-6-
calling subscriber, conversation can be carried on witho
interruption and with secrecy and the system is less liabl
to disorganization owing to strikes or to epidemics 270
incapacitating the staff. While, therefore, this system
undoubtedly gives a quicker and more efficient service than
the Manual, the question of the adoption of either system
in any particular case, is usually regarded as an economic
unless there are local factors which have a determining
influence in the matter.
one,
(15). In Great Britain the economic principle is applied
and comparisons are made on the basis of the annual charges
on the two systems, including interest on capital,
depreciation, maintenance, operation and a proportion of
the overhead charges. On this basis and with the
experience already gained in areas where Automatic exchanges have been in use for some years the British Post
Office have been able to lay down a policy which, stated
briefly, provides for the establishment of Automatic exchanges in all areas where the probable expansion in a period of twenty years is likely to exceed 1000 lines. Where on investigation this development is not anticipated Manual exchanges are to be installed.
(16). In this Colony the language difficulty is a factor to which the fullest consideration should be given in
Mr. Bennett informs me that arriving at a decision. approximately 65 per cent of the telephone users are
Chinese. The majority use the Cantonese dialect, but other
Many subscribers, both Chinese dialects are spoken.
European and Chinese, allow their telephones to be used by uneducated persons, who use a broken dialect which the operators find difficult to understand.
:
A large percentage
of the calls on the present system are made or answered by this class of people on behalf of their employers. time of the operators is often unduly taken up in trying
24
The