Show VANISHING AMERICANISMS Party Line Heading I for Doom That chatty friendly institution the rural party line the force which has bound farm residents together together to to- gether into communities and spread more news than Walter Winchell is getting ready to bid farewell to the American scene Its It's in the cards The party line will be replaced eventually by the unsociable but efficient dial telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone exchange That fact became apparent recently when a telephone and radio manufacturing firm announced announced announced an an- development of a dial telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone exchange especially designed for the small community which has only or subscribers The new type of exchange which will make dial phones economical for an operating company with as few as 40 lines is termed unromantically un- un romantically a community rotary exchange Cost of installation will average about a line but the cost to an individual subscriber will be much lower than that because because because be be- cause rural exchanges usually have from 4 to 10 parties on a line The unit will provide fully automatic automatic auto auto- matic service for individuals private private private vate branch exchanges 2 5 and 10 party lines as well as pay station service Major development is the circuit arrangement which completely separates separates separates sep sep- toll from local service thereby thereby thereby there there- by insuring the availability of lines for long distance calls even though all local facilities may be busy Exponents of ot the community rotary exchange boast that once the unit is installed it continues to operate for months untouched by human hands With this mechanical marvel at atthe atthe atthe the helm the party line will become become become be be- come as obsolete as Benjamin Franklins Franklin's kite No longer will every every every ev ev- ev- ev ery phone phone- on the line ring when Someone puts in a call The jangling on the wall will be heard only inthe in inthe inthe the home of the person for whom the call is intended Final analysis reveals that the new now dial exchange can do everything everything everything every every- thing the old party line did and kind can do o it it better With one exception ex cx- It cant can't trace down the doctor doc doe tor in an emergency |