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Western Electric Company, 
 
TELEPHONE SYSTEMS 
 
THE GENERAL TELEPHONE COMPANY'S STEEL TOWER AT THE 
 BRUNKEBERG EXCHANGE,' STOCKHOLM 
 
THE 
 
 TELEPHONE SYSTEMS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 CONTINENT OF EUROPE 
 
 BY -,; --_, j aj j / *., ;V; 
 
 A. R. BENNETT 
 M 
 
 Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers; Divisional Engineering Superintendent in London 
 
 to the United Telephone Company, Limited, 1880 
 Engineer to the Commercial Telephone Exchange, Glasgow, 1881-3 
 
 Chief Engineer for Scotland and Ireland to the National Telephone Company, Limited, 1883 
 General Manager and Chief Engineer in Scotland and the North-west of England 
 
 to the National Telephone Company, Limited, 188:5-90 
 
 General Manager and Chief Engineer to the Mutual Telephone Company, Limited, 1890-2 
 General Manager and Chief Engineer to the New Telephone- Company. Limited, 1892-5 
 
 WITH 1C9 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 LONDON 
 
 LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 
 
 AND NEW YORK 
 1395 
 
 All. rights reserved. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 INTRODUCTION i 
 
 I. AUSTRIA 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION ....... 32 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC . . . . . 35 
 
 TARIFFS 37 
 
 WAY-LEAVES . . 40 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS : 40 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE * 42 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS ........ 43 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 44 
 
 (TRUNK) . .48 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 48 
 
 ,, ,, OPERATORS ......... 49 
 
 STATISTICS ............ 49 
 
 II. BAVARIA 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION . 51 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC 52 
 
 TARIFFS 54 
 
 WAY-LEAVES . . . 55 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS . . . . . . . .56 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE .......... 60 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 60 
 
 985154 
 
viii Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 PAGE 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 6o 
 
 (TRUNK) 6 5 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 6 5 
 
 ,, ,, OPERATORS 6 5 
 
 III. BELGIUM 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 66 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC 67 
 
 TARIFFS 7* 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 77 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS . . . . . . 7& 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 8t > 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 6 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 87 
 
 (TRUNK) .... . . 95 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN . . . . . . . ico 
 
 ,, ,, OPERATORS 101 
 
 STATISTICS . . 101 
 
 IV. BOSNIA-HERZOGOVINA 
 
 PRESENT POSITION . . . . . . . . . 104 
 
 V. BULGARIA 
 
 PRESENT POSITION . . . . . . . . . .105 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED AND TARIFFS 105 
 
 VI. DENMARK 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION . . . . . .107 
 
 STATISTICS OF PROVINCIAL DANISH EXCHANGES . . . . no 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED BY THE COPENHAGEN TELEPHONE COMPANY. 112 
 
 TARIFFS 115 
 
 WAY-LEAVES . 118 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 118 
 
Contents ix 
 
 PAGE 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . 124 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS . . . . . . . 124 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 124 
 
 (TRUNK) 127 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 127 
 
 ,, ,, OPERATORS. ........ 128 
 
 STATISTICS. ACCOUNTS OF THE AARHUS TELEPHONE COMPANY FOR 
 
 1893 I28 
 
 SUMMARY OF SAME FOR 1894 129 
 
 VII. FINLAND 
 
 POSITION 130 
 
 TARIFFS 132 
 
 TRUNK TARIFFS 134 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK . . . . . . . . . . . 134 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 134 
 
 VIII. FRANCE 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 136 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC 141 
 
 TARIFFS 145 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 150 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS . . . . , . . . 151 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 161 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 161 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 164 
 
 (TRUNK) 172 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 173 
 
 ,, ,, OPERATORS 173 
 
 STATISTICS 173 
 
 IX. GERMAN EMPIRE 
 
 (EXCLUSIVE OF BAVARIA AND WURTEMBERG) 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 175 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC 179 
 
x Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 PAGE 
 
 TARIFFS 184 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 186 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS ........ 188 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE .......... 203 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS ........ 203 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 207 
 
 ,, ,, (TRUNK) 216 
 
 STATISTICS 217 
 
 X. GREECE 
 
 POSITION . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 
 
 XI. HOLLAND 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 219 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED BY THE NETHERLANDS BELL TELEPHONE 
 
 COMPANY 224 
 
 TARIFFS 225 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 229 
 
 ROYALTIES 229 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 229 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE .......... 232 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 233 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 233 
 
 ,, (TRUNK) . . . ' 246 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN ......... 248 
 
 ,, ,, OPERATORS 248 
 
 STATISTICS 249 
 
 REPORT AND ACCOUNTS OF THE ZUTPHEN TELEPHONE COMPANY 
 
 FOR 1894 250 
 
 XII. HUNGARY 
 
 POSITION 253 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED AND TARIFFS 253 
 
 WORK 255 
 
 STATISTICS 256 
 
Contents xi 
 XIII. ITALY 
 
 PAGE 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 257 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED AND TARIFFS 260 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 262 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS AND SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS . . 263 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 265 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK 265 
 
 STATISTICS 268 
 
 XIV. LUXEMBURG 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 270 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC 271 
 
 TARIFFS ............ 272 
 
 WORK 274 
 
 STATISTICS 274 
 
 XV. MONACO 
 
 POSITION ............ 277 
 
 XVI. MONTENEGRO 
 
 POSITION 278 
 
 XVII. NORWAY 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION ....... 279 
 
 STATISTICAL TABLE OF SOME PROVINCIAL NORWEGIAN EXCHANGES 284 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC BY THE CHRISTIANIA TELE- 
 PHONE COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . 288 
 
 TARIFFS ............ 290 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 293 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS . . . . . . . . 294 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE .......... 296 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS . . . . . . . . 296 
 
xii Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 PAGE 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 296 
 
 (TRUNK) 304 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 304 
 
 ,, ,, OPERATORS 304 
 
 STATISTICS 34 
 
 ACCOUNTS OF THE CHRISTIANIA TELEPHONE COMPANY FOR 1893 36 
 
 SUMMARY OF SAME FOR 1894 37 
 
 XVIII. PORTUGAL 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 308 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED AND TARIFFS 309 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 309 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS AND SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS . . 310 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 311 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK . . . . . . . . . 312 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 312 
 
 ,, ,, OPERATORS 312 
 
 XIX. ROUMANIA 
 
 POSITION . . . . . . . . . . . -313 
 
 SERVICES AND TARIFFS 313 
 
 XX. RUSSIA 
 
 POSITION 316 
 
 TARIFFS 316 
 
 WORK 316 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS ........ 318 
 
 STATISTICS 321 
 
 XXL SERVIA 
 POSITION 322 
 
Contents xiii 
 XXII. SPAIN 
 
 HACK 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 323 
 
 ROYALTIES .* 325 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED AND TARIFFS ....... 328 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS ........ 330 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK .......... 330 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 330 
 
 STATISTICS ........... 331 
 
 XXIII. SWEDEN 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 332 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED IN STOCKHOLM BY THE GENERAL TELEPHONE 
 
 COMPANY AND THE STATE TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT . . 338 
 
 TARIFFS. GENERAL TELEPHONE COMPANY . . . . . 340 
 
 ,, STATE EXCHANGE ........ 341 
 
 ,, BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY . . . . . . 343 
 
 WAY-LEAVES ........... 343 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS. GENERAL TELEPHONE COMPANY. . 344 
 
 ,, BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY . . 349 
 
 ,, ,, STATE EXCHANGE . . . . 354 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 356 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 358 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL). GENERAL TELEPHONE COMPANY . . 358 
 
 ,, ( ) STATE EXCHANGE 366 
 
 ,, ,, (TRUNK). GENERAL TELEPHONE COMPANY . . 370 
 
 ,, ( ,, ) STATE EXCHANGE 370 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 372 
 
 ,, ., OPERATORS 373 
 
 STATISTICS 373 
 
 ABSTRACT OF ACCOUNTS OF GENERAL TELEPHONE COMPANY . . 374 
 
 XXIV. SWITZERLAND 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION . . . ..'.*'. . 376 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED . . . . . . ' , . . . 379 
 
xtv Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 PAGE 
 
 TARIFFS (AT PRESENT APPLIED) . ...'". . . 383 
 
 ,, (TO COME INTO OPERATION^SHORTLY) . . . ' ^ *.. 378 
 
 WAY-LEAVES ^ N ,1 . 388 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS *-" .. . 390 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE * 44 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 404 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 405 
 
 ,, ,, (TRUNK) . ' 412 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN . . . . . . . . .414 
 
 ,, ,, OPERATORS ......... 414 
 
 STATISTICS ........... 414 
 
 XXV. TURKEY 
 
 POSITION . . . . . . . . . . . 417 
 
 XXVI. WURTEMBERG 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION . . . ...''*. . 418 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED 418 
 
 TARIFFS 423 
 
 W T AY-LEAVES 426 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS ..... -.- '' * . 427 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 428 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 429 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 429 
 
 (TRUNK) . 435 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 435 
 
 ,, ,, OPERATORS. ........ 436 
 
 STATISTICS 436 
 
THE TELEPHONE SYSTEMS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 CONTINENT OF EUROPE 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 DURING the discussions on the existing state and future con- 
 duct of telephony in the United Kingdom which have taken 
 place pretty continuously during the last few years, many references 
 have cropped up to foreign and, more especially, to continental 
 practice. Statements have frequently been made as to the exis- 
 tence of what to the British public have appeared fabulously low 
 rates in Holland, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, and elsewhere 
 statements to which support was given, from time to time, by 
 various consular reports. The facts set forth, the believers in, and 
 advocates of, low rates in this country have endeavoured occa- 
 sionally to turn to their advantage in argument, but, owing to lack 
 of exact information and the denials of their opponents, with little 
 result. The apologists of the existing monopoly have either 
 traversed in toto the truth of the statements or have declared that 
 the conditions under which such rates exist are radically different 
 from those which obtain in the United Kingdom. They have 
 asserted, for example, that the low rates are not inclusive of all 
 charges ; that the subscribers have to pay the cost of their lines 
 or instruments, or both, and, after connection, for any repairs 
 that may be necessary ; that foreign telephone companies are not 
 burdened with such payments to the Government as are imposed 
 on the National Telephone Company here ; that foreign adminis- 
 
 B 
 
Telephone Systems of tJie Continent of Europe 
 
 (this Jias her> specially said of Germany) have an absolute 
 right to fix VuripDrts\a/id wires wherever they please, underground 
 or Qye^iefl,Xv without payment ; that labour is less costly on the 
 ' foreign workmen and operators arc 
 
 not only badly paid, but mercilessly sweated ; that the cheap 
 systems are ill-constructed and worse managed ; that the low rates, 
 if they exist, are only applied in small towns ; that they do not pay ; 
 together with various other assertions intended, and tending, to 
 create doubt, and confuse the advocates of telephonic reform. 
 
 The points at issue were so numerous and involved, and the 
 question so interesting and replete with importance to the British 
 commercial community, particularly in view of a possible Post 
 Office acquisition, partial or complete, of the telephone systems, 
 that the author determined to ascertain the truth for himself, and 
 that by the best of all methods, personal inspection and investiga- 
 tion. Controversy had chiefly centred on the Scandinavian and 
 German countries, Holland, Belgium, and Switzerland. All these, 
 together with France, have been visited by the author, and the 
 most minute inquiries as to the tariffs, rules, laws, technical prac- 
 tice, and other matters of interest conducted on the spot, the 
 points enumerated above as being specially in dispute and in- 
 dicated for examination receiving more than ordinary attention. 
 The results of this inquest are now presented to the public in a 
 form that, it is hoped, will facilitate reference to particular points 
 and enable an accurate idea of the true state of matters to be 
 readily arrived at. 
 
 It will be found that no two nations have solved, or attempted 
 to solve, the problem in exactly the same manner. In some cases 
 the divergencies are wide, but in most great intelligence, combined 
 with solicitude for the public weal, has been brought to bear, often 
 with the most satisfactory results. 
 
 It will be seen that except in two Russian towns, St. Petersburg 
 and Moscow, which are in the hands of a monopolist company 
 and where the rates are 257. per annum, no continental subscrip- 
 tion comes up to the 2o/. rate with which we are familiar in 
 London. On the other hand, subscriptions in some places descend 
 to 2/, IQS. and 2/. gs. ^d. per annum, everything included, and are 
 made to pay. The contention of the high-rate apologists that the 
 
Introduction 3 
 
 low rates are twt inclusive will be found, for the purposes of their 
 argument, to be untrue and delusive. The fact is that practice in 
 this respect varies, even in the same countries, as in Norway and 
 Denmark, some of the rates being inclusive and others not. 
 Full particulars are given of these variations under the headings of 
 the several countries, but it may be as well to state definitely here 
 that inclusive rates, covering the supply and maintenance of all 
 wires, instruments and accessories, of 2/. 105-., 2/. 15^. 7^., and 
 3/. 6s. %d. exist in Norway ; of 2.1. 155-. id. and 3/. 6s. 8d. in 
 Denmark ; of 2/. qs. ^d. and 2.1. ifs. tod. in Holland ; of 3/. ^s. 
 in Finland ; and of 2/. i6s. and 3/. i2s. in Italy ; while rates of 4/. 
 and 5/. are of frequent occurrence elsewhere. In refutation of 
 the assertion that low rates mean bad workmanship, the author 
 would direct special attention to the installation at Zutphen, a 
 town of 1 7,000 inhabitants (where the Zutphen Telephone Com- 
 pany applies an inclusive rate of 2/. ijs. 10^.), which is fitted 
 throughout with metallic circuits of stouter bronze wire than the 
 National Telephone Company habitually uses in this country ; with 
 the very best of transmitters, receivers, and instruments, together 
 with an expensive switch-board by one of the leading manufac- 
 turers, and all the usual complement of lightning-guards, cross- 
 connecting apparatus, and testing instruments. The outside con- 
 struction consists of standards, poles, insulators, and general 
 fittings of the best description, the work through out being thought- 
 fully designed and well carried out. An all-night service is 
 provided, and the company pays 4-2 per cent, on the capital 
 invested. In proof of this a translation of the last balance-sheet, 
 dated February 1895, is given. A translation of the last accounts 
 of the Co-operative Company at Aarhus, which has an inclusive 
 rate of 4/. 3^. 3^. for local connections and of 5/. 16*. 7^. for those 
 who wish to speak to the other towns within a radius of about 
 20 kilometers, will also be found in the Danish section. Finally, 
 in order to dispose of the assertion that low rates are only appli- 
 cable to small towns, the accounts of the Christiania Telephone 
 Company for 1893 are printed at the end of the Norwegian section. 
 This company, operating in a capital city, has nearly 5,000 sub- 
 scribers, and has regularly paid dividends of from 5 to 5^ per cent, 
 since 1885, besides keeping its system up to date, providing 
 
 B 2 
 
4 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 ample reserve funds, and liberally contributing to the benevolent 
 funds of its male and female employees, all on an inclusive subscrip- 
 tion of 4/. 8^. \\d. 
 
 What can be done in the direction of municipal telephones is 
 instanced by the example of Trondhjem, the third town of 
 Norway, where the telephone exchange is in the hands of the town 
 council. The exchange is well built of good material, provided 
 with the most expensive instruments in the market those of 
 Ericsson & Co., and earns a profit of 4 per cent, for the rate- 
 payers, on an inclusive rate of 2/. los. for business connections 
 and i/. 5-y. for private houses, rates which apply to lines not 
 exceeding i^ kilometers in length ! Is there a valid reason 
 why a British municipality should not do as well in a town of 
 corresponding size ? 
 
 Switzerland is another country in which low rates prevail, soon 
 to give way (see page 378) to lower ; but the system adopted of 
 charging per call or connection renders comparison with the fore- 
 going rates, which cover any desired number of local calls, difficult. 
 J- or the subscriber who makes but little use of his telephone the new 
 Swiss tariff will be the cheapest of all, while the busy firm's contri- 
 bution may exceed the highest rates mentioned in this book. Thus, 
 a man calling only once per working day will pay (after having 
 been a member of the exchange for two years) only 2/. 45-. 6d. per 
 annum, while a subscriber calling 20 times a day will pay 147. 2s., 
 and one originating 30 talks per day as much as 2o/. js. id. This 
 plan is unquestionably the most rational one, but experience shows 
 that it tends to reduce the number of calls, so that the average of 
 the daily connections asked for at Zurich is only two per subscriber. 
 The Swiss plan, therefore, restricts the volume of business and 
 the usefulness of the telephone, while the lines and exchange appa- 
 ratus must be as expensive and perfect as in the busiest centre. 
 
 In the tabulated statements in the Danish and Norwegian 
 sections will be found many particulars of, and results obtained in, 
 the smaller towns. 
 
 Some information as to the way-leave facilities enjoyed by the 
 telephone administrations or companies in most of the countries 
 is given. The author's inquiries tend to show that the autocratic 
 privileges talked of are mostly imaginary. The French Govern- 
 
Introduction 5 
 
 ment possesses greater power over private property than any other, 
 and, unluckily for those who seek to establish a connection be- 
 tween rates and way-leaves, the French rates are amongst the 
 dearest on the Continent. In Germany the Government has no 
 more power to put a standard and wires on a man's house without 
 his permission than it has to burn it down. 
 
 It will be seen that many foreign companies are burdened with 
 far more onerous payments to their governments or municipal 
 authorities than is the National Telephone Company. In Madrid, 
 20 per cent. ; in Bilbao, 34 per cent. ; in Barcelona, 3375 per 
 cent.; and in Valencia 31*5 per cent, of the gross receipts are 
 payable to the Government. In Italy a uniform tax of 10 per cent, 
 on the gross receipts and 2/. per annum for every public telephone 
 station (call office) is levied ; in Russia the tax is also 10 per 
 cent, of the gross takings, while the Portuguese get off with 3 per 
 cent. 
 
 During one public discussion on the subject of telephone rates 
 it was stated as justifying a io/. rate in Manchester that subscribers 
 in Amsterdam have to pay practically the same 9/. 14*. 2\d. But 
 the apologist, probably because he knew no better, omitted to say 
 that the Amsterdam company has to pay 2/. is. 9//. per subscriber 
 per annum to the town council ; and that, while the io/. rate in 
 Manchester is limited to a distance of one mile, the Dutch sub- 
 scription applies to the whole of Amsterdam proper. 
 
 Workmen's wages, according to the particulars supplied to the 
 author by the officials of the various administrations and com- 
 panies, are not invariably noticeably lower, nor the hours worked 
 much longer, than in this country. As a rule, the female opera- 
 tors are better paid, in some cases markedly so, than those of the 
 National Telephone Company. 
 
 On the other hand, where low wages prevail, their effect on 
 cost of production is sometimes neutralised more or less by the 
 Customs import duties. For instance, Norway possesses no iron, 
 and the author found English iron on the roofs of Christiania in 
 the form of telephone supports. Norway, too, either imports her 
 telephone apparatus or makes it from imported materials. Switzer- 
 land and Holland, which produce no iron and import instruments 
 or raw material, are in the same case. 
 
6 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 The author did not undertake a foreign tour for the purpose 
 of convincing himself of the feasibility of low rates, but in order 
 to obtain authoritative evidence to help him to convince others of 
 the fact. Personally, he required no convincing, as his experience 
 in Scotland and Manchester rendered any further evidence unneces- 
 sary. The author knows that many of the National Telephone 
 Company's exchanges absorb less than 50 per cent, of the sub- 
 scriptions collected in them for upkeep and contingencies, so that 
 a municipality or company putting into the business only the capital 
 actually required for establishment could earn a fair profit on 
 not more than half the present rates. 
 
 That it must be so is evident from a consideration of the 
 National Company's capital and regular 5 per cent, dividend. It 
 has been stated frequently in print, and at public meetings, in the 
 presence of the company's directors and officials ; ! and so far as 
 the author is aware never seriously contradicted that the amount 
 of ' water ' to paid-up capital is as two or three to one ; that is to 
 say, that out of a capital of four millions for which dividends must 
 be found, only one million, or at most one and a third millions, 
 have been put into the business. To pay 5 per cent, on four 
 millions this one million must earn 20 per cent. 
 
 That it actually does so is unquestionable : in fact, telephony 
 in the United Kingdom is really conducted to-day as cheaply as 
 on the Continent, the only difference being that each sovereign 
 invested has to find interest for two or more unproductive com- 
 panions. Actual experience affords this assertion ample con- 
 firmation. 
 
 From 1880 to 1885 the National Telephone Company was 
 opposed in Dundee and its vicinity by the Dundee and District Tele- 
 phonic Company, Limited, which company had commenced business 
 with a rate of io/. designed to oppose the rate of 2o/. which the 
 National Company had established in the same town. Finding 
 that it could not hold its own, the National determined to ruin 
 the opposition by a war of rates, and suddenly came down from 
 2o/. to 5/. per annum at one swoop. The Dundee and District 
 replied with a reduction to 57. 105-., below which they considered 
 
 1 Truth, August 21, 1890, and March io, 1892. Councillor Southern's speech 
 to the Manchester Town Council, Manchester Guardian, March 8, 1894. 
 
Introduction 7 
 
 it inexpedient to go, as the telephones they used, owing to patent 
 complications, were costing from 2o/. to 257. each, and were difficult 
 to procure even at those prices. At the first annual meeting (Feb- 
 ruary 1883) after the reduction, the Dundee and District had only a 
 balance of 4oo/. to the good, which was carried to a reserve fund ; 
 but in February 1884, after nearly two years' experience at 5/. 105-., 
 it declared a dividend of 10 per cent, per annum, besides adding 
 .200/. to the reserve fund. In February 1885 the dividend was 
 5 per cent, and 2oo/. to reserve. But this victorious career pro- 
 ceeded but a little further, as the National made up its mind that 
 the speed at which the Dundee Company was ruining itself was 
 not rapid enough, knowing besides, from its own experience, now 
 of considerable duration, with a 5/. rate, that the 5/. los. of the 
 opposition was sufficient, and more, to permit it to live and 
 prosper ; and so made an offer to buy the Dundee Company, 
 which was ultimately accepted. At the final meeting the chair- 
 man congratulated the shareholders on having received an average 
 dividend of 9 per cent, per annum for the four and a quarter years 
 of the company's existence, and on the return of their capital 
 with 40 per cent, by way of bonus. That was how ruin had 
 spelled with them ! 
 
 On its side the National had not done badly. It professed to 
 have lost the difference between the original rate of 2o/. and the 
 fighting rate of 5/. : but that was no real loss, since its subscribers 
 at 2o/. would have been very few, while, as matters stood, its 
 exchange had grown out of all knowledge. After the purchase 
 the combined systems numbered some 1,200 subscribers, and 
 constituted together the largest exchange in the United Kingdom, 
 excepting, perhaps, London. Subsequently, when the rate was 
 put up to io/., it dwindled away to about half. This great increase 
 in Dundee showed, as it did afterwards in Manchester, under the 
 Mutual Telephone Company, that a 5/. rate taps a class of sub- 
 scribers which cannot afford, or will not give, 8/. or io/. for the 
 accommodation. In Dundee a considerable number of small 
 shopkeepers, grocers and others, came on at 5/. and went off 
 when the rate was increased to io/. ; in Manchester numbers of 
 packing-case makers, sign-writers, plumbers, &c., who had never 
 thought of joining the National exchange at io/., subscribed to 
 

 8 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 the Mutual at 5/. as soon as the opportunity was afforded them. 
 The National had found in Dundee, much to its surprise, that a 
 5/. rate was not only sufficient to cover expenses, but to leave a 
 profit into the bargain, even after debiting Dundee with its due 
 proportion of directors' fees, Post Office royalty of 10 per cent, 
 on the gross receipts, and London office general expenses, pro- 
 vided that the patent royalty of 2/. per annum per subscriber were 
 set aside. The author believes that the United Telephone Com- 
 pany, the owners of the patents, eventually agreed to abrogate the 
 Dundee royalty, so that the National really made no loss during 
 the competitive period. But there are no patent royalties now, 
 and the Dundee Town Council or a local company would not 
 have any London office burden to bear, so that the author is quite 
 sure that an exchange with metallic circuits, underground wires in 
 the centre of the town to each block of buildings, and all modern 
 improvements, could readily be made remunerative at 5/. per 
 annum, Post Office royalty included. The experience gained since 
 the days of the Dundee and District Company renders it possible 
 to provide an improved system at still lower rates than it did. 
 
 Other competitors had arisen and were still to arise in different 
 parts of the kingdom. Messrs. D. and G. Graham in Glasgow at 
 i2/. ; Charles Moseley in Manchester at 8/. ; Tasker & Co. 
 in Sheffield at y/. ; the Globe Telephone Company in London 
 at io/. ; and Mr. Sharpies in Preston at 6/. ; all of which 
 were, after shorter or longer combats, ultimately bought out 
 some at extravagant premiums because they, having no need 
 to die, steadfastly declined to do so. In not one instance did the 
 National run a competitor to a standstill, although in the cases of 
 Sharpies and Tasker the contest went on for years. Their rates 
 were sufficient to gain a livelihood, and the National knew it. 
 
 But the most recent home proof of the sufficiency of low rates 
 is that afforded by the Mutual Telephone Company, Limited, of 
 Manchester, which started with a 5/. rate for its shareholders and 
 61. for non-shareholders. The Mutual Company's case is different 
 from all the others, inasmuch as its exchange was constructed 
 entirely on the metallic circuit principle and comprised all the latest 
 improvements. The Mutual exchange was opened on February 28, 
 1891, but owing to the determination of the directors to charge 
 
Introduction 9 
 
 nothing until a large circle of subscribers had been put in com- 
 munication, no rentals were made payable until July i. From 
 this date until October 31, the end of the financial year, the ac- 
 counts showed a revenue of 3,9067. 5^., only i,i45/. is. of which 
 was applicable to the four months dealt with ; nevertheless a credit 
 balance of 3787. us. ^d. was available, which was carried forward. 
 In the third half-year of the exchange's existence the receipts, 
 after deducting Post Office royalty, averaged 4/. 1 2s. 2d. per line 
 per annum, the annual revenue being 6,4oi/. 2s. ^d. and the 
 number of lines 1,389. The actual working expenses for the half- 
 year were at the rate of 3,2447. 175-. 6d. per annum. Adding to 
 this 5oo/. for directors' fees, 2507. for general expenses, and 1,6507. 
 (5 per cent, on 33,0697, the capital actually expended) for deteriora- 
 tion, the gross expenses were 5,6447. ijs. 6d., or 47. is. $d. per 
 line, leaving a profit of los. nd. per line per annum, or a total 
 profit of 7587. 3.$-. $d. This is only 2*29 per cent, per annum on 
 the capital expended ; but the 33,0697. included the cost of two 
 trunk lines to Bolton, of some 500 spare metallic circuits, of a 
 central switch-table fitted complete for 2,000 lines and with 
 ultimate accommodation for 4,000, and of standards, poles and 
 general fittings of capacity far in excess of immediate require- 
 ments, so as to leave room for future expansion. Less the cost 
 of the trunk lines the actual expenditure on the system had been 
 31,9397, not quite 237. per line. Deducting the cost of the extra 
 accommodation provided everywhere, the cost per line was only 
 some 1 67. But for a town of the size of Manchester with Salford 
 (population 703,507) the rate proposed by the author (see page 25) 
 is 57. 155-., which would materially increase the net revenue and 
 obviously give a municipality or an unburdened company a hand- 
 some margin of profit. 
 
 Most unfortunately for the Manchester public and its own 
 shareholders the Mutual Company was induced to sell its business 
 to the New Telephone Company, Limited. As general manager 
 and chief engineer of the Mutual Telephone Company, the 
 author is glad of an opportunity to state definitely that the sale 
 was in no wise justified in any way by the position of the com- 
 pany. Its business was rapidly increasing ; the proportion of 
 net revenue was growing every month ; many initial difficulties, 
 
io Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 including an attempt to prevent the company's wires being run, 
 had been triumphantly overcome ; the most flattering opinions of 
 its service had been given in writing by its subscribers, many of 
 whom were also members of the National Manchester exchange, 
 and so peculiarly qualified as judges. Moreover, the Lancashire 
 County Council had granted permission to the company to erect 
 poles and wires on every road in the county of Lancaster, so leaving 
 the way clear for the connection of every town by trunk lines sooner 
 or later. In fact, the company's success had been phenomenal, 
 and its prospects at the date of sale were of the brightest. 
 
 But the directors became persuaded that the company's object 
 of winning cheap telephony for the nation would be furthered by- 
 transferring the business to a powerful fighting organisation such 
 as the New Telephone Company was supposed to be, and it would 
 certainly be unfair to blame them for not foreseeing the extra- 
 ordinary turn which that company's affairs subsequently took. In 
 a few months it had fallen completely under the control of the 
 National. The rates in Manchester were shortly afterwards raised 
 and alterations effected which rendered a realisation of the Mutual 
 Company's programme impossible. But the superiority of its 
 service and the sufficiency of its rate had been nevertheless 
 conclusively demonstrated. 
 
 The Mutual campaign of course confirmed the author's pre- 
 vious experience at Dundee ; and the two cases together will pro- 
 bably be accepted as conclusive evidence of the exorbitant cha- 
 racter of the existing rates. That being so, it will surely not be 
 contended that the commercial community has not a right to 
 demand that its business intercourse shall not be burdened with 
 avoidable expense, or in any way, or through any cause, be ren- 
 dered more costly than that of its trade competitors abroad. 
 
 In Belgium, one of England's keenest competitors, a merchant 
 at any town receiving an inquiry by mail or telegraph from, say, 
 South America can put himself in almost instantaneous communi- 
 cation with the chief manufacturers at Liege, Verviers, or elsewhere, 
 and with the shippers of Antwerp, each communication costing 
 i franc (93^.), and in the course of half an hour is in a position 
 to forward a quotation for the desired shipment. Similarly, a 
 German merchant can telephone all over the country for is. per 
 
Introduction 1 1 
 
 connection. A British trader receiving the same inquiry would 
 be at a great disadvantage : the delay and uncertainty in getting 
 through would probably deter him from using the telephone at all ; 
 if not, he would have to pay the Belgian or German charges many 
 times over. This is not what the public wants or ought to be 
 called upon to submit to. 
 
 It has been said that the British public does not care for 
 telephony, and that it would not in any case take advantage of 
 cheap rates to the same extent as continental peoples do. The 
 author considers that this constitutes a most unfair and un- 
 warrantable prejudgment of what the British public would do if it 
 were placed on an equality as regards facilities with other peoples. 
 
 What has the telephone service, even in the best conducted 
 exchanges, hitherto meant, and what does it mean to-day, to the 
 British subscriber ? Simply that he may call up, and be called 
 up by, other subscribers in his own town and, to a limited extent, 
 other towns also. He may also be called up by non-subscribers 
 speaking from public stations (call offices) established, not at the 
 post and telegraph offices, where people naturally expect to find 
 them, but scattered anywhere where room for an instrument can 
 be found. Dealing with these facilities in the same manner as 
 the services rendered to the public by foreign administrations and 
 companies are dealt with in this present book, it may be said that 
 the British subscriber enjoys for his money four services, to wit : 
 
 i. Local exchange intercourse. 2. Internal trunk line inter- 
 course. 3. Public telephone station intercourse. 4. Forwarding 
 and receiving his telegrams by telephone (in some of the large 
 towns only). 
 
 Now, let it be thoroughly grasped what foreign subscribers 
 obtain for subscriptions which sometimes amount to a third or 
 less of the British. 
 
 AUSTRIA. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks. 3. Inter- 
 national trunks. 4. Telephoning of telegrams. 5. Local tele- 
 phonogram l service (ten words for 2^.). 6. Telephoning of 
 
 1 In Austria and Switzerland a message telephoned by a subscriber to the cen- 
 tral office to be written down and delivered by messenger to non-subscriber is 
 officially known as a phonogram, a word which, without official authority, has 
 also been adopted in the same sense in several other countries. In the United 
 Kingdom and the United States, at least, phonogram means the record of the 
 
1 2 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 messages to be written down at the central office and mailed as 
 letters or post-cards. 7. Messages calling a non-subscriber to a 
 distant public station to converse. 8. Public telephone stations. 
 
 BAVARIA. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks. 3. Inter- 
 national trunks. 4. Telephoning of telegrams (free). 5. Local 
 telephonogram service (ten words for 2^.). 6. Telephoning of 
 mail matter as above. 7. Public telephone stations. 
 
 BELGIUM. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks. 3. Inter- 
 national trunks. 4. Telephoning of telegrams (free). 5. Public 
 telephone stations. 6. Messages calling strangers to distant public 
 stations. 
 
 DENMARK. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks (often free). 
 
 3. International trunks. 4. Telephoning of telegrams. 5. Local 
 telephonogram service (ten words for i -99^.). 6. Public telephone 
 stations. 7. Messages calling strangers to distant public stations. 
 
 FRANCE. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks. 3. Inter- 
 national trunks. 4. Telephoning of telegrams. 5. Local tele- 
 phonogram service. 6. Public telephone stations. 7. Municipal 
 telephone stations. 8. Special wayside exchange service. 
 
 GERMANY. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks. 3. 
 International trunks. 4. Public telephone stations. 5. Tele- 
 phoning of telegrams. 6. Local telephonogram service (ten words 
 for 2d.). 7. Telephoning of matter to be mailed. 
 
 HOLLAND. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks. 3. Public 
 telephone stations. 4. Telephoning of telegrams. 5. Time service. 
 
 HUNGARY. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks. 3. 
 International trunks. 4. Telephoning of telegrams. 5. Public 
 telephone stations. 6. Rural or village intercourse. 
 
 ITALY. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks. 3. Public 
 telephone stations (in some towns only). 4. Telephoning of 
 telegrams. 
 
 LUXEMBURG. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks (in- 
 cluded in the local subscriptions). 3. Telephoning of telegrams. 
 
 4. Local telephonogram service. 5. Public telephone stations. 
 6. Messenger service. 7. Parochial telephone stations. 8. Tele- 
 phoning of mail matter. 
 
 phonograph ; so, to avoid possible confusion, the author substitutes the word tele- 
 phonogram wherever necessary throughout the book. 
 
Introduction 1 3 
 
 NORWAY. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks. 3. Inter- 
 national trunks. 4. Telephoning of telegrams. 5. Local tele- 
 phonogram service. 6. Public telephone stations. 7. Messenger 
 service. 
 
 PORTUGAL. i. Local exchange. 
 
 ROUMANIA. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks. 3. 
 Public telephone stations. 4. Telephoning of telegrams. 5. 
 Local telephonogram service. 
 
 SPAIN. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks. 3. Public 
 telephone stations. 4. Telephoning of telegrams. 5. Local 
 telephonogram service (twenty words for r^2d.\ 
 
 SWEDEN (State administration and General Telephone Com- 
 pany). i. Local exchange. 2. yo-kilometer free radius. 3. 
 Internal trunks. 4. International trunks. 5. Telephoning of 
 telegrams. 6. Local telephonogram service (forty words for 3*3^.). 
 7. Messenger service. 8. Public telephone stations. 
 
 SWITZERLAND. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks. 3. 
 International trunks. 4. Telephoning of telegrams. 5. Tele- 
 phonogram service. 6. Parochial telephone stations. 7. Public 
 telephone stations. 8. Special wayside exchange service. 
 
 WURTEMBERG. i. Local exchange. 2. Internal trunks. 3. 
 International trunks. 4. Telephoning of telegrams. 5. Public 
 telephone stations. 6. Local telephonogram service (ten words 
 for id.). 7, Telephoning of matter to be mailed. 
 
 It will be seen from this summary that only one country 
 Portugal has an inferior list of facilities. One other Italy 
 has the same number ; but all the rest enjoy superior advantages. 
 In the countries noted for the widest spread of telephony it will be 
 found that subscribers have at their command seven or eight different 
 applications of the telephone ; thus Sweden, 8 ; Switzerland, 8 ; 
 Austria, 8 ; Germany, 7 ; Bavaria, 7 ; Wiirtemberg, 7 ; Norway, 7 ; 
 Denmark, 7. Is it fair, therefore, to reproach the British public' 
 for being slow to subscribe ? Should it not be recognised that the 
 telephone is one thing in Britain and another in Sweden or Austria ? 
 Had the telephoning of telegrams been free and unrestricted 
 during the past fourteen years ; had it been within the power of 
 subscribers to despatch telegrams to non-subscribers in the same 
 town, twenty words for 1*92^. as in Spain, or even ten words for 
 
14 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 2d. as in Germany and Denmark ; had they been free to telephone 
 messages to be written down and posted as letters or post-cards, 
 the tale might have been quite different. 
 
 It would not be correct to blame the National Telephone 
 Company for not giving these facilities, for, indeed, it has not 
 been in its power to accord them. No ; the blame must be borne 
 by the Post Office, which, under the mistaken idea that the best 
 way to serve the public interest is to curtail such facilities as are 
 not provided by itself, has denied the public these advantages. 
 As a consequence, its revenues have suffered by the competition 
 of the telephone trunk lines. During the author's continental 
 tour of investigation nothing was made clearer to him by the 
 foreign officials than that the encouragement given to the sub- 
 scribers to forward telegrams by telephone for transmission has- 
 compensated to a very large extent, if not altogether, for the tele- 
 graphic traffic lost by the rivalry of the trunk lines. In every 
 country the tale is the same : the telegraph revenues have not 
 suffered by the competition of the trunk lines because the exten- 
 sion of the telephone system has provided new feeders to the 
 telegraph in every direction, and these newly-found feeders have 
 provided traffic enough to outweigh the loss on certain long 
 distance lines. Thus, to cite an example, the extensive telegram 
 traffic which formerly prevailed between the Bourses of Brussels 
 and Paris, and which necessitated the constant employment of 
 several direct telegraph wires, has been entirely wiped out by the 
 telephone circuits ; but, notwithstanding this, the telegraph receipts 
 continue to grow. During these fourteen years, therefore, the 
 Post Office has been engaged in cutting off its nose to spite the 
 companies, and has voluntarily cast away a source of income which 
 would have rendered unnecessary the wails made over revenue 
 lost through the competition of telephone trunks. The author 
 is of course aware that the telephone exchanges in some of the 
 principal towns are, and have been for some years, in connection 
 with the Postal Telegraph Office ; but what is wanted is not a 
 partial, but a universal and unrestricted, application of the service. 
 Obstacles are thrown in the way of establishing connection with 
 telegraph offices. For instance, the Mutual Telephone Company 
 applied for, but could not obtain, a connection in Manchester.. 
 
