Automatic methods in long distance telephone operation

Since line time may be said to be the only stock in trade of a long distance telephone company, and the outside plant involves almost the entire cost of such a system, it is inconsistent with the highest commercial efficiency to limit the expenditure for office switching equipment if such expenditure will facilitate operating or transmission efficiency to even a very small degree. The personal equation in establishing long distance switches by operators is a potent factor determining the efficiency of a long distance system; therefore, any equipment that will reduce this indeterminate element — regardless of electrical complexity, if operative and dependable — is fully warranted. This paper, among other things, describes equipment for eliminating the through operator at intermediate switching offices heretofore used in establishing switches where the service cannot be made over direct lines, or where the traffic offered does not warrant direct line service being provided; however, maintaining all the operating and traffic advantages of direct trunk line service. The function of the through operator is performed by apparatus in semi-automatic control of terminal operators. Equipment is described for enabling connections to be established in automatic local exchanges from distant points — reserving all the normal uses of the toll lines — and providing means for checking and supervising the distant operators thus having access to the local exchange subscribers. Equipment is described for enabling a toll operator to call subscribers directly in a distant manual local exchange via the “B” board, without disturbing the toll operator at the called exchange, though such service is subject to the latter's supervision; however, not restricting or modifying the normal uses and operation of the toll line.