The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-11-21
new TELETYpE
SERVICE READY
FOR PUBLIC USE
System Hitherto Available
Only to Newspapers,
Brokers' Offices,
By United Press

By United Press
NEW YORK, Nov. 21.-Three
giant corporations went to war to-
day for the nations Geographic
business, and their battle lines were
along an automatic printer system
operated by typewriter keyboard.
The American Telephone and
Telegraph system today opened its
new automatic printer system. 1t
permits a business man in New
York, for example, to talk" with
his representative in San Fran
cisco or elsewhere simply by pound
ing out messages back and forth on
the typewriter keyboard.
And two other giant corporations,
the Western Union and the Postal
Telegraph Company, dropped a
fight Of forty years standing to join
in meeting the new competition Of
fered by A. T. and T. Their joint
service, practically identical to that
Of the A. T. and T., will start Dec. 1.
Charges for both services will be
on the same basis, the time con-
sumed and not the number of words
transmitted Officials estimated
that from 100 TO 100 words could
be transmitted during the three
minute minimum period on which
all charges will be based.
Nation Switchboard
Service quite similar to that now
offered the general public has been
in use for years by newspapers and
news service, brokerage houses,
banks and the telegraph systems
themselves. Their lines, however,
were private systems not controlled
through a general switchboard.
A Wall Street brokerage house,
for instance, could transmit gen.
eral message to its branch Offices
all over the country, and in turn
receive Geographic reports punched
on a typewriter keyboard from those
branch houses under the old SyS-
tenn. Now it may punch a message
into any office with a similar
printer"
Any business having need for fire.
quent long-distance telephone con-
versatiens with representatives or
clients may talk" by automatic
printer with those persons. The
conversation will be ION record" for
study and elaboration of both par
ties if desired.
Circuits Cam Switch
Any business house with an A. T.
a. T. printer in its office now may
be automatically switched into cir
cult with any other A. T. 81 T..
printer. Any Western Union print
er may be automatically switched
into a circuit with any other West
ern Union printer, or with any
postal printer, and vice versa.
Previously, such printers have
been linked only in private circuits
Inauguration of the new service
will not be accompanied by the
elimination of any telegraph service
now given to the public.
Through the many Postal Tele-
graph and Western Union branch
telegraph offices, it would be pos
sible for a person to step into one
of these offices, using it's teletype
printer and send messages to a sub
scriber having printer. This serv-
ice would be in addition to the pres
ent telegraph service.
.. Offer Other Service
Another service offered by West
ern Union-Postal would enable a
person with teletype machine to
send a telegram to a person who
has not. This would be accom-
plished by the subscriber sending
a telegram to the central Office,
which in turn would be connected
with the city in which the telegram
was being sent. This would then
be delivered by the regular chan
nels.
Financing arrangements between
Western Union and Postal have not
yet been completed, but it is under
stood that revenues from the new
service would be prorated with the
facilities of each company that are
used. Both companies will be con-
nected so that users may send from
Postal to a Western Union sta
ton, or vice versa.