Introduction 1 5 
 
 while its rival, the National, was permitted to provide its sub- 
 scribers with the service. In Edinburgh, after long agitation, the 
 telephone exchange was joined to the telegraph office in 1888 or 
 1889, but childish regulations were made which greatly impaired 
 the usefulness of the service, it being permissible, under them, for 
 a man on one side of a street to have his telegrams telephoned to 
 him, while his opposite neighbour could not. There is no parallel 
 to such things on the Continent. 
 
 It is true that the Post Office now proposes, under its agree- 
 ment with the National Telephone Company, to give facilities 
 more commensurate with foreign practice, which is distinctly news 
 to be rejoiced at ; but why has the community been forced to wait 
 fourteen years for them ? 
 
 The charges scheduled in respect to the new services in 
 the agreement compare most unfavourably with those in vogue 
 elsewhere. Thirty words, if they can be telephoned and written 
 down by a possibly inexpert clerk in three minutes, are to cost 
 3^/. in a message intended for local delivery; but ten words 
 for 2d. without any time limit would be better. Few people 
 require to send thirty- word messages, and those who do may 
 without injustice be left to pay extra for them. No provision is 
 made for allowing the replies to such messages to be prepaid by 
 the senders, nor for the messenger who delivers them to bring 
 back the replies for immediate telephoning, which is a facility that 
 is enjoyed in several countries abroad. The foreign telephono- 
 grams operate both ways ; apparently the British message is to be 
 from the subscriber only. Then it is restricted to subscribers 
 only. In Denmark and Spain such messages, written down, may 
 be handed in at any public telephone station, telephoned by the 
 attendant to the central office, and thence delivered by messenger. 
 In Germany a ten-word message of this description costs 2d. ; in 
 Copenhagen 1-99^. ; while in Madrid one of twenty words can 
 be sent for \'<^2d. Is there any valid reason why the Londoners 
 or Glaswegians should be denied a parallel privilege, or why the 
 Post Office should discriminate against the general public in favour 
 of subscribers to a monopoly like the National Telephone Com- 
 pany ? Then the Post Office charge of 3^. is liable to be increased 
 by a terminal charge on the part of the company. This should 
 
1 6 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
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 REMARKS.- 
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Introduction 1 7 
 
 not be, or, at least, the terminal fee ought to be ascertained before 
 the agreement becomes law, and the gross cost to the customer fixed. 
 
 The proposed trunk rates, even without the terminal charges 
 which the agreement authorises the company to levy, are, with- 
 out exception and by far, the dearest in Europe. 
 
 The table on p. 16 drawn up from official data contrasts the 
 proposed British with the trunk rates of all countries in which 
 trunk lines are actually working. 
 
 It will be seen that, saving for a few of the shorter distances, 
 the British rates are far higher than any of the others, with the 
 single exception of Roumania's. In that country all telephone 
 rates, local as well as trunk, are phenomenally dear, and the 
 natural result is shown in the fact that Bucharest, the capital, 
 possesses only 100 subscribers after several years' exploitation. 
 Italy and Spain are the next dearest, but in neither country has 
 any considerable experience in trunk work yet been gained. The 
 lines opened are short and of recent origin. The tariffs have been 
 made in advance, and are not, consequently, of the same value as 
 guides as those of Sweden or Germany, which have been in 
 operation over long distances for several years. The French rates 
 average about half the British and are yet amongst the dearest on 
 the Continent. 
 
 At four hundred miles, say the length of a trunk from 
 London to Glasgow or Edinburgh, the British charge is $s. 6d.. 
 against is. M. Austria, is. Bavaria, 2S. q\d. France, is. Germany, 
 3-f. ^\d. Italy, 35-. Spain, and lod. Sweden. At six hundred miles 
 Britain is &s., Austria is. &d., France 4^., Germany is., Italy 
 45-. iod., Spain 45-. 2*/., and Sweden is. i\d. In fact, the British 
 tariff, it is to be feared, will not give telephonic traffic a chance 
 to develop at the longer distances : it is likely to prove prohibi- 
 tive for all but stockbrokers, a class of the community very esti- 
 mable no doubt in its way, but not sufficiently so to entitle it to 
 the monopoly of lines erected at the public expense. In con- 
 sidering the trunk question it should be borne in mind that in 
 several countries large reductions on the tariff rates may be 
 obtained by subscribing for a number of talks in advance. This 
 is the case even in Roumania, Britain's only rival in dearness. 
 There is no indication of any intention to reduce trunk 
 
 c 
 
1 8 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 rates at night and so encourage communication during the off 
 hours. In France and between France and Belgium rates are 
 reduced about one half between 9 P.M. and 7 A.M., with satisfac- 
 tory results. 
 
 Indeed, there is no assurance that the trunks will be open at 
 night at all. At present they are ;' but when they terminate, as it 
 is intended that they shall, at the post offices, which mostly close 
 at 9 P.M., a retrograde step in this respect is to be feared. Then 
 the greater part of the capital invested in the trunk lines will lie 
 fallow during ten hours or so out of the twenty-four. 
 
 It may be well to point out in connection with the trunk line 
 question that in Norway and Denmark, where independent com- 
 panies exist in nearly every town, trunk line communication is 
 established and worked without friction by the adoption of a very 
 simple plan that of allowing each company to erect and main- 
 tain the trunks within its own territory, and to keep all the money 
 it can take at its own end. 
 
 The author must confess inability to understand the proposal 
 of the Post Office to pay a commission to the company on tele- 
 grams telephoned. No such commission is paid anywhere on 
 the Continent, for the very good reason that the mere existence 
 of the facility of telephoning telegrams constitutes a valuable aid 
 to the company in securing new subscribers. The usual practice 
 (when the service is not perfectly free, as in Belgium and Bavaria) 
 is to require a payment from the company or subscriber. The 
 Post Office should afford connection to its telegraph offices in all 
 towns where the facility is asked for, and abolish all vexatious 
 restrictions and regulations ; but it has no call to pay the 
 company for doing what it is glad and anxious to do wherever 
 permitted. At least, if a commission is paid to the company it 
 should be stipulated that it, on its part, must impose no charge 
 of any description on its subscribers in connection with the tele- 
 gram service. 
 
 The proposal of the Post Office to withdraw its veto on the 
 establishment of public call offices in the houses or shops of sub- 
 postmasters is only what it ought to have done years ago. In 
 fact, the veto should never have been imposed. On the Con- 
 tinent, call offices or public telephone stations at the post and 
 
Introduction \ 9 
 
 telegraph offices are generally provided (in Germany they usually 
 exist nowhere else), and are found a great convenience. The 
 duty ought to be imposed on the Post Office of finding room for a 
 call-box at all its chief branches, and to recoup itself, not by 
 charging a rent which might prove prohibitive to the company, 
 but by retaining, say, half the receipts. It would then be to the 
 interest of both Post Office and company to develop the traffic. 
 In Italy the Government imposes a tax of 2/. per annum on all 
 public telephone stations, with the result that they are few and far 
 between, several of the largest towns not possessing even one. 
 
 The proposal to allow railways, canals, &c., to be used by the 
 company at a nominal charge is only reasonable. The monopoly 
 given by Parliament to the Post Office in respect to the erection 
 of wires on railways was conferred before the existence of 
 telephony as a practical art was dreamed of, and was never 
 intended to act as a bar to legitimate public requirements. Any 
 powers in connection with railways or canals conferred on the 
 National Company ought to be extended to any other companies, 
 municipalities, or persons who may hereafter become licensees ; 
 and also to those who may require to erect private telephone 
 lines. 
 
 A table is given on pp. 20, 2 1 of the charges made in the various 
 continental countries for the different services rendered. The ex- 
 ceptions and variations are so numerous that it is a little difficult 
 to make comparisons at every point ; but by taking the most 
 commonly used unit charges in each country it is nevertheless 
 possible to compress a mass of information into a small compass. 
 
 One feature in the table will doubtless strike the observer. It 
 is the column headed * Entrance fee,' and it refers to a practice 
 which has enabled wonders to be wrought in the direction of 
 cheap telephony on a modest amount of capital, for practically it 
 works out that the subscriber finds, in the shape of 'entrance fee,' 
 'admission charge,' or 'contribution,' as it is named in various 
 countries, the capital, or the greater part of it, required for the 
 installation of his line, instrument, and share of exchange 
 apparatus. The custom prevails in Austria, France, Monaco, 
 Roumania, and Sweden, on the part of the respective States, and 
 in Denmark (partially), Finland (partially), Norway (partially), and 
 
 c 2 
 
_ 
 
 COUNTRY 
 
 Entrance Fee 
 
 Annual Subscription for 
 one exchange line and 
 instrument 
 
 Charge for 
 a second 
 connection 
 
 
 Austria .... 
 
 4/. 3^. 4</. 
 
 4/. 3*. 4^- 
 
 4/. 3-y. 4d. 
 
 
 
 
 500 meters 
 
 
 2. 
 
 Bavaria .... 
 
 
 
 7/. IDS. 
 
 3/. 15^. 
 
 
 
 
 5 kilometers 
 
 
 3- 
 
 Belgium .... 
 
 
 
 From 5/. to io/. 
 Usually 3 kilometers 
 
 Variable 
 
 4- 
 
 Bulgaria .... 
 
 
 
 8/. first year ; 61. subse- 
 quently 
 
 
 5- 
 
 Denmark .... 
 
 
 
 Copenhagen, 8L 6s. 3d. 
 Provinces, from \l. \Zs. 8d. 
 
 Copen- 
 hagen, 
 
 
 
 
 to 4/. 8s. i id. 
 
 61. 13^. ^d. 
 
 6. 
 
 Finland 
 
 Companies, nil 
 
 Companies, 3/. ^s. to 
 4/. i6s. 
 
 
 
 7- 
 
 France .... 
 
 Co-operative 
 
 Co-operative Societies, 2/. 
 
 
 
 
 Societies, 8/. to io/. 
 
 to 2/. i6s. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Paris, nil 
 
 Paris, i6/. 
 
 6/. 8j. 
 
 
 
 Lyons, nil 
 I2S. per zoo meters 
 
 Lyons, i2/. 
 Other towns over 25,000, 
 
 4/. 1 6^. 
 
 
 
 of single wire 
 other towns 
 
 Other towns under 25,000, 
 
 
 
 
 
 61. 
 
 
 8. 
 
 Germany .... 
 
 
 
 5 kilometers 
 
 5/. 
 
 9- 
 
 Holland .... 
 
 
 
 Amsterdam, gl. i^s. -z\d. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Dordrecht, 4/. y. iid. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Breda, 2/. 17^. iod. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Alkmaar, 2/. 9^. "jd. 
 
 
 IO. 
 
 Hungary .... 
 
 
 
 Buda-Pesth, i2/. ios. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Other towns, s/. 
 
 
 
 Italy 
 
 
 
 2/ 16^ to 8/ 
 
 
 
 12. 
 
 Luxemburg 
 
 
 3/. 4.9., including right to 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 use all trunks 
 
 
 13. 
 
 Monaco . . 
 
 i2S. per 100 meters 
 
 61. 
 
 _ 
 
 
 
 of single wire 
 
 
 
 14. 
 
 Norway 
 
 
 
 Christiania, 4/. 8.y. nd. 
 
 i/. 13^. 4^. 
 
 
 
 
 Provinces, i/. 8s. to 
 
 
 
 
 
 3/. 6s. 8d. 
 
 
 15. 
 
 Portugal .... 
 
 _ 
 
 jl. IQS. 
 
 5/. 12 s. 6d. 
 
 16. 
 
 Roumania .... 
 
 61. 
 
 8/. to cover 1,000 talks 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 per annum ; 16^. per 100 
 
 
 
 
 
 afterwards 
 
 
 X 7- 
 
 Russia . . 
 
 
 
 St. Petersburg and Mos- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 cow, 25/. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Other towns, io/. to 
 i2/. ios., 2^ miles 
 
 
 18. 
 
 Spain 
 
 
 
 5/. i2S. to i2/., according 
 
 
 
 19. 
 
 Sweden .... 
 
 Company, 
 
 to population 
 Company, s/. us. id 
 
 Company, 
 
 
 
 2/. is-?, "jd. any 
 
 State, 4/. 8,y. iid. 
 
 4/. 8s. iid. 
 
 
 
 distance 
 
 
 State, 
 
 
 
 State, s/. 15.9. -jd. 
 
 
 3 /. 6s. 8d. 
 
 20. 
 
 Switzerland . . V * 
 
 
 ist year, 4/. i6s. 
 
 _ 
 
 
 
 
 2nd year, 4/. 
 
 
 
 
 
 3rd year, 3/. 4^. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Covers 800 calls only per 
 
 
 
 -. 
 
 
 annum 
 
 
 21. 
 
 Wurtemberg 
 
 
 
 
 2/. I05-. 
 
 
 
 
 3 kilometers 
 
 
- 
 
 Internal Trunk Rates Fee for tele- 
 
 Fee for tele- 
 phonograms 
 
 Fee for tele- 
 phoning mail 
 matter 
 
 Public Tele- 
 phone Station 
 charges 
 
 
 Minimum 
 
 Maximum j grams 
 
 I. 
 
 2. 
 
 3- 
 4- 
 
 6d. 
 3 minutes 
 
 5* 
 
 5 minutes 
 9 ;6d. 
 
 5 minutes 
 g'6d. 
 <; minutes 
 
 is. %d. id. + -id. 
 3 minutes per word 
 is. Free 
 5 minutes 
 9 -6d. Free 
 5 minutes i 
 g'bd. 
 5 minutes I 
 
 id. + 'id. 
 per word 
 id. + 'id. 
 per word 
 
 id. + 'id. 
 per word 
 id. + 'id. 
 per word 
 
 2d. 
 
 3 minutes 
 z'^d. 
 5 minutes 
 z'+d. 
 5 minutes 
 4-Sd. 
 5 minutes 
 
 Erratum 
 
 Page 20. Table of Rates. In first column the word ' France ' 
 should be opposite ' Paris ' in second column. . The information re 
 Co-operative Societies refers to Finland. 
 
 ii. 2s. 50.. not exceeding 
 
 i gvu. per 
 
 
 
 
 
 yu. <-u ^ ^n. 
 
 500 kilometers, and 
 
 message 
 
 
 
 5 minutes 
 
 S'jbd. per 100 kilo- 
 
 
 
 
 meters beyond 
 
 
 
 
 12. Included 
 subscri 
 
 in local '98^. per 
 ption message 
 
 '98^. per message 
 + 3 'T.6d. cost of 
 
 984?. per 
 message 
 
 3*36^ 
 5 minutes 
 
 I3 
 
 _ 
 
 special messenger + postage 
 Free ! 4*8^. per 5 min- ' 
 
 2V- 
 
 14. 3 '^d. 
 
 6'Stt. 
 
 v6d. not exceed- 
 
 utes occupied 
 30 words for $d. 
 
 5 minutes 
 
 5 minutes 
 
 5 minutes ing 20 words ; 
 
 
 
 5 minutes 
 
 
 '66d. per 10 
 
 
 
 
 
 words after 
 
 
 
 
 16. n'^d. fir 
 
 st loo kilo- 'g6d. per message 4-8^. first 20 
 
 g'6d. 
 
 meters ; j g'6d. per + *48<a?. for each 
 loo ' after 5 words 
 
 words, and rgzd. 
 for each 20 after 
 
 5 minutes 
 
 17- 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 8. 5- 3 d. 
 
 2S. -jd. 
 
 
 i 'qzd. 20 words ; 
 
 i 'g-zd. 
 
 3 minutes 
 
 3 minutes 
 
 i '4.8d. each =; after 
 
 3 minutes 
 
 19. Free up to 
 
 meters ; 
 
 70 kilo- 
 beyond, 
 
 Company, free ; 
 State, '66d. 
 
 40 words for 
 
 
 
 Company, i'"$d. 
 within radius 70 
 
 2d. 
 
 IS. I\d. 
 
 
 
 
 kilometers ; 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 State, i 'yi. with- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 in Stockholm ; 
 
 
 
 
 
 I'ggd. within 70 
 
 
 
 
 
 kilometers 
 
 20. 2-88^. 
 
 7'2(/. 'g6d. per 
 
 i'gzd. + 'og6d. 
 
 
 
 g6d. 
 
 3 minutes 
 
 3 minutes 
 
 message 
 
 per word 
 
 
 3 minutes 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21. ^d. 
 
 sd. 
 
 'id. per word ; 
 
 'id. per word, 
 
 'id. per ^ 
 
 zd. 
 
 5 minutes 
 
 5 minutes 
 
 minimum, id. 
 
 minimum id. + 
 
 word ; mini- 
 
 5 minutes 
 
 
 
 
 cost of messenger 
 
 mum, id. 
 
 i 
 
22 Telephone Systems of tJie Continent of Europe 
 
 Sweden, on the part of the various telephone companies. The 
 contributions exacted vary greatly. In France they are high, 
 amounting to i2s. per 100 meters of single wire, or i/. 41. per 100 
 meters of double wire, which, in most cases, is in excess of the 
 real -cost, so that the State makes a profit out of the subscriber at 
 the first onset. The Austrian is less, being 4/. 3^. 4^. for 500 
 meters of double wire, against the French 6/. In Sweden, however, 
 the contribution is only 2/. 155-. jd., just half of one year's- 
 (company's) rental, irrespective of the length of the line so long 
 as it does not extend beyond the limits of the town. Such an 
 amount once paid is not felt by the subscriber, but is of enormous 
 importance to a company or individual concessionary, as it pro- 
 vides funds wherewith to construct the exchange. This is the 
 secret of the existence and success of many of the small Norwegian 
 and Danish exchanges, and the author is aware of no valid reason 
 why it should not be practised in the United Kingdom too. It 
 would operate admirably in aid of the smaller municipalities 
 desiring to start their own exchanges, for it would obviate the 
 necessity of drawing on the rates for the purpose, a method to 
 which objection has been expressed in certain quarters. Nobody 
 could demur to municipalities establishing exchanges with the 
 subscribers' own money, which might be returned gradually in the 
 shape of reduced rentals after the business had begun to yield a 
 profit. 
 
 It is this contribution system, together with the profits- 
 remaining after paying its maximum dividend of 8 per cent., 
 which has helped the General Telephone Company of Stockholm r 
 with a paid-up capital of only 32,9667., to cover a radius of 43*49 
 miles of country round the capital, with a network of trunk lines 
 comprising 121 switch-rooms and 10,346 subscribers' instruments, 
 and to evolve a property valued, at the end of 1894, after eleven 
 years' working, at 205,6487., besides building up substantial 
 reserves, employees' accident and benevolent funds, and paying 
 for the conversion of the whole of its Stockholm system from 
 single to double wire. 
 
 It is such results as these which should command the attention 
 of the British public. Let those interested and who is not ? 
 in the serious question of trade depression and want of employ- 
 
Introduction 23 
 
 ment for the masses ask themselves why similar results, which 
 would find occupation both for idle capital and for thousands of 
 workmen, clerks, and female operators, cannot be achieved in our 
 own countr>\ Where one telephone employee now exists, five or 
 six years' vigorous development would call fifty into being. 
 
 The proposal of the Post Office to buy the existing trunk lines 
 at * cost price as shown by the company's books, together with a 
 further sum of 10 per cent.,' should be jealously examined. The 
 Post Office officials have a standing complaint that in 1870 the 
 telegraphs were acquired at twice or three times their proper value, 
 and anxiety is professed to avoid a similar extravagance in the 
 case of the telephones. But in the author's opinion the Post Office 
 officials are on the eve of tumbling into as grave an error now as 
 did their predecessors of 1870. Many of the existing trunk lines 
 are ten years old at least, and consequently, even when built of 
 good materials, are far on the road towards the natural life limit of 
 creosoted telegraph poles. But, 'as a matter of fact, many of the 
 lines were not built of creosoted timber at all, but of wood un- 
 impregnated with any preservative compound. The author him- 
 self erected trunk lines in the years 1885-89 with poles that were 
 of insufficient diameter and otherwise unsuited for such purposes, 
 but which were the best the company could be induced to provide. 
 To buy these to-day at cost price plus 10 per cent, would be a 
 transaction as improvident as any concluded in 1870. 
 
 In connection with the acquisition of the trunk lines by the 
 Government, another point requires to be considered : viz., can 
 the trunks be worked under the new conditions as promptly and 
 satisfactorily as at present ? According to accepted interpretations 
 of the Post Office intentions, it is proposed to terminate the trunk 
 lines in the post offices of the various towns, communication being 
 had with the telephone exchanges by means of junction wires. 
 This means that each telephonic call from one town to another 
 will have to be dealt with by four operators instead of two, and 
 consequently double the time will be taken in getting a connection 
 through ; the cost in wages and in wear and tear of apparatus will 
 be also doubled, while the earning capacity of the trunks will be 
 materially reduced, which may bring about a tendency to com- 
 pensate for reduced carrying power by the imposition of higher 
 
24 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 rates. In trunk switching it is necessary, in order to obtain 
 maximum speed, that a branch from each subscriber's wire shall 
 be present on the trunk switch -board, so that the trunk operator 
 may be able to put a trunk in connection with a subscriber's line 
 directly, without the intervention of another person. To give 
 effect to this plan after the acquisition of the trunks by the Post 
 Office, it will be necessary to extend all the subscribers' wires 
 from the telephone exchanges to the local post offices. In 
 Manchester, as in Liverpool, the two institutions are some quarter 
 of a mile apart, while in each town there are some 2,500 sub- 
 scribers, any one of which may be asked for at any moment over 
 a trunk line. It will be requisite, therefore, if the present speed 
 of trunk switching is to be maintained, to construct 2,500 wires, 
 each a quarter of a mile long, in Manchester and the same number 
 in Liverpool, or a total length of 1,250 miles of new wires for 
 those two towns alone. In towns worked on the metallic circuit 
 system the mileage required would be doubled. But it is under- 
 stood that it is not proposed to adopt this plan ; consequently 
 the switching speed, together with the earning power of the trunks, 
 must be inevitably reduced. 
 
 It is generally believed in telephonic circles that, Parliament 
 consenting, the Post Office will acquire the entire business of the 
 National Telephone Company at December 31, 1897, the next 
 break in the licence. It behoves the public, and, above all, the 
 commercial community, to watch that the transfer is only allowed 
 to take place under conditions which will assure a good service 
 and an uninterrupted development at reasonable rates, to be set 
 forth and fixed beforehand. It is useless to attempt to disguise 
 the fact that the Post Office has always opposed low rates, no 
 matter to what applied. The twopenny post, the penny post, 
 the newspaper post, the parcel post, post-cards, reply post-cards, 
 sixpenny telegrams ; in short, every improvement without excep- 
 tion had to pass the gauntlet of official obstruction before it could 
 attain the stage of useful existence. It may safely be predicted, 
 therefore, that the Post Office will seek, whenever the acquisition 
 of the whole telephonic business of the country comes up for 
 settlement, to induce Parliament to sanction rates far in excess of 
 those current on the Continent. That should in no wise be per- 
 
Introduction 25 
 
 mitted. The preceding pages have amply demonstrated that rates 
 of 2/. ictf. in the smaller and of 5/. in the larger towns are made 
 remunerative abroad. The author's view is that, following the 
 example of the French and Spanish Governments, Parliament 
 should impose a scale of rates varying with the populations of the 
 towns. After much consideration and analysis the author has 
 satisfied himself that municipalities could establish and efficiently 
 work exchanges on the metallic circuit plan, constructed under- 
 ground in the centres of the towns and overhead in the suburbs 
 as in Vienna and Zurich (see Austrian and Swiss sections), on 
 the following rates, which are inclusive of Post Office royalty. 
 These rates being possible for municipalities, should be possible 
 for the Post Office also, and accordingly imposed on that depart- 
 ment. No article is worth more than it can be bought for, and 
 the commercial community is entitled to purchase what it wants 
 in the cheapest market. 
 
 PROPOSED SCALE OF INCLUSIVE RATES TO BE CHARGED IN THE 
 UNITED KINGDOM BY THE POST OFFICE OR BY FUTURE LICENSEES 
 FOR LINES NOT EXCEEDING ONE MlLE IN LENGTH. 
 
 s. d. 
 
 Towns up to 10,000 inhabitants . . . .400 
 
 ,, of 10,000 to 25,000 inhabitants . .450 
 
 ,, of 25,000 to 50,000 ,, . . . 4 10 o 
 
 ,, of 50,000 to 100,000 ,, . . .4150 
 
 ,, of 100,000 to 150,000 ,, . . .500 
 
 ,, of 150,000 to 250,000 ,, . . -55 
 
 ,, of 250,000 to 500,000 ,, . . 5 10 o 
 
 ,, of 500,000 to 750,000 ,, . . .5150 
 
 London . . . . . . . . .800 
 
 Of course the Post Office would not willingly accept such rates, 
 in, the author believes, the perfectly sincere and honest conviction 
 that they would not pay. But still the fact remains that they have 
 been made to pay and are made to pay. A telephone engineer 
 fetched over from Trondhjem, where a population of over 30,000 
 souls is successfully catered for on a 2/. 105-. rate, would no doubt 
 be of a different opinion and anxious for an opportunity of show- 
 ing how it's done. 
 
 But a conflict of views is inevitable, and the author would pro- 
 
26 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 pose the following plan as being both practicable and calculated 
 to bring conviction in its train. 
 
 As before stated, the Post Office cannot possibly acquire the 
 whole business of the National Telephone Company before 
 December 31, 1897. In the interim period there is plenty of 
 time for a municipality to show what can be done in the direction 
 of low rates and improved service. Let two or three municipali- 
 ties be licensed on the condition that metallic circuits are em- 
 ployed throughout, so that, in the event of an ultimate Post Office 
 purchase, the municipal exchanges will fit in properly with, and 
 make part and parcel of, the postal system. By the end of 1897 
 such experience will be gained, if the municipalities go wisely to 
 work, as will put an end to all quibbles as to the sufficiency of a 
 5/. rate. Such a test should be welcomed by all parties, whether 
 for or against low rates, really wishing for a settlement of the 
 question. 
 
 But the author doubts whether the Post Office realises the 
 importance of the subject of national telephony. Speaking in 
 the House on March i, 1895, the Postmaster-General (' Daily 
 Chronicle,' March 2, 1895) said that 'the telephone could not, 
 and never would be, an advantage which could be enjoyed by the 
 large mass of the people. He would go further and say if in a 
 town like London or Glasgow the telephone service was so inex- 
 pensive that it could be placed in the houses of the people, it 
 would be absolutely impossible. What was wanting in the tele- 
 phone service was prompt communication, and if they had a large 
 number of people using instruments they could not get prompt 
 communication and yet make the telephone service effective.' 
 
 What can be expected from a department whose chief enter- 
 tains opinions such as these ? What hope can be entertained 
 when the fountain of knowledge is thus found frozen at its source ? 
 Let the reader turn to the Swedish, Norwegian, and Swiss (with 
 its parochial telephone stations) sections of this book, and judge 
 whether Mr. Arnold Morley really knows so much of what is 
 passing in the world as to justify his assumption of the role of 
 prophet. The ' could not and never would be ' is strongly 
 suggestive of the predictions about railways and telegraphs and 
 steamboats which used ^o be made when those inventions were 
 
Introduction 27 
 
 in their infancy of the late Dr. Lardner's rash undertaking to 
 eat the first steamer, cargo and all, that succeeded in crossing the 
 Atlantic. The author believes that Mr. Morley will live to be 
 wiser. If not, then Stockholm with its 1 1,534 exchange telephones 
 and Berlin with its 25,000 and odd subscribers exist in vain. 
 
 We are all addicted to accept our own individual experiences 
 as guides, and the fact probably is that Mr. Morley, not un- 
 naturally perhaps, but still with a limitation of vision rather amaz- 
 ing in a Minister of Posts and Telegraphs, is basing his belief on 
 home, nay London, experience. He believes that the presently 
 existing system is the best possible, and he deduces (and with in- 
 finite correctness) that no possible modification of it can bring the 
 telephone home to the masses. Pursuing the same line of argu- 
 ment, but substituting provisions for telephones, Mr. Morley 
 would be equally safe in declaring that the large mass of the 
 population of London or Glasgow could not, and never would be, 
 provided with daily bread. And- he would be right, assuming 
 that the distribution of food were carried out on a plan analogous 
 to that on which telephones are now supplied. If all provisions 
 brought into a large town were carried to one central site and thence 
 distributed direct to the house of each individual consumer, with- 
 out the intervention of markets, of shops, of costermongers, or any 
 of the usual intermediaries, the task involved would border on the 
 impossible. Division of labour is imperative in such a case. When 
 the labourers are many and work intelligently on an organised 
 plan, each in his own sphere, a very minute sphere perhaps too, 
 the bread and the milk and the meat will find its way almost, to 
 appearances, automatically to the remotest capillaries of the city's 
 anatomy. So it is with telephones. 
 
 Take a town, however immense, and realise that at no very 
 remote period telephones will be numerous in many parts of it 
 and totally wanting in none, and the task of devising a plan for 
 an exchange to meet all possible requirements becomes an easy 
 one. Such a plan the author laid before the British Association 
 in 1891, l and such a plan has recently been adopted in the recon- 
 struction of the General Telephone Company's system at Stock - 
 
 1 On the Telephoning of Great Cities, pamphlet by the present author. 
 Whittaker & Co. is. 
 
28 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 holm (see Swedish section). With it each telephone ordered 
 drops into its place naturally and economically. A large portion 
 of that traffic which Mr. Morley fears, would riot pass beyond the 
 local exchange (or shop) at all ; and there exists no difficulty 
 whatever in dealing with the whole, however extensive it may be. 
 With such a plan in operation, whole suburbs of London would 
 not be totally cut off from telephone exchange intercourse as at 
 present. 
 
 In the speech already quoted the Postmaster-General (' Daily 
 Chronicle,' March 2, 1895) told the House of Commons that the 
 charge for telephones in London is only io/., exactly one half of 
 the actual figure, and that rates rose as high as 4o/. and 5o/. in 
 America, meaning, no doubt, the United States. These high 
 American rates are confined to a few towns, and there are special, 
 although not very satisfactory, reasons for their existence ; but 
 why should the Postmaster-General, when instructing the House 
 of Commons, mention high rates, which are exceptional, and omit 
 all reference to the low rates which are almost universal else- 
 where than in Britain ? Is the British Post Office really unaware 
 of the existence of these last ? The author thinks not, and for the 
 following reason. In October 1894 the author in the course of 
 his continental tour of investigation made formal application 
 through the British Consulate at Berlin (a procedure he was 
 advised was necessary) for permission to inspect the Berlin tele- 
 phone system. He was informed that this could not be permitted 
 without an introduction from the British Postmaster-General. At 
 the same time the German Government wrote to the British Post 
 Office inquiring whether it approved of the application or had any 
 objection to its being complied with. It may read strange that the 
 German Government imagines that a British electrician is neces- 
 sarily in the leading strings of his Post Office, and stranger still 
 although somewhat flattering to the national vanity that the Im- 
 perial German Post Office considers itself under the orders of St. 
 Martin's-le-Grand ; but so it is. W T hat the tenor of the reply was 
 the author knows not, but the result was a refusal to allow any 
 inspection or to impart any information. It would not be com- 
 plimentary to the intelligence or patriotism of the Post Office to 
 imagine that it would, without an object, deliberately obstruct a 
 
Introduction 29- 
 
 British subject in a quest for legitimate information abroad on a 
 question in which he is known to be specially interested. The 
 author shrinks from even verging on the uncomplimentary, so it 
 is necessary to at least imagine a reason. Can it be that, knowing 
 the author's consistent advocacy of low rates, the British Post 
 Office feared that he would learn that in Germany the maximum 
 local rate, even in Berlin with its 25,000 subscribers, is only y/. los. 
 per annum, everything included ; and that a three-minute con- 
 versation can be had between any two points of the Imperial 
 German Post Office territory even when six hundred miles or 
 more apart for one shilling? a facility for which the British 
 Post Office proposes to charge 85-. If this was not the reason, it 
 is of course open to the Post Office to make known its real motive. 
 
 Fortunately, this unpatriotic obstruction did not prevent the 
 author from eventually obtaining all the information he sought, as 
 will appear from a perusal of the German section. 
 
 The book is not entirely devoted to tariffs and regulations. 
 Such matters are indissolubly bound up with technical questions, 
 for cheap rates with bad construction and indifferent service are 
 to be deprecated, and indeed disallowed altogether, for the author 
 holds them to be intolerable, and only less acceptable than the 
 combination of dear rates and a bad service. The service of a 
 telephone exchange should be the first consideration. This 
 opinion has always led the author to advocate the universal use 
 of metallic circuits, without which privacy of conversation and 
 speech undisturbed by strange noises, together with effective long- 
 distance talking, is unattainable. Prompt and correct switching, 
 with no uncertainty between signals intended to have different 
 meanings, are also essential to a good system ; and the operators' 
 voices should never be heard on the wires. The familiar ' Have 
 you finished?' and other intrusive cries with which London 
 operators break in upon one's conversation every few seconds are 
 totally unnecessary in a well-ordered exchange. In large towns 
 the main routes of wires should be laid underground, at least in 
 the central parts. These preliminaries and essentials having been 
 attended to, and the best of material and workmanship em- 
 ployed in carrying them out, attention may be profitably given to 
 the rates. The author's contention has always been, at least for 
 
3O Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 the past ten years, that all these things are compatible with the 
 scale of charges given above. 
 
 It is hoped that the analyses of the facilities, regulations, and 
 methods of dealing with traffic given in the book will prove of 
 interest, and even profit, to telephone managers. The result 
 of the working of many intelligent minds separately striving 
 after a solution of the same problem must be always worthy 
 of contemplation ; and none are so wise as to be independent 
 of the experience of others. The details given in the various 
 sections make it abundantly evident that telephone mana- 
 gers and engineers may learn much from each other, for the 
 facilities given to the public vary considerably in different coun- 
 tries, while some methods are obviously superior to others in 
 vogue elsewhere. 
 
 The author has endeavoured, as far as possible, to avoid de- 
 scribing well-known apparatus and methods. In respect to the 
 technical portions a familiarity on the part of the reader with 
 ordinary telephone exchange work and management is throughout 
 assumed. 
 
 It will be readily understood that a book like the present 
 would be impossible without the cordial co-operation of many 
 friends, and the author has pleasure indeed in acknowledging his 
 indebtedness to the gentlemen of all nationalities with whom it 
 was his good fortune to come in contact during his continental tour. 
 Everywhere (except at Berlin) officials, whether of State adminis- 
 trations or of companies, permitted, and even courted, the fullest 
 inspection, and placed the most ample information, documentary 
 and otherwise, at the author's disposal. Specially he would like to 
 place on record his thanks to the following gentlemen : M. J. 
 BANNEUX, Director, and M. H. FRENAY, Engineer, of the Belgian 
 Posts and Telegraphs, Brussels ; Mr. E. B. PETERSEN, General 
 Manager of the Copenhagen Telephone Company; Mr. F. Ros- 
 BERG, Telephone Engineer, Helsingfors ; M. SELIGMANN, Chief 
 Engineer, French Telephone Administration, Paris ; Dr. H. F. R. 
 HUBRECHT, Managing Director, and Mr. N. HEINZELMANN, 
 Engineer, Netherlands Bell Telephone Company, Amsterdam ; 
 Mr. A. E. R. COLLETTE, Engineer, Dutch Administration of Posts 
 and Telegraphs, The Hague ; Mr. C. J. VAN BUEREN, Managing 
 
Introduction 3 1 
 
 Director, Zutphen Telephone Company, Zutphen ; Messrs. RIB- 
 BINK & VAN BORK, Telephone Engineers, Breda and Amster- 
 dam ; Signer E. GEROSA, Manager, Societa Telefonica Lom- 
 barda, Milan ; Mr. KNUD BRYN, Manager, Christiania Telephone 
 Company, Christiania ; Mr. H. T. CEDERGREN, Managing Direc- 
 tor, General Telephone Company, Stockholm ; Mr. AXEL HULT- 
 MANN, late Chief Engineer, Swedish State Telephone Adminis- 
 tration, Stockholm ; Dr. T. ROTHEN, Director of the Bureau 
 International des Administrations Telegraphiques, Berne ; Dr. 
 WIETLISBACH, Director, Swiss Telegraphic Administration, Berne ; 
 Mr. A. HOMBERGER, Local Telephone Manager, Ziirich ; Mr. 
 MAX HAHN, Vienna ; Mr. C. SIEGEL, St. Petersburg ; M. BER- 
 THON, Societe Industrielle des Telephones, Paris ; Mr. SPRING- 
 BORG, Manager, Aarhus Telephone Company ; Mr. L. M. ERICS- 
 SON, Stockholm M. F. NEUMAN, Director of Posts and Telegraphs, 
 Luxemburg ; Mr. C. G. NIELSON, Chairman of the Drammen 
 Uplands Telephone Company ; Mr. NORSHUUS, Manager of the 
 Bergen Telephone Company. 
 
