The Detroit times., 1914-02-25
.ZAHM BARD8
PLANS BEFORE STATE
RAILWAY BOARD



scsassssss Svss rass oesS
company II trying to givs the best
service Il can with ito plant and op-
orators. Il could not very well do
better unless II threw out all its
equipment and installed new. The
stun replaced by the automatic do
vice would not be loss. - II could
be put to other uses."
Mr.. Zahm said that waits OF from
two to 10 seconds would be reduced
TO one second by the trafic distrihu-
tor. and that the work OF operators
would be cut one-third. He said that
similar devices are In use In Buffalo
and Erie. and are being installed In
Indianapolis. Fort Wayne and Deh-
ance, o. He himself has been con,
nected with exchanges In Butte. Mis-
soula. Helena, Livingston and Billings.
Mont. which have trafllc distributors.
do you know Of city with So.
600 phones that has them?" asked Nj.
Lawson.
"No, sir. Buffalo has them. and
Los Angeles. with about $4,000
phones"
would the number Of phones af
feet the device?"
Absolutely no. II II is successful
with 10000. 1t is just as good with
100000"
Mr.. Butzel took up the quizsing:
In London or Paris. you would advise
You started a. an engineer with
the so-called automatic companies?"
mo. with the Bell"
When did you changer"
About 1885,"
Within how many weeks have you
been In the employ Of the company
whose machine you recommend"
II have not been employed BY
such company. am not recon-
mending any particular machine"
You have been Q sales representa-
tive for many years?"
mo. Sir. have merely been an
engineer for the companies who use
this equipment"
What you have told ~ does not
depend ON . special study Of Detroit?"
1T has to DO with conditions Of
&C pgestioH, such % exist here.
III you found the same congestion
in 0ndon or Paris, you would advise
the use OF this device?"
mo. it would depend on condt
tions."
What are the different conditions
here?"
"A larger calling rate. and perhaps
. larger number Of ofaces for the
number Of phones"
why did not the Home company,
IN Independent company installing .
modern equipment. four or ave years
ago, at cost Of about $4.000.000. put
in this device. II 1t would save
money!"
MY understanding is." replied Mr..
Zahm. that one OF the prime movers
In that company was the representa-
tive of q telephone equipment COM
pany which did not manufacture thin
device. Further. this particular fea.
ture was not thought of ct that time
In connection with this work"
The devices are still rather new,
aren't they?" asked Mr.. Butxel.
''Oh. no. They have been IN use
seven or eight years"
"You couldn't tell which 70 the
oest?"
"There are some that have been
given q longer trial than others. In
more exchanges"
"Are you aware that the American
Telephone 4 Telegraph Co. has been
experimenting for years along this
line?"
II understood that Il had paid
100000 for the patent rights Of the
Automanual."
do you know that we are expert
menting In New York;
II assumed that you we're working
OF some such problem. in . manner
not wholly automatic"
do you auv0cate the exponoituro
OF half q million or = million on what
is still being experimented on? Il
tire company were to spend . million
ANA the device were to fail, who would
stand the loss7"
.Tt isn't a million" put in Mr..
Lawson. Its less than half nib
lion."
"You concluded that this 10 the
remedy. after 80 days study?" asked
Mr.. Butxel.
"Ths study has been made BY tele-
phone men generally, al over the
country replied Mr.. Zahm. Il have
merely applied the results to coodi-
tAOA0 00kO % -
"On q purely priori judgment?
whatever that means" said M.
Zahm.
"A priori means good. believe" !"
interjected Mr.. Lawson. There was
general laughter.
Isn't It . fact that the situation
ouKht to take months Of Gccurats OBJ
servation?" asked MT. Butsel.
"No, don't agree with you," NJ.
Zahm replied.
Mr.. Butsel invited the commission.
Mr.. Lawson and Mr.. Zahm to 80 "a
New Fork 10 SEQ the exusrimuuU tS
ing conducted there.
Couldn't the device b. tested IN .
small wny here?" asked Mr.. lawson.
"You have the equipment on which
q demonstration could be made ct
very small expense" added Mr.. Zahm.
but Mr. Butxel insisted that . trip
to New York would be just the thing
The matter was left In abeyance.
Mr.. Hagenah delivered wellmem-
orised speech In which he said that
the problem II broader than Mr.
Zahnl has considered.
The defects are not such ~ can
be eliminated by any single Device
he maintained.
He declared that the question Of
payment In proportion to service rem
dered-in other words, measured ser
vice--must be considered.
The returns." he said, ARE no
longer sumcient 10 realize q fair In.