PROCESSING TIMES BY CABLE SECRETARIAT FOR IMMEDIATE AND PRIORITY CABLES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00499R000600040139-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 10, 2002
• Sequence Number: 139
• Publication Date: April 12, 1965
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2002/05/09 : CIA-RDP84-00499R000600040139-4
12 April 1965
C /Signal Center
25X1A
Processing Times by Cable Secretariat for Immediate
and Priority Cables
r Memo for Record dated 11 December 1964
1. Reference memo, pars Ic records Cable Secretariat processing times
for approximately 300 precedence CIA cables during November 1964. Luring
this period NCR 3 copy white teletypes rolls were used in the Signal Center
terminal printers. Cable Secretariat's processing of precedence cables
received on this paper were processed thru the following procedural steps.
1) Screened by C SO
2) One or more advance copies issued immediately to action units
3) Logged on station card
4) NCR original teletype text cut into sheet lengths and glued to
paper cable forms
Cable analysed and form completed by Cable Analyst - printin
station of origin and dissemination symbols, etc. by hand.
6) Completed cable xeroxed to obtain offset master
or to press for an average of 20 copies
ogles in appropriate numbers identified by circling dissem
symbols
9) Copies slotted in appropriate unit slots
10) Copies delivered by load or tubed to customers.
Cable Secretariat processing averages for precedence cables were:
45 immediate - 1 hour 17 minutes
250 priority
- I hour 26 minutes
Paragraph 3 of the laecember memo stated the opinion that these times were
not believed to represent true processing times since the attachment of a
cover sheet showing that times were being studied may well have caused more
prompt handling than is ordinarily the cave,
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2, Such is our base upon which we may compare present processing times
under the new system using offset master teletype rolls instead of NCR paper
in Signal Center terminal printers.
3. The period of December 64/January/February 65 was one of experimentation
with the new system involving creation of cable heading forms on offset material,
technique for affixing the headings to the teletype master material, and the
testing of teletype ribbons to determine which would give the best quality
reproduction on our offset presses. Conclusions reached during this period
were:
a) A& M, series 3001 cut sheet master material proved beet for
cable heading forms. Being heavier stock than the teletype roll material,
the headings provided needed strength to the composite master edge for
insertion in the press clamps than did several types of light weight
material tested. These included A&M series 1000, the same material
as t1te teletype rolls, A.B. Dick :conomata, A&M series 100 and Xerom
series X masters. Lightweight master material tested for heading forms
tended to buckle from contraction caused by drying of glue used to affix
the heading to the teletype material.
b) Teletype ribbons giving the consistent good quality reproduction
for periods of approximately 7 days of continuous use proved to be the
A&M dual purpose ribbon.
c) The new system of direct imaging of the master materials in Signal
Center terminal printers proved highly effective in reducing Cable Secretariat
processing times, particularly for precedence CIA cables. The result of
a study of Cable Secretariat processing times for the month of March involving
precedence CIA incoming cables is shown below.
Immediate: & Flash - 541 cables - 22, 207 minutes - Average time: 41 mix
This is 36 minutes faster than recorded in the November 64 study.
Priorities - 1, 758 cables - 86,053 minutes - Average time: 49 minutes.
This is 35 minutes faster than recorded in the Novem per 64 study.
4. Cable volume for March, the highest of record totaled 55, 615 work units,
of which 22, 761 were CIA incoming cables. Virtually all of these were received
from the Signal Center on offset material eliminating a need for processing thru
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our Xerox. On the basis of 1.2 pages per message the new system eliminated
approximately 27, 300 images from our Xerox masters. This amounts to
reducing Cable Secretariat material meter cost by approximately $1, 68.00E
computed as follows:
Master material
.015+
Developer, drum & toner
.0100
Meter surcharge
.035+
Total cost per page
.060
5. In addition, an estimated 136 man hours were saved in the clerical staff
engaged in xeroxing cables (ZOO items per hour a- Z7,300 $ 136 hours). At $2.45
an hour this amounts to $ 333.00 for a net saving of $1, 961.00 to offset the
higher cost of offset teletype rolls. Thus, we have a reduced handling time and
a reduced cost in the Gable Secretariat. The reduced cost, of course, may be
more than offset by the increased cost to Signal Center; the fact remains,
however, that for the biggest month in our history we reduced the processing
times for immediate messages by 36 mintues (47%) and for priority messages
by 37 minutes (43%). These lowered times represent the direction in which I
feel we must travel.
25X1A
Deputy Cab
Distribution:
O & 1 - Addressee
cc - M/C Chiefs
Secretary
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