Automatic telephones have been in use in Shanghai for less than a decade, but it is interesting to note that as far back as 30 years ago a proposal was submitted to the Shanghai Municipal Council for the introduction of this type of telephone. On July 18, 1907, a letter appeared in the *North-China Daily News" written by Mr. E, S. Little to the S.M.C, offering to organize a new company to instal "a modern, up-to-date automatic telephone system in Shanghai."
The company, he said, would be incorporated under the Hongkong Ordinances. The maximum charge to Subscribers would be Tls. 45 per annum for business telephones, Tls. 12 per annum for an extension desk, and Tis 30 per annum for a telephone installed in a private residence. As soon as the number of tele-Phones reached 5,000, the charges would be reduced. No charge would be made for the installation of a telephone, and all wires would be placed underground.
Mr. Little proposed to reduce "the wires connecting outlying districts to the central by 70 per cent, which would be done by means of substations, making only 30 wires neces-serv instead of 100, the number then in use. The Municipal Council would be supplied free of charge with all telephones actually required for general municipal purposes.
Mr. Little's proposal, perhaps unfortunately for Shanghai, was turned down by the Council, the secretary, Mr. W. E. Leveson, stating in reply that the Council regarded the resolution on the subject passed in March, 1906, as a direct instruction to negotiate with the Mutual Telephone Company for a franchise monopoly.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.