Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-06-14

But few of the journal readers are
familiar with what has been dome to
bring about the present development Of
the telephone service upon the Augusta
Hallowell telephone exchange. or the
amount OF work that has been necessary
to accomplish the results
Every telephone subscriber connected
With the Augusta Haliowell exchange IS
receiving much higher grade of SER
vice since the revised rates went into
effect a few weeks ago. over 60 per cent.
Of these subscribers are on special and
two-party lines. In other words the de-
velopment in this respect is the best in
Maine and only few communities in
New England surpass it,
one of the best things In connection
with the revised rates was abolishing
the Jeopardy lines At present there is
not one connected with the exchange and
yet in many places there are hundreds
of subscribers on tbs grade Of service.
With total of about 1890 subscribers.
1871 are on special lines and ga on two
party lines Feb. |, there We're l57 Oh
special lines aud PSI on two-party lines
Putting these new rates into effect was
really big job Manager E. |. Her
pert says liIal dbR0t LOW WIZ N'NN'.
were issued between Feb. and May l to
cover changes of service in Augusta,
HaIlowen and Gardiner. In more than
two-thirds of these cases it was neces-
sary for employees Of the plant depart
ment to call at subscribers house or
office and perform some labor. During
these three months fully . wcrkmen
were employed good part of the time
In he
streets.
The job was not only very expensive
but called for an infinite lot of palms.
taking work in every department. Every
change of service. whether automatic or
otherwise, made necessary the issuing
of a 50 called work order. After the
commercial department had completed
it's share of the work duplicate copies
were sent to the plant department, traf-
fic department, auditing department and
directory department. During the
changes there was the very best of co.
operation between departments and in
dividuals, without which things would
have been at skies and sevens for a long
time.
Like all other cities and towns, teie-
phone service has become Invaluable to
Augusta and HatIowel1 How indispen-
sable the service is TO the community
and the individual was expressed rather
strikingly the other day by Manager
Herbert who said that it saves the peo-
pie of the two cities 30, 100 miles of travel
every day and IL 10000 miles every
year, and only figuring 200 days III the
II months The amount appeared so
staggering that he was asked to prove
it. He did--this way.
on an average 800 calls are made In
the Observation-Disclosures exchange every
day. Each call saves somebody walk
A fair average would be half mile
each way. or $500 miles locally Then
there are about 400 outward toll calls 10
cities and towns at an average distance
Of % miles from here, round trip OF ~
miles, or 2S,000 more miles. In addition
about 100 calls are made to points with
| in Is miles of the central office. If the
average is eight miles one way this
would save another 1900 miles, total
daily saving of 80, l00 And this does not
| include the mites saved by incoming toll
| calls. numbering about $50 every day
| Approximately 10, 80 calls are handled
every day on the busy switchboard and
! there are 16 Young women in the operat-
ing force From the local central Office
there are IA direct lines to Gardiner;
Portland. ,; Lewiston, 2; Wateryille. 3;
Winthrop, 3; sidney, |, Readfeld. 1: Bel
grade, l. Pennington l.
The busiest hour of the day is always
between 9 and 10 \. NJ. During this
| time as many as 1900 calls are often
handled. In this one hour there are as
many calls as during the Y hours fror1
G Il, NJ. to 6 A. NJ. In any 10 minutes