Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-07
PHONES
PLANNED BY c. &P.
Four Properties Bought for
New Exchange Buildings as
Ten-Year Work Starts.

The first step toward installation
Of the automatic telephone in Wash
ington was taken by the Chesapeake
and Potomac Telephone Company to-
day, when it purchased four pieces
of property for new exchange build
ings.
The company announced. through
Charles T. CIagett. division manager
that it had acquired three lots adJoln.
ing the present north exchange. al
14th and r streets and the Droop OF
property, next to the main" office. or
18th street between G and II streets
Plans have been completed for
four-story addition to the north ex-
change, in which will be housed the
first automatic exchange. This ex.
and will be ready for service about
September. 1922.
Expense. S2,eO0,0OO.
The ultimate cost of the 14th and r
project including the building and
e1utomatic equipment. is placed by the
company at approximately $2,600.00o
It was stated that the consideration
in ee OF aas 1Sts oo
An order already has been placed
with the Western Electric Company
for the first unit of automatic equip
ment for the Garfield exchange, con-
sisting of 5000 stations. Other units
Of 5000 lines each will be installed
of $4,000 has been reached at 14th
and II streets. The completion of
this exchange will mark the passing
Of the present north" manual tele-
phones.
The company has no definite plan
at this time for use Of the 18th street
property It is expected, however,
that within five or six years an addi-
ton to the "main" office will be built
on this land, in which to house the
first downtown automatic switch
boards.
Marks ProEressive Plans.
These projects are part of a plan
of development being mapped out by
officials and engineers of the COM
pany for the purpose of keeping the
telephone company always ahead OF
the requirements of the city for sery-
ice. According to A. f. Berry. the
ment Of it's property to prevent the
possibility of a strain on the system
in future such as occurred during
and after the war because OF the rapid
growth Of the community.
Oficials Of the company explained
that the completion Of plans for the
first automatic exchange does not
mean that all of it's manual switch
boards and telephones will be junked
Immediately.
pletely replacing the present equip
ment with automatics at one time
be prohibitive. but sufficient amount
of self Operating apparatus could not
be obtained within a few years. 1t
was said.
Ten Years to Equip.
It was estimated at the c. and p
Offices today that it will take ap-
proximately ten years to equip Wash
fngton entirely with automatics.
The change, it was said, will have
to be made gradually, one switch
boar at a time, in order not to inter-
rupt service
made it clear today that the begin
ming of work on the first automatic
exchange does not mean the passing
of the "helio girl" Even after the
gradual process of converting the va
rious exchanges from manual to auto
matte has been completed the tele-
phone operator will remain a neces-
sary part of the system.
"While the work of placing local
call will be done without the aid of
an operator, toll, special and private
branch exchange operators will be
needed in large numbers" the COM
pany stated.
Nor will the company's plan for
gradual development Of the automatic
affect the recruiting campaign for
more operators.
What "NOrth" Covers.
The existing North" exchange COW
ers forty feet on 14th street and ex-
tends back 145 feet. The new prop
erty acquired consists of three twen-
ty-foot lots. which will give the COM
pleted structure a frontage of 100 feet
on 14th street.
The present MAIN building on 18th
street is fifty feet wide and the land
acquired has a width of fifty-five feet.
making the total 105 feet,
The automatic telephone equipment
which has been designed for WASH
ington represents the peak of pres
t-day automatic perfection.
Each telephone instrument connect
ed with an automatic exchange is
equipped with a dial. On the dial are
ten finger holes. associated with each
Of which are three letters and one
numeral. Instead of calling for a
telephone number by speaking to an
operator. a subscriber with an auto
matte telephone gets his call by oper-
Do; f-nl