 The following works have been occasionally used in writing 
 the Belgian, French, Italian, and Dutch sections respectively : 
 'La Telephonic,' E. Pierard; 'Telephonic Pratique,' L. Montillot : 
 ' Telefono,' Domenico Civita ; ' Het Plaatselijke Telephoonnet te 
 Zutphen,' Aug. Collette. The ' Journal Telegraphique,' the official 
 organ of the telegraph administrations, edited by Dr. T. Rothen, 
 has been freely drawn upon, especially Dr. Wietlisbach's descrip- 
 tion of the Ziirich exchange, which he has very kindly allowed the 
 author to use. 
 
 22 ST. ALBAN'S ROAD, 
 HARLESDEN, LONDON, N.W. 
 March 9, 1895. 
 
32 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 I. AUSTRIA 
 
 HISTOBY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 THE history of the telephone in Austria dates from 1880, when 
 the Government granted a concession for the city of Vienna to 
 the Vienna Private Telegraph Company. This was soon followed 
 by concessions to various persons and firms for several of the 
 principal towns, the most valuable of which were acquired by an 
 English association, the Telephone Company of Austria, Limited. 
 Some of these concessions were, however, burdened by im- 
 practicable conditions owing to the desire of the Government to 
 leave the settlement of details to the local authorities most 
 interested. For instance, it is related that the Cracow municipality 
 required of the concessionary for that town that all wires should 
 be run horizontally, immediately beneath the projecting eaves of 
 the houses, and always at the same height above the ground 
 (incompatible conditions since the heights of the buildings 
 varied) ; that the wires should never cross a street, and that a 
 sum of money should be deposited out of which the municipality 
 could satisfy any claims for damages that might arise. It is 
 perhaps needless to say that the Telephone Company of Austria 
 did not touch that licence ; and, in fact, the municipality of 
 Cracow had to wait for its telephones until 1887, when the State 
 began the construction of exchanges on its own account, and then, 
 strange to say, obtained the fulfilment of none of its conditions. 
 In addition to that of the capital, the Vienna Private Telegraph 
 Company undertook the exchange at Briinn ; the Telephone 
 Company of Austria constructed from time to time, until its 
 acquisition by the State on January i, 1893, tne exchanges at 
 
Austria 33 
 
 Prague, Trieste, Lemberg, Graz, Czernowitz, Pilsen, Reichenberg, 
 and Bielitz-Biala ; and a company called the Linz-Urfahr 
 Undertakers (Unternehmung) established an exchange system in 
 Linz-Urfahr, which was also absorbed by the Government on the 
 first day of 1893. After that date, the only -company left was the 
 Vienna Private Telegraph, which maintained an independent 
 existence until January i, 1895, when the State finally became 
 the possessor of the whole Austrian system. 
 
 The rates charged by the companies varied from 8/. 6s. 8< 
 in Vienna and y/. los. in Prague and Trieste to 5/. in the smaller 
 towns, out of which 10 florins or i6s. %d. per subscriber had to 
 be paid annually to Government. 
 
 In 1887 the State began to open exchanges and construct 
 trunk lines in accordance with the provisions of a law promulgated 
 on October 7 of that year. Its first ventures were at Baden,. 
 Voslau, and Wiener-Neustadt, which were connected to Vienna 
 by single 3 mm. bronze wires. Soon afterwards, State exchanges- 
 were opened in Aussig, Teplitz, and Carlsbad, while Briinn was 
 joined to Vienna by two telegraph wires fitted with the Van 
 Rysselberghe apparatus. Subsequently, the extension of the 
 State system went on rapidly until, on December 31, 1892, the 
 day before the absorption of the first two companies, it comprised 
 sixty-one exchanges and twenty-nine metallic circuit trunk lines, 
 including seven international. At the date of writing (February 
 1895) practically all the Austrian towns of any note are in 
 possession of exchanges, and in the enjoyment of trunk line 
 communication. The Van Rysselberghe system has not been- 
 persisted in, so that the trunks are invariably metallic circuits 
 intended exclusively for telephony. 
 
 The law referred to was a most important one, as it specified 
 the services to be rendered to the public by the Imperial Post 
 and Telegraph Department, the tariffs to be levied, and the 
 general rules to be observed, both by the State officials and the 
 subscribers. In future it will constitute the groundwork of 
 Austrian telephony. The late companies' regulations will be 
 brought into line with it as soon as existing agreements will 
 permit, and in a few years absolute uniformity will prevail. The 
 development of the Austrian system is likely to be rapid and 
 
 D 
 
34 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 extensive, for the law is conceived in a most liberal spirit. The 
 facilities placed at the disposal of subscribers and of the general 
 public are not only numerous, but the charges are extremely 
 moderate, and that in spite of the adoption of the principle first 
 introduced, the author believes, by Mr. H. T. Cedergren of 
 Stockholm, and subsequently adopted by the French Government 
 of causing the subscribers to pay for the installation of their lines 
 and instruments by a * contribution ' as it is called in Austria, 
 or ' admission fee ' as it is termed in Sweden. This plan obviates, 
 of course, the necessity of finding a heavy capital ; each unit 
 brings its initial cost with it, and the annual subscription has to 
 cover only maintenance and working expenses, and not interest 
 on capital. The ' contribution ' in Austria is 4/. 3^. \d. for lines 
 not exceeding 500 meters in length, and i6s. 3d. for each addi- 
 tional 100 meters, making the initial cost to the subscriber of a 
 i -kilometer line 8/. 6s. &/., payment of which, in accordance with 
 the law, may be extended over five years if desired. But the 
 annual subscription is only 50 florins, or 4/. 3^. 4^., so that the 
 contribution ,to first cost is a bagatelle to a subscriber who comes 
 on, as most of course do, for the term of his business life. By 
 spreading payment over five years, a line not exceeding 500 
 
 meters in length costs only 4/. 35. ^d. + - = 5/. per 
 
 annum for the first five years, and 4/. 3^. 4^. per annum thereafter. 
 Similarly, a i -kilometer line costs 4/. 35. ^d. + = 
 
 5/. i6s. &d. for the first five years, and 4/. 35. 4^. thereafter. One 
 good effect of the contribution system is that the line, whatever 
 its length, being paid for, the State can afford to make the annual 
 subscription uniform for all distances. Actually, in Austria the 
 unit subscription of 4/. 3^. ^d. covers all distances up to fifteen 
 kilometers. These facts constitute a lesson which British muni- 
 cipal authorities would do well to study, for it teaches how a 
 telephone exchange may be started without capital and supported 
 on very slender subscriptions. The trunk tariff, while not so 
 liberal as that of Germany, is still most commendably moderate, 
 as under it is. &d. franks a three-minute conversation from one 
 end of Austria to the other. 
 
Austria 35 
 
 But there is one thing in Austria which the author would like 
 to see remedied with all practicable despatch. Except in Vienna, 
 where many of the lines are already doubled, although not always 
 used as metallic circuits, the system employed is single wire with 
 earth return. If the Austrians are prudent, they will discard this 
 while the change is yet comparatively easy. As already stated, 
 the development under this wise telephone law will be rapid and 
 practically boundless. There is no finality in telephone exchange 
 work when conducted on liberal and far-seeing principles the 
 horizon ever recedes as progress is attained, and new and un- 
 expected channels for usefulness ever present themselves. It 
 would be a pity, therefore, beyond expression, if the system were 
 allowed to drift into such a muddle as that which already exists 
 in Germany. Let the Austrians open no more exchanges except 
 on the metallic circuit plan, and address themselves to the task of 
 altering gradually if expense is a grave consideration, but still 
 methodically altering all the existing single-wire ones. Other- 
 wise in a few years' time they will find themselves in possession 
 of a system altogether behind the age, and which, to the humilia- 
 tion of the national pride, will not bear comparison with those of 
 France, Sweden, Belgium, or Switzerland, nor, the author hopes, 
 with that of Great Britain either. 
 
 The gist of the law will be given under the various headings. 
 
 SEEVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC 
 
 i. Intercourse between the subscribers and public telephone 
 stations of the same town. Subscribers are held responsible for 
 all damage to their instruments, or to the connecting wires within 
 their premises, arising from malice or want of proper care. They 
 have to pay the actual cost of shifts consequent on removals as 
 determined by the Government engineers. The State reserves 
 power to suppress any connection, temporarily or permanently, at 
 any time without notice : if this is done before the expiration of 
 five years, money paid in advance as contribution to the cost of 
 the line will be refunded for the unexpired period ; if after five 
 years, no refund will be made. The State accepts no responsi- 
 
 D2 
 
36 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 bility for interruptions, and no subscriptions will be refunded on 
 account of failure of service. No hard and fast radius within 
 which local subscriptions apply has been fixed, and in practice 
 the privileged area comprises a town, and the suburbs and sur- 
 rounding districts which naturally group with it. This is a wise 
 and liberal measure, which frees the people from the restrictions 
 imposed on suburban intercourse in France, Germany, and Wiir- 
 temberg. The use of instruments is restricted to the subscribers, 
 their servants, and to friends staying with them. 
 
 2. Internal trunk line communication. The trunk system 
 is already very extensive. At the end of 1893 forty metallic cir- 
 cuits, with a length of 3,302 kilometers, were in operation, and 
 considerable extension has taken place since. The longest lines are 
 those between Vienna and Prague (354 kilometers) ; Vienna and 
 Trieste (505 kilometers) ; and Prague and Asch (230 kilometers). 
 The Vienna-Prague route comprises three metallic circuits. 
 
 3. International trunk line communication. With the excep- 
 tion of the line to Hungary, which gives Vienna communication 
 with Buda-Pesth, Szegedin, Temesvar, Arad, Raab, Pressburg, 
 and other towns in the sister kingdom, the most impor- 
 tant line by far is the Vienna-Berlin (660 kilometers), opened 
 in January 1895. The others are with Switzerland, Bavaria, 
 Wiirtemberg, and Saxony (two circuits), but their use is restricted 
 to the towns adjacent to the frontiers. The Italian Government 
 has proposed a connection between the two countries, but nothing 
 has yet been settled on the subject. 
 
 4. Telephoning of telegrams. Every facility is given for 
 the exercise of this privilege, the State recognising the utility of 
 creating a branch telegraph station in every subscriber's office or 
 house, thereby encouraging the use of the telegraph and tending 
 to compensate for any evil influence exercised by the telephonic 
 trunk lines on the telegraphic revenue. The telephone exchanges 
 are usually located at a telegraph office ; when this is not the case 
 the two are joined by wire, and clerks are always in attendance to 
 write down messages from subscribers, or telephone those arriving 
 for them. Messages are accepted in any ordinary language, but 
 when the clerks are not acquainted with the tongue used, sub- 
 scribers must number the letters of their messages according to a 
 
Austria 37 
 
 preconcerted plan, and dictate them, by the aid of German 
 numerals, letter by letter. The code, which is printed in the 
 subscribers' lists, provides for forty-three different letters, including 
 the accented ones of the French, German, and Hungarian lan- 
 guages. Copies of telegrams telephoned to subscribers are not 
 afterwards delivered by messenger, but, on demand, are posted free 
 to the addressees by the next mail. This plan saves messengers' 
 wages, uniforms, and boot-leather to no inconsiderable amount. 
 
 5. Telephoning of messages (telephonograms) for local de- 
 livery. These are of several classes, viz. : 
 
 (1) Telephoning of written messages addressed to subscribers 
 handed in at any public telephone station. 
 
 (2) Written messages in the form of letters or post-cards for- 
 warded to the central telephone exchange office, by letter post or 
 pneumatic post, in order to be telephoned to subscribers. These 
 must bear postage-stamps to the amount of the tariff charge. 
 
 (3) Messages telephoned by subscribers to the central office to 
 be written down and forwarded to non-subscribers by (a) messen- 
 ger ; (ft) post-cards or letters, by letter post ; or (c) pneumatic post. 
 
 (4) Message calling a non-subscriber in the same or another 
 town to a specified public station in order to hold a conversation 
 with the sender. 
 
 6. Public telephone stations. These are fairly numerous, 
 there being thirty-one in Vienna and ten in the suburbs, generally 
 situated at the post and telegraph offices. The provincial towns 
 are proportionally well served. Users of public stations can 
 avail themselves of any of the privileges open to subscribers, 
 telegrams and telephonograms being accepted and trunk talks 
 allowed. No distinction is made at the public stations between 
 subscribers and non- subscribers. 
 
 TARIFFS 
 
 i. Rates for local exchange communication. Payments 
 come under two headings (a) contribution to the cost of the line 
 and instrument; (ft) annual subscription. The 'contribution,' 
 which in most cases will cover the entire cost of the line, is 
 4/. $s. d. for wires not exceeding 500 meters in length, after 
 
38 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 which it is increased at the rate of 165-. 8*/. per 100 meters, up to 
 a maximum length of fifteen kilometers. Lines exceeding fifteen 
 kilometers in length are to be specially arranged for. The 
 contribution for a i -kilometer line is consequently 8/. 6s. $>d. 
 Contributions may be paid down, or divided into five equal annual 
 payments, at the subscriber's option. 
 
 The annual subscription consists nominally of two parts, 
 2/. los. for the subscriber's station and i/. 13^. 4^. for the ex- 
 change apparatus ; but actually the subscriber has only to concern 
 himself with one payment of 4/. 3^. 4^. This annual subscription 
 covers all distances up to fifteen kilometers. The unit subscrip- 
 tion of 4/. 3.5-. ^d. is, however, doubled for instruments located in 
 railway stations, hotels, or theatres, where they can be used by 
 travellers, guests, or spectators. Clubs and kindred institutions 
 must also pay double rates if they wish their members to be free 
 of the instrument. 
 
 No reduction is made for second, third, or multiple instru- 
 ments. When a person takes several lines the contribution is 
 calculated on the sum of their lengths, and the unit annual 
 subscription is collected for each instrument. 
 
 When a subscriber cannot be joined up without the use of 
 cables or other special works, the State reserves the right to fix his 
 contribution at a higher rate. 
 
 Government offices pay only half of the above-named rates, 
 and, on the recommendation of the Minister of Commerce, the 
 same reduction is accorded to municipal and other public offices. 
 
 Subscribers who only use their instruments for six months or 
 less in each year are also admitted to the benefit of half rates. 
 
 Subscriptions are payable half-yearly, in advance, during the 
 first fortnights respectively of January and July. 
 
 2. Rates for internal trunk communication. The time unit 
 is three minutes. 
 
 ^,-. (f. 
 o to 50 kilometers . . . . . .06 
 
 51 to 100 ., . . . . . .010 
 
 101 to 150 ,, . . . . .12 
 
 Over 150 ,, .18 
 
 When conversation is required between two towns which can 
 
A u stria 39 
 
 only be joined by the connection of several trunk lines, the rate 
 levied is the sum of the charges ordinarily made for the use of 
 each trunk separately, provided the total does not exceed 25. 6d., 
 which is the maximum. 
 
 Urgent conversations, i.e. talks which take precedence of all 
 others, are allowed at triple the usual charge. Annual sub- 
 scriptions are not admitted in connection with trunks. Users of 
 trunks must keep a deposit of 2/. is. Sd. with the State. 
 
 3. Rates for international trunk communication. Time 
 unit, three minutes. 
 
 s. d. 
 Vienna Berlin . . . . . . .26 
 
 Vienna Buda-Pesth and the other Hungarian towns i 8 
 Bregenz Bavaria . . . . . . .10 
 
 Bregenz Wtirtemberg . . . . . .10 
 
 Bregenz Switzerland . . . . .10 
 
 Express or urgent talks are admitted on all lines except to 
 Switzerland, at triple unit rates. 
 
 4. Rates for the telephoning of telegrams. For each 
 telegram received or delivered through the telephone exchange 
 the charge is id. plus 'id. per word, fractions of a kreuzer (2d.) 
 being inadmissible in the total. A ten-word message consequently 
 costs to telephone, id. + 10 x -1 = 2^.; and an eleven- word, 
 id. + 11 x 'i = 2-i + 'i = 2'2d. Charges on telegrams must be 
 covered by deposit. 
 
 5. Rates for messages telephoned for local delivery. The 
 rates for this service, as defined on page 37, are the same as for 
 the telephoning of long-distance telegrams, viz., id. per message 
 plus 'id. per word, fractions of '2d. being inadmissible. This 
 service is restricted to subscribers who keep deposits with the 
 State. When the message is posted as a letter an extra charge of 
 '2d. is made for the paper and envelope. 
 
 6. Rates levied at public telephone stations. Talks with 
 local subscribers, per three minutes, 2d. Trunk talks, forwarding 
 of telegrams and of telephonograms, are charged as in the pre- 
 ceding sections. 
 
 Alarms of fire or flood or notices of accidents may be tele- 
 phoned from any public station without charge. 
 
.40 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 
 
 The State enjoys no absolute right of way. Local authorities 
 and proprietors are constrained from offering vexatious opposition 
 to the passage of wires by the Telegraph Acts, but on the other 
 hand the State must do nothing without previous consultation. 
 Fixtures on private buildings must be negotiated with the pro- 
 prietors. 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 
 
 Much of the old companies' work, of course, still remains. 
 The Vienna Private Telegraph Company in 1 888, and the Tele- 
 phone Company of Austria, at Prague in 1889, fitted up multiple 
 boards, designed by Mr. Otto SchafBer, of Vienna, and manu- 
 factured in that town. At Trieste the latter company placed a 
 i,2oo-line non-multiple board manufactured by the Consolidated 
 Telephone Construction and Maintenance Company, Limited, 
 London, which firm also supplied boards of smaller capacity for 
 the other towns, worked by the Telephone Company of Austria. 
 Both the Schaffler and .Consolidated boards are highly spoken of, 
 and are all still in use. At Vienna there is only one central 
 station, and there are collected (March 1895) some 7,700 lines, 
 mostly double wires, representing subscribers, trunks, and public 
 stations. The switching arrangements are peculiar, and probably 
 even unique.- On the ground floor are installed two Schaffler 
 multiples of the respective capacity of 2,400 and 3,000 lines, and 
 on the first floor another of 3,000 lines. Each is complete in 
 itself, but connections between the respective sets of subscribers 
 have to be made by junction wires and jacks, just as non-multiple 
 boards were Worked in the old days. Roughly, two-thirds of the 
 calls have to be transferred in this way, a fact which naturally 
 militates against the attainment of the highest degree of rapidity 
 in switching (intercourse between the boards being conducted by 
 indicators, and not viva voce), although each operator looks after 
 only fifty subscribers. It must be allowed, however, that the 
 Vienna service is markedly better and quicker than that of Paris or 
 Berlin ; on this point there seems to be unanimous agreement. 
 
Austria 
 
42 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 On receiving a call for a line not at her command an operator 
 switches the caller through to the proper board, where he must 
 repeat his order to a young lady who has duplicate jacks before 
 her for the whole of that board. Talking is done through two 
 ring-off drops, which both fall when the end of a connection is 
 signalled. The Schaffler boards have jacks in series. The test 
 is managed by completing a circuit through one of the ring-off 
 drops, and not by the ordinary click. If a line asked for is 
 engaged, the application of the calling plug to the jack tumbles 
 the drop. This would be by no means a bad plan, were it not 
 that indicator flaps are so many Humpty Dumptys, unable to pick 
 themselves up after a fall. Every operator has before her fifty 
 signalling drops with answering jacks for the subscribers, together 
 with transfer jacks and nine ring-off drops with their correspond- 
 ing cords, plugs, and switches. The switches have black and 
 white handles for operating the right and left cords respectively ; 
 the cord in connection with the white handle is short, and will 
 reach only to the answering jacks ; the other is three meters long, 
 and is used for testing and connecting the lines called for. The 
 jacks are in rows of twenty-five, thirty rows making a vertical 
 division, and four divisions comprising a repeat of 3,000 jacks> 
 of which there are fifteen in the latest board installed, a view 
 of which is given in fig. i. When full, the boards will contain 
 134,000 spring-jacks and seat a total of 168 operators. The wiring 
 is effected by twenty-six cables containing wires of thirteen different 
 colours, each twisted with a white one. The calls dealt with are 
 said to sometimes amount to fourteen per subscriber per day. The 
 cost of the 3,ooo-line board last installed is stated, with its cables 
 and all fittings, to have been i9,537/., and exclusive of these, 
 i5,ooo/. The workmanship is undoubtedly good and substantial, 
 and so, happily, is in thorough accord with the price. 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 
 
 \ 
 
 These coincide, as a rule, with the hours of telegraphic service,, 
 which in Vienna, Trieste, Prague, and other chief towns is con- 
 tinuous day and night. In the smaller towns the exchanges open 
 at 7 or 8 A.M. and close at 8 or 9 P.M. 
 
A ustria 
 
 43 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 
 
 There has been considerable variety in these since the early 
 days of telephony in Austria. The Vienna Private Telegraph 
 Company commenced with a modification of the Blake as a 
 transmitter in Vienna and Briinn, and ordinary Bell receivers ; 
 while the Telephone Company of Austria adopted the Gower- 
 Bell with a magneto ringer, in Prague, and Blake-Bells in their 
 other towns, all their instruments being supplied by the Consoli- 
 dated Telephone Construction and Maintenance Company of 
 London. The Linz - Urfahr 
 Undertakers went in for a 
 modified Edison lamp-black 
 button transmitter. It speaks 
 well for the foresight of all the 
 Austrian telephone engineers 
 that they strictly avoided 
 battery ringing, adopting 
 magnetos from the outset, and 
 have thus saved themselves 
 from the embarrassment and 
 expense now being experienced 
 in connection with batteries 
 in France and Germany. Lat- 
 terly the Vienna Company has 
 adopted the set shown in fig. 2. 
 The transmitter is sometimes 
 of the Schaffler and Korner 
 types, but is now generally the well-known Deckert, which was 
 introduced into the United Kingdom by the General Electric 
 Company of London in 1891 as the * Runnings Cone,' and adopted 
 by the author for the Mutual Telephone Company's exchange in 
 Manchester with happy results. It has since been largely used 
 by the National Telephone Company in London. The Vienna 
 set of instruments cannot be commended as comprising the best 
 possible arrangements. The magneto has no automatic cut-in 
 for the generator coils, so the button g must be pressed when a 
 
 FIG. 2 
 
44 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 subscriber would ring, thus needlessly occupying both hands and 
 rendering the use of papers or pencil difficult, especially as no 
 scribbling desk is provided. The magneto crank is inconveniently 
 placed on a level with the subscriber's mouth, and in a position 
 which renders it liable to be knocked against and damaged. 
 
 There must be a separate 
 battery-box, on the floor 
 or elsewhere, with the ex- 
 pense of long connecting 
 wires. The phones are 
 hung up by looped cords 
 in a manner calculated to 
 fray both the cords and the 
 users' tempers. Trembling 
 bells are employed in con- 
 junction with magnetos ; 
 in fact, every practicable 
 sin against convenience and 
 teachings of experience is 
 committed. The combina- 
 tion is the more extraor- 
 dinary, seeing that the 
 Vienna Company's engi- 
 neers have had the Con- 
 solidated Company's sets, 
 comprising magneto bell, 
 desk, battery-box, crank at 
 right-hand side, automatic 
 
 FIG. 3 
 
 cut-in, forked lever for holding phone all on one back-board 
 before their eyes for years, in Prague, Trieste, and other towns. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 
 
 The greater part of the work in Vienna is underground, the cables 
 extending in some directions as far as four and a half kilometers 
 from the exchange. The subscribers, however, in the immediate 
 neighbourhood of the central station are served by overhead wires : 
 these number some 300 only. The underground conductors are 
 
Austria 
 
 45 
 
 of i mm. copper, insulated with gutta-percha covered with cotton. 
 They are spiralled together, and macie up into cables, containing 
 5, 10, 15, and 20 pairs, by being wound with waterproofed, and 
 then with tarred, tape. The cables are laid in larch troughs which 
 are filled in with a mixture of asphalt and hydraulic lime, and 
 
 FIG. 
 
 then closed with strips of wood. The asphalt mixture never 
 completely hardens, and forms no fissures through which moisture 
 can reach the cables. The success of this method is reported to 
 be complete, the cables suffering no appreciable deterioration after 
 several years' service. There has certainly been plenty of oppor- 
 
46 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 tunity for deciding the point, for at the end of 1893 the cables 
 many of which have been manufactured by Mr. O. Bondy, of 
 Vienna measured 154 kilometers, while the conductors reached 
 a total of 35,493 kilometers. The wires are led to the subscribers 
 overhead by the aid of distributing poles or standards on which 
 the cables terminate, and the aerial lines (which are of 1*25 mm. 
 silicium bronze, supported on double-shed insulators) commence. 
 The immunity of the cables is the more remarkable inasmuch as 
 there are no lightning guards at the junctions with the open wires, 
 although protectors are provided at the exchange and on the 
 
 FIG. 5 
 
 subscribers' instruments. The overhead work is extensive in the 
 suburbs and down by and across the river, attaining a total length 
 of wire (in 1893) of 6,000 kilometers. Wall-bracket supports of 
 the forms shown in fig. 3 are extensively used. The same style 
 of bracket is also attached to poles, and makes a very presentable 
 design. Along the river at Vienna a handsome route of octagonal 
 poles so fitted (fig. 4) exists. A form of wall-bracket used by the 
 State is shown at fig. 5, together with a method of leading wires 
 into a house, which is largely practised in Austria and Germany. 
 From the terminal insulator A the wire goes to a smaller bracket and 
 insulator B, whence it is taken through a hole, c, in the wall, a cover 
 
FIG. 6 
 
48 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 D, which for one or two wires is generally a porcelain tube with a 
 bell mouth, being provided to protect the point of entrance from 
 the weather. The Telephone Company of Austria employed 
 standards, manufactured by the Consolidated Telephone Con- 
 struction and Maintenance Company, of the design (due, the 
 author understands, to Mr. Howard Krause, late Manager of the 
 Austrian Company) shown in fig. 6. The arms consist of flat iron 
 bars pierced for the insulator bolts, and 
 fastened to the tube in the manner shown in 
 plan. These standards are also frequently 
 made double, with long arms carrying ten 
 insulators, and long footboards. The local 
 wires in the provinces are all single and of 
 1-25 mm. bronze, supported on double-shed 
 insulators, the bolts of which are fixed in with 
 tow. There is no underground work outside 
 Vienna, and no aerial cables have yet been used in Austria. Fig. 7 
 shows a form of insulator much used in Austria, Wiirtemberg, and 
 Germany, for dropping open wires from a roof to a window ; the 
 grooved projection forms a much better fastening for a vertical 
 wire than does an ordinary upright bell. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (TRUNK) 
 
 The trunk lines are of bronze of 3 mm. and 4 mm. diameter, 
 according to length. They are all metallic circuits, and as a rule 
 are crossed every sixteen spans to counteract induction. There is 
 nothing special about the supports. The Austrian section of the 
 International line to Berlin is of 4 mm. bronze. When there is 
 more than one metallic circuit between the same points they 
 generally follow different routes ; thus Vienna has three loops to 
 Prague, measuring respectively 307, 308, and 354 kilometers. 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 
 
 Foremen receive i/. &s. 4^. per week ; skilled wiremen, i/. ; and 
 labourers, from i$s. to i6s. %d. The sleeping allowance is io</. 
 per night. A day's work is ten hours in summer and eight in winter. 
 
A ustria 49 
 
 PAYMENT OF OPERATORS 
 
 When first taken on, girls receive i/. 135-. ^d. per month ; which 
 is increased to 2/. is. 8*/. when passed as quite competent. Sub- 
 sequently they are advanced by stages to a maximum of 2/. iSs. 4^., 
 attained in three years. Lady superintendents receive 4/. 3-f. 4^. per 
 month. The girls' duty never, except at night and under very 
 special circumstances, exceeds six hours per day. One watch takes 
 duty from 8 A.M. till 2 P.M. ; the second, thence till 9 P.M. At 
 that hour the night staff, consisting of six young ladies, arrives and 
 continues the service until 8 A.M. They watch and sleep by turns. 
 The Vienna staff, all told, comprises 334 girl operators. 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 In March 1895 the subscribers in Vienna numbered 7,700. 
 For the other towns no figures are obtainable later than Decem- 
 ber 31, 1893, when there were 80 exchanges belonging to the State 
 (including 10 taken over from the companies on the preceding 
 January i), comprising 177 public stations and 7,483 subscribers. 
 Vienna thus possesses a good half of the total number of sub- 
 scribers. At the same date there were 40 metallic circuit trunks, 
 of a total length of 3,302 kilometers, in operation. The principal 
 exchanges were as follow : 
 
 Town Number of subscribers 
 
 Prague ...... 1,070 
 
 Trieste 692 
 
 Graz 598 
 
 Briinn 568 
 
 Lemberg . . . . . .518 Taken over from the 
 
 Reichenberg . . . . .427 companies 
 
 Linz-Urfahr 221 
 
 Bielitz-Biala ..... 191 
 
 Pilsen 182 
 
 Czernowilz 1 1 } 
 
50 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Town Number of subscribers 
 
 Cracow 214 
 
 Carlsbad 176 
 
 Salzburg 133 
 
 Aussig-on-Elbe . . . . 131 
 
 Teplitz 1 10 
 
 Troppau ...... 109 
 
 Warnsdorf 107 
 
 Commenced by the 
 State 
 
 The capital expenditure, receipts, and working expenses for 
 i892_are given as follow : 
 
 STATE 
 
 
 
 Capital to date 41,289 
 
 Receipts for 1892 33^75 
 
 Expenses ,, ...... 10,700 
 
 VIENNA PRIVATE TELEGRAPH COMPANY 
 
 
 Capital expenditure to date .... 498,000 
 
 Receipts for 1892 64,290 
 
 Expenses ,, 3^989 
 
II. BAVARIA 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 LIKE Wiirtemberg, Bavaria has preserved the autonomy of its Posts 
 and Telegraphs, and consequently conducts its telephonic business 
 without interference from Berlin. In the early days of telephony 
 it steadily declined all applications for concessions, and everything 
 has been done by the State itself since, in 1882, it opened the first 
 Bavarian exchange at Ludwigshafen on-Rhine. Until recently the 
 opinion was held that single wires were adequate for local con- 
 nections, but it is satisfactory to learn that a complete change of 
 opinion in this respect has been brought about, and that all new 
 work is now designed with a view to the ultimate adoption of 
 metallic circuits. Munich, Nuremberg, and Wiirzburg are the 
 three chief telephonic centres of Bavaria, each being surrounded 
 by quite a galaxy of satellite switch-rooms. Lesser groups are Hof, 
 Miinchberg, and Berchtesgaden, while Augsburg stands by itself. 
 In the detached left-Rhine palatinate, Ludwigshafen forms the 
 centre of a group consisting of Speyer, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt, 
 and Lambrecht. With the exception of this last, with which 
 communication can only be had via Stuttgart and Mannheim, or 
 via Frankfort-on-Main and Mannheim, the different groups are 
 joined by trunk lines belonging to the Bavarian Government. 
 When it is stated that Munich (population 350,594) has close on 
 5,000 instruments connected to its exchange, and that Nuremberg 
 {population 142.590) has over 2,500, while Wiirzburg (61,059). 
 Augsburg (75,629), Fiirth (43,206), and Bamberg (35,815) have 
 800, 750, 620, and 400 respectively, it will be understood that 
 Bavaria is a very long way in advance of the United Kingdom in 
 
 2 
 
52 Telephone Systems of tJie Continent of Europe 
 
 respect to its telephones. The fact is due, no doubt, in the first 
 place to the facilities given, and in the second to 'the moderate 
 tariff, which, although somewhat high (y/. IDS.) for a first con- 
 nection, is remarkably low (^L i$s.) for second and subsequent 
 instruments. A consequence is that a larger proportion of the 
 subscribers go in for more than one instrument than in any other 
 country with which the author is acquainted. The length of line 
 allowed for the subscription is very liberal 5 kilometers (3*1 miles). 
 One objection to the rate is that it is uniform for all places, 
 capital and village alike -treatment which is neither economically 
 just nor calculated to encourage development. The obstacles 
 imposed in the neighbouring kingdom of Wiirtemberg, in the 
 Imperial postal territory and in France, to free communication 
 between a town and its suburbs are absent in Bavaria, there being 
 but two classes of charges for internal trunk communication, viz., 
 between towns of the same telephonic group, and between one 
 group and another. 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC 
 
 1. Local exchange communication between the subscribers 
 and public stations of the same town. 
 
 2. Trunk communication between towns of the same group. 
 The distances separating towns of the same group are often con- 
 siderable, especially in the case of the Nuremberg group, which 
 comprises Fiirth, 5 miles ; Anspach, 25 miles ; Bamberg, 33 miles ; 
 and Amberg, 35 miles off. The joining of the Amberg and 
 Bamberg trunks therefore produces a circuit of sixty-eight miles, 
 for which the charge is 5^. per five minutes. 
 
 3. Trunk communication between towns of different groups. 
 All the groups are joined, there being only one isolated exchange, 
 Kempten, which has not been reached by the trunks. Munich 
 and Nuremberg are connected by two widely-differing routes, via 
 Ratisbon and via Weissenberg, with the view of diminishing the 
 chance of total interruption. 
 
 4. International trunk communication. The principal inter- 
 national line is that between Munich and Berlin, over which the 
 other chief Bavarian towns also obtain connection ; but the line to 
 
Bavaria 5 3 
 
 Ulm and Stuttgart is also an important one. Besides these, there 
 is communication with Frankfort-on-Main and Southern Germany, 
 including Baden. The Bavarian lines also cross the Austrian 
 frontier at Salzburg and Lindau, but in these cases talking is 
 restricted to towns not far removed from the border. 
 
 5. Telephoning of telegrams. This is restricted to the 
 German and French languages. No charge is made for the 
 service, the State taking the sensible view that the telephone 
 constitutes a natural feeder of the telegraph, and as such should 
 be encouraged as much as possible. The facilities given are very 
 good, as reply-paid messages may be forwarded, and paid replies 
 to telegrams received by messenger may be telephoned to the 
 telegraph office. No deposits in advance are required, a signed 
 promise to pay monthly the accounts rendered being considered 
 sufficient. 
 
 6. Telephoning of messages for local delivery. This service 
 is confined to subscribers, and not extended, as in some countries, 
 to the users of public stations. The sender of a telephonogram 
 may undertake, when dictating his message, to pay for a reply, in 
 which case the messenger who delivers it to the addressee will, if 
 possible, bring back the answer to the central office, whence it is 
 immediately telephoned to the sender. This service is an impor- 
 tant one, for it makes a subscribers telephone a channel which 
 leads not only to every other subscriber, but to every non-sub- 
 scriber as well. Dictation of difficult words is helped by a code 
 of numbered letters published in the subscribers' lists, but this code 
 is not so comprehensive as the Austrian, as it provides for only 
 twenty-eight letters. 
 
 7. Telephoning of mail matter. Subscribers may dictate 
 messages to the central office to be mailed as letters or post-cards. 
 In the former case they are written in pencil on telegram forms, 
 enclosed in an envelope, addressed, stamped, and posted im- 
 mediately. A post which would be missed in the ordinary way 
 may thus frequently be saved. A slight drawback is that such 
 letters cannot be registered ; but then it is certain that they do 
 not often contain bank-notes or other valuables. 
 
 8. Public telephone stations. These are almost invariably 
 located at post or telegraph offices, and are (airly numerous, there 
 
54 Telephone Systems of tJie Continent of Europe 
 
 being thirty-five in Munich, thirteen in Nuremberg, eight in 
 Wiirzburg, and at least one in every town. An attendant is always 
 provided, who collects the fees and obtains the connections asked 
 for. 
 
 9. Fire service. In such towns as do not enjoy a night 
 service the lines of those subscribers who pay a small extra annual 
 subscription are switched through to the fire station at closing 
 time. A full description of this service will be given in the 
 Wiirtemberg section, at page 422. 
 
 TARIFFS 
 
 1. Local exchange rates. 
 
 Per annum 
 
 s. d. 
 
 An ordinary subscriber's station within 5 kilometers 7 10 o 
 
 Excess charge for distances beyond 5 kilometers, per 100 
 
 meters . . . . . . . . .030 
 
 A second instrument on the same line, but not in the 
 
 same building . . . . . . .3150 
 
 Second and subsequent instruments in connection with 
 
 the same line, and in the same building . . .100 
 
 An instrument used by a tenant which can be switched 
 on to a line rented by the proprietor of a building 
 let off in flats or workshops . . . . . 2 10 o 
 
 An extra bell .- . . . . . .050 
 
 Government and municipal offices enjoy a reduction of one 
 half. All distances measured as the crow flies. Agreements for 
 lines not exceeding five kilometers, one year ; exceeding that 
 distance, two years. This tariff applies to all towns, irrespective 
 of size. 
 
 2. Trunk communication between towns of the same group. 
 Subscribers may pay per conversation, or by annual subscription. 
 
 s. d. 
 
 Per conversation of 5 minutes . . . . .005 
 The right to call any subscriber in any town of a group, 
 
 per annum . . . . . . . .2100 
 
 3. Trunk communication between towns of different groups. 
 
 5. d. 
 
 Up to 100 kilometers, per 5 minutes . . . . .05 
 All distances beyond, ,, ,, . . . . .10 
 
 Express or urgent talks are admitted at triple fee. 
 
Bavaria 5 5 
 
 4. International trunk communication. 
 
 s. d. 
 
 Munich and other chief towns to Berlin, per 3 minutes . 2 o 
 
 Bavaria to \\iirtemberg, per 5 minutes . . . .10 
 
 ,, Austria, per 3 minutes . . . . .10 
 
 ,, Switzerland, vi& Austria, per 3 minutes . .12 
 
 ,, towns in the south-west of the Imperial Post 
 
 Office territory, per 3 minutes . . .10 
 
 There are a few rates of $d. and ^d. in operation between 
 towns situated close together, but on different sides of the frontier, 
 as Ludwigshafen and Mannheim, Lindau and Bregenz, and Bad 
 Reichenhall and Salzburg. 
 
