The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-09-07
MORE TELEPHONES
PROMISED PUBLIC

| In a prepared statement yeSLer-
day, O. G. Balm, manager of the
local office of the Southern Bell
Telephone company, promised the
approximately 1000 Whining
tonians who have been unable to
obtai ntelephones that, with the
war over, service would be made
available "as rapidly as we pos
sibly cam
He revealed that the first goal
OF reconversion in the business is
to manufacture and install the
equipment which will enable the
company to install telephones for
all who desire them.
Reconversion from wartime to
peacetime manufacture, he con-
tinued, is already under way with
the result that the various items
of telephone equipment required
to furnish service to additional
subscribers will begin to come
from the makers in steadily in
creasing volume. He added that,
just as soon as the company 5
manufacturer could furnish more
information concerning the produc-
ton Of equipment, the company
would issue more definite infor-
nation as to when service can be
furnished those who are waiting.
At the end of the war, more than
1000, 900 persons in the United
States and more than $4,000 in
North Carolina were seeking bust
ness or residential telephones,
Mr.. Balm said.
To fill the unprecedented de-
mand, a tremendous amount of
telephone equipment must now be
manufactured and installed" Mr..
Balm explained. 1--WE will obtain
and install the equipment just as
rapidly as possible. Naturally with
such heavy demand in North Caro-
line and all over the nation. and
with manufacturing phases of
furnishing service necessarily
consuming considerable time. we
cannot give service to everyone
right at first. Frankly, it will take
quite a while to make service
available to everyone on the wait
ing list because after equipment
is produced, unlike ready-to-use
commodities such as refrige-ators
and automobiles, the newly manu-
featured telephone equipment
must be carefully hand-fitted into
The existing telephone system.
But as rapidly as we possibly
can, we shall serve all who have
been waiting"
Telephone facilities made avail
able by customer disconnections
can now be used in greater GUAM
tity to serve people who have
been waiting longest for tele-
phones.
THE same, determination and
speed which were devoted to the
task of providing telephone SER
vice for nation at war are now
being exerted toward the important
matter of furnishing service for
the civilians who have been unable
to obtain it," Mr.. Balm said.
Telephone people are anxious to
serve everyone on the waiting list,
but naturally it will take time. We
sincerely appreciate the patience
and understanding of those who
are waiting.'
A large number of calls have
been received at the Wilmington
office from persons seeking to
learn the status of 1.-The telephone
situation" Mr.. Balm said. For
those wondering about this situa-
ton, he declared:
I'VE have an up-to-date record
of each applicant, and everyone
can be sure that his application
has not been overlooked. AS the
equipment becomes available-and
it takes many types to render SER
vice-you may be sure that your
application will come up in it's
proper turn. Your wait will be
made lust as short as POSSIBLE"