CO129-506-9 Hong Kong Telephone Company- installation of automatic exchanges 7-12-1927 - 6-1-1928 — Page 15

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sequence switches are rather complicated, but as previously

stated the Rotary appeared to me more robust. Both systems appear at first sight complicated, but to men who are hand- ling these plants daily they become simple enough and I

would not say that the one system is any more difficult

than the other, both require the supervision of experts,

and no doubt the cost of these will be met by savings when

Good maintenance the manual operators are dispensed with.

is essential both inside the exchange and on the outside system, the mere installation of an automatic exchange will

not remove "cross talk" which is due to low insulation on

mains, or poor audibility due to the same cause, but assum-

ing all such defects are removed, and a proper staff of

skilled attendants are employed, I consider a better and

quicker service will be provided by the installation of

Automatic working. The exchanges I visited were, Hull,

which has Western Rotary gear, and York which has Strowger

step by step system.

Empire.

3. Broadcasting

This subject appeared to be of some interest, when

discussed at the recent Colonial Office Conference, the

principle that it was desirable appeared to be accepted. As regards Empire Broadcasting, it is proposed that a prog-

ramme sent Broadcast on short waves from England should be received by the various Colonial Wireless Departments and a

broadcast on a suitable wave length to meet requirements

of the locality. The sheme in itself is ideal, and would

no doubt be of great value, but at the time of writing the satisfactory reception of the programmes a matter of some

difficulty, I had an interview with Captain Eckersly the Chief Engineer of the British Broadcasting Corporation and

he informed me that the matter of reception had not yet

been satisfactory solved, but that it might be at any

moment.