 5. Telephoning of telegrams. This service is free. 
 
 6. Telephoning of messages for local delivery. For each tele- 
 phonogram delivered by messenger the charge is id. plus 'id. per 
 word. Thus a ten-word message costs 2d., and a twenty-word $d. 
 
 7. Telephoning of mail matter. The charge for this service 
 is the same as for telephonograms, plus the value of the post-card 
 or postage-stamp required. 
 
 8. Public telephone station rates. Time unit, five minutes. 
 
 Local talks : A subscriber, member of his family, partner, or 
 
 employee ...... id. 
 
 All other persons ...... 2-$J. 
 
 A non-subscriber may, however, put himself on an equality 
 with a subscriber by buying a book containing fifty penny tickets, 
 each of which will entitle him to a local talk if presented within 
 one year from date of purchasing. 
 
 Trunk talks, as from subscribers' offices. 
 
 9. Fire service charge. For connection with the fire station 
 after an exchange is closed for the night, per annum, los. 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 
 
 The Government has no right to fix supports and wires on 
 private property without the owner's permission. Subscribers can 
 only give leave to attach wires intended for their own use to 
 premises they lease or rent. 
 
56 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 
 
 Hitherto ' standard ' boards of the Western Electric Company 
 have been used at the principal switch-rooms, so it may be 
 imagined that smart management has been requisite at Munich, 
 with its 5,000, and Nuremberg, with its 2,500 subscribers, in order 
 to provide an acceptable service. But multiple switch-boards 
 have been ordered for, and will soon be fitted at, both these 
 centres. They are of the same company's manufacture, with self- 
 restoring drops of the type already installed at Zurich, and which 
 is described in the Swiss section (p. 390). Fig. 8 is a plan of a 
 recent Bavarian switch-board for small centres, showing how both 
 single and double subscribers' lines and trunk wires are dealt with. 
 The bar commutator is for cross-connecting and joining any wire 
 temporarily to the testing apparatus. This bar commutator is 
 sometimes replaced in the larger exchanges by a cross-wire 
 commutator invented by Mr. J. Baumann, an engineer of the 
 Royal Bavarian Telephone Department, which, for a large number 
 of lines, is far cheaper to construct, while it occupies less space 
 and is simpler to manipulate. Mr. Baumann's cross-connecting 
 board consists of a strong rectangular iron frame encased in 
 beechwood, and arranged to receive a number of silicium bronze 
 wires of 8 mm. diameter, strung, some horizontally and some 
 vertically, so as to cross each other at right angles at a distance of 
 some two centimeters. The wires are insulated at the frames, 
 and provided with tightening screws, similar to those of a violin 
 (a tension of from thirteen to sixteen kilogrammes is kept normally 
 on the wires), and connection terminals, by which the horizontal 
 wires are joined to the subscribers' lines and the vertical wires to 
 the switch-board. Under the tension applied, the wires remain 
 so taut that it is not found necessary in practice to allow a greater 
 clearance between parallel conductors than from three to five 
 millimeters. The necessary connections between the horizontal 
 and vertical wires are effected by small brass plates, each bearing 
 two hooks about one centimeter apart, one hook adjusted to hold 
 a horizontal, the other a vertical, wire. When two such wires, 
 
Bavaria 
 
 57 
 
 FIG. 8. BC, bar commutator; T, translator; TR, trunks; MB. transmitter battery ; 
 NB, night bell ; os, transfer jacks; LG, lightning guards; 3 to 14, subscriber*' 
 double lines ; ij to 20, subscribers' single lines. 
 
58 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 tightly stretched and separated by a space of two centimeters, are 
 hooked together so that the clearance between them is reduced 
 to one centimeter, they exert such a considerable pull on the 
 connecting plate that the electrical contacts brought about are as 
 perfect and permanent as those due to binding screws. The 
 connector is shown in fig. 9. A number of spare vertical wires 
 is kept in reserve, by means of which any two of the horizontals 
 can be connected together, or any one 
 of them to earth, to the testing-room, 
 or to a speaking instrument. A cross- 
 connecting board on this system for 800 
 
 C 
 
 ^ *) lines occupies, including the lightning- 
 / guard board, 5*6 meters in length and 
 
 2 '4 in height. Reverting to fig. 8, the 
 transmitter shown is of a type used a 
 good deal in Bavaria. The diaphragm 
 is of wood, backed by a carbon plate. 
 
 To the back of the box are fixed two separate blocks of carbon, 
 each block containing four slanting holes in which a corresponding 
 number of carbon pencils lie loosely with their lower ends resting 
 against the carbon diaphragm plate. This plate is then inter- 
 mediate between the two blocks, which receive the transmitter 
 battery wires. The translators employed consist of primary and 
 secondary bobbins of equal resistance 200 ohms wound on a 
 closed magnetic circuit ring. They are made by Mr. F. Reiner, 
 Munich. The subscribers, both in Munich and Nuremberg, are 
 divided between two principal switch-rooms, and in each town 
 the subscribers' list numbers are preceded by a switch-room 
 number, which must be mentioned without fail by the caller, 
 together with the list number and name. Called subscribers are 
 rung by the operator, and callers are required to stand with phone 
 to ear until the reply is forthcoming. Talkers are not instructed 
 to say ' please answer ' after every remark, as in the Imperial Post 
 Office system, but on bringing a conversation to an end they are 
 expected to call out ' finished ! ' prior to ringing off. This last 
 signal has nothing to differentiate it from a ring through, so that the 
 Bavarian subscribers, in common with all others on the Continent, 
 cannot leave their instruments during a talk. During a thunder- 
 
Bavaria 
 
 
 FIG. io. v, lightning guard ; 
 M, transmitter ; a, magneto 
 crank ; a', generator cut-in ; 
 /, magneto box ; \v, bell ; 
 T, receiver ; h. automatic 
 switch ; h', hook for spare 
 phone ; B, battery box. 
 
6o Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 storm operators retire from the switch-tables, and subscribers are 
 instructed not to touch their instruments. The operators use 
 watches to time trunk talks, and not sand-glasses. It is worthy of 
 remark that Bavarian operators are invariably of the male sex, 
 although it is in contemplation to introduce girls at Munich and 
 Nuremberg simultaneously with the multiple switch-boards now 
 on order. 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 
 
 Munich, Nuremberg, and Fiirth are open day and night ; the 
 nine next most important towns from 7 A.M. till n P.M. ; nine 
 more from 7 A.M. till 9 P.M. ; and the rest according to the dura- 
 tion of the duty at their respective telegraph offices. 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 
 
 These usually comprise the modified De Jongh transmitter 
 already described, manufactured by F. Reiner, of Munich ; 
 Bell receivers, magneto, trembling bell, battery box, and back- 
 board ; and, although not so neat and businesslike in appearance 
 as the English, American, or Swedish sets, are well and substan- 
 tially made, and give good results. The chief drawback is that 
 the generator coils have to be cut into circuit by means of a push- 
 button instead of by an automatic contact, an arrangement which 
 compels the use of both hands in ringing, and causes the sub- 
 scriber to incontinently transfer to his mouth, as to a third hand, 
 any papers or pencils he may be carrying. Figs. 10 and n give 
 a good representation of the subscribers' wall and table sets 
 respectively.' 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 
 
 All local wires are now run with silicium bronze of 1-5 or 
 2 mm. diameter. In the towns the supports are generally on the 
 houses. Three designs of Bavarian standards are shown in figs. 
 12, 13, and 14. The first is a single wooden pole bolted to the 
 
Baiwria 
 
 61 
 
62 Telephone Systems of tJie Continent of Europe 
 
 roof timbers and provided with an angle-iron frame carrying a 
 number of angle-iron arms. The second is also of wood, but 
 double, and supporting angle-iron arms of greater capacity. The 
 third, which is entirely of angle- iron, bears a strong resemblance 
 to, without being identical with, the Belgian design of standard, 
 which is not excelled anywhere for ability to withstand success- 
 
 FIG. 12 
 
 FIG. 
 
 fully the many vicissitudes to which roof-supports of large capacity 
 are subject. Ground poles are usually of wood and in no wise 
 noteworthy for size or design ; but there are also a few iron columns 
 of the Ziirich type (see Swiss section, fig. 147). A few aerial cables 
 manufactured by Felten and Guilleaume are in use, but only in 
 special circumstances. In Munich, Nuremberg, and Landshut 
 there is some underground work, consisting partly of iron pipes, 
 
Bavaria 
 
 J t. 
 
 1 
 
 13 2 
 
 
64 Telephone Systems of tlie Continent of Europe 
 
 into which cables may be drawn from suitably placed boxes, and 
 partly of iron troughs, access to which can only be had by breaking 
 the streets. The original cables laid were of the anti-induction 
 type single wires wrapped in foil ; but now nothing is used but 
 paper insulation and twisted pairs. The most recent work is that 
 just completed (February 1895) at Landshut, which consists of 
 cables containing twenty-eight pairs. The conductors are wrapped 
 in perforated impregnated paper, one red and one white for each 
 pair, arranged in three concentric circles containing respectively 
 
 500 mm - 
 
 1! 
 
 ;;o:: 
 
 FIG. 15 
 
 three, ten, and fifteen pairs. Some of the wires in each circle are 
 tinned to aid identification. The pairs, being cabled and wrapped 
 in impregnated cotton, are covered with lead of 2 mm. thickness^ 
 which is in turn protected by a layer of jute, making up a total 
 diameter of 33 mm. The copper resistance is 22*6 ohms per 
 kilometer, and the capacity 'i microfarad when all other wires 
 are earthed. The insulation resistance is 2,000 megohms per 
 kilometer, and is guaranteed not to fall below 500 megohms for 
 two years. This cable, which has been supplied by Franz Clouth, 
 
Bavaria 65 
 
 of Cologne-Nippes, is reported to give every satisfaction. Some 
 of the Munich and Nuremberg cables are from the factory of 
 Messrs. Felten & Guilleaume. 
 
 OUTSIDE WOKK (TRUNK) 
 
 The Bavarian trunks are for the most part constructed of 
 silicium bronze of 3 to 4 mm. diameter, according to the distance 
 to be covered. Wherever practicable, one loop only is run on a 
 route of poles, the wires being arranged in a vertical plane and 
 crossed at long intervals. This plan is found to secure a suffi- 
 ciently silent line. An iron frame to attach to poles, with the 
 object of facilitating the running and accurate spacing of trunk 
 wires, is shown at fig. 15. It is used on the Munich-Berlin line 
 within Bavarian territory, and on other routes. 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 
 
 Foremen receive from 6o/. y. to i2o/. per annum, according 
 to length of service. When working away from their homes they 
 have is. 3</. per day extra, and when obliged to sleep away, 35-. 
 Skilled wiremen are paid from 35". 8d. to 4^. per day, with no 
 extras ; and labourers from 2s. $d. to 35-. 2d. The working day 
 averages ten hours, less meals. 
 
 PAYMENT OF OPERATORS 
 
 These are all youths. They receive about 2s. a day for a duty 
 which varies from six to eight hours. 
 
66 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 III. BELGIUM 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 THE original exchange systems in Belgium were established by the 
 International Bell Telephone Company under concessions, granted 
 September 22, 1883, from the Government. Subsequently these 
 -were acquired by the Compagnie Beige du Telephone Bell, which, 
 until the transfer to the Government at the end of 1892, operated 
 in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroy, Verviers, and La Louviere. 
 Liege was worked by a separate company, the Compagnie Liegois 
 du Telephone Bell, while several of the smaller towns were granted 
 to individuals. Thus a Mr. J. Ryf, a Swiss from Zurich, esta- 
 blished exchanges in Louvain, Namur, and Mechlin ; and a M. 
 Cahen in Mons and Courtray. All these, with the exception of 
 Namur, Mechlin (Mr. Ryf), and Courtray (M. Cahen), the con- 
 cessions for which do not expire until during the current year, 
 have now come into the possession of the Belgian Government. 
 The State had itself established exchanges in four different areas 
 Ostend-Bruges, Termonde-St. Nicholas-Alost, Hasselt-Landen, 
 and Tournay. After 1895 the State will possess a monopoly of 
 telephonic as well as of telegraphic communication within the 
 kingdom, and intends to preserve it. All the exchanges con- 
 structed by companies were on the single wire and earth return 
 system, while all those of the State were on the metallic circuit 
 plan. All exchanges were built, and still consist of, overhead 
 wires. The State, recognising the inadequacy of single wires for 
 the general purposes of a telephone system, intends to gradually 
 convert the whole of the exchanges taken over from the com- 
 
Belgium 67 
 
 panics to double wires, and, furthermore, to place all main routes 
 of wires in towns underground. 
 
 Belgium is at present, for telephonic purposes, divided into 
 seventeen areas, each having one or more towns for a nucleus, 
 and comprising together all the chief centres of commercial 
 .activity. The areas have not been apportioned arbitrarily, but 
 with due regard to the business relations and exigencies of the 
 several districts. The shapes and superficial measurements of the 
 areas differ widely, as the requirements and convenience of the 
 telephoning public have in each case been the paramount con- 
 sideration, and the idea has been to avoid the creation of vexatious 
 barriers between neighbouring towns and villages. A considerable 
 portion of the country is still left unallotted, that is to say, is not 
 included in any of the areas ; but this portion is mostly agri- 
 cultural, or of such small industrial development that no great 
 demand for telephonic communication has as yet arisen within it. 
 The Government, however, is prepared to inaugurate new areas, 
 and provide trunk communication with the old ones, on receiving 
 sufficient evidence of a demand. In the meantime, persons out- 
 side the areas are connected to the nearest exchange on payment 
 of an extra subscription proportionate to the length of the line 
 required. Once connected, they partake of all the privileges of 
 subscribers located within the area, both as regards local and 
 trunk services. 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC 
 
 i. Intercourse between the subscribers and public telephone 
 stations of the same area. A subscriber paying the prescribed 
 annual rental for connection to his exchange is entitled to free 
 communication with all other subscribers within the area in which 
 that exchange is situated. In estimating the reasonableness of 
 the Belgian rates, some of which superficially appear considerably 
 dearer than those of Switzerland, Sweden, Wiirtemberg, and some 
 other countries, it must be borne in mind that they apply not to 
 a single town, but to a considerable district, which often comprises 
 two or more towns of notable size. Thus the Brussels area 
 measures, roughly, fifteen miles from west to east, and eight miles 
 
 F 2 
 
68 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 from south to north ; the Termonde-St. Nicholas-Alost area, thir- 
 teen miles from east to west, and thirty miles from south to north ; 
 and the Ostend-Bruges, twenty-seven miles from west to east, and 
 twelve miles from south' to north. In the Ostend-Bruges area, a 
 three-year subscriber located within one kilometer of the Ostend 
 exchange is entitled for his payment of 6/. per annum to speak 
 without restriction or extra charge to Bruges, thirteen miles ; to 
 Blankenberghe, eleven miles ; to Heyst, sixteen miles ; to Nieu- 
 port, ten miles. And a Nieuport subscriber can speak to Heyst, 
 twenty-six miles, for his 61. per annum. These distances are- 
 measured direct ; as the wires go by the railways they are usually 
 greater. In the Termonde-St. Nicholas-Alost area the distances 
 available for 67. per annum are even longer. 
 
 When a subscriber removes to new premises within the same 
 telephonic area his wire and instrument are shifted gratis. He 
 is held responsible for the safety of his apparatus under all cir- 
 cumstances ; if it is destroyed by fire, or otherwise, he must pay 
 its full value to the State. The Government has the right to- 
 suspend any part of or all the telephonic communication at its 
 discretion, in which case the subscribers cannot claim any refund 
 of subscription. 
 
 The burning question of the use of telephones by non-sub- 
 scribers has been settled liberally in Belgium by formal permission- 
 being given to subscribers to allow strangers to use their instru- 
 ments provided no payment or other consideration is received. 
 Hotel, restaurant and club telephones are free to all and sundry. 
 
 It is rather singular that in spite of the immense traffic at the 
 port of Antwerp no ships are fitted with telephones for the purpose 
 of enabling them to use the exchange when in harbour, as is 
 often done in Sweden and sometimes in Great Britain. 
 
 2. Internal trunk line communication. The seventeen areas 
 are already connected by trunk lines, so that practically all the 
 merchants and manufacturers in the kingdom are within hailing 
 and talking distance of each other. The rule is that a subscriber 
 in any area may call up and talk to a client in any other area for 
 five minutes for one franc (9-6^.). Nothing could be simpler, 
 and nothing could be more effective. If five minutes does not 
 prove sufficient the conversation may be extended to ten minutes 
 
Belgium 69 
 
 for an additional half charge. Expert users of the telephone can 
 easily talk at the rate of 100 words per minute, so that a conversation 
 of 1,000 words can be got through in ten minutes. The greatest 
 distance that can be talked over at present is 156 miles, from 
 Nieuport-Bains in the Ostend-Bruges, to Spa in the Verviers area. 
 
 3. International trunk line communication. At present the 
 only international connection is with France, but an agreement 
 has been signed with the Dutch Government for a line to 
 Rotterdam and Amsterdam. An understanding has twice been 
 arrived at with the German Government, but as often cancelled by 
 the Berlin authorities prior to actual signature. A line from 
 Brussels to London is also in contemplation. Experimental talking 
 has been carried on between the two cities via Paris and Calais. 
 The French frontier is crossed at five different points : by the 
 direct Brussels -Paris lines ; by a line from Charleroy to 
 Maubeuge by a line from Mons to Valenciennes ; by a line 
 from Tournay to Lille ; and by one from Courtray to Lille. The 
 Brussels-Paris line has been a great success, there being now three 
 circuits between the two capitals. From noon till 3 P.M. all lines 
 are engaged without intermission, twenty-six connections per hour 
 being got through, on an average, on each ; this could not of course 
 be done if each connection occupied its maximum time of three 
 minutes. The receipts are consequently 26 x 3 x 3 francs = 234 
 francs (Q/. 75. 2d.) per hour during the busy time. The telegraph 
 traffic between the Brussels and Paris Bourses, formerly very con- 
 siderable, has been practically killed by the telephone, yet the tele- 
 graph receipts as a whole continue to grow. It is a curious fact, 
 as illustrating forcibly the superiority of the telephone for certain 
 purposes, that during the total interruptions of the Brussels-Paris 
 telephone lines which have twice or thrice occurred, the stock- 
 brokers have not reverted temporarily to the telegraph, formerly 
 in incessant use between the two bourses, but have waited for 
 the re-establishment of the talking facilities. 
 
 4. Telephoning of telegrams. Subscribers may telephone tele- 
 grams to the telegraph offices and receive telegrams by telephone. 
 In the latter case a copy of the message telephoned is mailed, 
 postage paid, to the addressee by the next delivery. No charge is 
 made for this service (the State regarding the telephone system as 
 
70 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 a feeder to the telegraph, and as such to be encouraged, not 
 despised), which is very largely taken advantage of. Its value 
 as a feeder may be estimated from the fact that the number of 
 special clerks engaged at the telegraph offices receiving and 
 transmitting telegrams through the telephone exchanges during, 
 the day is nine at Antwerp, eight at Brussels, five at Ghent, three 
 at Liege, two each at Namurand Charleroy, and one each at Mons 
 and Tournay. The growth of the traffic has been continuous and 
 rapid. During the month of August 1894, 45,646 telegrams were 
 received from and 39,637 forwarded to subscribers throughout 
 Belgium. Of this total of 85,283, Antwerp had 24,556 ; Brussels 
 14,081 ; Ghent 7,273 ; Liege 6,790 ; and Charleroy 5,710. The 
 telephone is thus made to bring the telegraph to the merchant's 
 desk and to the family fireside, rendering the employment of 
 messengers to take despatches to perhaps distant telegraph offices, 
 and others to bring them from the telegraph offices to the addressees,, 
 unnecessary. Under such circumstances it is natural to expect 
 that telegrams will be more freely sent, and experience shows that 
 it is so. The State also saves considerably in cost of delivery. 
 For instance, in August 1894 no less than 39,637 journeys were 
 saved to the telegraph messengers, or at the rate of 475,644, nearly 
 half a million, per annum. This means that the staff of boys,, 
 wear and tear of boots and uniforms, c., may be greatly 
 economised, while the deliveries themselves are markedly 
 accelerated. The clerks employed at the telegraph offices are 
 competent to receive and telephone messages in French, Flemish, 
 English, German, and Dutch. To avoid mistakes between words 
 and letters of similar sound, each subscriber is furnished with 
 a printed table showing the letters of the alphabet numbered 
 from i to 26. A doubtful word is spelt, and a doubtful letter 
 referred to by its number in the table. The French numerals 
 * six ' and ' dix ' are liable to be confounded by some speakers. 
 When this is the case, ' six ' is dubbed F and ' dix ' J. In Flemish 
 a similar uncertainty is apt to arise between one and two, which are 
 then referred to as A and B. With these precautions (which are 
 likewise adopted with modifications suitable to the language in> 
 most continental countries) mistakes occur but rarely, and the 
 service grows continually in popularity. 
 
Belgium 
 
 VYWYYW1 
 
 FIG. 16 
 
 5. Public telephone stations. Several of these conveniences 
 exist in every town, mostly at the post offices, railway stations, and 
 bourses. The principal ones are open all 
 
 night. There are ten in Brussels, eight in 
 Antwerp, five in Ghent, four in Liege, &c. 
 They may be used for all classes of com- 
 munications admitted by the regulations. 
 To facilitate payments at the public stations 
 a series of adhesive stamps, similar to those 
 introduced by the author in this country in 
 1884, of the values of "25, '30, '50, '90, i'oo, 
 and 3 'oo francs, have been issued. The 
 25-centime stamp is shown in fig. 16. 
 
 6. Call notices to non-subscribers. In 
 connection with the public stations a service 
 
 of call notices (Avis telephoniques) is in operation, which enables 
 a person to summon to a distant public telephone station any 
 non-subscriber with whom he wishes to speak. He does this by 
 telegraph (at specially reduced rates), specifying the place and time 
 of the requested attendance. 
 
 7. Railway station service. This provides for the switching 
 on of subscribers (or of non-subscribers at public telephone 
 stations) to any railway station in the area to enable official in- 
 formation as to the movements of goods or trains to be obtained. 
 An extra subscription is charged for this service, payment of 
 which also confers the right on a subscriber, or on his agents or 
 friends, to use the railway station telephone, even when there is 
 no public station there, for the purpose of communicating through 
 the exchange. 
 
 TARIFFS 
 
 i. Rates for exchange communication within an area.- 
 There is considerable divergence in the local rates. For the most 
 part the system still consists of exchanges taken over from the 
 different companies and individual concessionaries, whose prac- 
 tice was by no means uniform, and whose rates were, as a rule, 
 higher than those imposed by the State in the areas such as 
 Ostend-Bruges, Termonde-St. Nicholas-Alost, and Tournay 
 
72 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 which it had itself initiated. But in taking over the concessionary 
 single-wire systems in January 1893 the State determined to leave 
 the rates unaltered, at least in the meantime, as in view of the 
 great expense involved in the determination to ultimately convert 
 everything to metallic circuit and to abolish overhead wires in 
 the centres of towns it was' felt that a reduction, until some 
 further experience had been gained, was unadvisable. 
 
 TARIFF IN AREAS EXPLOITED BY THE STATE 
 
 All double wires 
 
 is. = i'2$ francs 
 Radius 
 
 3-year contracts i-year contracts 
 Per annum Per annum 
 
 ^.yearly contracts 
 extending over 3 
 consecutive years 
 
 Per half-year 
 
 Within I kilometer 
 ,, i kilometers . 
 
 ,,2 ,, . 
 
 2 | 
 
 3 
 Each additional \ kilometer 
 
 s. d. s. d. 
 600 6 16 o 
 696 7 10 o 
 6 19 o 840 
 7 ii 2 8 18 o 
 832 9 12 o 
 o 14 o o 14 o 
 
 s. d. 
 400 
 
 4 8 5 
 4 16 10 
 5 5 2 
 5 13 7 
 o 8 5 
 
 TARIFFS IN AREAS TAKEN OVER BY THE STATE 
 (BEING THE ORIGINAL TARIFFS CONTINUED IN FORCE) 
 
 Principally single wires 
 
 Antwerp .-,, , , r . n ' 
 and i ^ a^J'fa' 
 
 Mons 
 
 Louvain 
 
 Liege 
 
 
 Per ann. I Per ann. 
 
 Per ann. 
 
 Per ann. 
 
 Per ann. 
 
 Per ann. 
 
 Within i\ kilometers 
 
 s. | 
 
 J. 
 
 
 
 *. 
 
 
 
 _,. 
 
 s. 
 
 Within 3 kilometers 
 Each additional kilometer . 
 
 10 o 1 9 
 
 20 1 2 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 8 
 
 2 
 
 O 
 
 
 6 
 i i 
 
 o 
 
 8 
 
 5 o 
 i 4 
 
 9 o 
 
 2 O 
 
 Extra instrument 
 Extra bell . 
 2-way switch 
 2-way switch with indicator 
 3-way switch with two indi- 
 
 20 j 2 
 
 06 ; o 
 
 04 ! o 
 
 2 
 
 6 o 
 
 4 i o 
 
 o 
 
 6 
 
 4 
 
 ; 2 
 | o 
 
 | 
 
 o 
 
 8 
 
 2 O 
 
 o 6 
 o 4 
 o 4 
 
 2 
 
 o 8 
 o 8 
 
 cators . . 
 
 08 o 
 
 8 ! o 
 
 8 
 
 i 
 
 8 
 
 o 8 
 
 o 16 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The half-yearly contracts are intended to meet the require- 
 ments of subscribers who, like the hotelkeepers in Ostend, desire 
 
Belgium 73 
 
 communication during part of the year only. In view of the fact 
 that metallic circuits are given everywhere and that the subscription 
 covers, not a single town, but an area of many square miles, often 
 comprising several towns, these rates are unquestionably liberal. 
 
 Half-yearly subscriptions, taken for three consecutive years, 
 are charged : 
 
 s. <i. 
 In Mons area . . . . . . . . 3 12 o 
 
 In Charleroy and La Louviere areas . . . .4160 
 
 In all other areas taken over by the State, three-fifths of the annual rate. 
 
 In Antwerp, Brussels, Charleroy, Ghent, Verviers, and La 
 Louviere a reduction of 2/. is made when more than one line is 
 subscribed for by the same person or firm ; in Louvain and Mons 
 the reduction is only 10 per cent. 
 
 Subscribers may have double wires instead of single, to enable 
 them to obtain better communication over the long-distance 
 trunks, 1 for 50 per cent, above the normal rate. Thus a metallic 
 circuit would cost in Liege io/. IQS. if one and a half kilometers long, 
 and i3/. los. if three kilometers long ; in Brussels and Antwerp, 157. 
 for three kilometers or any shorter distance ; while in Louvain the 
 same length of double line would cost only y/. ios., just the half; 
 and in Mons only 9/. 
 
 It will be seen that the retention of the old tariffs leads to 
 considerable want of uniformity in practice, the subscription, for 
 instance, in Charleroy being higher than in the far more important 
 towns of Lie"ge, Ghent, and Verviers. But having applied still 
 lower rates in areas quite as extensive, and, moreover, provided 
 therein double wires without extra charge, the State can scarcely 
 hope to maintain the old companies' tariffs permanently. The 
 subscriptions in every case cover the supply and maintenance of 
 wires and apparatus. 
 
 2. Rates for internal trunk lines. Here the liberality of the 
 Belgian Government becomes conspicuous, for there is only one 
 trunk rate throughout the country. A subscriber in one area can 
 
 1 The number of subscribers taking advantage of this arrangement was, in 
 December 1894, in Brussels, 91 ; Antwerp, 37 ; Lige, 13 ; Ghent, 5 ; Verviers, 
 9 ; Mons, 13 ; and Charleroy, i. 
 
74 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 speak to another located in any other for five minutes for i franc 
 (9'6</.), and for ten minutes for 1-50 francs (i4'2^.). 
 
 Ten minutes is the longest time permitted to a pair of talking 
 subscribers should others be wanting the line. Otherwise, there is 
 no limit, but the charge is based on the assumption that a new 
 communication is commenced every ten minutes. Thus the 
 charge for 15 minutes is 1-50 + i = 2-50 francs ; for 20 minutes, 
 1*50 -f i + '50 3 francs ; for 25 minutes, 3 + 1=4 francs^ 
 c. 
 
 Subscribers using the trunks have to deposit in advance the 
 estimated value of their monthly traffic. On these deposits 
 interest at the rate of 3 per cent, per annum is allowed. This 
 rule applies equally to the telegram service. 
 
 Instead of paying per conversation, it is open to subscribers (or 
 to non-subscribers making use of public telephone stations) to pay 
 monthly in advance for the right to occupy a specified trunk line 
 for any length of time, but not less than ten minutes, every day. 
 The rates are : 
 
 Per month 
 s. d. 
 
 10 minutes or less per day . . . . .180 
 10 ,, to 15 minutes per day . . . .220 
 15 ,, 20 ,, ,, . . . .2160 
 
 20 ,, 25 ,, ,, . . . .380 
 
 25 30 ..'..400 
 
 Each additional 5 minutes ,, . . . .0120 
 
 It is not possible for one man to retain possession of a line to the 
 exclusion of others, since he must split his time into two or more 
 periods of ten minutes if the wire is wanted. The subscriber is 
 not obliged to use up all the daily time for which he has paid at 
 once, nor with the same correspondent, but unutilised time cannot 
 be carried forward to the next day. 
 
 No distinction is made in the trunk line charges between sub- 
 scribers and strangers. The former may use his own instrument 
 or a public station at his option ; a stranger is restricted to the 
 public station. 
 
 In the event of a trunk line being interrupted for more than 
 twenty-four hours, the subscriber is reimbursed one-thirtieth of his. 
 monthly rate for each succeeding twenty-four hours. 
 
Belgium 75 
 
 In all cases the time unit of five minutes is reduced to three 
 between the Brussels and Antwerp Bourses during business hours. 
 
 Formerly, internal trunk rates were doubled from 9 P.M. till 
 7 A.M., but this was found to kill traffic during the hours when it 
 was most wanted, and there is now no distinction between night 
 and day. 
 
 3. Rates for international trunk lines. Communication is 
 now established between most of the Belgian areas and Paris, as 
 well as to Lille, Arras, Dunkirk, Douay, Cambray, Roubaix, 
 Tourcoing, Valenciennes, Maubeuge, and other towns in the 
 north-east of France. Subscribers with double wires naturally 
 possess a great advantage when using this service, and the State 
 accordingly recommends their use, but the single wires in Brussels 
 and elsewhere are put through by means of translators at the sub- 
 scribers' risk. As in the case of the internal Belgian trunks, each 
 conversation may be paid for separately, or a specified line may be 
 engaged for a stated number of minutes each day. As telephone 
 trunk lines are usually very much occupied during business hours, 
 and very much the reverse during the evening, night, and early 
 morning, an attempt has been made, and with some success, to 
 distribute the traffic better by granting reduced rates, approaching 
 half-price, between the hours of 9 P.M. and 7 A.M. The result 
 has been that the lines are kept as constantly busy during the day 
 as of yore, while the night traffic has sensibly increased. The 
 simplicity of the Belgian uniform rate between areas is replaced 
 in the French communications by a tariff regulated by distance, 
 which is as follows : 
 
 Up to 50 kilometers . 
 50 ,, 150 
 
 d. d. 
 
 14-4 8-6 
 
 19-2 1 1 -5 
 
 150 ,, 250 23-1 14-4 
 
 2 5 t 350 ,, 28-8 17-3 
 
 Each additional 100 kilometers or fraction 
 
 thereof . d'8 2 -88 
 
 The time unit is five minutes, with no reduction for extended 
 talks ; but to Paris the time unit is only three minutes, the charge 
 
76 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 being 28-8^. during Bourse hours at Brussels, Antwerp, and Paris 
 {11.51 A.M. till 3.1 P.M.). On Sundays the time unit is uniformly 
 five minutes. 
 
 The monthly subscription tariff is as follows : 
 
 FOR TEN MINUTES' DAILY OCCUPANCY OF A SPECIFIED LINE 
 
 s. d. 
 
 Up to 50 kilometers . . . .1160 per mensem 
 50 ,, 150 ,, . . . .280 
 
 150 ,, 250 ,, . . . .300 
 
 250 350 - 3 I2 
 
 350 ,,450 ,, . . . .440 
 
 450 550 .4*160 
 
 Longer periods of occupancy are charged proportionally by in- 
 crements of five minutes. 
 
 In case of interruption, monthly subscribers are reimbursed 
 one-thirtieth of the subscription for each twenty-four hours after 
 the first. Monthly subscribers may not occupy the Paris line 
 during Bourse hours. 
 
 The rate agreed upon for the Belgo-Dutch trunk line unde r 
 construction is 28*8^. between Brussels or Antwerp, and Rotter- 
 dam or Amsterdam. 
 
 4. Kates for telephoning of telegrams. Every telephone 
 exchange is connected to the nearest telegraph office for the 
 despatch and receipt of telegrams. No charge is made for the ser- 
 vice, but subscribers availing themselves of it have to deposit the 
 estimated value of a month's traffic, on which deposits interest at 
 the rate of 3 per cent, per annum is allowed. Copies of the tele- 
 grams dictated by subscribers through the telephone are furnished, 
 if desired, to the* senders at '96^. each, which is also the charge 
 for a formal receipt. 
 
 Copies of telegrams telephoned to subscribers are sent on by 
 the next post free. If desired, copies may also be delivered by 
 special messenger at a cost of 2 -4^. each. 
 
 5. Rates applicable at public telephone stations. Non- 
 subscribers are charged 2 '^d. for five minutes' talk within the area in 
 which the public station is situated. The time unit is, however, 
 reduced to three minutes between Brussels and Antwerp during 
 Bourse hours. The distances comprised within the areas are, as 
 
Belgium 77 
 
 already stated, very considerable, so that from twenty to thirty 
 miles may be talked over for 2 '^d. 
 
 The rates for internal and international trunk talks are the 
 same as those from subscribers' offices, already given. 
 
 Subscribers, on producing cards of identity and signing their 
 names, may use the public stations free within the limits of their 
 subscriptions. Beyond such limits, or if they do not produce 
 cards, they pay exactly like non-subscribers. 
 
 A non-transferable public station card is supplied gratuitously 
 to each subscriber, who is also entitled to a second one in favour 
 of a partner, employee, or member of his family. If more than 
 two cards are required an annual charge of i6s. is made for the 
 third, and of Ss. for each additional one. Each card must bear 
 the signature of the person to whom it is issued, and when using a 
 public telephone station he must sign a sheet kept there for the 
 purpose. The attendant must see that the signatures correspond. 
 These regulations are identical with those introduced by the 
 author in Scotland in 1884 in connection with the issue of tele- 
 phone stamps. 
 
 Monthly public station cards for local use only are also issued 
 to non-subscribers at a charge of 4^. 
 
 Automatic slot boxes for checking payments are not used. 
 
 6. Charges for call messages. The charge for a telegram to 
 a non-subscriber requesting his attendance at a specified public 
 station at a certain time, is 2-4^. within an area, and 3 '$6d. 
 without. 
 
