The Washington times., 1920-05-03
PHONES
HERE CERTAIN
First Automatic Exchange
, Ready in Two Years, Says
| Berry-TelIs Plans.

An automatic telephone ekchahse
in either Brookland or Brishtwooa'
the initial step toward autonsuzing
the entire local system, viii be lnstall'
cd and In operation within the next
two years, A. L. Berry, president or
the Chesapeake and Potomac Tele-
phone Company, announced today.
"Our engineers are working out
plans for the new station" said
Berry. "It 10 only matter or time
before the entire local telephone sys-
tenn will undergo a change, resulting
In the use OF automatic telephones
only.
Exchanges are needed in both
1 Drightwood and Brookland. IL is
greatest need. We will make a. de-
-cis.on as TO the locality when we re-
ceive the report OF the engineers. This
is expected In several weeks"
To install automatic telephones all
over the city will cost about $4,000
900. Berry says. He stated today
that only q small amount OF money
would be saved by this plan
1T Is q question Of help, shortage
OF telephone operators, that Is leading
us to install this new system he ex-
planned. We are unable to hire suffi-
Client girls in this city and must
necessarily cav upon other cities to
send us operators.
VERY little money will be saved
by automatic telephones. 1t will
eliminate many operators. which Will
help us greatly In our present diff
Guilty. To get operators Is almost
impossible"
Automatic telephones are used sue
cessfully in the War Risk Insurance
Buretau. Only two operators are
needed. while heretofore six and
eight were hired to handle the calls.
In this way the automatic phone has
been q great saving to the bureau.
The present telephone building on
Thirteenth street would be of no use
with the entire telephone system
equipped with automatics.
TT will be necessary for us to erect
another building" said Berry. This
plant Is not equipped or built to
handle automatic telephone traffic
When the automatic phone comes
ito Washington. each subscribers sta
tion will be equipped with the usual
form of telephone instrument, and, in
addition. a calling device known as a
dial" which wiz be mounted at the
base of the desk stand.
This dial has ten finger holes bear
ing the numerals 1 to and also 90
and the word Operator" In the tenth
hole. Just above these numbers will
be designations such as Lincoln,
North, Franklin, Main. etc"
To make a call the receiver is first
taken Off the hook. The "call" then
puts his finger into the hole desis-
mated MAIN or whatever exchange
he happens to be calling. He turns
the dial around as far as it will go,
then takes his finger out, the dial i'm
mediately resuming its former po-
sition.
Then, for instance. he might want
Main $500. He puts his finger in
FIVE, turns It around, 2, turns again,
q. turns again, and 30" then turns
again. This connects him with the
number called, also rings the bell on
the other end OF the line. II the line
is busy he gets a ringing sound In
his ear.
1t also is possible to reach the
operator by putting the finger In the
hole marked Operator" and turning
it around
To max. calls from one part Of the
city to another no operator Is need
ed. 1t is only to make outside calls
that the operator takes a part Other
wise, the automatic machinery attends
to all the details from making the
call to completing It.
About $500 telephones will be es-
tablished in the new station.
The number OF telephone calls
made in the West exchange has in
creased to such an extent that today
the company added 500 more lines.
Requests for telephones in that sec
tion have been turned down recent
ly, but the new switchboard make 1t
possible to handle more telephone
subscribers