The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-07-27

territory. AS soon as possible, uni
filation would be effected qua antee-
ing every telephone user that a single
instrument would provide every peg
sible connection. The nuisance Of
two telephones in home or office
would be ended
On the point of renting instruments
instead of charging by the call. it is
explained that there would be classi-
tcatiors of service, the instrument
rental being graduated with general
regard to the kind and amount of SER
vice required of it. Thus resident
phones i'm given city would come at
cne rate; department store instru-
ments would pay a higher rate, but
all would pay. by the month or year
not by the call, and the net result
would be a big increase in business
and a reduction of cost per call.
Nobody among the officials who
Will be responsible for wire manage
nlent is willing to promise that auto
matte will be substituted for manual
switchboards in the Immediate future
Fut the substitution will be made
wherever it IS established that the au-
tcmatic will give as good or better SER
vice at lower rates; which, the de-
pirtment experts believe, means prac-
tically everywhere. The present de-
velopment of automatic systems II
considered to insure that they would
r,ieet every requirement, in large or
small CITY,
The economies they would Affect
may be judged by this statement OF
Postmaster General Burleson when
questioned him: 1--WE have taken tes-
tmony which showed in some cases
"a cost Of $40 per 1000 connections by
the manual method, while by the au-
tomato method 1000 connections
were made for S5 cents. Before the
Public Utilities Commission Of the
District of Columbia they have talk
en testimony that the cost Of manual
connections was Is times that of auto.
matte.
l asked officials whether their inyes-
legations had justified the charge. Of
ten made, that corporate management
has tended to discourage improve
ments, reject useful inventions ana
compel the public to use poorer fa-
cilities. None was prepared to claim
hat this had been proved.
There are lots of inventors, with
lots of strange stories," said one off,
cial. 1T is of course. apparent tha.
corporate management, which is con-
cerned primarily about profits, would
rot have the incentive to ADOPT in
ventions that might make junk OF
great properties and compel immense
investments in installing them. Gov
eminent management could afford
to give the best facilities because its
purpose would be service. not profits
Anticipation of early revolutions I'm
services with installation of automatic
exchanges and devices to multiply the
srced of telegraph wires, are likely to
ne disappointed simply because of the
Industrial problem. Even if expense
we're disregarded. il would be impos.
'ibie TO get automatic switchboards.
-eiepost paraphernalia. and the like
at this time fast enough
10 equip the system soon The cx-
'erts calculate that for $780, 600
automatic switchboards could be sub
for manual and that it would
be sound business; but it would be
'"sler to get the money than to get
he manufacturing done.
Telephone business is growing fast:
eiegraph business is not. Govern
hent management will tend to make
he telephone grow faster and the
llrgraph still slower. the authorities
cling convinced that under a unified
ystem, telegraphing would become
bsolescent for most present uses
he expansion of telephone service
as been very rapid. but MIR. Burleson
ally expects under government man
ii will be much faster. In
902 there were 1900. 900 miles OF
'lephone wires: in 1907 $4,000, 900; i'm
O7O,0 Instruments; i'm 1907, 10,400,-
90. and in 1912, 1872. 600. The rate
increase has probably been as great
nee 1912.