 7. Rates for the railway station service. For this a supple- 
 mentary subscription of 4/. per annum, or 2/. 8s. per half-year, has 
 to be paid. 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 
 
 The State has no right to place telephone poles or fixtures on 
 lands or buildings without the consent of the proprietors. Under 
 the Telegraphs Law (No. 593) of June u, 1883, proprietors and 
 tenants may not refuse to allow unattached wires to hang over 
 their lands and buildings, but they are entitled to compensation 
 for their presence. No work of any kind must be done over or 
 

 78 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 under private property without the previous consent of the pro- 
 prietor, and tenant if there is one. With respect to poles, 
 standards, and other attachments, the absolute right to refuse 
 exists and is often exercised. Actually, the State pays frequently 
 as much as "48^. to '^6d. and i '44^. per wire per annum for their 
 standards. Sometimes a free connection is asked and given in 
 consideration of a standard. Iri 1893 the way-leaves paid for 
 standards alone throughout Belgium was 40,000 francs (i,6oo/.). 
 On one occasion a proprietor in Brussels consented to the erection 
 of a standard conditionally on its colour and that of the insulators 
 attached to it harmonising with his building. To meet his ideas 
 of harmony the State had to go to the expense of having the 
 necessary number of porcelain insulators of a peculiar tint specially 
 manufactured. The Government has the right to erect poles and 
 wires along railways which, like the Grand Central Beige, are still 
 in the hands of companies, but only on payment of a way-leave 
 to be agreed upon. 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 
 
 These are not noteworthy for any speciality in design or 
 arrangement. In the larger centres Brussels, Antwerp, Ver- 
 viers, &c. one or other of the older forms of Western Electric 
 single-wire, double-cord, series, multiple switch-board is employed ; 
 in the smaller, Gilliland and Western Electric ' standard ' non- 
 multiples. The leading idea everywhere has been to concentrate 
 as much as possible in one switch-room in each town. Thus in 
 Brussels and Antwerp, the two largest cities, there is practically 
 but one switch-room, the outlying ones (Vilvorde, Hal and 
 Nivelles in Brussels, and Boom in Antwerp) being of quite insig- 
 nificant size and several kilometers away. As a rule, each 
 operator manages 100 local subscribers' lines. Trunk line switch- 
 ing is effected at a separate table upon which the local lines are not 
 multipled. At Brussels thirty-eight trunks are shared by four girls 
 during the busiest time, and the three Paris circuits are looked 
 after by one operator, Fig. 1 7 is a plan of the trunk board at 
 Brussels, which, with a few modifications of detail, is also used in 
 the other towns excepting Mons and Namur. The Van Ryssel- 
 
Belgium 
 
 79 
 
 berghe system compels the adoption of a few special features, such 
 as the phonic call and alarm, wi W2 are the two wires of a metallic 
 circuit coming from the condensers of a Van Rysselberghe tele- 
 graph line, wi leads through the jack ji and thence through the 
 coil PI of the phonic call to the plug FI and, by its base contact, 
 through the secondary coil TI of the translator to earth. W2 goes 
 
 FIG. 17 
 
 through the jack J2, the coil P2 of the phonic coil, the plug F2 and 
 its base contact to the other secondary T2 of the translator to 
 earth. A calling current from a distant station splits between 
 the two wires and follows the course indicated. A branch is 
 taken off at a through the Dewar key DI to the indicator MI 
 (which is wound to 1,000 ohms and is unaffected by the phonic 
 call currents) and the base contact strip of the plug FI. De- 
 

 8o Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 pressing the key DI cuts the indicator out and the operator's set 
 os in. F3 is a plug connected to earth through the indicator M4, 
 the calling key KI, the vibrator v, and the battery B. This is for 
 calling on the Van Rysselberghe circuits ; for use on ordinary 
 lines there is another plug F4 and key K2 which brings a magneto 
 generator G into play, c is a wire common to all the sections of 
 the local multiple, by which all communications between the local 
 and trunk operators are exchanged, ci is one of the wires of a 
 metallic circuit subscriber connected to earth through the jack J3. 
 02 03 are two junction wires going to one of the local sections ; 
 they are connected through the two jacks 14 J5, which are within 
 reach of all the trunk operators, four in number. The local 
 operators communicating with the trunk table are provided with 
 the apparatus shown in fig. 18, in which D2 is a Dewar key in the 
 circuit of the common wire c coming from the trunk table ; K3 a 
 key which when depressed puts the magneto G in connection with 
 c ; 03 another Dewar key in circuit with the wire 03 ; M5 an in- 
 dicator, one side of which is joined to 02 and the other to earth. 
 F5 is a double plug the inner contact of which is in permanent 
 connection with 03, while its outer contact connects with C2. A 
 calling current from the line wi W2 (fig. 17) operates the phonic 
 call which drops an indicator not shown in the diagram. To 
 reply, the button KI is pressed, which brings the vibrator v into 
 action through the primary TP of the translator and earth, currents 
 being transferred to the line by induction through the secondaries 
 TI T2. The speaking set os is then cut in by pressing the key DI. 
 When a single-wire subscriber wants a trunk connection he drops 
 his indicator and states his demand. The local operator rings the 
 trunk on c by pressing K3 (fig. 18), and immediately puts down 
 the Dewar key D2. The trunk girl, on the fall of indicator M3 
 (fig. 17), depresses her key and finds herself speaking with the 
 other. On hearing the demand she indicates which junction wire, 
 say 03, is to be used. The local girl then puts the plug F5 (fig. 18) 
 into the local subscriber's jack. The trunk girl calls the distant 
 station by pressing the button KI (fig. 17), and inserts the plug 
 F3 into one of the jacks J4 75 and says ' speak.' By pressing 
 her key DI she can hear by induction the commencement of the 
 talk. When finished, each subscriber rings off and the indicator 
 
Belgium 
 
 81 
 
 M4 falls. The presence of these ring-off indicators (one at each 
 end of the line), which, as well as the phonic call coils, have to be 
 talked through, is a bad feature of the system. The plug F5 (fig. 
 1 8) is in connection with the wire 02 by its second contact, and 
 through a i,ooo-ohm indicator M5 to earth. Therefore when F5 
 is in a trunk jack the test line of the local subscriber is in con- 
 nection with C2, now insulated, and through the indicator M5 to 
 
 JVI5 
 
 C2 
 
 FIG. 18 
 
 earth. When the calling subscriber has a double line, the con- 
 nection when established comprises (if the operators have agreed 
 to use junction wire 03) F5, 03, to jack J3 (fig. 17), plug F2, jacks 
 J4 15, plug FI, coils PI P2 of phonic call, jacks ji J2 and wi W2. 
 In this case the indicator MI, which is in shunt with the phonic 
 call coils, acts as ring-off, The test is managed as before. The 
 translator is cut out, but the phonic call coils still have to be 
 
 G 
 
82 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 spoken through. When two trunks are connected the phonic call 
 and the indicator of one of them are cut out, leaving the remain- 
 ing indicator to act as ring-off, 
 
 At Mons and Namur a more simple arrangement, devised by 
 M. Delville, is in use, the plan of which is shown in fig. 19. The 
 wires of the trunk wi W2 come to the Dewar key D and the jacks 
 ji J2. The spring of ji is connected to the contact a of jack J3, 
 
 C2 
 
 FIG. 19 
 
 while that of J2 is joined to one end of the translator secondary 
 TI. The other end of the secondary goes to the contact b of J3, 
 which is normally insulated from a. The frame of 73 is connected 
 to earth through the primary TP of the translator. When D is up, 
 the phonic call PI P2 is in circuit with the line ; when depressed, 
 the operator's phone and the secondary of its transmitter induction 
 coirare cut in. The primary circuit of this coil is closed through 
 
Belgium 83 
 
 the microphone, transmitter battery, and the top stop of a Morse 
 key K. When this is depressed it closes the circuit of the ringing 
 battery B, and by making and breaking contact impulses are sent 
 into line by induction to the secondary coil sufficiently powerful 
 to start the phonic relay at the distant station. The wires (one 
 pair of which is shown at ci 02) coming from the local table end 
 in plugs FI F2, of which FI is an ordinary single plug, while F2 
 has a metallic tip insulated from the piece which is in connection 
 with the cord. This tip brings a and b into contact when inserted 
 in J3, and so closes the translator secondary circuit. FI rests on 
 a metallic earth strip when out of use. On the phonic relay in- 
 dicating a call, the operator depresses D and is then enabled both 
 to ring and speak to trunk. If the connection demanded is with 
 a single-wire subscriber the insertion (after the necessary com- 
 munication with the local operator) of F2 in J3 completes it, since 
 by this movement the translator secondary is brought into use 
 through the contacts a and b, while the junction wire C2 utilised 
 for the connection finds circuit through the main contact of F2, 
 the socket of J3, primary TP of translator, and earth. The phonic 
 relay PI P2 remains in shunt (key D being up) across the loop and 
 serves as ring-off. Two metallic circuits are joined direct by in- 
 serting a double-conductor cord terminating in two single plugs 
 at each end in the jacks ji J2 and the corresponding jacks of the 
 second metallic circuit. The indicator M between the earth stop 
 of FI and earth serves for calling from the local to the trunk 
 operator ; the latter has also a battery push or generator for calling 
 the former. There can be no doubt of the superiority of this 
 plan over that in use at Brussels, since there are no coils to speak 
 through, while the contacts are fewer and the arrangements 
 simpler in every way. M. Delville evidently understands that in 
 telephony, as in most things, the shortest road with nothing to 
 jump over is the best. 
 
 Several patterns of phonic relay are used. One of the best 
 that designed by M. Sieur, is shown in fig. 20. It consists of two 
 coils P having soft-iron cores polarised by the permanent magnet 
 M. A soft-iron diaphragm D placed in front of, and close to, the 
 cores, is furnished with a platinum disc d, on which rests the light 
 metal hammer H provided with an adjustable counterpoise A, by 
 
 G 2 
 
84 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 which the pressure of H on d can be varied. Normally the battery 
 B is short-circuited through H and d ; but when the intermittent 
 calling current from line traverses the coils p, the diaphragm D is- 
 vibrated and momentarily casts off the hammer H, breaking the 
 circuit or greatly increasing its resistance, whereupon the battery 
 current traverses the coils of the ordinary indicator i and brings 
 down its shutter. The work is severe on the battery, which is 
 almost continuously on short circuit ; but as the Van Rysselberghe 
 system necessitates signalling through two sets of condensers in 
 
 FIG. 20 
 
 series, something delicate and at the same time certain in its 
 action is a necessity. 
 
 The translators employed are of the form designed by Van 
 Rysselberghe (fig. 21), and consist of two induction coils fixed at 
 right angles on a base-board. Each coil has a core of split soft 
 iron tube, a primary of 80 ohms, and a secondary of 300 ohms, 
 resistance, the two coils being usually joined in series. The ratio 
 of the primary to the secondary, i : 375, is practically that which 
 the author found to be best when experimenting with the original 
 translator, but the actual resistances are very much greater. The 
 subscriber's single wire is brought to the terminal s and earth to si, 
 while the trunk wires are connected to TI and T2. The remaining 
 terminals are joined by a short piece of wire. 
 
Belgium 
 
 There are no specialities in cross-connecting, but the lightning- 
 guard boards at Bruges, Tournay, and elsewhere are on a plan 
 designed by Mr. H. Frenay, Engineer to the Belgian Telephone 
 Administration. They comprise a long earth strip separated from 
 plates, to which the line wires are connected, either by paraffined 
 paper or an air space. Beneath the earth strip every line passes 
 through a testing jack the upper spring of which is elongated 
 forward and curved upwards. Above the row of jacks and nor- 
 mally clear of them, extends 
 .a long metal cylinder turn- 
 ing on an eccentric axis, 
 which is in permanent con- 
 nection with the earth. One 
 turn of a crank suffices to 
 bring the cylinder against 
 the elongated springs, so 
 putting every line to earth 
 instantaneously. Sometimes 
 the crank is placed in a 
 switch-room on the ground 
 floor and connected with 
 the cylinder in an attic by 
 means of a long spindle, 
 an arrangement which en- 
 ables an operator, on the 
 -approach of a storm, to 
 ground all the wires with- 
 out outside assistance. The erection of a magnificent new tele- 
 phone building is proceeding at Brussels, and Mr. Frenay is at 
 present occupied in settling the details of the new switch-room 
 .and other arrangements. Whatever plans may be decided upon, 
 it may safely be left to the Belgian technicians to provide their 
 Administration with an installation that will rank second to none. 
 The connections at Brussels average eight per subscriber per day ; 
 Antwerp is understood to be busier, but records of the ordinary 
 calls are not kept. 
 
 In Brussels, Antwerp, and Verviers, subscribers are asked for 
 by their list numbers only ; in Ghent, Liege, and elsewhere, by 
 
 \ 
 
 FIG 
 
86 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 their names and addresses, although furnished with numbers in 
 the list. On receiving a call from a subscriber the operator 
 always says 'I hear No. - ,' mentioning the list number of 
 the caller, who thereupon gives the number (or name and address) 
 of the person he wants, which the operator repeats. The caller 
 then hangs up his phone and awaits a ring from the exchange, 
 which in Brussels, &:c., signifies that his correspondent is there. 
 In Ghent, &c., the operator both rings and speaks to notify the 
 establishment of a connection. In all cases, the switch girl rings 
 the called subscriber. On the termination of a conversation the 
 caller rings off by giving his crank several turns. It will be seen 
 that the operators have plenty to do, and that the usual uncer- 
 tainty (although the Belgian method of using the instruments 
 reduces it to a minimum) between a ring-through and a ring-off 
 exists. 
 
 In trunk-line switching the calling subscriber in the first place 
 asks his exchange for the town in which his prospective corre- 
 spondent is located. Thus, a Charleroy subscriber wanting one 
 in Louvain, rings the Charleroy operator and says 'give me 
 Louvain.' Charleroy rings and connects Louvain, to the operator 
 at which place the Charleroy subscriber gives his order direct. 
 On finishing a trunk conversation both subscribers are expected 
 to ring off. 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 
 
 The service is continuous day and night at all the principal' 
 towns \ the smaller ones are open from 5 A.M. till n P.M. ; 7 A.M. 
 till 1 1 P.M., and in some cases 7 A.M. till 9 P.M. 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 
 
 The sets now fitted consist of magneto with base-board and 
 battery-box; a Runnings, or 'solid-back' transmitter modified 
 somewhat from the original American design ; and double-pole 
 receiver. The magnetos are provided with a lightning-guard con- 
 sisting of two metal plates separated by paraffined paper ; in some 
 cases this is combined with a point discharger, and mounted on a 
 
Belgium 87 
 
 separate base-board fixed above the instrument. Test-plates or 
 lightning-guards at the point of entry into a building are not em- 
 ployed, the outside lead of guttapercha-covered and braided wire 
 being soldered direct to the inside lead of cotton-covered wire. 
 The instruments are by different makers, but appear to be of 
 uniformly good quality. Many instruments have a second receiver 
 attached. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 
 
 The wire used for local work is of bronze, 1*4 mm. gauge, 
 30 per cent, conductivity, and 114 kilogrammes breaking strain, 
 the insulators being small double-shed in white porcelain. The 
 insulator groove often contains a thick india-rubber ring, and 
 sometimes also a strip of lead, with the object of stopping vibra- 
 tion. For junction lines the gauge is 1*6 and 40 per cent, con- 
 ductivity : these are always metallic circuits. All wires are at 
 present overhead, although extensive underground work is in con- 
 templation in connection with the new exchange in Brussels. 
 Aerial cables are not employed in the capital, but there are a few 
 short lengths at Antwerp, Blankenberghe, and other provincial 
 centres. All joints are soldered. The standard and pole work is 
 exceedingly good in Belgium, both as regards design and execution, 
 and constitutes the most striking feature of all to an English eye. 
 The standards are built of angle and bar iron riveted together, and 
 generally consist of uprights with widely-spread struts on both 
 sides, the uprights and struts being rigidly connected by cross 
 pieces. The whole is bolted to an iron base-plate or wooden 
 platform made to suit the contour of the roof. The base-plate is 
 generally separated by thick layers of felt sandwiched between 
 thin leaden sheets from the rafters on which it rests, with the view 
 of intercepting the vibrations from the wires. The whole forms 
 such a rigid structure that stays are generally dispensed with, 
 even on angles. In the event of a storm or fire suddenly destroy- 
 ing a bed of wires and throwing a heavy strain on one side of a 
 standard, there is no danger of its yielding and allowing the 
 damage to spread beyond the particular space involved. In fig. 22 
 are given front and side views, with details, of a standard, carrying 
 
88 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
Belgium 
 
 H 350-350 -350*350 *350 - 
 I I - I I I I 
 
 FIG. 23. Dimensions in meters. 
 
90 TelepJione Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 1 08 wires, erected on 101 Rue Neuve, Brussels. There is room 
 for two additional arms, and when full the support will carry 144 
 wires. In Antwerp a similar but taller standard with six uprights 
 carries nearly 600 wires. Figs. 23 and 23A show the plan of a 
 
 50x5C 
 
 \ 
 
 FIG. 23A 
 
 smaller standard, erected on the locomotive shed at the Station du 
 Midi, Brussels, intended for an ultimate capacity of six arms and 
 sixty insulators. Fig. 24 is the top of a Liege standard, showing 
 the method of fixing the insulator bolts. The long bolts on the 
 
Belgium 
 
 upper arm are for large 
 double-shed insulators 
 carrying trunk wires. 
 The top of a bolt is 
 wrapped tightly with 
 tow and the insulator 
 cup forced down upon 
 it : the resulting fixture 
 appearing everything 
 that can be desired. The 
 ornamental finials e are 
 in galvanised iron. Each 
 upright of a standard is 
 connected to earth by 
 an iron wire of 5 mm. 
 diameter. With earthed 
 single wires this is a 
 somewhat superfluous 
 precaution, but as me- 
 tallic circuits multiply 
 its utility will increase. 
 All zinc, lead, and other 
 metal about the roof is 
 put in connection with 
 the ground wire. No 
 accidents from lightning 
 are recorded in the ten 
 years of telephonic ex- 
 perience in Belgium, 
 although there have been 
 violent storms during 
 that period and many 
 buildings have been 
 struck. Single standards, 
 except when intended 
 to carry three or four 
 wires only, are usually of 
 lattice construction and 
 
 3C/D 
 
92 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 practically resemble the top portion 
 of the iron ground pole shown in 
 fig. 25, the junction with the roof 
 being as in fig. 22. It will be seen 
 that the Belgian standards are both 
 substantial and handsome. Their 
 first cost is doubtlessly higher than 
 tubes stuck into sockets and held 
 up by wire ropes, but then they 
 do not collapse under the various 
 misfortunes to which standards in 
 all countries are subject, and their 
 maintenance (unless they have to 
 be bodily shifted) is a bagatelle. 
 The ground poles, when of small 
 capacity, are usually of wood ; 
 when designed to carry many wires, 
 or when located where appearance 
 is an object, usually of iron lattice. 
 Fig. 25 shows a ground pole carrying 
 sixty wires, typical of the practice 
 in Liege, with its details. It is built 
 with two splices, the angle-iron of the 
 
 top section being 3~ * ^-, of the 
 
 SPLICING PLATES 
 
 middle 8 ->i- 80 , 
 
 and of the bottom 
 
 millimeters. The foot is 
 
 CONCRETE 
 
 IRON BASE PLATE ) 
 
 10 <ym THICK 
 HEIGHT Or POLE .95-14 FEET 
 2 METERS 
 
 o so 100 soo 
 
 FIG. 25 
 
 90 x 90 
 
 9 
 
 embedded in concrete. Such a pole 
 will stand on a sharp angle without 
 stays and without visible deflection. 
 Fig. 26 shows the plan, with details, 
 of a somewhat similar pole designed 
 to carry eight ten-wire arms. Such 
 poles, which are common along the 
 quays at Antwerp, at Namur, and 
 elsewhere, are 62 feet high and 
 
Belgium 
 
 93* 
 
 IRON BAR IN 
 ONE PIECE - 1 
 
 PLAN SIDE OF POLE 
 ABOVE B 
 
 
 DETAILS SIDE Of POLE. 
 ABOVE B 
 
 IRON BASE PLATE 
 
 PLAN AT GROUND LINE 
 
 r 
 
 HEIGHT OF POLE =101-7 FEET. 
 
 FIG. 26. Dimensions in meters. 
 
94 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 weigh a 
 eluding 
 
 I. 
 
 FIG. 27 
 
 little over four tons. They cost about r$d. per lb., in- 
 erection. There is one at Termonde which measures 
 in feet over all, of which 96*5 feet 
 are above ground : it carries fifty 
 wires and cost about i6o/. Ex- 
 '6 pensive as such structures appear 
 
 "* -- J T. as regards first cost, they arc, when 
 
 350. j kept properly painted, practically 
 
 -Dimensions in millimeters everlasting. 
 
 Wires are usually led into sub- 
 scribers' premises by open spurs dropped when possible at the 
 
 FIG. 28. Dimensions in millimeter' 
 
 backs, out of sight from the street. Fig. 27 shows a handy insu- 
 lator spike for this purpose. The insulator, which is fixed with 
 
Belgium 95 
 
 tow, stands at a convenient angle for receiving the drop wire. 
 Fig. 28 shows a neat bracket standard, useful for running a few 
 wires along walls or houses. There is a twelve-wire route of this 
 nature along the Fosse-aux- Loups, Brussels. 
 
 With one exception, that of Louvain, none of the exchange fix- 
 tures in Belgium offer novel points. The Brussels central standard, 
 soon to be superseded, has 3,000 wires already attached, with space 
 for 400 more. It is the original American erection, square, with 
 wooden uprights and arms. At Antwerp the fixture is built of 
 angle iron in the same way essentially as the ordinary standards. 
 At Antwerp the site of the central station was not too wisely 
 chosen, being adjacent to the great cathedral, which blocks it 
 entirely on one side. As a consequence, very heavy routes have 
 to be crowded on the old houses on either side of the cathedral. 
 An elevation of the handsome octagonal tower of the new com- 
 bined telegraph and telephone office at Louvain is given in fig. 
 29. Belgium has always been celebrated for its steeples ; now 
 here is a new variation of that architectural embellishment which, 
 in time to come, may share with the ecclesiastical variety the 
 admiration of antiquaries. The accommodation provided for 
 wires is far in excess of present requirements at Louvain, but 
 then the end is not yet. In Antwerp some immense lattice iron 
 arches were erected astraddle of some of the principal streets for 
 the purpose of supporting the conductors in connection with the 
 projected travelling balloon at the 1894 Exhibition. These have 
 since been acquired by the State for use as telephone wire supports. 
 As a general rule the outside work in Belgium is so well designed 
 and so thoroughly well executed that it is difficult to suggest 
 where there is room for improvement. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (TRUNK) 
 
 As far as supports are concerned there is nothing special about 
 the Belgian trunk work. The poles, away from the towns, are 
 generally creosoted wooden ones, sharpened at the tops and with- 
 out roofs. For the most part they are carried along the railways, 
 but where exposed to stone-throwing the insulators, which for 
 trunk work are large double-sheds, are of brown or slate-coloured 
 
2 METERS 
 
 50 
 
 100 
 
 200 
 
 FIG. 29 
 
FIG. 29 
 
98 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 porcelain, it having been found, as in this country, that dark or 
 dull insulators offer far less enticing targets than brilliant white. 
 With a few exceptions the Belgian trunks are telegraph wires made 
 up into metallic circuits with condensers and induction coils 
 on the well-known Van Rysselberghe system. Consequently the 
 lines are used simultaneously for telegrams and telephonic talk- 
 ing. The communications, nevertheless, appear quite satisfactory 
 the distances in Belgium are not of course great and free from 
 telegraphic noises. The author spoke perfectly between Brussels 
 and Ostend (76 miles) on wires which were at the same time 
 transmitting Hughes telegraph signals between London and 
 Brussels via the Dover-Ostend cable. It is, however, admitted 
 that slight faults on the wires, which would have no sensible effect 
 on a telephonic metallic circuit pure and simple, upset the balance 
 of resistance and capacity which it is absolutely necessary to 
 maintain in order to avoid telegraphic interference with the tele- 
 phoning ; and until such faults are removed the communications 
 suffer. Another weak point is the facility with which the con- 
 densers used are pierced by lightning, an occurrence which is 
 calculated to stop both telegraphing and telephoning. But, in 
 spite of these drawbacks, the Belgian engineers conduct practically 
 seven-tenths of the trunk work of the kingdom on the telegraph 
 wires with results that give satisfaction to the subscribers, and 
 which, according to the author's observations, are superior to those 
 obtained in some other countries not saddled with such compli- 
 cations. Unquestionably the Van Rysselberghe system has had a 
 stimulating effect on telephony in Belgium, for had the State been 
 compelled to face the cost of erecting special wires for telephonic 
 purposes at the outset, the linking up of the various towns would 
 have been seriously delayed. The Brussels-Paris trunks, three in 
 number, are exclusively telephonic and are composed on the 
 Belgian side of 3 mm. bronze wire of 95 per cent, conductivity. 
 The wires are revolved on the Moseley - Bottomley system 
 adopted by the British Post Office. The revolutions on the 
 Brussels-Paris lines are in Belgium made by aid of the fixtures 
 shown in fig. 30, the former effecting the vertical and the latter 
 the horizontal changes. Such fixtures require the tops of poles ; 
 consequently their definitive adoption would limit the number of 
 
Belgium 
 
 99 
 
 trunks to that of existing pole lines. As a fact, the three 
 Brussels-Paris trunks follow different routes for a considerable 
 portion of the way. If placed alongside each other on a cross- 
 arm and crossed every kilometer at the same places, all three 
 would have been got on the same poles and been equally effective. 
 
 
 
 
 d 1. 
 
 
 
 Mi 
 
 
 f 
 
 -K25 
 
 10 
 
 9 
 
 1" > 
 
 -5 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 \ 
 J - 
 
 *- 
 
 
 
 32 
 
 
 FIG. 30. Dimensions in millimeters. 
 
 As it is, the speaking between Brussels and Paris is practically 
 perfect. 
 
 The same twisting plan was originally employed on other 
 trunks, but has since been discontinued, the simple horizontal 
 crossing introduced by the author on the Dundee- Arbroath trunk 
 line in 1884 being found equally effective. The non-use of cross- 
 arms on telegraph poles in Belgium, as in other continental 
 
 H 2 
 
ioo TelepJione Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 countries, brings about curious complications whenever the sim- 
 plicity of the normal line has to be departed from. Fig. 31 
 shows the crossing, devised by M. Saboo, most in favour in 
 Belgium, and at the same time gives a good idea of a Belgian pole 
 and insulators. 
 
 There are eight trunks between Brussels and Antwerp, four of 
 which are exclusively telephonic. Brussels has three trunks to 
 Liege and two to Verviers, all on Van Rysselberghe's plan. Of the 
 
 FIG. 31 
 
 three trunks between Brussels and Ghent only one is exclusively 
 telephonic. The wire used for the Belgian trunks (excepting the 
 Brussels-Paris) is 2 mm. bronze of 95 per cent, conductivity. 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 
 
 Foremen receive from 6/. 8s. to 8/. per month, with an 
 allowance of is. 8^/. per day when working away from home. 
 
Belgium '- 101 
 
 Workmen commence as lads at is. tod. per day, j \yh^iijremp 
 to go on the roofs, they get 2s. per day, afterwards rising to 25. 2d. 
 and 2s. ^d. Assistant foremen get 2$. id. per day. All workmen 
 are allowed lod. per day when engaged away from home. In the 
 summer the men are supplied with cocoa, and in winter with 
 brandy, a pint to every ten men daily, gratis. They are expected 
 to make grog of the brandy, which, with the cocoa, is supplied 
 partly with the object of preventing the men drinking unboiled 
 water of bad quality. The hours are ten per day, less one hour for 
 dinner and half an hour for breakfast, making a working day of 
 eight and a half hours. Carpenters, masons, plumbers, and other 
 skilled workmen incidentally required receive 2s. 8</. per day. 
 
 PAYMENT OF OPERATORS 
 
 Girls are taken on at eighteen years of age and commence with 
 32$. per month, rising gradually to a maximum of 685-. per month. 
 On entry they have to pass an examination in common subjects. 
 The daily duty is from seven to eight hours. Night duty is 
 performed by men. 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 The continuous growth of the telephonic telegram traffic is 
 illustrated by the following figures : 
 
 Number of telegrams ; Number of telegrams 
 
 telephoned throughout telephoned throughout 
 
 Year Belgium Year Belgium 
 
 1887 ...... 469,823 1891 ...... 873,266 
 
 1888 ...... 587,383 1892 ...... 900,933 
 
 1889 ...... 691,098 1893 ...... 946,168 
 
 1890 ...... 800,269 1894 ...... 1,023,396* 
 
 * Estimated from August traffic. 
 
 The 1894 traffic means receipts for the Telegraph Department 
 amounting to at least 2o,ooo/., which the officials consider more 
 than balances any loss through trunk-line competition. As the 
 telegraph revenue continues to increase year by year, this view is 
 no doubt correct. 
 
Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 " L At c hkend ?f 1^94 the particulars of the areas, exchanges, and* 
 subscribers stood as follows : 
 
 Name of Area 
 
 Names of Exchanges 
 
 Number of 
 subscribers 
 
 Total 
 subscribers 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Ostend 
 
 119 
 
 
 
 Bruges 
 
 114 
 
 
 Le Littoral . 
 
 Blankenberghe 
 Heyst 
 
 18 
 6 
 
 - 269 
 
 
 Middelkerke 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 Nieuport 
 
 9 
 
 I 
 
 / Termonde 
 
 22 
 
 
 Termonde St. Nicholas Alost 
 
 21 
 
 , 
 
 Alost . . . . , St. Nicholas 
 
 14 
 
 64 
 
 1 Lokeren 
 
 7 
 
 . 
 
 rr> i ' Tournav 
 Tournaisis . 
 1 Peruwelz 
 
 1 02 
 
 ; -33 
 
 
 Land en 
 
 17 
 
 \ 
 
 
 Waremme 
 
 13 
 
 1 
 
 La Hesbaye 
 
 St. Trond 
 Tirlemont 
 
 25 
 
 22 
 
 \ "3 
 
 
 H annul 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 Hasselt 
 
 22 
 
 I 
 
 ( Brussels 
 
 2,474 
 
 ) 
 
 Brussels . . . J Hal 
 
 15 
 
 2,506 
 
 
 Vilvorde 
 
 17 
 
 ) 
 
 Antwerp .... 
 
 Antwerp 
 Boom 
 
 1,832 
 
 8 
 
 j- 1,840 
 
 Verviers Jerviers 
 
 i Spa 
 
 649 
 
 10 
 
 } 659 
 
 Louvain .... Louvain 
 
 129 
 
 129 
 
 Liege Liege 
 
 1,073 
 
 1,073 
 
 Charleroy .... Charleroy 
 
 328 
 
 328 
 
 Ghent Ghent 
 
 865 
 
 865 
 
 La Louviere ... La Louviere 
 
 
 5 1 
 
 Mons Mons 
 
 400 
 
 400 
 
 Total for State . . 31 exchanges 
 
 8,43 
 
 
 
 Still in hands of concessionaries at December 31, 1894 
 
 Courtray Roulers . . Courtray 
 
 74 
 
 
 
 Mechlin .... Mechlin 
 
 55 
 
 
 
 Namur .... Namur 
 
 198 
 
 
 
 Total for Kingdom 
 
 8,757 
 
 The growth of the internal trunk traffic has been as 
 follows : 
 
Belgium 103 
 
 1889 j 1890 j 1891 1892 i 1893 1894 
 
 Number of con- 
 versations . i 46,720 53,621 61,575 i 80,120 | 108,459 ! 131,189 150,436 
 ; Receipts in francs 49,489 56,344 65,172 i 88,399 ; 125,415 156,818 187,259 
 
 The lines carrying this traffic numbered and measured at 
 December 31, 1893 : Sixty-four metallic circuits, each made up 
 of two telegraph wires, measuring in total length 8,408 kilometers, 
 and worked by Van Rysselberghe's apparatus ; eleven ex- 
 clusively telephonic metallic circuits, measuring 1,124 kilometers 
 of wire. 
 
 The actual receipts by the State for the telegraph and telephone 
 services respectively for the five years 1889-93 were as follows : 
 
 Telegraph receipts Telephone receipts 
 
 Year (fiancs) (francs) 
 
 1889 3,463,267 136,359 
 
 1890 3,614,930 l8l,6l2 
 
 1891 3,721,805 242,971 
 
 1892 3,650,146 36,53 
 
 1893 3,684,068 1,845,010' 
 
 It will be observed that in 1891, the year of the greatest 
 development of the telephonic trunk lines, the number of trunk 
 talks increasing from 80,120 in 1890 to 108,459 in 1891, the 
 telegraph revenue was better than ever before. During 1892, 
 however, in face of 131,189 trunk talks and a trunk revenue of 
 156,818 francs, it dropped 71,659 francs. This reads a large sum 
 in francs, but reduced to English money it means only some 
 2,866/., a small matter for a State department, which was partly 
 made up by the increase of 1,2567. in the telephone trunk receipts. 
 In 1893 the telegraph had recovered to within 1,5097. of its 1891 
 figure, in face of an increase in the telephone trunk revenue of 
 1,2177. over 1892. In 1893 the telegraph receipts had decreased 
 1,5097., and the telephone trunk receipts increased 2,4737. over 
 1891, while the telegraph had resumed its upward course. It 
 must be concluded therefore that the new service had in 1893 
 drawn 187,259 francs (7,4907.) from the pockets of the Belgian 
 people without sensibly affecting the old one. 
 
 1 The State acquired most of the companies' systems at the beginning of 1893. 
 
104 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 IV. BOSNIA-HERZOGOVINA 
 
 No telephone exchanges exist. So far, the telephone has been 
 employed exclusively for military purposes. 
 
V. BULGARIA 
 
 TELEPHONE exchange work is a Government monoply. All lines 
 are, and are to be in future, metallic circuits. The development 
 attained at date of writing (February 1895) is but modest, the 
 total number of subscribers in the country being only 151, of 
 which the capital, Sofia, possesses 90. The total length of local 
 lines is 47 J kilometers ; of trunk lines actually working, 160 
 kilometers ; and of trunk lines under construction, 330 kilometers. 
 For these lines silicium bronze of 3 mm. diameter is being used, 
 while the local connections are run with wire of the same kind, 
 but of 2 mm. diameter only. Sofia has also telephonic com- 
 munication with Philippopolis by means of the Van Rysselberghe 
 system fitted to ordinary telegraph wires. Switch-boards with 
 indicators and cords are used in the three exchanges open : these 
 have been supplied by Messrs. Jenisch Bohmer, Berlin ; M. 
 Hipp, Neuchatel (Switzerland) ; and Deckert and Homolka, 
 Vienna. It is obvious that the Bulgarians are making a good 
 beginning with metallic circuits and bronze wire everywhere, and 
 may be cordially wished success. 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED AND TARIFFS 
 
 i. Local exchange communication. For a subscriber located 
 within the town limits : 
 
 First year ......... 8/. 
 
 Subsequent years ....... 6/ 
 
 These rates are inclusive of installation, maintenance, and all 
 charges. 
 
io6 TelepJione Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 2. Internal trunk line communication. Time unit, five 
 minutes. Charge, any distance, 9-6^. Express or urgent 
 conversations are admitted at triple rates. 
 
 3. Public telephone stations. Time unit, five minutes. 
 
 LOCAL TALKS 
 
 Subscribers . . . . . . . . free 
 
 Non-subscribers ....... 4-8^. 
 
 Express talks, triple fee. 
 
 TRUNK TALKS 
 
 Subscribers and non-subscribers .... 9 -6d. 
 Express talks, triple fee. 
 
VI. DENMARK 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 Ix Denmark, as in Holland and Norway, and at first in Sweden, 
 telephonic development has been left in the hands of conces- 
 sionary companies and individuals, and to an even greater extent, 
 for it is only within the last two years that the Government 
 Telegraph Department has taken any part, directly or otherwise, 
 in telephone exchange work. The plan has been for munici- 
 palities and other local authorities to grant licences for the areas 
 under their control, and exchanges have been thereupon esta- 
 blished, usually with locally-subscribed capital. This system, open 
 as it doubtless is to the reproach of want of uniformity and 
 homogeneity, has had, wherever brought into use, a most bene- 
 ficial effect in stimulating telephonic development and in bringing 
 the new mode of communication within the reach of the masses. 
 It has placed Holland and the three Scandinavian countries 
 telephonically far in advance of Great Britain, where the alterna- 
 tive of doing without telephones at all is apparently preferred to 
 allowing the people any opportunity of acting for themselves, or 
 of breaking loose from the fetters forged, in the name of public 
 policy, by the Post Office. In Denmark, as a consequence, a 
 country not much larger than some of our English counties, there 
 exist and flourish that is to say, are worked at a profit some sixty- 
 six telephone exchanges, which means that not only every town, 
 but almost every townlet and village in the country, possesses one. 
 Copenhagen, the capital, a city with a population rather exceeding 
 that of Islington, boasts (November 1894) of 4,510 instruments in 
 connection with its exchange, and outside Copenhagen, in the same 
 
io8 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 small island of Zealand, there are 900 more. How many are 
 there in Islington? Possibly 100, although that is extremely 
 doubtful. 
 
 The International Bell Telephone Company commenced work 
 in Copenhagen in 1880, and held the ground without competi- 
 tion until the sale in 1882 of the system to a local association 
 called the Copenhagen Telephone Company, which, under the 
 able management of Mr. E. B. Petersen, has not only preserved 
 the monopoly, but has extended its system until the highly- 
 creditable development mentioned above has been reached. The 
 absence of competition has prevented the low rates enjoyed by 
 the subscribers in Stockholm and Christiania being attained, and 
 the handsome figure, redolent of telephonic clover, of 87. 6s. 8d. 
 per annum is still maintained in the Danish metropolis. It is 
 not, therefore, surprising to learn that the company maintains a 
 dividend of about 7 per cent, on its capital of ii2,ooo/., a capital 
 which has not only sufficed to construct the Copenhagen exchange, 
 but to cover Zealand with trunk lines too. And it must be 
 clearly understood that the rate of 87. 6s. %d. covers not only 
 communication within Copenhagen itself, but with every sub- 
 scriber in the island of Zealand, whether a member of the 
 Copenhagen company or any other. As Zealand measures some 
 eighty miles from north to south and sixty miles from east to 
 west, and contains some 900 subscribers outside the limits of 
 Copenhagen, the liberality of this arrangement is beyond question. 
 
 The geographical character of Denmark has not favoured the 
 erection of long-distance trunks. Within the three chief divisions, 
 Zealand, Funen, and Jutland, the country has long been well 
 telephoned, the local companies being left to construct what 
 trunks they chose free from Government interference. It was 
 not until the question of joining up the three divisions and of 
 making a connection with Sweden, works necessitating the use of 
 submarine cables, came to the front, that the State bestirred itself. 
 The Royal Telegraph Department then announced that it would 
 itself undertake the construction and maintenance of these through 
 main lines ; and accordingly it has recently established commu- 
 nication with Sweden by utilising an old telegraph cable, and 
 opened a line to Funen, which is to be extended as soon as 
 
Denmark 109 
 
 practicable to Jutland, and eventually thence to Hamburg. For 
 the purposes of these trunks the Government has established a 
 small switch-room at the Central Telegraph Office in Copenhagen, 
 but, with the exception of one public station, there are no other 
 connections to it, the company's subscribers supplying the neces- 
 sary customers. To enable them to make the best use of the 
 trunks, those subscribers who are willing to pay 2/. 15^. ^d. down, 
 a first and last payment, are being supplied with metallic circuits. 
 The company, being gifted with the faculty of rightly interpreting 
 the signs of the times, intend to gradually convert the whole of 
 its system to 'double wires, and all new work and alterations are 
 designed accordingly, especially its grand new central station at 
 Copenhagen, which is being fitted throughout for metallic circuits. 
 Underground work has already been undertaken in Copenhagen 
 on an extensive scale, and much more, with paper insulation and 
 twisted pairs, is in contemplation. Altogether, Denmark may be 
 complimented on being a practical, advancing, and exemplar} 7 mem- 
 ber of the telephonic family, and one which may be safely trusted 
 to look after its own interests, both technically and financially. 
 
