The Washington herald., 1918-03-14

TELEPHONES
COMPANY PLAN
Is Answer to Those Seek
ing to Speed Up the
Service.

An automatic phone switchboard
system for Washington will be the
answer OF the phone company to
those requesting . speeding up Of
service.
This plan was announced by T. p.
Sylvan assistant to President Bethel,
OF the Chesapeake and Potomac Tel
ephone Company, at q hearing Of
the committee on law and legisla-
ton Of the Federation of Citizens'
Associations In the ONCE Of the
chairman. E. F. Colladay. late yes
terday afternoon.
The automatic system would allow
one operator to do the work of four
or more. 1t would. experts claim,
cut down time in obtaining an an
swer to a matter Of seconds.
All that would be necessary TO get
number on this system would be
to operate q dial on the shank Of the
phone. turning numbers on this cir
cular dial to q certain point in ro-
tatfon. releasing the number and
waiting for an answer. The wait,
it Is pointed out by experts-and II
has been proven in other automati-
cally-installed cities-is In most cases
less than a minute.
Shortage of Operators.
The great need of the phone COM
pany at present is to- ind enough
girls to continue with the work. In
stallation of the automatic system
would gradually lessen the conges-
tion and give Washington a much
more smooth service, in the opinion
Of experts.
Although an invitation was ex-
tended to Merritt o. Chance, post
master Of Washington, to attend
the hearing, no representative of
the Postoffice Department put in
an appearance.
Mr.. Sylvan declared that the
western Electric Company, in Chi
cago, had ready the tools and dies
necessary for the manufacture of
the automatics, and that final plans
Tor manufacture were being draft
ed. ~
1t is intended at present, he told
the committee. that the system be
installed first in the downtown sec
tion Of the city. and that it branch
on into the residential section dur
ing the months that pass.
Ready In Two Years.
within two years, possibly eish-
teen months, IL is hoped that the
Washington phone system will be
entirely automatic. The value of
the automatic was recognized by
the company at rate hearings be-
fore the Utilities Commission and
the reason for the ACCOMPLISHMENTS
of the system was said to be the
time which would be spent in such
installation. At that time, Mr.. Syl-
van told. the Washington Herald
yesterday, plans for installation of
the automatic in the National Cap
fta1 were being formulated.
1t Is thought that the cost Of in
stalling this system will run into
millions Of dollars. No estimate of
the final cost of instalIment has been
made yet by soficials of the company,
although for the last few days con-
ferences between leading engineers
and ofiicluis of the company have
been held
New Building Needed.
1t was pointed out at the hearing
that 1t would be inadvisable for the
government to attempt installation of
automatics within a few months
time, for the buildings now occupied
by the phone company's switch
boards which would supplant the
manually operated board.
The third Johnson phone bill was
read. 1t was declared that nothing
in the bill contained authority for
the Postoffice Department to expend
any money for the installation of
automatic switchboards.
Final word on the new system is
expected to be received from Bell
Company executives in New York to-
day. Details will probably be avail
able within the next few days.