Evening star., 1923-08-18
$5O,0IDO,0DO A YEAR
IN PHONE PROGRAM
New York Company Expects
to Serve Two Million
Patrons by 1880.
Bi j. &. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. August lS.-The New
York Telephone Company expects to
be serving 1000. 900 telephones in this
city by 1880. and is now prepared to
spend $4,000. 900 year for the next
five years in preparation to do so.
These figures are the result of care
full surveys made by engineers and
statiStiriauS of the company, and
plans for the next ten years have
been based on them. With about
l.l30. 600 telephones now in service in
the greater city. the indicated growth
for the next several years is un-
precedented in the telephone busi-
ness. and these figures are ind cative
of the increase in corresponding de-
gree in other American cities.
The telephone company's s2o0.O0o.-
0ou investment. according to wee
President j. :. McCulloch, will spread
generally over the five boroughS of
the city to care for demand Tor
service which the company's engi-
neers forecast will reach its peak in
Manhattan and the Bronx.
Additions to Underground system.
Much Of the sum will be spent for
additions to the vast underground
system of wires and for intricate CEN
trail office apparatus which Is rarely
seen and the existence of which IS
seldom realized by the public.
The principal surface evidences or
activity will be found in the erection
OF NV central office buildings and IN
additions TO existing structures These
activities now embrace eighteen ma
jor building projects requiring en-
penditure Of sl0.60O.e0O exclusive OF
sites.
Sixteen new central offices Will be
put in service between now and the
end of 1924. TSn will employ machihe
switching methods of operation.
central office buildings may be
telmed the foundation for expansion
of the telephone system" Mr.. Mctul-
loch said 'as they house the switch
hoard apparatus. the heart of the sys-
tenn. Generally speaking. IL takes
two years to erect telephone pulld-
ing as il is OF extra heavy conStruc-
tion and as near fire and moisture
proof as science can make il. IL must
he absolutely seasoned and perfectly
dry before the delicate central ONCE
apparatus can be installed.
Mammoth Building Planned.
The current slOoOO,Ooo building
program does not include the twenty
nine-St building in downtown New
York. which, when completed. will be
used both for central offices ana Tor
administrative purposes. There VIII
he four SuhbasementS. carrying II
f1fty-two feet below street level In
ready begun. but beyond this point
further progress will depend on build
ing conditions in this city.
Seven floors will bc devoted to CEN
tral office space. Present plans call
for installation of six local switch
board units and one toll switchboard.
or one central office to each floor,
which is an acre in extent. All of
these centrals will employ the ma
chine type of switching and each of
the six local centralS Will serve APP
rroXimately 20. 600 telephones.
The ultimate central office IL this
building alone. therefore. will accom-
rrudate 10000 telephones, or more
than there are at present in many
cities of 100000 population.
Expansion in other Cities.
Illustrating the expansion in other
sections. the Southern Bell Telephone
Company has leased before construc-
tion the nineteen story Hurt building
annex. in Atlanta. which VIII be the
largest office building in the southern
states.
Electrical equipment companies are
working at capacity in executing tel
ephone equipment and other orders.
and present bookings will assure
equal activity throughout the year.
At the Hawthorne works of the West
ern Electric Company, where much of
the telephone equipment of the COM
pany is made. 33.700 men and women.
or per cent of the total workers of
Chicago. are employed. About 700
additional workers have been put on
the Hawthorne pay roll in the last
fortnight.