 Although comparatively high rates prevail in the capital, the 
 provincial towns enjoy subscriptions which range from i/. iSs. 8^. 
 to 4/. Ss. iid. per annum. As in Norway, the subscribers some- 
 times supply or pay for their instruments, but in the majority of 
 cases the subscription is an inclusive one. There are some fifty 
 independent companies in Denmark, all, or nearly so, having 
 rules which differ in some or other respect from those of their 
 neighbours. An exhaustive account of these small concerns 
 would be equally tedious and unprofitable, but, thanks to the 
 courtesy of the managers of some of them, the author is enabled 
 to present herewith a tabulated statement in which their chief 
 characteristics are set down. It will be noticed that the sub- 
 scriptions rule higher than in Norway, but that, on the other hand, 
 the members are seldom called upon for any supplementary 
 payments, while the distances over which they are entitled to 
 speak are often considerable. The full accounts for 1893 of the 
 Aarhus Telephone Company, which afford an insight into the 
 methods prevalent in Denmark generally, are printed at the end 
 of this section. 
 
STATISTICS OF SOME PROVINCIAL DANISH EXCHANGES 
 
 J 
 
 v- be 
 
 ITS 2 
 
 2| 
 
 Jt M 
 ~l! ; %i 
 
 i 
 
 TOWN 
 
 H'c 
 
 11 
 
 J5 V 
 i'S 
 
 || 
 
 || |j| 
 
 III 
 
 OH 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (S*9| G* 
 
 a 
 
 Aalborg . . 19,500 
 
 April, 
 
 1884 
 
 | 
 
 Syndicate i Central, 
 of three 7 Branch 
 
 394 
 
 No No 
 
 3/. i2j. zd. 
 
 
 
 members 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 Aarhus(a) . . 33,000 
 
 ! 
 
 July, 
 
 1883 
 
 Company 
 
 i Central, 
 9 Branch 
 
 500 
 
 No No 4/. 3-r. $d. for 
 town ; 
 5/. i6s. jd. 
 whole district 
 
 Esbjerg . 1,529 Sept., 
 
 I' 885 
 
 Syndicate 3, Esbjerg, 
 of four Kibe, Fano 
 members 
 
 220 
 
 No 1 Yes 
 
 Esbjerg, 
 2/. 15^. "jd. ; 
 Ribe, Fano, 
 
 Fredericia . . 10,042 Dec., 
 
 Company i 
 
 116 
 
 No : No 
 
 3 3>. I ; sif 
 
 
 1889 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Frederikshavn . 2,891 
 
 Jan., 
 1885 
 
 Hjorring 
 County 
 Telephone 
 
 i Central, 
 7 Branch 
 
 218 
 
 No , No 
 
 Town, 
 2/. 155. jd. ; 
 whole county, 
 
 Hillerod . Jan., 
 
 Company 
 Mr.T. 
 
 i Central, 
 
 1 02 
 
 No In towns, 
 
 &&?8& 
 
 1889 
 
 Schaffer 
 
 5 Branch 
 
 
 no ; in 
 
 locally ;' 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 country, yes 
 
 8/. 6s. &d. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 whole of Zea- 
 
 
 
 
 
 land 
 
 Horsens . . 12,654 Jan., 
 
 Company , i 
 
 203 
 
 No No 
 
 
 1885 
 
 
 
 
 
 Korsor . Jan., 
 
 Company i 
 
 9 6 
 
 No , No 
 
 i/. i8s. 8d. 
 
 1895 
 
 
 
 
 
 | 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Middelfart . July, 
 
 Company i Central, 
 
 4 
 
 No Yes 
 
 
 1885 
 
 
 2 Branch 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 Odense . . 30,268 March, 
 1884 
 
 Company i Central, 
 ; 12 Branch 
 
 500 
 
 No No 
 
 Town, 
 4/. ay. -i-id. ; 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 suburbs, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5/. n^. ~id. 
 
 Randers (l>) . 16,617 Nov., 
 
 Company i Central, 
 
 345 
 
 No No 
 
 
 i 1883 
 
 i 14 Branch 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Ringkjobing . Oct., 
 
 Company 7 
 
 112 
 
 No No 
 
 2/. 155. "jd. 
 
 1890 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Skive ... i Feb., 
 ' 1888 
 
 Co-operative 
 Company 
 
 i Central, 
 i Branch 
 
 103 
 
 No No 
 
 3t. ,,.<. id. 
 
 Soro and Ringsted ' 1887 Mr. Charles 
 Heidemann 
 
 2 
 
 -.3 
 
 No No 
 
 3' ' 
 
 (a) See full accounts for 1893 at end of this section. (b) Multiple switc 
 
 Central. Town wires, 1*5 mm. bronze ; country wires, 2 mm. steel. 
 
 h- board at 
 
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1894 
 
 Distance' of 
 radius to 
 which sub- 
 scription ap- 
 plies 
 
 ii PI 
 
 -3 r-< 
 
 annual 
 revenue 
 Annual amount 
 of working ex- 
 penses and 
 maintenance 
 
 1 i* ' 2.1i 
 
 0) ^ tj O 
 
 1 - 1 1 = s 
 
 Description of 
 instrument 
 used by 
 subscribers 
 
 
 
 
 
 > 
 
 
 
 S 2 
 
 14 hours 00 i 
 
 ,420 (c) 
 
 1 2 per cent. (c) ioo,ooc 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 kilometers 
 
 summer ; 13 
 
 
 on the 
 
 
 
 winter 
 
 
 subscribed 
 
 
 
 
 
 capital 
 
 
 About 20 
 kilometers 
 
 Day and 8,241 2,307 Not yet 
 night ascer- 
 
 Not yet Reserve fund 
 ascer- and share- 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 
 
 tained 
 
 tained for holders 
 
 
 
 
 for 1894 
 
 1894 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 About 9 
 
 7 till 9 ' 3,309 
 
 658 275 
 
 383 Shareholders 30,000 Battery 
 
 kilometers 
 
 summer ; 8 i 
 
 
 
 calls 
 
 
 till 9 winter 
 
 
 
 
 15 miles to 
 
 8 till 8 1,318 
 
 302 152 
 
 150 6 per cent, on 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 Veile ; 4 miles 
 
 
 
 capital to 
 
 
 to Middelfart, 
 
 
 
 shareholders ; 
 
 
 through a sub- 
 
 
 
 rest to reserve 
 
 
 marine cable 
 
 
 
 
 
 Towns and 
 
 7 till 9 3,57i 
 
 879 549 
 
 ^30 Half to share- 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 county re- 
 
 summer ; 8 
 
 
 holders, half 
 
 
 spectively 
 
 till 9 winter 
 
 
 to reserve 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 About 20 
 
 (d) 2,200 
 
 594 (<0 
 
 00 00 00 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 kilometers 
 
 
 
 
 
 Town and 
 
 Not stated 2,047 
 
 659 385 
 
 274 Half to share- 1^,000 Magnetos 
 
 vicinity 
 
 
 
 holders, half 
 
 
 
 
 
 to reserve 
 
 
 Town and 
 
 12 hours (e) 
 
 00 00 
 
 00 To be divided 
 
 Battery 
 
 vicinity 
 
 
 
 between share- 
 
 calls 
 
 
 
 
 holders, sub- 
 
 
 
 
 
 scribers, and 
 
 
 
 
 
 reserve fund, 
 
 
 
 
 
 according to 
 
 
 
 
 
 fixed rules 
 
 
 Not stated ; 
 
 8 till 8 1,099 
 
 176 99 
 
 77 Divided be- 4,500 Battery 
 
 submarine 
 
 
 
 tween share- 
 
 calls 
 
 cable to 
 
 
 
 holders, re- 
 
 
 Fredericia 
 
 
 
 serve, and em- 
 
 
 
 j 
 
 
 ployees' fund 
 
 
 30 
 
 8 till 10 5,aoo 
 
 r,757 879 
 
 878 to sharehol- 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 kilometers 
 
 j 
 
 
 ders ; J to re- 
 
 
 
 
 
 serve ; j to em- 
 
 
 
 
 
 ployees' fund 
 
 
 About 20 
 
 Day and 5,824 
 
 988 430 
 
 538 6 per cent, to 
 
 Ericsson's 
 
 kilometers 
 
 night 
 
 
 shareholders ; 
 
 magnetos 
 
 
 
 
 rest to reserve 
 
 
 22 Danish 
 
 14 hours . 1,819 
 
 385 186 
 
 199 6 per cent, to 9,000 Battery 
 
 miles 
 
 
 
 shareholders ; 
 
 calls 
 
 
 
 
 rest to reserve 
 
 
 8 miles 
 
 13 hours 1,540 
 
 439 181 
 
 258 Profit is used 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 for new works ; 
 
 
 
 
 
 paid-up capital 
 
 
 tirL - t r _ - 
 
 
 
 is only 3847. 
 
 
 
 Whole Scro ; 8 till 8 (/) 395 275 
 country 
 
 1,500 Magnetos 
 
 (c) Not given. 00 Not stated. (e) New company. (/) Not properly known : 
 
 present owner having bought a part of the system subsequent to its construction. 
 
112 TelepJwne Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED BY THE COPENHAGEN 
 TELEPHONE COMPANY 
 
 1. Intercourse between the subscribers and public telephone 
 stations for the same town or district. A Copenhagen subscriber 
 is entitled to free communication with every other subscriber in 
 the island of Zealand, even when the exchange of which this 
 latter is a member belongs to another company. This means that 
 Korsor (63 miles), Elsinore (34 miles), Slagelse (56 miles), 
 Naestved (57 miles), Praesto (53 miles), Kioge (25 miles), are all 
 covered by the Copenhagen subscription. Conversely, however, 
 subscribers in these and other Zealand towns (most of which are 
 in the hands of local concessionaries) must pay extra for the right 
 to originate communication with Copenhagen. Thus in Korsor, 
 Elsinore, Roskilde, Kioge, Soro, Slagelse, &c., there are three 
 tariffs in operation : (i) for local town communication only ; (2) 
 for communication within the limits of the same county (there 
 are five counties in Zealand) ; and (3) for communication with the 
 capital. The Copenhagen subscribers are at present, pending the 
 completion of the new central station, scattered amongst twelve 
 switch -rooms, four of which are in the town and eight in the 
 suburbs. The number of junction wires which connect these last 
 to the main offices is insufficient to always ensure getting through 
 without waiting, in consideration of which the subscribers whose 
 wires go to the suburban switch-rooms are charged only 5/. us. id. 
 per annum. Apart from having to wait their turn for the junction 
 wires, their privileges are on a par with those of the city subscribers. 
 The liberal policy of the Copenhagen Company receives another 
 demonstration in its treatment of subscribers changing offices or 
 residences, whose telephones are shifted gratis, 
 
 2. Internal trunk communication. This practically extends 
 from Copenhagen to every town and village in Zealand and in the 
 island of Funen. The exchanges in Jutland and in Laland are in 
 communication with each other locally. Funen is connected to 
 Zealand by a cable, twelve miles long, across the Great Belt, 
 between Korsor and Nyborg, which cable touches in passing at 
 the famous island and lighthouse of Sprogo. It is an old tele- 
 
Denmark 113 
 
 graph cable. As the Copenhagen local subscription covers the 
 use of the Zealand inter-town wires, the company has no trunk 
 revenue if certain express fees and charges for inserting provincial 
 subscribers' names in the Copenhagen list be excepted. As in 
 Norway, the cost of constructing and maintaining the trunks is 
 apportioned between the companies using them. The Govern- 
 ment has not interfered in any way, and has even granted way- 
 leave facilities freely when required. The Swedish and Norwegian 
 practice of booking talks over the trunks in advance is not per- 
 mitted in Denmark. 
 
 3. International trunk communication. The lines intended 
 for this purpose are constructed and maintained by the Govern- 
 ment. Communication is at present limited to Sweden, with the 
 southern portion of which Denmark has necessarily extensive 
 commercial relations. The distance being short (10^ miles) two 
 wires of an old four-wire telegraph cable, touching at the island of 
 Hveen, have been utilised with sufficiently satisfactory results, 
 communication between Copenhagen and Stockholm (375 miles) 
 being good enough for all purposes. That there is a fair demand 
 for the Swedish connection is evidenced by the fact that 100 
 Copenhagen subscribers have already paid 2/. 15^. ^d. and had 
 their lines converted to metallic circuits in order that they may 
 use it. The company has, with the same object, also provided 
 eight of the public stations with double wires. The long-distance 
 trunk connections are made through three metallic circuit junction 
 lines which join the telephone central to the State telegraph office. 
 It is the intention to follow up the connection of Zealand with 
 Funen (completed) and Jutland (constructing) by a line to Ham- 
 burg, which will be made up as follows : 
 
 Miles 
 Copenhagen to Korsor ...... 63 
 
 Korsb'r to Nyborg (cable) . . . . .12 
 
 Nyborg to Strib ....... 45 
 
 Strib to Fredericia (cable) ..... 2 
 
 Fredericia to Hamburg . . '. . . -155 
 
 277 
 
 4. Telephoning of telegrams. There are two distinct forms 
 of this service. Firstly, telegrams can be forwarded and received 
 
 i 
 
114 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 by the subscribers by means of wires connecting the telephone 
 exchange with the Government telegraph office. In this case 
 subscribers availing themselves of the facility have to enter into 
 an agreement direct with the State authorities regarding the pay- 
 ment of the charges accruing on their traffic. Secondly, the tele- 
 phone company undertakes the duty, for those who desire it, of 
 writing down messages dictated by their subscribers and sending 
 them by messenger to the nearest telegraph office, where they are 
 handed in and paid for, the charges being afterwards collected from 
 the senders. Similarly, subscribers can order the telegraph people 
 to deliver telegrams addressed to them at a telephone station, 
 whence they are telephoned. The second plan obviates any formal 
 agreement with the State, although it is necessarily less rapid. It 
 is noteworthy that the company exacts no deposits from its sub- 
 scribers to cover telegram and trunk charges and yet suffers no loss, 
 an experience which agrees with that of the author in Scotland 
 during 1885-1890. A simple undertaking to pay was then found 
 sufficient, and in no single instance led to loss. In Copenhagen 
 accounts for these extra charges are rendered monthly, but are 
 collectable oftener at the company's discretion. Copies of tele- 
 grams telephoned to subscribers are afterwards delivered by mes- 
 senger in the usual way. 
 
 5. Telephoning of messages for local delivery. With this 
 telephonogram service the Copenhagen Company scores a good 
 point. It amounts, in effect, to a twopenny ten -word telegram 
 rate for the city and a 3-3^. rate for the suburbs. The State tele- 
 graph department, although legally invested with a telegraphic 
 monopoly, has not interfered, and is apparently content to let the 
 company provide the citizens with a cheaper service than the de- 
 partment itself sees its way to. The company accepts written 
 messages addressed to non-subscribers at all its offices, switch- 
 rooms, and public stations, and transmits them by telephone to the 
 nearest points, delivering them thence by messenger. The sub- 
 scribers can likewise call the head office and telephone such 
 messages. The only restriction is in the matter of language, 
 Danish being obligatory, as the mass of the employees understands 
 no other. Still, it is to be apprehended that the Londoners or 
 Glaswegians would not absolutely refuse to use a twopenny 
 
Denmark 115 
 
 telegram service even though restricted to English. The traffic in 
 these twopenny telephonograms amounted in 1892 to 40,266 ; 
 in 1893 to 44,249 ; and in 1894 to 47,069. 
 
 6. Public telephone stations. These are numerous, and are 
 available for local and trunk talks, and for the transmission of both 
 long-distance and local telegrams. The company sells books con- 
 taining ten tickets, each of which entitles the presenter to a free 
 local talk at a public office, or from the premises of any subscriber 
 who may allow his instrument to be used. . Such a subscriber, on 
 sending the tickets he collects to the telephone office, is paid 
 '66d. on each by way of remunerating him for his trouble. A 
 subscriber may go in regularly for the public station business by 
 paying an additional subscription of 2/. 155. id. per annum, in 
 which case the company supplies him with a signboard and 
 allows him to keep all he can manage to take. There is another 
 arrangement, by which a person occupying suitable premises pays 
 only 2.1. 4s. $d. by way of annual subscription, and is charged by 
 the company 2d. for each talk had from his instrument. On 
 talks had by strangers he collects zd. and pays over to the company 
 only 1*33^. Automatic slot boxes (Schaffer's patent) are used in 
 about fifty public stations and give satisfaction. 
 
 7. Messenger service. As in some other countries, non-sub- 
 scribers are called to public stations to converse with subscribers 
 who want them. Nothing is charged for the service. The 
 company's messengers do not run ordinary errands or carry 
 parcels, there being a separate organisation (Adam & Co.) in 
 Copenhagen for this purpose. 
 
 TARIFFS 
 
 t .- 
 
 i. Rates for communication within Copenhagen and Zea- 
 land: 
 
 Per annum. 
 s. d 
 
 One instrument on a direct line to central exchange .868 
 For a second connection . . . . . .6134 
 
 One instrument on a direct line to a suburban ex- 
 change 5 n I 
 
 Extra instruments . . . . . . . I 7 10 
 
 I 2 
 
1 1 6 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 There is also an elaborate tariff for several instruments on the 
 same line. Contracts are for one year only. Subscriptions are 
 payable quarterly in advance. The difference of rate between the 
 central and suburban exchanges is due to the small number of 
 junction wires employed, which necessitates occasional waiting for 
 connections by the suburban subscribers. 
 
 The tariff covers connection in any part of the town or suburbs, 
 and includes the right to originate communication with any tele- 
 phone subscriber in Zealand. 
 
 2. Pates for Zealand and Funen trunk communications. 
 As the local rates cover the Zealand trunks, the company has no 
 trunk revenue except that derived from the express fees, there 
 being a rule that any subscriber who wants immediate connection 
 may speak out of his turn on payment of 4*6^. As the provincial 
 subscribers are entitled to be called up from Copenhagen, it is 
 important for them to have their names in the Copenhagen 
 Company's list, although they may themselves be members of a 
 local exchange owned by another association. For this service 
 the Copenhagen Company charges us. i\d. per annum per 
 insertion. To these two sources of income must be added the fees 
 4'6*/. per five minutes payable by strangers at public telephone 
 stations for talks to Zealand towns. The tariff for trunk talks to 
 Funen and Jutland has been fixed at is. i\d. and is. M. per three 
 minutes respectively, these charges going to the State. At date 
 of writing (February 1895) the Jutland line had not been com- 
 pleted. 
 
 3. Rates for international trunk communication : 
 
 s. d. 
 
 To Malmo i 8 
 
 ,, Stockholm . . . . . . . 2 2\ 
 
 ,, Gothenburg . . . . . . . 2 2\ 
 
 Time unit, 3 minutes. 
 
 4. Rates for the telephoning of telegrams : 
 
 When the message is telephoned direct between the sub- 
 scriber's office and the State telegraph office, in either 
 direction, per message ....... 2 -6d. 
 
 When dictated to the company's office for handing to the 
 State, or a message is received by the company from the 
 State to be telephoned, per word ..... 
 
Denmark 117 
 
 5. Rates for written messages accepted, telephoned, and 
 delivered by the company. Within the limits of Copenhagen : 
 a first charge of *66^., with '133^. per word ; minimum charge, 
 
 Within the suburbs : a first charge of '66</., with '266d. per 
 word ; minimum charge, 3'3^/. 
 
 A town telephonogram containing ten words therefore costs 
 66 + -133 x 10= 1-99^ 
 
 And a suburban, '66 + '266 x 10 = 3-32^. 
 
 Subscribers may telephone similar messages from their own 
 offices at the same rates. Accounts for these are rendered 
 monthly ; no deposits. 
 
 Were it not for the Spanish rate for a corresponding service in 
 Madrid, &c. (Spanish section, p. 329), of i'g2d. for twenty words, 
 the country of the Dane would have been fairly entitled to a 
 record in this matter. 
 
 6. Rates levied at public telephone stations : 
 
 s. d. 
 Five minutes' local talk . . . . . . .002 
 
 Five minutes' talk with any town in Zealand connected 
 
 by trunk . . . . . . . .00 4-6 
 
 Books containing ten 2d. tickets are sold for . . . o I i^ 
 Annual rate, covering free use of all public stations for 
 
 local talks ........ 245 
 
 The police are entitled to use the public stations gratis. 
 
 Subscribers are allowed to use a number of the public stations 
 without charge. These free stations include the Bourse, where 
 there are eight sound-proof compartments containing instruments, 
 and the Custom House, where there are three instruments. At 
 these last two stations messengers are kept who fetch (without 
 charge) non-subscribers wanted by subscribers to the instruments. 
 From eight of the public stations the international line to Sweden 
 may be used at the usual rates (p. 116). 
 
 7. Messenger service. This is performed by the company 
 gratis. 
 
1 1 8 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 
 
 The author is not aware whether Denmark is one of those 
 fabled regions, about which partisans wax eloquent whenever any- 
 body complains of high rates, wherein way-leave grantors are sup- 
 posed to cease from troubling and monopolists enjoy halcyonian 
 rest. If so, he is sorry to dispel the illusion once more. None 
 of the Danish companies possess any way-leave rights other than 
 they bargain and arrange for. In Copenhagen especially (and 
 this city is certainly one of the worst on the Continent in this 
 respect) overhouse way-leaves are difficult, and in some quarters 
 even impossible, to procure. For a standard of any size a free 
 telephone has generally to be given. So thorny grew the 
 company's path that, at a very early date, it obtained a concession 
 from the municipality permitting the laying of wires under the 
 streets, a privilege for which 3887. per annum is at present paid, 
 a tribute which is liable to be revised i.e. increased every five 
 years. The country authorities have, however, been easy-going 
 in respect to the roads, since permissions to erect the trunk line 
 poles have generally been accorded at reasonable rates. The 
 Government, too, although owning the railways and telegraphs, has 
 not played the dog-in-the-manger, and has lent the companies a 
 helping hand where difficulties, otherwise insurmountable, have 
 presented themselves. 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 
 
 At the present central station the switch-board is an ordinary 
 -Western Electric single-wire double-cord series multiple ; at the 
 branches Gilliland boards are still employed. The test, lightning- 
 guard and cross-connecting boards are neatly arranged round the 
 interior walls of small rooms or cupolas. The number of con- 
 nections asked for by each subscriber daily averages eleven, is 
 frequently twelve, and sometimes as high as fourteen. The operators 
 attend to from 50 to 100 lines each. Called subscribers are rung 
 by the operators. For this purpose a magneto generator, driven 
 
Denmark 119 
 
 by an electro-motor supplied with current from the municipal 
 lighting mains, is employed. But the present arrangements are to 
 vanish in a few months, as soon as the company's new building is 
 ready. In May 1893 Messrs. Ericsson & Co., of Stockholm, 
 delivered a sample single-cord, parallel-jack board, manufactured 
 to the designs of Mr. J. L. W. V. Jensen, the Copenhagen Tele- 
 phone Company's chief engineer, which was put into use for the 
 trunk and other metallic circuits converging at the present central 
 station, and being found entirely satisfactory, an order was placed 
 with Messrs. Ericsson for a complete installation on the same plan 
 for (ultimate capacity) 10,200 subscribers' metallic circuits and 
 480 trunks and junctions for the new central station. The board, 
 which is equipped at present for 6,240 lines only, has been 
 delivered, and is only waiting the completion of the switch-room. 
 It presents several new features, and will be clearly understood 
 with the help of fig. 32. The main idea has been to keep only 
 one indicator in shunt across the metallic loop when two sub- 
 scribers are coupled, and this has been effected by the combined aid 
 of the jacks, the plugs, and of the special relays sr. / { and / 2 are 
 the subscribers' two lines through the multiple system ; / the test 
 wire. j*j >ni show jacks at different boards, _/" at the subscriber's 
 own board, j shows a jack with a plug inserted, causing the line 
 springs s l and s. 2 to make contact with the head and tube of the 
 plug respectively, while the test spring ts is insulated from the jack 
 and thrown into connection with the testing battery, which, in the 
 manner explained below, cuts out the subscriber's drop, //is the 
 intermediate field, sd is the subscriber's drop, also acting as a 
 ring-off drop, having a very high self-induction, sr is the sub- 
 scriber's relay, which cuts out the sd when a plug is inserted in 
 one of the jacksy'V 11 . The relay and drop are shown separate ; 
 if preferred, they may be combined. Although the armature of 
 sr is shown inserted in one of the branching wires to the drop, 
 and thus leaves the drop coils connected to one side only of the 
 loop when a connection is on, it could as easily have been placed 
 midways if the wire on the drop-magnet had been wound in two 
 halves. Experience shows, however, there is no advantage in 
 doing so, because the exceedingly small capacity of the drop does 
 not perceptibly disturb the balance of the metallic circuit, sp is 
 
I2O Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 the subscriber's plug with flexible cord ; /j and p* are the head 
 and tube of the plug respectively, pc is the subscriber's plug 
 contact, cutting out the relay sr, when the plug sp is removed, 
 and at the same moment joining the battery to the test wire /, so 
 causing the subscriber to test ' busy.' sk is the line key. When 
 this is pressed down, the operator's telephone apparatus is cut in 
 between /j and / 2 . sk and sp are for convenience placed in close 
 proximity. The operator's apparatus consists of kp and >/, keys 
 for speaking to plug or to line respectively. These keys are not 
 used under normal conditions, and only when it is necessary to 
 speak to one side, insulating at the same time the other side, cp 
 and cl are calling keys for effecting the ringing to plug or to line 
 respectively. When one is depressed, it is at the same time 
 possible to speak to the other side. Under normal conditions 
 only cp is used, g is the generator for the ringing current. / and 
 mb the microphone and telephone combined into a microtelephone 
 set, suspended and balanced by a counterpoise. The apparatus 
 is connected by a flexible cord to a four-way plug and jack (only 
 shown in the figure by dots), so that a new microtelephone set 
 may be immediately inserted, me is the microphone battery 
 contact, and tc the test contact, giving a road to earth through a 
 self-induction coil (not shown in the diagram) for the test current 
 when this has passed the telephone. These contacts, me and tc t 
 may be left out if another four-way plug, connected to a second 
 microtelephone set without such contacts, or to a head telephone 
 and microphone, be inserted. The connecting wire between tc 
 and ground might then be connected to a wire in the telephone 
 between the magnet spools, the test current going in this 
 manner through only one of the coils, which is quite sufficient for 
 the testing. 
 
 The mode of operating is as follows : When sd falls, sk is 
 depressed and sp lifted by practically the same movement with the 
 right hand, while the number of the wanted subscriber is received 
 through the telephone. After testing by touching the jack of the 
 line called for with the plug head and pressing at the same time 
 tc with the left hand, the plug is inserted in the jack and cp is 
 depressed for calling. When the connection is through, sk is 
 released and sd replaced. When sd falls again, in response to 
 
FIG. 3* 
 
 FIG. 33 
 
122 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 the ring-off, sp is pulled out, and sd replaced. This practically 
 means eight motions for each connection, viz. : 
 
 1. Depresses line key and lifts plug. 
 
 2. Tests. 
 
 3. Plugs in. 
 
 4. Depresses calling key. 
 
 5. Releases line key. 
 
 6. Replaces indicator shutter (through). 
 
 7. Plugs out. 
 
 8. Replaces indicator shutter. 
 
 Twenty-six sections, each of 240 subscribers' metallic circuits, 
 are to be fitted. Each section has space for three operators, and 
 may be served by one, two> or three girls as required. Each 
 operator's calling key cp is connected with a counting machine, 
 so that the number of connections attempted to be got through 
 may be registered. By allowing a percentage determined by 
 experience for non-replies and repeated rings, a good idea of the 
 volume of passing traffic is deducible. In the circuit between 
 the generator and each operator's calling key an optical and 
 acoustic signal is inserted which gives warning if anything is 
 wrong with the generator or calling circuit, as well as notice of a 
 disconnection on the subscriber's loop over which it is attempted 
 to ring. Each operator has within reach several pairs of double 
 cords and keys, arranged according to fig. 33, which enable her 
 to help her neighbours if necessary. The microphone, testing 
 and relay local circuit current will be supplied by accumulators, 
 and the present arrangements for ringing from generators driven 
 off the electric lighting mains will be maintained. 
 
 The arrangements for the local and trunk inter- switching a 
 very important matter in Copenhagen have not yet been finally 
 matured. 
 
 Fig. 33 shows Mr. Jensen's adaptation of his idea to a 
 double-cord parallel multiple board. Ij is the local jack ; cl.d the 
 ring-off drop \p\ and / 2 tne pl u s > & the nne switch ; k { and / 2 > 
 ck\ and ck^ keys for speaking and ringing to either side. Nor- 
 mally, when /, is used as answering plug, only k and ck^ are 
 brought into play. 
 
 Mr. Jensen has further modified his system to act with self- 
 
Denmark 
 
 123 
 
 restoring drops. Fig. 34 shows the alterations made on the 
 fig. 33 arrangement in order to bring this about, sd is the self- 
 restoring drop and cutting-out relay combined in one piece, while 
 cl.d is the self-restoring ring-off drop without a relay. 
 
 FIG. 34 
 
 Pending the introduction of the metallic circuits, the sub- 
 scribers are connected to the Zealand trunks through translators 
 of the author's construction, manufactured by Messrs. L. M. 
 Ericsson, of Stockholm. 
 
124 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 
 
 The Copenhagen central station is open day and night ; the 
 suburban ones from 6 or 8 A.M. till 8 or 10 P.M., which are also 
 about the hours of the provincial exchanges. 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 
 
 Magneto ringers are employed, the instruments now put in 
 being made by the Great Northern Telegraph Company of 
 Copenhagen. Transmitters and double-pole receivers of Ericsson's 
 make are now exclusively used. A good many of the older sets 
 are by the Bell Manufacturing Company, Antwerp, and the 
 Norske Elektrisk Bureau, Christiania. A peculiarity is the use of 
 the Lorentz induction coil for the transmitters. It consists of a 
 ring, three inches in outside diameter, of soft-iron wire, on which 
 is wound a primary of "36 of an ohm and a secondary of 360 
 ohms resistance, the whole enclosed in a radially and closely- 
 wound layer of soft-iron wire of 9 mm. section. It is stated to 
 yield better results than the ordinary coil. Certainly the speaking 
 in Copenhagen is very good. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 
 
 The wire used locally is 1*25 mm. bronze, supported on small 
 double-shed porcelain insulators. There are still, however, some 
 single-shed glass insulators, relics of the International Bell Tele- 
 phone Company, in use. The Macintyre tube joint (fig. 99, 
 Norwegian section) is employed, and is said, on the faith of many 
 years' experience, to be quite satisfactory. When well made, the 
 resistance of this joint is no more than that of the unjointed wire ; 
 the twisting brings the metal in contact at many points, and the 
 copper sheathing apparently is quite efficient in protecting these 
 points of contact from the weather, so that the metal remains un- 
 corroded and even bright after prolonged exposure of the joint. 
 Mechanically, the joint is stronger than the wire. Solder could 
 not produce better results than these, and the elimination of 
 the soldering bolt in any form is a decided gain. Of course the 
 
125 
 
126' Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 joint to be effective must be well made, but so must soldered 
 ones. There are no single standards in Copenhagen, all having 
 two or more uprights. They are built of channel and angle iron ; 
 are well stayed, and generally strong and well constructed. Fig. 35 
 shows a typical Danish standard with its details. All house- 
 top fixtures are protected from lightning by a conductor and 
 special earth-plate. The pole routes are substantially built, and 
 many of the ground poles erected within the city limits are of 
 highly ornamental design. In this respect it is strange how far 
 the Danes, in common with most continental peoples, are in 
 advance of us. In Great Britain the mere mention of a telegraph 
 pole conjures up visions of something offensive, both to the eye 
 and the nose ; in many cities on the Continent, on the contrary, 
 such a structure evokes no disagreeable feeling because, by 
 means of a graceful outline and regularly-renewed paint, it is 
 made to harmonise with its surroundings. It appears, when so 
 treated, to drop into its natural place, and nobody thinks of 
 objecting to it any more than to a lamp-post. To find anything 
 more obtrusively ugly than a British telegraph pole, it is necessary 
 to view a French railway telegraph or cross the Atlantic to the 
 dominions of Uncle Sam. The present central station fixture is 
 the original wooden one of American design. It will be replaced 
 on the new building by an iron tower with attachments for 4,000 
 wires. An important feature of the Copenhagen system is the 
 underground work. By virtue of its agreement with the muni- 
 cipality, for which it pays 388/. per annum, the company is 
 allowed, under supervision, to open the streets and put down 
 conduits and cables. The original conduits consist of cement 
 troughs of rectangular section, covered with an arched lid which 
 fits, and is cemented, into grooves formed along the tops of the 
 trough walls. The custom has been, when additions or repairs 
 are necessary, to open the ground, remove the lid section by 
 section, lay in the cable, replace the lid, and make good the 
 ground. This plan, although it permits of the cables being laid 
 neatly in the trough without friction or chafing, necessitates long 
 lengths of open trench and frequent disturbance of the streets. 
 On these grounds the municipal authorities have objected, and in 
 future the conduits will be permanently buried, and the cables 
 
Denmark 127 
 
 drawn in. The conduits now being laid have an ultimate capacity 
 of 8,000 metallic circuits, and consist partly of cement blocks, 
 with ducts for the cables, and partly of small iron tubes stacked 
 together, the object being in each case to provide a separate 
 channel for each cable, an object which cannot be too strongly 
 commended. The cables, which in the centre of the town convey 
 nearly one-third of the total number of subscribers, have hitherto 
 been chiefly of the ' anti-induction ' type, i.e. the single wires are 
 insulated with india-rubber and sheathed with metal foil joined 
 to earth ; but in connection with the new exchange the cables 
 will be all paper-insulated, with conductors of '8 mm. copper, 
 and a capacity of '05 microfarad per kilometer, the wires being 
 laid up in twisted pairs. There are a few aerial cables, each con- 
 taining fifty-two twisted pairs of copper conductors, '8 mm. copper, 
 insulated with paper, capacity '05 microfarad per kilometer, pro- 
 tected by lead, and hung from stranded steel suspenders. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (TRUNK) 
 
 The trunk lines which radiate from Copenhagen to every 
 town and village of Zealand are mostly metallic circuits built of 
 2 mm. hard-drawn copper, the wires being crossed at intervals to 
 counteract induction. The poles are wood, and the insulators 
 double-shed ; as a rule, the routes, which follow the country roads, 
 are both substantial and neat. The Government line to Sweden, 
 via Vedbok, is of 3 mm. high conductivity bronze wire, twisted 
 on the Moseley-Bottomley plan. On the Swedish side the con- 
 struction is with 3 mm. hard copper, the two sections being 
 joined by an old four-line telegraph cable with parallel wires. The 
 Danish section of the projected line to Hamburg is to be of 
 4 mm. high conductivity bronze with twisted wires, but the 
 twelve-mile submarine section between Zealand and Funen will in 
 this instance also be an old telegraph cable. 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 
 
 The foremen receive 8/. 6s. 8</. per month ; skilled wiremen 
 4*. 5^., and labourers 3$. 4^. per day, hours being from 7 A.M. till 
 
1 28 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 7 P.M. in summer, with one and a half hours for meals ; in the 
 winter the men work only from daylight to sunset, but their pay is 
 not reduced. 
 
 PAYMENT OF OPERATORS 
 
 Girls are taken between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four 
 only. After a month or two of probation and a successful 
 examination in common subjects, they begin with 22.$-. \d. per 
 month, with four hours per day duty. The next step is to 385-. %d. 
 per month, with six hours' daily duty. The maximum to an 
 ordinary operator, attained after five years' service, is 555-. ;</. per 
 month. The day's duty never exceeds six hours. Night and 
 Sunday duty, for which extra payment is given, is performed by 
 the girls. The chief operators, of course, receive better pay still, 
 but it is subject to no rules. 
 
 STATISTICS, &c. 
 
 ACCOUNTS OF THE AARHUS TELEPHONE COMPANY FOR 1893 
 
 i krone 
 
 i/. = kr.i8-2 
 
 Cr. 
 
 Working Account 2)r, 
 
 
 Kr. Ore Kr. Ore 
 
 Town subscribers' rentals 
 Suburban ,, ,, 
 Country ,, ,, 
 Corporation ,, ,, 
 Subscriptions for suburban 
 lines . . . 
 
 24,001 43 Manager's salary . 
 1,448 76 Wages, lady operators . 
 8,470 26 Bookkeeping and audit 
 1,381 oo Messengers' wages 
 Firing and light . 
 2,639 46 Rates, and repairs to pro 
 
 800 oo 
 
 4.9 06 75 
 400 oo 
 
 222 76 
 
 492 60 
 
 Talks over suburban lines 
 
 810 oo perty. 
 
 157 22 
 
 Night talks . 
 
 334 oo .Fire insurance 
 
 182 oo 
 
 Interest on bank balance 
 
 29 38 
 
 Contribution to the Jutlam 
 
 
 
 
 United Telephone Societ] 
 Cleaning, travelling ex 
 
 102 50 
 
 
 / 
 
 penses, advertisements 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 printing, books, postage 
 
 393 58 
 
 
 
 Interest on mortgage . 
 
 776 25 
 
 X 
 
 
 Other interest 
 
 363 90 
 
 
 
 Superintendence at the 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 following branch stations 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 Hammel. Haselager 
 
 
 
 
 Morke, Ronde, Tranbjerg 
 
 
 
 
 Vrinders . 
 
 822 08 
 
 
 
 Repairs to town lines . 
 
 4,129 73 
 
 s 
 
 
 ,, suburban lines 
 
 4,312 IQ 
 
 / 
 
 
 Reserve for reconstruction of 
 
 / 
 
 
 various country lines . 1,500 oo 
 
 
 
 Balance, being net revenue . 19,552 73 
 
 Kr. 39,114 29 
 
 Kr. 
 
 39,114 29 
 
Gr. 
 
