Willmar Tribune

NEW METHOD OF HANDLING
LONG DISTANCE PHONE CALLS

A more rapid method of handling certain kinds of long distance telephone calls has just been placed in effect from Willmar to 27 surrounding towns and cities by the Northwestern Bell Telephone Company, according to Local Manager P. E. Fader. This new method is almost as rapid as the handling of a call from one telephone to another in this exchange. Long distance calls handled by this new method will take what is known as the station-to-station rate, or the lowest long distance rate, says Local Manager P. E. Fader.

For the present the improved service will be available to the following towns: Atwater, Benson, Clara City, Crescent Beach, DeGraff, Eagle Lake, Green Lake, Kandiyohi, Kerkhoven, Murdock, New London, Pennock, Priam, Raymond, Spicer, Stony Point, Svea, Appleton, Granite Falls, Litchfield, Marshall, Minneapolis, Montevideo, Morris, Paynesville, St. Cloud and St. Paul.

This new and rapid service will be available on long distance calls to the towns named above whenever patrons make it known that they are willing to talk to anyone at the called telephone. Under this method the calling subscriber, when placing a call to a large exchange, must give the telephone number of the person or institution wanted. On calls to smaller exchanges the number is desirable, but does not necessarily have to be furnished.

In placing long distance calls that are to be handled by this new, rapid method, the subscriber calls for "long distance" as usual. The operator who takes the call asks the calling subscriber to remain on the line and, unless a circuit to the town desired is not available right at that time, completes the call at once without the calling subscriber having to hang up and be recalled later.

Local Manager Fader explains that while every effort will be made to use the new method to the above towns, there may be short periods when unavoidable conditions will make it impossible. If, during such periods, a call can not be handled by this rapid method, the operator, instead of asking the subscriber to hold the line, will advise him that he will be called. In such cases the call will be handled by the usual methods.