The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-28
REFUSES To ADOPT
| AUTOMATIC SYSTEM
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company Announces Change In
Poiicy--Situation Discussed.

Washington, July 27.-Flatly aban-
doing its determination. expressed in 4
letter to the public utilities commits
sion March ID last, to install an auto
matte telephone system in the Dis
/ trict, the Chesapeake and Potomac
Telephone company formally notified
the commission that 1t does not pro-
pose to install automatic or semi-au-
tomato equipment in Washington
This announcement is contained In
answers to sixteen questions asked
the company by the commission In a
letter dated May /. 1t clears up the
question OF the companys attitude on
the eve of the hearing. to hA con-
Quoted by the commission next Tues
day. as to the practicabilty OF in
stalling automatics in the capital.
At this hearing experts of the United
States bureau of standards will pre-
sent data growing out of an exhaust
i've investigation they made OF the
operation of automatics In other
cities
Announces Change I'm Policy.
The company's letter OF March rs.
signed by T. P. Sylvan. assistant to
the president and the communication
of today, announcing the change In
policy, indicate a complete change Of
mind on the part Of the corporation.
In the former communication Mr..
Sylvan said: In fruition of the plans,
studies and experiments which I, in
my testimony before your commission.
described as being under way, I take
pleasure at this time in announcing
that the Chesapeake and Potomac
Telephone company has concluded to
proceed at once with the installation
of an automatic telephone system in
the District of Columbia.
''As was explained by me, the intro
duction of this system will necessitate
the erection of new buildings to house
same for the reason that no space is
available in the present buildings.
Our plans contemplate starting In the
business district and extending into
the resident districts As n result OF
perfected mechanism. the interchange
of system between automatic and
manual systems will be fully protect
ed during the transition period The
manufacture of apparatus will be car
ried on simultaneously with the cree
ton OF buildings, so no appreciate
delay should ensue"
Situation Discussed.
In the communication received by
the commission today. which is sign
ed by r. v Marye, general attorney.
tho company says that. when last
summer 1t was confronted with an
abnormal demand for increased serv-
ice. II realized It's prime duty was to
maintain the integrity OF the serv-
ice, and. accordingly. II brought to
Washington its own engineers and
other experts to study the situation.
They decided the best plan would be
to adhere to the manual system then
existing
The question OF introducing auto
matte and semi-automatic switching
devices In Washington was fully con-
sidered and rough estimates were
made as to the probable cost of such
substitutions 1t is stated which
varied all the way from $4,000. 0O0
to $1,000, 600. according to the plans
and methods to be employed during
the hypothetic transition period, al
OF which involved large expenditures
for temporary apparatus which woult
! be abandoned when the ultimate cut
over should have been made. and also
large expenditures for additions tc
the manual equipment TO preserve tbs