 Balance from last year . 
 Balance from Working Ac- 
 count as above 
 
 Denmark 
 
 Profit and Loss Account 
 
 Kr. Ore 
 
 368 14 
 
 19,552 73 
 
 Kr. 19,920 87 
 
 Value of the com- 
 pany's telephone 
 system at Jan. i, Kr. Ore 
 1893 . . . 72,298*99 
 
 New lines in 1893 9,599-86 
 
 Kr. 81,898-85 
 
 10 per cent, written off in 
 accordance with bye-laws 
 
 Written off the company's 
 building, standing at 
 Kr. 29,36s '86 in the books 
 
 Written off furniture and 
 fixtures .... 
 
 Commission to the manager, 
 5 per cent, on Kr. 11,302-84 
 
 Directors' fees, 6 per cent, 
 on same amount 
 
 Dividend to shareholders, 
 5 per cent, on Kr. 60,000= 
 Kr. 3.000, to which is added 
 Kr. 3,000 under Bye-law 14 
 
 Placed to reserve fund under 
 Bye-law 14 
 
 Balance to next year . 
 
 I2 9 
 
 Kr. Ore 
 
 60 oo 
 
 565 
 678 
 
 1 6 
 
 6,000 oo 
 
 3,ooo oo 
 427 68 
 
 Kr. 19,920 87 
 
 BALANCE SHEET 
 
 Assets 
 
 Kr. Ore 
 
 Liabilities 
 
 Kr. Ore 
 
 Construction account 
 
 73,7o8 96 
 
 : Capital 
 
 60,000 oo 
 
 Building ,, 
 Stores ,, 
 
 28,365 86 
 7,824 14 
 
 Mortgages . 
 Loan from Aarhus Privat 
 
 16,500 oo 
 
 Aarhus Private Bank 
 
 102 97 
 
 Bank 
 
 10,000 CO 
 
 Sundry debtors . 
 Fixture account . 
 Cash in hand 
 
 1,977 66 
 500 oo 
 629 72 
 
 Sundry creditors . 
 Profit and Loss Account 
 Reserve fund ,, 
 
 9,148 94 
 6,000 oo 
 
 9,532 69 
 
 
 ^ -~ 
 
 Repairs ,, 
 
 1,500 oo 
 
 - 
 
 - "~ 
 
 Balance from Profit and Los 
 
 
 
 
 Account to next year 
 
 427 63 
 
 Kr. 113,109 31 
 
 Kr. 113,109 31 
 
 AARHUS: December 31, 1893. 
 
 [Signed] OTTO MONSTEA, Kjen. 
 
 JOH. BAUME, Springborg. 
 
 The undersigned, auditor, has examined the books and accounts of the 
 company, and has no remarks to make. 
 
 J. H. FRANK. 
 AARHUS : February 20, 1894. 
 
 NOTE. Since going to press, the accounts for 1894 have been received. 
 They show an amount available for dividend of Kr. 7,200 ; Kr. 2,700 carried 
 to reserve, and Kr. 399-55 to 1895. The value of the system at January I, 
 1895, wa s Kr. 90,828-80. 
 

 1 30 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 VII. FINLAND 
 
 LIKE the other northern continental countries, the Grand-Duchy 
 of Finland has become the scene of great telephonic activity. 
 There would seem to be something in the Scandinavian blood, to 
 which the inhabitants of the capital and all the more important 
 coast towns mostly belong, which renders the possession of many 
 telephones an essential to their owners' happiness. Wherever two 
 or three Swedes, or Norwegians, or Danes, or Finns of Scandi- 
 navian descent, are gathered together, they almost infallibly pro- 
 ceed to immediately establish a church, a school, and a telephone 
 exchange. Whatever else in life that is worth having generally 
 comes after. Thus the inhabitants of Mariehamn in the Aland 
 Islands (the whole group of 300 islands contains only 18,000 
 souls) support and find uses for a flourishing exchange, while our 
 own islands of Wight, Jersey, Guernsey, Arran, &c., incomparably 
 richer and better peopled, show no sign of consciousness of even 
 the existence of such a facility. 
 
 The telephonic development has been conducted on Scandi- 
 navian lines that is to say, by local companies and co-operative 
 societies, which have been formed in every town in the country 
 under concessions from the Finnish Government, which has not 
 dabbled directly in telephones at all. The telegraph lines in 
 Finland belong to the Russian Posts and Telegraphs Department, 
 the only telegraphs owned by the Grand Duchy being those erected 
 along the State railways. The first telephone exchange was opened 
 in Helsingfors in 1882. As a general rule, a member pays for the 
 cost of his line and instrument and for his share of the exchange 
 
Finland 
 
 K 2 
 
132 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 apparatus, and afterwards contributes a modest annual amount to 
 cover the cost of working and maintenance. In the capital, 
 Helsingfors, where, with a population of 64,641, there are, in 
 March 1895, 2 > I 5 subscribers, and also in Abo (population 
 31,671, subscribers 575) and Wiborg (subscribers 670), there is 
 competition between co-operative societies and companies which 
 work on an inclusive annual subscription. Free intercommuni- 
 cation is, however, allowed between the subscribers to the rival 
 systems. The rates in force in these towns are as follow : 
 
 TOWN 
 
 CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES 
 
 COMPANIES 
 
 Entrance fee 
 
 Annual 
 subscription 
 
 Inclusive 
 annual 
 subscription 
 
 Wire 
 
 Instrument 
 
 Helsingfors . . 61. 
 Abo . . . i 61. 
 Wiborg ... 8/. 
 
 4 /. 
 
 * 
 
 2/. 1 6.T. 
 
 2l. Ss. 
 2!. 
 
 4/. to 4/. l6r. 
 4/. 1 6s. 
 3/- 4*. 
 
 The co-operative rates in the last two towns may be taken as 
 typical of those prevailing in the remaining thirty-two exchanges 
 of Finland, the most northern of which is Uleaborg. 
 
 It will be seen that the telephones in Helsingfors number 3*3 
 per 100 inhabitants, a proportion which gives it a prominent place 
 amongst the best-telephoned cities of the world. There is no 
 telephoning of telegrams, as the Russian Posts and Telegraphs 
 Department cannot be induced to concur in the necessary linking 
 up with the various companies. The telephonogram service is 
 also wanting. Helsingfors and Wiborg exchanges are always 
 open, and several others can be used at night on payment of a fee 
 to the attendant. 
 
 Enterprise is not confined to local exchanges, for a company, 
 bearing a name which means, being translated, the Southern 
 Finland Interurban Telephone Company, acting under a Govern- 
 ment concession, has connected by metallic circuit trunk lines all 
 the coast towns from Wiborg to Abo, nine in number, and spread 
 over a distance of 400 kilometers, the actual length of the circuits 
 
Finland 
 
 133 
 
1 34 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 used being 900 kilometers. The company's charges are, the time 
 unit being five minutes, 
 
 o to TOO kilometers . . . "19 pennis per kilometer 
 
 100 ,, 200 ,,.... -18 ,, ,, 
 
 Exceeding 200 ,, . . . '17 ,, ,, 
 
 Thus a talk between Helsingfors and Borga, a distance of 59 
 kilometers (36-6 miles), costs 59 x -19 = 11-2 pennis; and one 
 between Helsingfors and Wiborg, 300 kilometers (186*4 miles), 
 300 x '17 = 51 pennis. As ten pennis make one penny, it 
 follows that 36 \ miles can be spoken over for 1-12^., and i86J 
 miles (practically London to Manchester) for 5-1^. This is even 
 slightly cheaper than in Sweden. All the other towns, with the 
 exception of seven of the most northerly ones and Mariehamn in 
 the Aland Islands, have been connected to the capital and to the 
 Interurban Company's lines by other concessionaries, so that 
 Finland is actually covered with an almost perfect network of 
 telephone trunk wires which bring the shores of the Baltic into 
 instantaneous communication with those of Lake Ladoga, and the 
 far-off interior with both. The Finnish trunk lines extend to the 
 Russian frontier and to within a few miles of St. Petersburg, but 
 the establishment of communication with the Russian systems 
 has not yet been permitted. 
 
 Although the trunks are double, the subscribers' wires are 
 single, so that translators must be used when connecting them 
 together. The town wires are usually of 2*2 mm. galvanised steel, 
 as bronze is reported to be too liable to be affected by the forma- 
 tion of frost, which frequently proceeds with great rapidity and 
 adheres to and breaks down the wire by sheer weight. Some 
 bimetallic wire steel coated with copper of i'8 and 2 mm. 
 diameter, is also being tried experimentally. The trunk lines are 
 partly of copper and partly of the same bimetallic wire of 
 2-2 mm. gauge. The insulators have a bolt right through fastened 
 by a nut at the top, like a single shackle bell used as an upright. 
 The standards are built up of angle iron, and closely resemble 
 the Russian fixture shown in figs, nc and no A (Russian 
 section). Fig. 37 is a view of the exchange fixture at Helsingfors. 
 
 The subscribers' instruments are all of the magneto type, the 
 
Finland 135 
 
 Finnish engineers having been wise enough to eschew galvanic 
 batteries for ringing purposes. Originally the instruments were of 
 American manufacture, but latterly the market has been monopo- 
 lised by Messrs. Ericsson & Co., of Stockholm, and by one or 
 two Christiania firms. 
 
 The exchange of the Helsingfors Telephone Company, of 
 which a view is given in fig. 36, is fitted with a Western Electric 
 multiple for 1,400 lines ; the other switch-boards are non-multiple 
 and of varied design and manufacture. 
 
136 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 VIII. FRANCE 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 UNLIKE some other countries, France was prompt, on the ap- 
 pearance of the telephone, to determine how to treat the intruder. 
 By the law of 1837, confirmed by that of 1851, the monopoly of 
 telegraphic communication rested with the State, and the French 
 authorities had little difficulty in pronouncing the telephone a 
 telegraph. But it was a new-fangled one, nevertheless ; and who- 
 was to be at the trouble, risk, and expense of proving its suitability 
 for the sphere claimed for it by its introducers, and of sampling 
 the public taste and estimate of the commercial and social value 
 of the innovation ? Soon the Government decided that that was 
 eminently the function of the sponsors themselves, so as early as 
 1879 three five-year concessions, comprising between them the 
 whole of Paris, were granted. But the town council naturally 
 took exception to the arrangement, and brought pressure to bear 
 on the concessionaries to force a fusion, so that Paris might be 
 worked as a whole, and not split into, possibly hostile, camps. 
 Thereupon the concessionaries, very wisely, determined to join 
 hands, a resolution which led to the formation on December i o, 
 1880, of the afterwards powerful association, the Societe Generate 
 des Telephones. The Societe found that it had to a certain 
 extent to dance in fetters, since the State claimed a royalty of 10 
 per cent, on the gross receipts, and stipulated that the Department 
 of the Posts and Telegraphs should construct and maintain the 
 company's system, so far as the outside wiring was concerned, at 
 prices which might appear fair and reasonable to that depart- 
 ment. Moreover, the State claimed a general control, including 
 
France 137 
 
 the right to fix the charges, and reserved power to buy the 
 system at the value of the material employed on the termination 
 of the five-year concession. The exchange rate approved of was, 
 for Paris 2\L per annum, and for the provinces i6/. And so the 
 quest for the telephonic chestnuts was embarked upon, the 
 position at the start being that the company was willing to risk 
 its money and hoped to gain experience, while the State was 
 willing to risk nothing but still hoped for experience. Not 
 content with Paris, the company soon undertook the concessions 
 for Marseilles, Bordeaux, Lyons, Havre, Rouen, Lille, Nantes, 
 and several other leading towns, while it was not till 1883 that 
 the Department of Posts and Telegraphs timidly took its maiden 
 telephonic dip by opening exchanges at Tourcoing, Roubaix, and 
 Rheims. The plan adopted in these three towns was to make 
 the subscribers pay for their lines and instruments in consideration 
 of a reduced annual subscription. Paris was opened on Sep- 
 tember 30, 1879, an d ft i nere necessary and just to award to 
 our neighbours the credit of being the first to recognise the merits 
 of the metallic circuit (first pointed out by Hughes) for practical 
 exchange work by constructing Paris on that system. It is 
 probably true, since its provincial exchanges were made single- 
 wire, that the company was driven to metallic circuits in Paris by 
 the necessity it was under of going for the most part underground 
 by means of cables laid in the sewers (in which position, in those 
 days, before the ' anti-induction ' type of cable was known, the 
 overhearing between single wires would have been intolerable) ; but 
 nevertheless it remains a fact and a most important and credit- 
 able one it is that the first double-wire exchange was opened and 
 systematically developed in France. 
 
 The Paris exchange soon acquired respectable proportions, 
 but those in the provinces hung fire, and even in Lyons and 
 Marseilles the increase was remarkably slow, doubtless due in a 
 large measure to the high rate of i6/. This rate, too, like the 
 Parisian one, was exclusive of the subscribers' transmitters and 
 receivers, which, strangely enough, it was decreed that they 
 should buy themselves. The intention of the State in authorising 
 this system is believed to have been a desire to obtain the most 
 perfect type of instrument possible by encouraging competition 
 
138 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 between manufacturers ; but the only concessionary, the Societe 
 Gene'rale des Telephones, was also primarily a maker of instru- 
 ments, and owner of some of the most important patents connected 
 with them. It worked out, therefore, that practically the Society 
 sold its own telephones to the subscribers, and thus made a 
 manufacturer's profit first, and collected a liberal subscription 
 to cover the exchange service afterwards. The first concessions 
 expired in September 1884, at which time the State possessed 
 exchanges in six of the smaller provincial towns Roubaix, 
 Rheims, Tourcoing, Troyes, St.-Quentin, and Halluin. The experi- 
 ence gained in these places was not considered sufficient to justify 
 the taking over of the concessionary's systems by the State, and a 
 prolongation of the licence for another five years was accordingly 
 granted. The rates of subscription were not altered, but per- 
 mission was given to open public telephone stations, to connect 
 the exchanges with telegraph offices for the despatch and de- 
 livery of subscribers' telegrams, and to establish communication 
 between town and town by means of trunk lines constructed by 
 the State, which also again reserved to itself the erection and 
 maintenance of all outside wires, the Society's staff being confined 
 strictly to work in the exchanges and subscribers' premises. It 
 was ordained that the Society's employees should be all of French 
 nationality, and subject to the oath of secrecy imposed on all 
 servants of the Posts and Telegraphs Department. The original 
 royalty payable to the State was continued at 10 per cent, of the 
 gross receipts, with a minimum of 4o/. per annum for each 
 provincial exchange opened. During this second term of five 
 years the Paris exchange increased rapidly, those in the provinces 
 very slowly ; a few internal trunk lines of inconsiderable length 
 were erected, and the first metallic circuit between Paris and 
 Brussels put into use. Early in the second term in 1886 a 
 step was nearly taken which would have totally changed the 
 history of French telephony. The Minister of Posts and Telegraphs 
 signed a concession for thirty-five years, giving a telephonic 
 monopoly to a new company, with a capital of i,ooo,ooo/. sterling, 
 which was to acquire not only the business of the Societe Generate, 
 but also the exchanges already opened by the State. At the end 
 of the thirty-five years the company's system was to lapse to the 
 
France 1 39 
 
 State without payment. But the House of Deputies would not 
 endorse the project, which was accordingly shelved. 
 
 In the autumn of 1889 the second term came to an end, and 
 the State, which had opened some twenty-five additional pro- 
 vincial exchanges since 1884, decided to assume possession of 
 the concessionary's system in the terms of the licence. This it 
 did on September i, 1889, eight days before the concession had 
 expired, but not without friction. The Societe Generate des 
 Telephones had conceived the impression that the Government 
 did not intend to treat it fairly, and not unnaturally objected to 
 give up possession before its concession had expired. It asked 
 that the amount to be given for the property should be at least 
 fixed, if not paid, before possession was yielded ; pointed out 
 that the leases of the various switch-rooms belonged to it, and 
 that there was nothing in the concession compelling it to part 
 with leases or anything beyond the plant and instruments. This 
 ingenious contention that the Societe had sold the kernel but 
 not the shell, and that the State must take the former, if it wanted 
 it, without touching the latter was, however, treated with scant 
 consideration, for on the date named a Sunday a State 
 engineer, attended by a commissary of police, took possession of 
 each of the Society's exchanges, in spite of protests by the officers 
 in charge, who declared they submitted only to main force. At 
 each switch-room a sheriff's officer was in attendance, who 
 served writs on the Government engineers as soon as they had 
 taken possession, in which damages for breaches of concession 
 were claimed and protests against confiscation set forth. It was 
 stated that the Government had appointed their own arbitrators 
 to fix the amount due to the Societe, and had refused to admit 
 any representative of the latter, while the Press expressed a 
 conviction that the haste to take possession was due to the 
 Government's anxiety to have the telephone system under its 
 control during the approaching general election. Whether this 
 was so or not, is not material ; the Cromwellian coup was success- 
 ful, and thenceforward the French telephones belonged to the 
 State. Since then the atmosphere of the law courts has been 
 heavy with rumours of claims and counter-claims, in which 
 millions figure as freely as do units in the transactions of ordinary 
 
140 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 mortals. At the date of writing (January 1895) the judges have 
 not succeeded in evolving order from the chaos arising from the 
 circumstance that the Societe claims over fifteen millions, while 
 the arbitrators award ten millions, and the State is only willing to 
 pay five. 
 
 The first act of the Government was to reduce the rates of 
 subscription, a process for which there was certainly plenty of 
 room. The Parisian tariff came down from 247. to i6/., and the 
 provincial from i6/. to 8/., with the reservation, however, in the 
 latter case that the subscriber should not only find his own trans- 
 mitter and receiver, but contribute 15 francs (125-.) per 100 meters 
 of single wire towards the cost of his line ; that is to say, practically 
 pay its entire cost and to spare. Further, in towns possessing any 
 considerable amount of underground work the provincial subscrip- 
 tion was to be i2/. It cannot, therefore, be contended for a 
 moment that telephone rates are low in France. They were very 
 high during the reign of the company (but with the State's 
 connivance, since it reserved power in the concessions to fix rates), 
 and the reductions and alterations made since do not put the 
 French subscribers on such good terms as those of most other 
 continental countries. For instance, the French provincial sub- 
 scriber finds the capital for his line and instrument, and yet pays 
 some IQS. per annum in subscriptions more than his German 
 competitor, whose line and instrument are found for him, and who 
 gets off, everything included, for 7/. icxr. per annum. It is true 
 that the Frenchman generally gets a metallic circuit, but so do the 
 Swedes and Belgians, and at a much lower charge. Even some 
 of the British provincial subscribers have easier terms than the 
 French ; and this fact of universal dearness may perhaps account 
 for the slow progress made by the telephone everywhere in France 
 outside Paris. Not even the great towns of Le Havre, Marseilles, 
 Lyons, and Bordeaux yet count, after some fourteen years' develop- 
 ment, more than from 1,000 to 1,200 subscribers each, and, 
 compared with many in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, &c., &c., 
 rank as third- and fourth-rate centres. They are beaten even by 
 provincial Italy (Milan) and provincial Spain (Barcelona), so that 
 there is evidently something in the French Government policy that 
 fails to commend it to the multitude. Would-be subscribers may 
 
France 141 
 
 possibly be deterred not only by high rates, but by their complexity, 
 and by the multiplicity of the rules which regulate exchange 
 connections. The French bourgeois is a cautious individual who 
 likes to understand exactly what he is undertaking, and it is quite 
 comprehensible how even a business man possessing no previous 
 knowledge of the subject may be fogged into indifference on the 
 threshold of his investigations. There is nothing like simplicity 
 both for fostering and administering business. The French 
 machine would move more freely if it had fewer wheels, for 
 additional wheels mean friction, and friction expense. 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC 
 
 i. Intercourse between the subscribers and public telephone 
 stations of the same town. The local rates apply without modifi- 
 cation, whatever the lengths of the lines may be, sometimes within 
 the octroi limits, sometimes within the free telegram delivery radius, 
 and sometimes within the boundaries of a commune or parish. 
 Occasionally even several neighbouring communes are banded 
 together and treated as a local area. The subscribers fall under 
 numerous categories, which will be detailed under the heading 
 Tariffs. Briefly, it may be said that the French regulations are 
 marked by a decided lack of liberality towards the public. The 
 acknowledged idea is to make subscribers find the capital for their 
 own lines, besides buying their own instruments, either in the 
 form of a slump payment at the rate of 125-. per 100 meters of 
 single line, or in that of an amortissement or half-yearly payment 
 in excess of the tariff until the cost of the line has been paid off. 
 This system is carried out everywhere except at Paris and Lyons, 
 where the cost of the line is considered to be included in the 
 subscription. The cost of overcoming any exceptional difficulties 
 in construction must also be borne by the subscriber. That 
 individual, besides buying his transmitter and receiver, has to find 
 any extra bells, indicators, or switches he may require, and to pay 
 the State 1 5 per cent, on their value annually for maintenance, with 
 a minimum of 4^. Thus, 45. per annum may be charged for 
 maintaining a trembling bell, value $s. or 6s., which is, moreover, 
 the subscriber's own property. New exchanges are not taken in 
 
142 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 hand, too, unless the local chamber of commerce, town council, 
 or a syndicate of persons interested advances the necessary 
 money to the State without interest, these advances being refunded 
 out of the subscriptions when collected, or by mortgaging the 
 subscriptions. Subscribers changing premises have to bear the 
 cost of shifting the lines and instruments. When a subscriber 
 is located outside the local area he has to pay, besides an initial 
 charge of \s. per 100 meters of single wire, an extra subscription 
 of 24-r. per annum per kilometer if his line is underground, and of 
 1 2s. if overhead, in addition to paying the railway or other fares of 
 the inspectors who look after his apparatus. The subscription for 
 clubs and public establishments is increased 50 per cent. Under 
 such circumstances as these, it is not surprising to read in the 
 Finance Reports that the provincial exchanges are worked at a 
 large profit ; but the meagre proportions attained by them show 
 that the State regulations operate to the restraint of trade. 
 
 2. Intercommunication between a town and its suburbs. 
 Subscribers connected to suburban or branch switch-rooms in the 
 neighbourhood of a town are not on the same footing as those 
 located in the town itself. A town subscriber's rate includes the 
 right to call up the suburbs, but the member of a suburban 
 exchange can only originate communication with the town by 
 paying $'%d. per five minutes, unless he likes, instead of paying 
 the local suburban subscription, to pay the town rate plus 8^. 
 per annum for each kilometer of single wire separating the two 
 exchanges. The policy of discriminating against suburban sub- 
 scribers is a most unwise one ; it reacts on the town itself by 
 deterring shopkeepers and other candidates for suburban custom 
 from joining, and puts a brake on the whole machine. Branch 
 switch-rooms subject to this differential treatment are known as 
 annexes. St.-Denis, near Paris, is an annexe. The distance is 
 five and a half kilometers, equal (as all junction lines are metallic 
 circuits) to eleven kilometers of single wire. The local rate is 
 8/., which gives communication only with those subscribers who 
 are attached to St.-Denis switch-room. To be free to call up 
 Paris and the other suburbs the rate becomes 2o/. 8s., that is to 
 say, the Paris subscription, i6/., + n kilometers of single wire 
 x 8^. St. -Germain is worse off still, having to pay i6/. + 22 kilo- 
 meters of single wire x 8^. = 2/j./. i6s. 
 
France 143 
 
 3. Internal trunk line communication. The French internal 
 trunk service has recently experienced a wide extension. Some 
 of the lines date from 1885, when the system was commenced by 
 the connection of Paris to Rouen, Le Havre, Lille, and Rheims. 
 In 1888 Lyons and Marseilles were added, and now there are but 
 few of the leading provincial towns without communication with 
 Paris. No fewer than fifty-four long-distance trunks meet (January 
 1895) at the Paris Central Station in the Rue Gutenberg. The 
 rates are based on distance, being 4-8^. per 100 kilometers, and 
 so considerably cheaper than those proposed by the British Post 
 Office. Thus the rate from Paris to Marseilles (560 miles) is 
 y. -]d. for five minutes, while for a similar distance the British 
 would be TS. 6d. for three minutes a vast difference. The French 
 have, too, reduced rates during the night, and a system of monthly 
 subscriptions which secures a specific line to the subscriber every 
 night at a cost of less than one half of the normal tariff. Un- 
 questionably the French trunk line policy is more liberal and 
 better adapted to actual requirements than their local. In Algeria, 
 which telephonically is also administered by the French Posts and 
 Telegraphs Department, there is a trunk line between Oran and 
 Sidi-Bel-Abbas. The number of trunk communications in France 
 is certainly very large, but the officials scout the idea that the trunk 
 service has injured the telegraph revenue. 
 
 4. International trunk line communication. At the present 
 time this is opened to England, between Paris and London ; to 
 Belgium, between Paris and most of the towns in the north-east 
 of France, and Brussels and the chief Belgian cities ; to Switzer- 
 land, via Besangon, and from St-Julien to Geneva ; and to Monaco, 
 from Nice and Mentone. A trunk to Madrid is spoken of, but 
 nothing has yet been heard of lines to Italy or to Germany. 
 
 The receipts of the Anglo-French trunks are pooled, and 
 divided between the two Governments in the proportion of eleven- 
 twentieths to France and nine-twentieths to England. Similarly, 
 France receives three-fifths of the total receipts derived from the 
 Franco-Belgian intercourse. 
 
 5. Telephoning of telegrams. This is the one matter in 
 which the French have shown a commendable liberality, for, as 
 a rule, they charge nothing for the telephone- telegraphic service. 
 
144 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Were it not that they make exceptions in the cases of Paris and 
 Lyons, the two most active telegraphic centres in France, where the 
 subscribers who want their telegrams telephoned have to pay an 
 additional subscription of 2/. per annum, one would have imagined 
 that the necessity of compensating for the draining effects of the 
 trunk lines on the telegraphic system by encouraging the telephone 
 as a feeder had been duly recognised. Outside Paris and Lyons 
 the only obligation imposed on the subscriber is a deposit to cover 
 the value of his telegrams ; but everywhere the language used 
 must be French, and no message must exceed fifty words in 
 length. In Paris, copies of telegrams telephoned to subscribers 
 are posted ; elsewhere, delivered by messenger. 
 
 6. Telephoning of messages for local delivery. Subscribers 
 from their own instruments, and non -subscribers from the public 
 stations, between the hours of 7 A.M. (8A.M. in winter) and 9 P.M., 
 may telephone messages in French to the telegraph office to be 
 written out and delivered by messenger to addresses in the same 
 town. The charge is not by word, as in most other countries, 
 but by the time occupied in taking down the message, the rate 
 being 4'8^. per five minutes or fraction thereof. The service is 
 consequently dearer than elsewhere, at least for short messages. 
 Matter for mailing, as letters and post-cards, cannot be telephoned. 
 
 7. Public telephone stations. There are some 350 of these 
 in France, generally situated at post and telegraph offices. Sub- 
 scribers may use them for local talks without charge on producing 
 a card of identity bearing a photograph of the person to whom it 
 is issued. Payments are managed exclusively by the aid of 
 telephone tickets, which are on sale at the public stations and 
 elsewhere. The right to use the public stations for local talks 
 may be acquired, if desired, by a non-subscriber for an annual 
 payment, which varies with the town. Messages for local delivery 
 may be telephoned from these stations, but long-distance telegrams 
 cannot be sent. 
 
 8. Municipal telephone stations. Towns or communes 
 desiring telegraphic or telephonic communication which the State 
 is not willing to undertake may demand a connection to the 
 nearest telegraph or telephone office on advancing the money 
 necessary to defray the cost of the installation. This is fixed at 
 
France 145 
 
 io/. per kilometer of line as a maximum, and i2/. for supplying 
 and fitting the instrument. The local post-office is generally used 
 as the station, and the employee in charge is repaid for the extra 
 work involved by an allowance of i'^d. on each message 
 forwarded, and ~^6d. on each received. The advance is gradually 
 repaid, without interest, out of the proceeds of a surcharge of 2 '^d. 
 on each telegraphic or telephonic message transmitted, which 
 surcharge ceases as soon as the cost of the line has been wiped 
 out. In the middle of 1 894 there were but ten municipal telephone 
 stations in operation, and these appear, for the most part, to be 
 essentially telegraph offices with telephones in lieu of the ordinary 
 apparatus. The results achieved by the Swiss parochial stations, 
 which these to some extent resemble, are certainly not attained. 
 
 9. Special exchanges, or connection of groups of subscribers 
 to an existing trunk line. When several persons located near 
 the route of a trunk line wish to avail themselves of telephonic 
 communication they are formed into a * special exchange.' Each 
 subscriber has to pay 2/. per annum, in addition to the cost of his 
 line, which may, at his desire, be spread over several years, but 
 this entitles him to nothing except actual connection to the 
 system and to be rung up by anybody who may want him. If he 
 originates a conversation, even with his next neighbour, he must 
 pay at the rate of 4-8^. per five minutes' talk. All such special 
 exchanges are connected to the trunk line which passes near, so 
 that communication to and fro over it is available to the sub- 
 scribers on payment of the trunk rates. This system has its 
 analogue in Switzerland, but there the subscribers may talk freely 
 locally, and only have to pay when the trunk line is brought into 
 requisition. 
 
 TARIFFS 
 
 i. Rates for local exchange communication. Paris. Within 
 Paris proper the annual rate is i6/., the subscriber finding his 
 own transmitter and receiver and any extra bell or switch that 
 may be required, but paying nothing towards the cost of his 
 line. 
 
 An extra instrument in the same building costs 2/. per annum. 
 
 L 
 
146 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 A second instrument, not in the same building but on the 
 same line, can be attached for 61. 8s. per annum. This second 
 instrument may, by agreement with the original subscriber and 
 permission of the State, be used by a person unconnected with 
 the original subscriber. 
 
 If any special difficulties are encountered in installing a line, 
 the subscriber has to pay the actual cost of overcoming them, plus 
 5 per cent. The subscription covers maintenance of line and 
 apparatus, including the transmitter and receiver supplied by the 
 subscriber, but not of any extra bell, indicator, battery, or switch- 
 board. These have to be furnished by the subscriber at his own 
 expense, but he is not allowed to maintain them. That is done 
 by the State at an annual charge of 15 per cent, on their value, 
 with a minimum charge of 4s. 
 
 A subscriber whose line extends beyond the free limits must pay 
 extra at the rate of 24^. per annum per kilometer of additional length. 
 
 The foregoing payments entitle a subscriber to speak all over 
 Paris and with the suburbs. 
 
 Clubs, and establishments where the public have admittance 
 to the instrument, pay 247. per annum. 
 
 Lyons. Owing to the amount of underground work in this 
 city, the rate is dearer than in Marseilles or Bordeaux. Within 
 the limits of the Lyons telegram free delivery the rate is 1 2/. per 
 annum, the subscriber supplying his transmitter and receiver and 
 any extra apparatus, but paying nothing towards the cost of his 
 line. An extra instrument in the same building is charged 2/. 
 per annum. A second instrument on the same line, but not in 
 the same building, costs 4/. 165-. per annum ; this second instrument 
 may, by arrangement, be used by a person not connected in business 
 with the original subscriber. The cost of overcoming any special 
 difficulties in constructing a line must be defrayed by the subscriber, 
 
 The subscription covers maintenance of line and all apparatus 
 except extras required and supplied by the subscriber. The State 
 maintains these too, but at an annual charge of 1 5 per cent, on 
 their original value, no charge being less than 4^. 
 
 A subscriber whose line extends beyond the free limits must 
 pay extra at the rate of 245-. or i2s. (according to whether his line 
 is underground or aerial) per kilometer per annum. 
 
France \ 4.7 
 
 Clubs, and establishments where the public have admittance 
 to the instrument, pay i8/. per annum. 
 
 All other towns with a population of over 25,000. The rate 
 within the free limits is 8/. per annum; beyond the limits, 12$. 
 per kilometer additional is exigible. Subscribers supply their own 
 transmitter, receiver, extra bells, &c., and pay for their line at the 
 rate of I2S. per hundred meters of single wire, equal to about 
 io/. 45-. for single and 2o/. 8s. for metallic circuit per mile. If 
 the line extends beyond the limits and requires a special route of 
 poles, the cost per 100 meters of single wire is increased to i6.f. 
 Clubs and public establishments pay i2/. per annum. 
 
 In all other respects the rates are the same as those charged 
 at Lyons. 
 
 Towns with a population of less than 25,000. The rate 
 within the free limits is 61. per annum for ordinary subscribers, 
 and 9/. for clubs and public establishments. In all other respects 
 the rates and regulations are the same as in the larger towns, 
 Paris and Lyons excepted. 
 
 General. Rates are everywhere reduced 50 per cent, for 
 Government and 25 per cent, for municipal connections. 
 
 Agreements are for one year dating from January i or July i 
 after connection. Subsequently they are subject to three months' 
 notice on either side. 
 
 It would seem that some subscribers join for the purpose of 
 using the trunks only. In such a case only half the usual local 
 subscription is charged. 
 
 When there are several switch-rooms in the same town, a 
 subscriber joined to one who has frequent communication with a 
 subscriber joined to another may arrange to retain the use of one 
 of the junction lines between the two switch-rooms, and to be left 
 through permanently to his correspondent (unless a special dis- 
 connection signal is given), for an extra annual subscription of 6/. 
 in Paris and Lyons, and of i/. los. elsewhere, per kilometer of 
 junction line involved. 
 
 Subscribers located outside the free limits of a town have to 
 pay the fares and expenses of the inspectors who attend to their 
 instruments. 
 
 The State reserves the right to disconnect any subscriber at 
 
 L 2 
 
148 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 any time without notice. . In such a case the proportion of sub- 
 scription paid in advance for the unexpired period is refunded. 
 
 Subscribers are held responsible for all apparatus belonging to- 
 the State placed on their premises. 
 
 In some towns, busy during a season only, half-yearly sub- 
 scriptions at half rates are admitted for the whole or part of the 
 subscribers. In this case the subscriber must pay for his line in- 
 one sum when the first six-monthly subscription becomes due. 
 
 Subscriptions are payable half-yearly in advance at the 
 telephone office, but will be collected at the subscriber's on pay- 
 ment of 2 *4</. 
 
 When a subscriber's line becomes interrupted for more than- 
 fifteen days he is entitled to a proportionate refund of his sub- 
 scription. 
 
 2. Rates for suburban connections. The rates set forth in the 
 preceding paragraph cover the right to originate communication 
 with subscribers connected to suburban switch-rooms, but such 
 subscribers are on a different footing, as they cannot call up the 
 town subscribers without incurring extra charges. 
 
 The local suburban rates follow the provincial according to- 
 whether the population is over or below 25,000. Thus the 
 rate (the cost of their lines being defrayed by the subscribers) 
 at Versailles (population 51,000) is 8/. ; at St.-Denis (population 
 50,000), 8/. ; at St.-Germain-en-Laye (population 14,000), 67. ; 
 which rates secure communication within the respective towns 
 only. A St.-Germain subscriber calling up a client in Paris,, 
 Versailles, or St.-Denis must pay 4-8^. per five minutes' talk, and 
 he will not be connected at all unless he has made a deposit in 
 advance to cover such charges. Alternatively, he can make him- 
 self free of Paris and all its suburbs by paying, instead of his local 
 subscription, the Paris one, plus Ss. for each kilometer separating 
 his local switch-room from the Paris central. As already pointed 
 out, this means 24/. i6s. per annum for a St.-Germain subscriber, 
 a heavy impost for a suburban tradesman or residenter. The 
 same system applies throughout France wherever suburban ex- 
 changes or annexes exist. 
 
 3. Rates for internal trunk communication. The time unit 
 for internal trunk talks is five minutes. The duration of a con- 
 
France 149 
 
 \rersation between the same persons must not' exceed ten minutes 
 if others are waiting. The tariff is simple 50 centimes, =4'&/., 
 per 100 kilometers or fraction thereof, measured by the actual 
 length of the line. This is very high compared with the German 
 universal rate of is., and very low compared with the proposed 
 rates of the British Post Office. 
 
 Between the hours of 9 P.M. and 7 A.M. in summer and 8 A.M. 
 in winter, the rate is reduced to 2*88^. per 100 kilometers. 
 
 A particular trunk line may be engaged for any length of time 
 daily by paying in advance a monthly subscription based on the 
 unit rate of \'^2.d. per 100 kilometers per five minutes. Thus a 
 Parisian subscriber holding a five-minute talk with Lyons (600 
 kilometers) every evening would pay 1*92^. x6 x 30 = i/. 8s. q\d. 
 per month. Such talks are limited to the night hours. 
 
 4. Rates for international trunk communication. To 
 England : Time unit, three minutes. Charge Ss. Only two 
 consecutive periods of three minutes allowed between the same 
 correspondents if others want the line. 
 
 To Switzerland : see Swiss section, p. 385. 
 To Belgium : see Belgian section, p. 75. 
 
 5. Rates for telephoning of telegrams. In all centres except 
 Paris and Lyons this service is free. In those towns, owing to a 
 large portion of the system being underground and consequently 
 more expensive, subscribers using the telegram facilities have to 
 pay an additional subscription of 2/. per annum. The telegram 
 charges are deducted from deposits made in advance. 
 
 6. Rates for messages telephoned for local delivery. The 
 charge is 4-8^. per five minutes or fraction thereof occupied in 
 transmitting the message, irrespective of its length. 
 
 7. Rates levied at public telephone stations. The time unit 
 for local and internal trunk talks is five minutes. A local talk 
 costs 4'8</. in Paris and 2 '<\d. in the provinces. Annual 
 subscriptions are accepted for the local use of all the public 
 stations in a town at the following rates : In Paris, 3/. 45-. ; in 
 Lyons, 2/. Ss. ; elsewhere, i/. i2s. 
 
 The trunk rates are the same as from subscribers' offices. 
 Messages for local delivery may be telephoned from the public 
 stations at the same rates as from subscribers' offices. Payments 
 
150 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 at public stations must be made in telephone tickets. These 
 tickets are perforated, and on presentation one half is retained by 
 the attendant, and the other is stamped and given to the user as a 
 receipt. Subscribers use the public stations free on producing 
 a photographic card of identity. Long-distance telegrams are not 
 accepted. 
 
