The Telex is a means whereby two stations can be in direct hook-up with one another via the keyboard. The telex machine can also be used for telegrams and cables.

The choice of which method of communication is to be used depends on (a) length of message or (b) necessity for speed.

Direct hook-up is used if it is necessary that the information arrive immediately. This would be necessary usually in a state of grave emergency or danger only. The information is being received at the same time it is being transmitted. If you can dial direct all the way, this is charged for by the minute with a minimum of one minute at £1/-/-d. If it is necessary to use the operator at any point, it is charged for by the minute with a minimum of three minutes, £3/-/-d for three minutes.

Even though one may wish for an immediate answer to a telex, it is necessary to work out what time of day it is at the receiving end. It is quite useless to send direct hook-up from England to Australia if it is the middle of the night in Sydney, for example.

Cable is costed per word. There are three forms of Cable. LT = night letter rate. There is a minimum charge for twenty two words £1/-/2d to Australia - South Africa and 15/7d to USA. ORD = full rate and is charged for by the word, 1/10d to Australia and South Africa and 1/5d to USA. Eleven words ORD rate is the same cost as twenty two words LT rate. URGENT = costs twice ORD rate. LT travels overnight. ORD takes 1 — 1 1/2 hours. URGENT takes about 15 minutes. Cables to USA from England are automatically treated as URGENT by the Post Office so you do not need to address these as Urgent.

There is a point in length of cable, even LT, at which the cost of sending by Cable would be more expensive than sending a telex. You need to assess this point and this is easy to do.

All telexes and cables should be precut on a tape by use of a tape cutter. Cut your tape, making sure you have no errors, then run it through your machine on "local" and time the tape running through. Work out cheapest rate. Example: A thirty word LT Cable costs £1/7/6d, but if it takes only 57 seconds to run through the machine it is of course cheaper to send it direct hook-up which for 1 minute the minimum is £1/-/-d.

One advantage of sending cables is that if the message arrives scrambled one can call the Cable Co and get it re-delivered. BUT on a direct hook-up you cannot do this, therefore it is essential that the tape cutter be left on for 24 hours per day. This is a cardinal rule for a telex operator and must never be forgotten.

It is a false economy to turn off your tape cutter. A few feet of used tape is far less expensive than an unreadable or lost cable.

If the paper in the machine runs out at night, or if the machine jams you can run your tape through the machine next morning and get all your cables printed up.

But if the telex operator left the tape cutter "off" and a direct hook-up came in overnight when the paper had run out, then you have lost the telex forever and this could cause a grave emergency. This has happened at least once at Saint Hill and it should be treated very seriously and be the subject of an Ethics Hearing.

The Telex Operator is responsible for seeing that executives wishing to send cables and telexes have worded them as concisely and briefly as possible and she has every right to turn back a verbose and lengthy cable for reduction of length. All the vies used in despatches are not, repeat not, printed in the cable. This is a very expensive method of communication and must be treated accordingly. The cables are sent direct as per HCO Policy Letter March 13, 1965, Issue II, The Comm-Member System, Routing Policies Section, Volume 1 - page 2, ORDERS No. 7.

This Policy Letter applies to Saint Hill and in general applies to other orgs although their cable codings may be different.

All orgs should have a cable address registered and should notify Saint Hill and their other Continental Orgs of their Cable Addresses and of any change of Cable Address.

The staff of the Dept of Comm, HCO Division 1, HCO Area Sec and LRH Communicators should all be conversant with using a telex machine.

And last but not least, at all times keep your equipment clean, tidy and in good order with all necessary call numbers and instructions posted clearly and neatly.