Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-09-11

against possible suits for infringe
ment of patents.
The consideration for the use Of
these transmitters, receivers and in
duction coils, and for the various
services which he proceeded to de-
scribe in detail, is 4 IL per cent
of the gross telephone revenues OF
each of the associated companies.
Applied to the New England Com
pany's operations In this state, as 1t
was in the testimony given yesterday
by General Auditor Moore. 1t APP
peared that this. license payment av-
eraged $1.S5 per telephone for the
year 1924.
About one-half this amount. in
Mr.. Rhodes opinion, would repre-
sent the value of the use of tele-
phone instruments furnished under
this contract. The rest of the pay
ment was represented by the vari-
Gus services rendered by the general
staff of the American Company.
He described in detail the work
of this general staff, which by its
study and accomplishments had en-
abled this country to lead the world
in the development of the telephone
art and in the extension of the tele-
phone to the use of the people. In
demonstrating the latter point he
said that the United States, with
only 6 percent of the worlds popu-
lation, had in use 60 percent of the
worlds telephones.
Mr.. Rhodes testimony, although
technical in spots, was clearly ex-
pressed in the simple language of a
man who, for over SO years, since
being graduated from the Massachu-
sets Institute of Technology, had
been a part of this general staff and
familiar with it's duties and prob
lens.
Practical Economics
This research and development
work had an eye not merely to pure
scientific development but also to
the practical dollar Economics, he
went on to explain. A mile of cir
cult wire in 50-pair cable and
placed in a duct cost $3.50 in 1883.
Its present day cost is $15 per mile.
The development of fine wire cable,
by means of which 22-gauge copper
wire was substituted for 19-gauge
copper wire has saved the Bell Sys-
tenn an initial cost of over 500. 600. :
600, he said. Savings of $4,000. 900
were estimated by him by the de-
velopment of cables carrying 1900
600-pair and 900-pair cables. BY
lead sheath encasing all cables and
substituting an alloy consisting of
30 per cent lead and l per cent anti
mony for an alloy that contained ~
per cent lead and per cent tin,
savings of $S,0OO,0O0 have been eff
fected.
Il do not wish to be understood
as claiming that these Improvements
would not have been made by 9TH
ers," he interpolated. They might
have been made at some different
time by somebody else, but the fact
remains that they were first made
by the engineers of the Bell System,
and they are examples of the proven
capabilities of these engineers on
the General Staff"
"Phantom Circuits
He explained in interesting detail
the construction and operation of
phantom circuits" which are used
extensively in toll transmission in
this state and throughout the coun-
try. A phantom circuit" is built up
from two physical circuits These
physical circuits are transposed on
the cross arms at certain points
along the route and then connected
by delicately balanced coils at the
terminal points. The result is that
over these two physical circuits so
transposed and connected, three tele-
phone conversations may take place
simultaneously without the slightest
interference with each other. But
for the development of phantom cir
cults, he SAID the additional physi-
cal plant necessary to handle the
present volume of toll business
would cost the Bell System $4,000,
600 more than the existing plant has
cost.
"Quadded Cable"
"Quadded cable" was also discus
sed, Mr.. Rhoades explaining that
"quadded" cable was the application
of the phantom circuit" principle
to wires placed in a cable, thereby
increasing by about so percent the
message possibilities of a cable so
constructed. The development of
"quadded" cable in the Bell System
has enabled, he said, a saving of
s1S,0O0.000 in plant costs. as against
what would have been required If
veloped.
Protection to telephone transmits
ion from foreign electric currents
was another subject to which, he
said, the General Staff of the Am
erican Company had applied itself in
behalf of all the associated compa-
MES. The development of high ten
sion lines in all parts of the country
threatened seriously to interfere
with telephone transmission, and ex-
perts Of the General Staff have for
years worked with the experts rep
resenting the National Electric Light
Association and the American Rail-
way Engineering Association in or
der to find methods of avoiding or
averting interference from high
tension lines.
Development of Radio Telephony
Mr.. Rhoades discussed briefly some
of the effects of the General Staff in
behalf of the development of radio
telephony. In working out the de-
Velopment of the repeater and the
carrier which he had just described,
he said the General Staff engineers
realized that they had applied some
principles that might solve the prob
lem of radio telephony. The Ameri-
can Company is doing considera BILE
laboratory experimentation and also
broadcasting, he said, so as to keep
In touch with the progress of the
art. 1t is looking forward to a time
when 1t may be of benefit to any of
its associated companies to set UP
connections between it's land lines
and ships at sea. If that time comes,
the American Company wants to be