The telephone wire plant

Telephone engineering has been looked upon by many engineers as principally a switchboard problem. The switchboard problem was undoubtedly deserving of the great amount of attention given to it by telephone engineers, and the results are everywhere evident to-day in the perfect working mechanisms of the modern, central battery switchboard. An analysis of the construction costs of the telephone plant will, however, show that from two-thirds to three-fourths of the total expenditure is required for the outside plant; that is, for conduits, poles, cables, and wire. Because of the very large proportional expenditures for the outside plant, it becomes evident that the systems of line distribution should be most carefully studied in order that the best service may be given at the lowest cost.