the Government, the Century Tel
~ ephone company will very soon
begin to tear up streets for the purpose
OF putting in underground conduits for
the laying Of wires for their service.
The company has capital subscribed for
the purpose OF laying its lines and put
ting In its exchange, money to come
from San Francisco and the East. and
nothing is now lacking of full prepa-
ratIen for work but the adoption OF a
system. OF which three automatic plans
are under consideration, and the max
ing OF contracts.
The Century company was organized
more than a year ago with George w.
Smith as president and F. J. Lowrey as
treasurer. Its capitalization was $780,
coo. There was a hitch over the fran
chI.e Tor the use OF the streets. but the
plan never was abandoned and finally
sr>cess has been achieved There has
zen no complete organization since,
but now that the license gives promise
of an early completion OF the plans.
meeting OF the original stockholders
viii be held very soon- There viii be
no stock put on the market here. and
the men who have carried the scheme
TO success will continue to manage its
affairs for the mainland capitalists.
most OF whom are interested in the de-
vices which are to be used in the op-
Grafton OF the system.
The plan Is to adopt a system of ex-
change which will do away with the
present method OF central operators
There are now in existence centrals on
the automatic plan. where with as
many as 1000 calls. the entire work OF
the central office Is done by one girl
The systems have been so perfected
that with copper circuits there is not
usually more work In the keeping go
ing OF the phones of an exchange than
or 7so connections. There Is no demand
upo. the central except that which may
be met by the automatic devices OF the |
systems.
There has been ordered for the local |
system $4,000 feet of underground con-
riety. which. costing less than the tiled !
conduits. are considered impervious to
water and therefore more available for !
this climate The conduits are to be
ssssde to carry a dozen cables. and there !
~lar be always one OF the cells. OF three
inches diameter. which is to be used for
the wires OF the Government 1t is the
plan that when the system is completed
the wires now used for the operation OF
the police and fire alarms Will be put
Under ground. the cell reserved furnish
ing ample capacity for the cables
needed.
The contract entered into by the Gov
ernment and the company is one which
IS aimed by the officials to safeguard
in every way the rights of the Govern
neut- There is. however. no specifica-
ton as to rates to be charged. as 1t
was deemed wise to let this go. owing
to the fact that there is in the field a
company which has no such regulation
in its charter. In the matter OF the
wires. the contract provides that there
shall be service TO telephone subscrib-
ers within two years from the date Of
the signing OF the agreement The wires
TO BE laid within the limits bounded by
th- harbor. Nuuanu. Beretania and
Pu.ehbowl streets to be placed under
sresnd. and without those limits there
Ta.~ be aerial wires strung.