The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-24
COMMISSIONERS AT PHONE EXCHANGE Make Thorough Inspection
 of Bell System MARVEL AT EXTENT Exum Comments On Manner In Which Operators Handle Calls
 From 10000 Subscribers
 In Birmingham
MARVEL AT EXTENT

| For the purpose of getting a line on the service rendered here by the Southern Bell Telephone company before a decision is rendered on that company's request for an advance of rates, the commissioners yesterday made thorough inspection of the plant President Esxum and Horace Shropshire, with D. F. Turnbull, the local manager. went through the plant yester- day afternoon. Commissioner A. O. Lane made his inspection prior to the visit of the other officials in company with MT Turnbull. The officials both said that they had no idea the of the extent of the | system.
 | President E,xum went from the cellar to the garret and did not overlook any unit of the Complicated telephone system that might have given him some idea as to the services rendered. Commissioner Lane upon making his inspection was no less thorough.
 Mr Exum looked into the handsomely arranged rest room provided for the young ladies. numbering 175, who answer Mum Der, please" to 1000 telephone subscribers in Birmingham. He was very much in terested in observing the marvellous speed of the operators in handling the multi tude of calls that flash upon the boards every second of the day The entire pro cess of operating the telephone was eN- plained with care by Manager Turnbull, who impressed upon the officials how carefully the company conducted it's sys- tenn here and how studious were the off1- cials to protect the customers from any delays inconvenience.
 In order to protect the phones from cleo trical storms, MT. Turnbull pointed out that thousands upon thousands of wires had been placed to protect the switch board from injury and the operators from lightning shocks He pointed out that one stroke of lightning might burn off one of the protecting units, but that in order to delay the service the multitude of units would have to be severed by the flashes of lightning.
 President Exum manifested the greatest interest in the observation service tests carried on by young lady which were testified to by Traffic Manager Montague at the phone hearing. The tests are made on 80 lines per day. In order that no To- cal interference may be made Into the correctness of the reports the observer re- ports to the Atlanta office and is practi- cally unknown to the local operators. In making tests for MT. Exum it required only an average of one second for the operators in the main room to answer a call, secure the number, and make con- nections. The operators are never in- formed as to which lines are being tested.
 "The inspection of the plant of the Bell company was to me very interesting V said Mir Exum. Tt disclosed the fact that that company as well as all telephone companies are handling pretty big job and are conferring upon the citizens a great convenience in handling 10000 phones with such system.
 q wanted to see the plant to ascertain how the proposition was handled and to get line upon the extensiveness of the enterprise
 The commissioners will take up the Southern Bell application for an increase of rates at the meeting tomorrow morn ing, from all indications. The testimony is being reviewed by the commissioners.