 8. Charges levied at municipal telephone stations. These 
 are used also as telegraph stations. All transactions under both 
 the telephone and telegraph tariffs are subject to a surcharge of 
 2 -4^. until the cost of installing the station and its connecting 
 line has been wiped out. 
 
 9. Rates for special exchanges or connection of groups of 
 subscribers to an existing trunk line. Each subscriber pays the 
 cost of his line, in addition to finding his transmitter and receiver, 
 and 2/. annually. Local conversations originated by him are 
 charged 4-8^. per five minutes, and trunk conversations according 
 to the tariff. 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 
 
 Subscribers are bound by their agreements to obtain the 
 consent of their landlords to the fixing of their wires and instru- 
 ments, and to bear the cost of all dilapidations caused by the 
 installing or eventual removal. Although this is made part of 
 the contract with each subscriber, the State claims the right to- 
 erect standards without charge on any building that lies on a 
 route of wires, provided it is not surrounded by a boundary wall ;. 
 similarly, to erect poles on any unenclosed ground, private or 
 otherwise. A fence or hedge does not constitute an enclosure 
 a regular wall is alone competent to turn aside State telegraph or 
 telephone wires. In executing work on private property the State 
 is only responsible for dilapidations brought about. This is the 
 only instance which the author has been able to find in Europe of 
 compulsory way-leave powers being vested in the State, and it is 
 at least singular that it should occur in the Republic of France,, 
 where private rights are theoretically more inviolable than in 
 other and more autocratic countries. The influence on rates, 
 which partisans in the United Kingdom so freely ascribe to- 
 compulsory way-leave powers, is shown by this example to be 
 
France 151 
 
 practically non-existent. Such powers exist only in France, and 
 what do we find? That the French telephone rates are the lowest 
 in Europe ? Not at all. On the contrary, with the sole exception, 
 and that only a partial one, of Russia, the French rates (bearing 
 in mind that the subscribers have in the first place to pay for their 
 wires and instruments) are the dearest. 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 
 
 Transition is the present state of these. In Paris there are 
 ten switch-rooms within the fortifications, which serve (January 
 1895) about 12,500 subscribers. The chief room is at the Rue 
 Gutenberg, and is situated in a special building of ample pro- 
 portions, made fire-proof throughout. The basement contains 
 the access to the sewers, in which, with the exception of a few 
 junction routes between the switch-rooms, practically all the 
 Parisian telephone lines are laid. The cable wires, after being 
 opened out, pass through test and cross-connection boards, and are 
 carried to the switching department upstairs. Here, in a lofty, 
 well-ventilated and well-lighted room, is a Western Electric 
 Company's double-cord, series multiple table for 6,000 metallic 
 circuits, of which some 5,500 are already connected, together with 
 a junction line section of 1,000 lines and a long-distance trunk 
 switching section communicating with the trunk-line switch-rooms 
 on another floor, where are located fifty-four long-distance and 
 ninety-four suburban and short-distance trunks divided between 
 twenty tables. At the Rue Gutenberg more than half the con- 
 nections asked for have to be got through over trunks or junctions. 
 There is nothing special in the construction of the table, the test 
 arrangement only being slightly modified to permit of the use 
 of single- instead of double-wound receivers for the operators. 
 There are three girls to each table of 240 subscribers. A sub- 
 scriber requiring a trunk notifies his operator, who has a service 
 jack to each of the long-distance operators. As each long- 
 distance girl has only one indicator from all the local ones, the 
 service jacks being multipled along the board, the local operator,, 
 before calling, must test. The trunk wanted being free, the long- 
 distance operator asks the trunk switching section of the local 
 
152 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 board, on which all the subscribers' lines are multipled, for the 
 calling subscriber. The junction lines are divided into 500 out- 
 going and 500 in-coming, the subscribers' lines being multipled 
 also on the junction tables. When a calling subscriber wants a 
 client on another switch-room, the local operator advises the 
 junction girl, who obtains the connection from the other switch- 
 room and completes it through the caller's repeat jack. When a 
 demand comes from another switch -room the junction operator 
 can, of course, satisfy it herself. Junction lines must not be 
 occupied longer than ten minutes for one connection if other 
 subscribers are waiting. At the expiry of that time the talkers 
 
 EARTH 
 
 FIG. 38 
 
 are invited to cease, and if they do not comply are summarily 
 disconnected. Special sections are provided for the accommoda- 
 tion of 150 public telephone stations, and for the theatrophone 
 lines to the Opera-Comique and Louis-le-Grand. The trunk 
 switching is somewhat complicated by the special appliances 
 necessary for the systems of simultaneous telephony and telegraphy 
 so much used in France. Three systems are employed Van 
 Rysselberghe's, Cailho's, and Picard's. The first is too well known 
 to require description. The second is a modification of the plan 
 generally associated in this country with the name of Mr. Frank 
 Jacob, although M. Cailho is understood to claim that he described 
 
France 
 
 153 
 
 the system in the l Annales Telegraphiques ' prior to the date of 
 Mr. Jacob's patent. The arrangement used in France is shown 
 in fig. 38, in which s 1 s 2 respectively represent the telephone and 
 telegraph stations. At s 1 , K is a calling key, v a calling battery, 
 j 1 j 2 jacks for the loop and single line switching, and T a translator. 
 At s 2 , R is a double-wound bobbin of small resistance and high 
 self-induction, in derivation with the two wires of the metallic 
 circuit trunk line, and connected so that currents passing through 
 the equally-wound coils oppose and kill each other. The other 
 terminals are joined to the telegraph instrument i and the 
 .adjustable condenser c. M. Cailho, whose plan, it will be seen, 
 differs only from Mr. Jacob's in the character and connection of 
 the resistances, states that the thick wire and opposite winding 
 
 r- 
 
 FIG. 39 
 
 allow the telegraphic currents to pass uninfluenced by resistance 
 and self-induction, while the bobbin acts as a choke coil for the 
 telephonic currents. The calling battery v may be too weak to 
 operate the indicator at the distant end directly, as it is found that 
 the return or extra current from the double-wound bobbin at the 
 further station which follows the lifting of the key K, is always 
 strong enough to actuate the drop. 
 
 M. Picard's plan depends on the use of a differential trans- 
 lator as indicated in fig. 39, which is a plan of the connections 
 used at the Rue Gutenberg. The currents arriving from the tele- 
 graph office split between the equal branches of the translator 
 secondary TS and produce no effect on the primary TP ; they also 
 neglect the double-wound indicator i. The calling is done hy 
 inserting a battery plug in the jack j 1 , while subscribers are con- 
 
154 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 nected through j 2 ; consequently, the talking is done by translation, 
 although the subscribers' lines are double. At Paris the trans- 
 lator primary could be dispensed with, the secondary replaced by 
 a pair of balanced resistances on Jacob's plan, and the talking 
 done direct through the jack j 1 ; but this would not be so at 
 single-wire centres. 
 
 Of the three systems the Cailho seems to be preferred, as being 
 the most trustworthy under adverse influences. Of course, both 
 the Cailho and Picard are far simpler than the Van Rysselberghe, 
 but, on the other hand, they furnish only one telegraphic circuit 
 from each telephone trunk, while Van Rysselberghe makes two. 
 
 In the Belgian section the phonic call designed by M. Sieur 
 has been described (fig. 20), and it is pointed out that its use 
 involves much waste of chemicals, since 
 the battery is permanently short-circuited 
 through the diaphragm and lever contact. 
 M. Picard, by a simple modification of the 
 connections, interposes a resistance in the 
 circuit and so saves the batteries to a con- 
 siderable extent. His arrangement is shown 
 in fig. 40, in which A is a pivoted lever, with 
 adjustable weights ww, resting normally in 
 contact with the diaphragm D. M is an 
 electro-magnet with coils of equal resistance, 
 joined in parallel, which oppose each other 
 in respect to the armature ; and v is a battery, the current from 
 which splits between the diaphragm, lever and coil c, and coil c 1 . 
 Whilst the diaphragm remains quiescent the two opposing circuits 
 are of equal resistance, and no effect is produced on the armature ; 
 when it vibrates, the intimacy of the contact between it and the 
 lever is destroyed, circuit c becomes of greater resistance than c 1 , 
 and the battery, acting through the latter, actuates the armature, 
 which is generally arranged to release a shutter. At night the 
 shutter closes another local circuit and rings a bell. 
 
 An excellent plan for the speedy determination of disputes and 
 complaints is in operation in Paris. Apart in a small room, at 
 a switch-board provided with 20 indicators, sits an inspector. To- 
 the switch-board are brought two lines from each of the ten switch- 
 
 FlG. 
 
Prance 15$ 
 
 rooms in Pans. When a subscriber at any switch-room prefers a 
 complaint, the chief operator puts him through on one line to the 
 special switch-board at the central and gets through herself on the 
 other. The inspector then switches them together, and listens 
 while the subscriber states his grievance and the chief operator 
 makes her defence. If necessary, the working operator respon- 
 sible for the subscriber's line is allowed to give evidence. Having 
 heard both sides, the inspector delivers judgment and enters the 
 proceedings and result on a form which is sent to headquarters. 
 In this miniature court of justice 90 per cent, of the complaints 
 are settled in about four minutes each, a rate of progress which 
 has not, the author understands, yet been equalled in any court 
 in Britain. In this instance Justice is truly blind, but is provided 
 with particularly long ears. Ultimately, perhaps, there will be no 
 going on circuit the judges and juries will sit in London, and 
 loud-speaking transmitters and receivers will bring to them and 
 an inquisitive audience the evidence and speeches, and convey to 
 the litigants the verdicts and decisions. There is nothing impos- 
 sible in this it could be done to-morrrow. 
 
 The use of voltaic batteries for ringing is a grave disadvantage ; 
 but a worse exists. That is, that subscribers must be asked for 
 by their names and addresses, not by numbers. In Berlin the 
 service suffers from a plethora of numerals ; in Paris they have 
 none at all. This was the original way, and for a long time it 
 resulted in no inconvenience, as the operators learned the names 
 and switch-board numbers of new subscribers as they came on ; 
 but, now, when the Paris system comprises some 14,000 sub- 
 scribers and several hundred operators, including necessarily 
 many juniors, and when, moreover, old switch-rooms have been 
 closed and their lines concentrated at new ones, it may well be 
 imagined that confusion must result. The subscribers, however, 
 resent any suggestion that they should be numbered the lists 
 at present contain names, trades, and addresses only and the 
 Government is weak enough to refrain from making the change. 
 Imagine the long formula that must be spoken by a calling sub- 
 scriber in order to discriminate between seventeen Rousseaus, 
 fifteen Bertrands, and thirteen Blancs ; the mistakes likely to be 
 made by an operator who thinks she knows the number of the 
 
156 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 person asked for ; the delay caused by an operator who knows 
 she doesn't know and accordingly refers to the list ! 
 
 As an inevitable consequence the service is slow, although 
 the speaking, when once through, is excellent. The service 
 instructions are simple, and probably the best for the circum- 
 stances. A caller pushes his button several times and then puts 
 the receiver to his ear and waits for the exchange's reply, which 
 obtaining, he states the name and address of his client which is 
 repeated by the operator and again waits with the receiver to 
 his ear until he hears his friend's voice. On receiving a call, a 
 subscriber lifts his phone and speaks without ringing back. The 
 ring-off is a pressure of both buttons. There being no discrimi- 
 native disconnection signal, subscribers must refrain from touch- 
 ing their buttons during intercourse, a disadvantage, great and 
 grievous as it is, which prevails everywhere on the Continent. 
 The easy-going temperament of the Gaul in telephonic matters is 
 further evidenced by his tolerance of the rule that no new con- 
 nection must be demanded within half a minute of a ring-off. 
 Fancy a subscriber brought up on the Mann system standing that ! 
 He would expect to obtain and get rid of at least two connections 
 in the time. It is but fair to state, however, that the engineers 
 fully recognise the shortcomings of the system, especially in regard 
 to ringing batteries and calling by name, but have to submit to the 
 inevitable, which decrees their continuance. The average number 
 of calls per subscriber in Paris is stated to be 5-5 per day ; in the 
 suburbs it rarely exceeds two per day. The traffic to be dealt with 
 is consequently comparatively small. In Paris, all the work being 
 underground, it has not been found necessary to fit lightning pro- 
 tectors at the exchanges, but in the suburbs and provinces this is 
 never omitted. The protector which seems to find the most 
 favour consists simply of a strip of paper, silvered on one side 
 only, 3 mm. wide and 30 mm. long, inserted in the line by means 
 of two metal clips. It is found to invariably fuse and save the 
 coils during a discharge, but it of course never acts without 
 interrupting the communication with the exchange of the line 
 affected, a grave disadvantage. 
 
 At Rouen an American multiple with parallel jacks and self- 
 restoring drops, essentially similar to that at Zurich (see Swiss 
 
France 
 
 157 
 
 section), has recently been fitted. Another board of this kind 
 has been ordered for Le Havre from M. Aboilard, the Western 
 Electric Company's agent in Paris. M. Portel Vinay, of Paris, is 
 building a multiple for Bordeaux according to the patents of M. 
 Adhemar. It is said to comprise parallel jacks and indicators 
 which are restored in the act of making a connection, while their 
 coils are automatically cut out, leaving only the ring-off drop in 
 circuit. This is the same idea which has been given effect to in 
 Stockholm and Copenhagen. (See Swedish and Danish sections.) 
 
 At Marseilles there is a multiple designed jointly by MM. 
 Berthon and Ducousso, of which a promised description has not 
 reached the author in time for inclusion in the present work. 
 
 To Lille the Societe Generate des Telephones supplied, some 
 three years back, a multiple on the patent principle of M. Berthon, 
 which presents several points of divergence from ordinary practice. 
 Especially has the inventor aimed at compactness, screening of 
 jacks from dust, and accessibility. The jacks are moulded while the 
 metal is hot in steel dies, so as to insure absolute uniformity. The 
 insulator used is ivorine, a composition which, it is said, possesses- 
 the good qualities of ebonite, combined with greater toughness 
 and workability. The jacks are only 10 mm. thick, which is one 
 millimeter less than the Stockholm Brunkeberg jacks, to be 
 described in the Swedish section. The rows of jacks are very 
 accurately fitted in their frames, and may be pulled out for repairs 
 from the front almost like tiers of drawers. A diagram of the 
 connections is given in fig. 41, and a plan and front view of the 
 jacks and plugs in fig. 42. In this latter, the two wires of the 
 subscriber's loop, or one wire and earth if the system be single, 
 are joined to the springs v v' through the screws z z'. Normally 
 the springs are in contact with studs a a', from which they are 
 lifted by the nose of an inserted plug. The jack sockets are 
 divided into two halves r r', of which r is joined permanently to 
 the studs and r' to the test wire. The plugs are also in two- 
 halves, and shaped to fit into the divided sockets. Referring now 
 to fig. 41, s 1 s- are two subscribers joined to the exchange by the 
 metallic circuits L I L 2 . T T I are two operators' sets with calling 
 keys c and c 1 , which may, as required, direct the current from 
 the battery r through the plug FT. or Fi 2 , and calling keys cz 
 
I $8 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
France 
 
 159 
 
 .and C2 2 which send it through FZ or rz*. A lever switch z>, when 
 in the upright position, puts the two plugs FI and Fi 2 in circuit 
 with a relay E, which is arranged to close a local circuit through 
 the coils of the ring-off drop r. When D is turned down, E is 
 short-circuited, and the speaking set cut in. Each operator has 
 a test battery H. When a line is free, the test wire and the socket 
 
 (2) 
 
 FIG. 42 
 
 halves r to which it is connected are insulated, and the application 
 of a test plug, as F2, to the sockets produces no result, since H 
 finds no circuit. But if a connection is on at another section, the 
 socket halves r and r' are in communication through the inserted 
 plug and the line, and a current will now circulate when F2 is 
 applied. Figs. 43 and 44 give a front view and end section of 
 the Lille board. 
 
160 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
France 161 
 
 M. Berthon has likewise devised a novel self-restoring drop, 
 in which the solenoid principle is utilised, perhaps for the first 
 time in telephonic work. The plan has not, however, received a 
 practical application. 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 
 
 These, as a rule, correspond with the hours of telegraphic 
 service, which are continuous in Paris and eleven of the other chief 
 towns, and generally extend from 7 or 8 A.M. till 8 or 9 P.M. in 
 the smaller places. But Aix, St.-Etienne, and Chalons are open 
 till midnight, and Rheims and Pauillac till 10 P.M. 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 
 
 The arrangement by which subscribers were left to purchase 
 their own instruments has produced some curious results. Except 
 within very wide limits the type was not denned until recently, 
 anything that would work in with the existing switching arrange- 
 ments being at first admitted. The methods of switching prac- 
 tised by the Societe Generale des Telephones required battery 
 and not magneto ringers at the subscribers' offices, so that that 
 system obtained such a hold that it has had perforce to be con- 
 tinued, much to the dissatisfaction of the present engineers, who 
 would change it if they could on account of the great expense of 
 maintaining so many voltaic cells scattered over a large area. 
 There being 14,000 subscribers in Paris and suburbs, each using six 
 Leclanche cells, it follows that there are 14,000 x 6 = 84,000 cells 
 to maintain. This would be bad enough if they were collected 
 in one building, but when distributed irregularly over some sixty 
 square miles, the task is recognised as a formidable one. While 
 the Societe Generale held the ground, the subscribers' choice of 
 instruments was limited, since it would not allow any but those 
 of its own manufacture to be used ; but this restriction vanished 
 when the State took over the system, and the field was thrown 
 open to all. The wide market thus created gave rise to keen 
 competition between manufacturers and to a great multiplication 
 of types of instruments. Each maker had a type of his own, 
 which he pushed as the best, so that the uninstructed subscribers 
 
 M 
 
1 62 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 were greatly exercised as to the respective merits of the Ader r 
 Maiche, Pasquet, Journaux, Dejongh, Crossley, Breguet, Roulez r 
 Ochorowicz, Bert, D'Arsonval, Mors-Abdank, Milde, Runnings, 
 and twenty others, each of which was represented as the only one 
 worthy of attention. The State has the fixing and maintaining 
 of the instruments, although the subscribers buy them, and, after 
 a long time, began to recognise the fact that it had a vast number 
 of cheap and defective instruments on its hands to maintain, and 
 that the operation threatened to become a serious one in respect 
 to cost. So, in 1893, the State issued a specification, intended to- 
 secure good workmanship, to be observed by all makers, under 
 pain of having their instruments rejected ; and subscribers were 
 required at the same time to submit the instruments they bought 
 to the telephone authorities to be tested and passed prior to fitting. 
 These regulations have brought about a great improvement in 
 quality, but a vast mass of the older material remains in use, while 
 the diversities of type have not been lessened. The instrument 
 fitters and inspectors have consequently to be familiar with the 
 mechanism and connections of some forty different kinds of appa- 
 ratus, many of widely diverging patterns. This must lead to delay 
 in removing faults. The hope of the French Government that 
 competition between makers would in time develop an instrument 
 of exceptional merit has scarcely, so far, been realised, since the 
 best transmitters, if not receivers, have originated outside France. 
 Space will not permit of the diversities of design being particularly 
 referred to here, and it must suffice to say that while the battery 
 ringer is universal, and the Ader receiver continues to occupy the 
 position of first favourite, which it won in the days of the Societe 
 Generate, the latest tendency in transmitters is towards one or 
 other form of Runnings. The French instruments now supplied 
 are, as a rule, both well made and tasteful in design and decora- 
 tion. An ingenious instrument which, although at present em- 
 ployed almost exclusively for private lines, may become more 
 familiar in exchange work later on, when the time for the inevitable 
 change from batteries to magnetos arrives, is the magneto-electric 
 call of M. Roulez, shown in figs. 45 and 46. The soft-iron 
 cores c l c 2 of the electro-magnets E 1 E 2 are clamped between 
 the poles of the same name of the powerful permanent magnets 
 
M 2 
 
164 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 M I M 2 . The cores have curved pole-pieces p 1 p 2 , between which 
 revolves the soft-iron armature A driven by a pinion, toothed 
 wheel and crank as shown. The wheel is loose on the crank 
 spindle until caught by the pin T engaging with the recessed 
 collar R, when it is revolved, the spring s compressed, and spring 
 contact o removed from the fixed contact i to the fixed contact 
 j, the result being that the bell is cut out from the line when the 
 crank is in motion, and the generator coils when it is at rest. 
 Each revolution of the soft-iron armature induces currents in the 
 coils, the direction of which is determined by the approach or 
 retrogression of the armature to or from the pole-pieces. It will be 
 seen that the connections are arranged so that the currents of the 
 same name generated simultaneously in the two coils join at x, and 
 go out to line together. As a departure from ordinary practice in 
 a direction which has proved singularly sterile in innovation, this 
 magneto is interesting, while the abolition of moving coils and 
 contacts should operate on the side of economy in maintenance. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 
 
 As regards Paris, the whole of the work practically is under- 
 ground, chiefly in the sewers. In the centre of the city, overhead 
 wires do not exist at all, and there are but few to be seen anywhere 
 within the fortifications. But immediately these are passed, pole 
 routes begin, and in the suburbs aerial work is exclusively used. 
 Formerly, wires insulated with gutta-percha were twisted in pairs 
 and made up into small cables, which were hung on brackets from 
 the sewer roofs or walls. These were found liable to various 
 interferences, attacks by rats, &c. ; and now the cables, which are 
 as a rule much larger than the older ones, and mostly insulated 
 with paper, are always laid in strong sheet- iron troughs with 
 tightly fitting lids, for which there is fortunately room. A good 
 many Fortin-Hermann cables exist, and have proved exceedingly 
 satisfactory in service for the long-distance connections. Each 
 conductor is strung throughout its length with birch beads, the 
 wood being sound and dry, one centimeter long and three centi- 
 meters in diameter. Two conductors are then twisted together, 
 and as many pairs as are required drawn into a leaden tube to 
 
France 165 
 
 form a cable. From the size of the beads it will be seen that the 
 Fortin- Hermann system conduces to a very bulky cable ; six pairs, 
 which is the size commonly used in Paris, occupying a space of 
 over an inch. For this reason, and in 'spite of its electrical 
 qualities, which are excellent, its use is not being materially ex- 
 tended. The insulation obtained is never less than 200 megohms 
 per kilometer, while the capacity does not exceed '05 microfarad 
 per kilometer. The cable now chiefly employed is insulated with 
 paper, and made in the workshops of M. Georges Aboilard, 
 Avenue de Breteuil. While possessing (with No. 20 wire) a 
 capacity of '055 mf. per kilometer, fifty-two twisted pairs occupy 
 a diameter of only forty-three millimeters, including the leaden 
 protection. An insulation resistance of 6,000 megohms per kilo- 
 meter is easily attained. The paper employed is of French 
 manufacture, and before being used is severely tested for strength, 
 a strip fifteen millimeters wide and one meter long being required 
 to support a weight of seven kilogrammes and to resist twisting 
 round eight times. The paper strip is very rapidly wound 
 spirally on the conductor by special machinery in such a way 
 that an air space is left between the wire and its covering. A 
 second spiral in the reverse direction is then added, the process 
 resulting in the formation of an almost perfect paper tube, round 
 which a light cotton thread is wound to keep it in position. The 
 conductors are then twisted in pairs, and made up into cores 
 containing two, seven, twenty- eight, or fifty-six pairs, which are 
 kept together by a spiralling of cotton threads. The core is 
 wound on iron drums and dried in an oven at a temperature of 
 no Centigrade for twenty-four hours before receiving its coating 
 of pure lead. This it does by means of an hydraulic press, through 
 which the cable passes, the molten lead which is fed to the press 
 being somewhat cooled by water. The finished cable emerges 
 cased in a leaden tube three millimeters thick, which lies directly 
 on the core, the intervening layers of jute, &c., employed by 
 British and German makers being dispensed with, as is also the 
 usual steel armour. But then it must be remembered that this 
 French cable is laid in troughs or trenches, and not drawn into 
 conduits. The different-sized cores are employed according to 
 the distance from the switch-room : thus a 5 6 -pair cable leaves 
 
1 66 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 a station and drops, say, twenty-one pairs at the first junc- 
 tion box ; thence it is continued by a 28-pair and a seven-pair, 
 and finally by a seven-pair alone, until all the pairs have been 
 disposed of. Cable of this kind is used for the interior wiring of 
 the central station at the Rue Gutenberg, as well as for the out- 
 side work. Capacious as the sewers are, their resources are not 
 inexhaustible, while the necessity of protecting the cables laid 
 therein in costly iron troughs renders sewer work somewhat ex- 
 pensive. These considerations have led to cables containing 
 junction lines between some of the switch-rooms being laid in 
 trenches beneath the street pavements. In one such trench, one 
 meter deep, twenty 5 2 -pair lead-covered cables are laid without 
 any protection other than a galvanised iron netting placed some 
 inches above them, designed to give warning of their existence to 
 strange workmen who may open the ground. An admirable 
 feature of these paper cables is the fact that they cannot be spoiled 
 by access of moisture. The ends are not sealed in any way, and 
 should water get in through a fault, even to the extent of short- 
 circuiting all the wires, it may be driven out and the insulation 
 raised again to its normal figure of 6,000 megohms per kilometer 
 by forcing dry air, not necessarily warm, into one end of the 
 cable, under a pressure of two kilogrammes per square millimeter. 
 This air gradually makes its way through the cable, whatever its 
 length may be (from seven to eight kilometers have actually been 
 operated on), carrying with it to the further end all the moisture 
 within it. For some hours after the application of the pressure 
 no improvement is noticeable ; then the insulation begins to go 
 up slowly, but at an ever-increasing ratio, until at the end of some 
 twenty-four hours the mending proceeds with great rapidity, so 
 that thirty hours of pressure usually suffices to restore what had 
 appeared to be a hopelessly bad cable to full working efficiency. 
 If it is not convenient to look for and remove the fault, the appli- 
 cation of pressure continuously, or for a few hours every day, will 
 keep the cable going without disturbing the subscribers. When 
 the fault is looked for, its position is first determined as nearly 
 as possible by electrical test, and the pressure then turned on. 
 Usually the workmen find the fault by the sound of air issuing 
 from it, or by simple inspection, and it may then be effectually 
 
France 
 
 1 6 7 
 
 cured by wrapping a piece of sheet lead round, and soldering i: 
 to, the tube. The air is dried by being forced through tubes con- 
 taining sodium chloride before entering the cable ; if made to 
 pass through similar tubes at the further end, the amount of 
 moisture removed may be ascertained by weighing the salt. It 
 is said that a pint of water was on one occasion poured into a 
 cable and all removed in a few hours. This process, which was 
 invented by M. Aboilard, is so commonly employed in Paris that 
 nozzles have been fitted to the cable-heads at the different switch- 
 rooms, so that air pressure may be applied to any cable at any time. 
 Of course, it is not necessary to disconnect any wires or stop any 
 communications, and therein lies the great utility and beauty of 
 the plan. 
 
 At Lyons, where sewers similar to the Parisian ones exist, 
 the work is mostly underground, and generally on the same plan 
 .as in the capital ; in Bordeaux there is a certain amount of under- 
 ground wiring, but in all other towns the construction is either 
 entirely aerial or nearly so. 
 
 In Versailles, St.-Ouen, St.-Denis, and other suburbs of Paris, 
 the overhead wires are of n mm. bronze, supported on small 
 double -shed insulators which, like most 
 of those used in France, are provided 
 with projections or ears (fig. 47) for 
 the purpose of retaining the wire should 
 it break from its fastenings. An exten- 
 sive use of bracket standards attached 
 to the fronts of the houses is made ; 
 indeed, it would seem that it was at one 
 time thought that such contrivances 
 would prove permanently sufficient, as 
 even the original exchange fixtures at 
 Versailles and St.-Denis were of this 
 type ; but standards attached to gable 
 ends, chimneys, and roofs are now being Fic 47 
 
 erected in Versailles. The attachments 
 
 to fronts of houses are naturally of restricted capacity, thirty to 
 thirty- six insulators being carried at the most, while the wires are 
 subjected to interference from the windows, and the low elevation at 
 
 .A 
 
 B 
 
 ,B 
 
1 68 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 which they cross the side streets must impede the transit of fire- 
 escapes. Some of these bracket standards are of wood, round or 
 square, but the more recent ones are built up of two lengths of 
 channel iron, placed back to back and bolted together at intervals, 
 with a space of two or three centimeters between them, through 
 which the insulator stalks are passed. Fig. 47 shows the details 
 of this arrangement, A A 1 being the two pieces of iron kept together 
 by the bolts B. The insulators are fixed in pairs on reverse sides,, 
 the stalks passing through iron plates, P p 1 , which have generally 
 a leaden sheet sandwiched for the purpose of moderating vibration, 
 and being screwed up by the nuts N N. Figs. 48 to 51 show 
 different forms of bracket standards in use ; when fixed to houses 
 the short-stalked insulators are always on the inside, as in figs. 48 
 and 49 ; but when they project above the roofs the insulators 
 usually alternate, as in figs. 50 and 51. In some cases a small 
 platform or stand for the workmen is attached to the lower bracket. 
 On crowded routes, double standards of the form shown in fig. 52 
 are beginning to appear ; they are simply two uprights like that in 
 fig. 51 tied together by two horizontal rods. Standards are never 
 fixed to a roof if a gable, wall, or chimney is available, as vibration 
 is still a serious bugbear in France ; when a roof fixture cannot 
 be avoided the standard is bolted to the rafters. These standards, 
 which never exceed ten or twelve feet in height, are, as a rule, 
 only stayed against the pull on angles, but occasionally one with 
 four equally spread stays is observed. The staying is always 
 done with judgment, and the work generally is commendable for 
 neatness and good maintenance. In the country towns exploited 
 by the State this form of construction also obtains, with occasional 
 deviations due to the local engineers. Such a deviation is shown 
 in fig. 53, which seems a needlessly roundabout way to accommo- 
 date thirty wires. Frenchmen never resort to cross-arms if they 
 can help it, but M. Andre has erected at Rheims double standards 
 with cross-arms as shown in fig. 54. At Lille and Amiens 
 the author also observed iron double standards with arms sand- 
 wiched between the uprights, but not quite like those of M. Andre. 
 At Lille, a town exploited in the first instance by the Societe 
 Generate des Telephones, most of the standards are of wood, 
 generally with two or three uprights with cross-arms of planks, to 
 
France 
 
 i6 9 
 
 : 
 
170 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 which the insulators are attached as in fig. 55. The planks are 
 sometimes sandwiched between double uprights. These fixtures 
 cannot by any stretch of courtesy be termed beautiful ; indeed, 
 the French sense of the artistic has therein signally failed. At 
 Lille the handsome slated dome of the central post and telegraph 
 office has been adapted to telephonic needs by being surrounded 
 by ten circles of wooden arms, bent to the contour of the dome, 
 and supported on brackets attached to its framework. Commencing 
 
 9 
 
 -9 
 
 1? 
 
 d-p 
 
 Vir 5 ' 
 
 <u 
 
 J? 
 
 ^ 
 
 ? 
 
 'zip 
 
 9 
 
 J 
 
 9 
 
 FIG. 52 FIG. 53 
 
 near the top, the circles described gradually increase in diameter, 
 and space is afforded for a large number of insulators. The arms 
 are stiffened on the outside by angle irons. In the crown of the 
 dome there are eight recesses, each containing the sculptured 
 head of a satyr leaning forward and looking down on the insu- 
 lators and wires beneath, as though engaged in a perpetual watch 
 for contacts. Surmounted by a flagstaff, and of graceful pro- 
 portions, the dome looks well from a distance ; near at hand it 
 
France 
 
 "is seen that the arms have warped, and are no longer symmetrical. 
 At Amiens the central station fixture is one of the towers designed 
 by M. Belz, a specimen of which was shown at the Paris Exhibition 
 of 1889, erected on a red brick turret. Taken as a whole, the 
 French overhouse construction must be adjudged deficient in 
 capacity, although strong and well executed. When the French 
 subscribers begin to come on more freely than they have (outside 
 Paris) hitherto done, present methods will not suffice, and a new 
 departure will have to be taken. The ground pole work in 
 
 FIG. 54 
 
 FIG. 55 
 
 France, so far as the authors observation went, has attained no 
 abnormal development whatever. The poles are simply the 
 familiar erections of the French Telegraph Department and the 
 French railway companies. A common form of suburban tele- 
 phone route is composed of two 18 or 20 feet wooden poles 
 tied together as in fig. 52, with insulators arranged in precisely 
 the same fashion. When the poles are straight, well dressed, 
 and well matched which is not always the case, however with 
 the insulators properly spaced, such a route is not wanting in 
 picturesquer.ess, but it is wofully deficient in carrying capacity. 
 
172 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (TRUNK) 
 
 The wire used for the trunk line in France was at first 
 galvanised iron of 4 to 5 mm., but recently nothing but high con- 
 ductivity bronze or hard copper has been erected. This varies 
 from 3 mm. diameter on the shorter lines (Paris-Brussels, 320 kilo- 
 meters) to 5 mm. on the longer (Paris-Marseilles, 1,000 kilometers ; 
 and Paris- London, 501 kilometers). Trunk lines are crossed, not 
 twisted, but the non-use of cross-arms leads to the adoption of 
 clumsy and space-sacrificing devices. Fig. 56 represents the 
 crossing adopted on the Paris-Marseilles trunk. In the space 
 occupied by this single metallic circuit two or even three arms, each 
 
 FIG. 56 
 
 carrying six wires, could easily be got, and nine metallic circuits 
 obtained, each superior in symmetry to the Paris-Marseilles. In 
 Paris the trunk lines have to traverse considerable distances in the 
 sewers, the Paris-London having an underground course of this 
 nature of nearly eight kilometers ; but, thanks to the low capacity 
 of the Aboilard and Fortin-Hermann cables, no inconvenience 
 results. Many of the French trunks are worked simultaneously 
 as telegraph lines on the Van Rysselberghe, Picard, and Cailho 
 systems, but notwithstanding this, the speaking attains a high 
 figure of merit. 
 
France 173 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 
 
 The workmen are divided into ' commissioned ' and ' non- 
 commissioned,' the former class being retained in the service 
 under all circumstances, the latter only while sufficient work exists. 
 The two classes do not differ materially in skill and experience. 
 In Paris (where the rates of pay are higher than in the country) 
 foremen receive from 927. to ii2/. per annum, with 467. extra for 
 expenses. Commissioned wiremen get from 567. to 88/. per 
 annum, with 327. extra for expenses. Non-commissioned men 
 are paid by the week at the rate of from 4*. ^\d. to 65-. per day, 
 according to skill. In the provinces these rates are reduced by 
 10 per cent, to 20 per cent., according to locality. 
 
 PAYMENT OF OPERATORS 
 
 After successfully passing a probationary period, during which 
 nothing is paid, girls, who must not be younger than seventeen, 
 receive is. \\\d. per day, with <)'6d. for luncheon. The next step 
 is to 507. per annum in Paris and 407. in the country, also with a 
 luncheon allowance of y6d. Subsequently they rise by incre- 
 ments of 87. every three years to a maximum (in Paris) of 747. 
 per annum. Lady superintendents are selected for ability, not by 
 seniority. The working hours are eight per day, out of which 
 one is allowed for luncheon and recreation. 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 The latest detailed return of the number of centres and sub- 
 scribers in France is dated as far back as the end of 1891, but a 
 return of the collective numbers up to the end of 1892 has been 
 issued. The only figures obtainable for 1893 and 1894 are the 
 budget estimates for those years. This is a pity, since the de- 
 velopment prior to 1893 was insignificant compared with the pro- 
 gress made since, especially in the provinces. At the end of 1892 
 the number of exchanges in operation was 207, with a total of 
 220 switch-rooms, 201 public stations, and 22,918 subscribers' 
 instruments. The length of the local routes was, underground 
 7,585 kilometers, and aerial 4,415 kilometers ; and of the local 
 
174 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 wires, underground 43,239 kilometers, aerial 16,389 kilometers. 
 The excess of underground mileage is due to the preponderance 
 of Paris, which at this date had nearly three- fourths of the total 
 subscribers. Of internal trunks there were 201, of international 
 trunks 8 ; with a total length, in routes of 11,428, and in wire of 
 22,856 kilometers. It will be noticed that the length of wire 
 is that of the routes doubled, which throws doubt on the ac- 
 curacy of the return, there being certainly more than one metallic 
 circuit in the Paris-Brussels and Paris-London routes if nowhere 
 else. The number of local conversations between subscribers is 
 returned at 19,000,000 ; between public stations and subscribers 
 at half a million : over trunk lines, 542,910. The number of tele- 
 grams telephoned was, outward 385,785, homeward 200,993 > ar) d 
 of messages telephoned for local delivery, 1,354. The receipts 
 from all sources amounted to 10,307,823 francs, and the expenses 
 to 9,869,108 francs, leaving a profit of 438,715 francs, or 
 17,5487. 
 
 The number of subscribers in the principal towns was stated 
 by a high official to be roughly as follows, in January 1895 : 
 
 Paris (town) . . 12,500 Marseilles . . . 1,000 
 
 Paris (suburbs) . . 1,500 Le Havre . . . 1,000 
 
 Lyons . . . 1,200 
 Bordeaux . . . 1,200 
 
 Rou^n . . . 600 
 
 With the exception of the capital, therefore, it is evident that 
 the French cities are far behind even the English in develop- 
 ment. 
 

 175 
 
 IX. GERMAN EMPIRE 
 
 (EXCLUSIVE OF BAVARIA AND WURTEMBERG) 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 BAVARIA and Wiirtemberg are the only members of the German- 
 Empire which have preserved their posts, telegraphs, and telephones 
 in any way independent of the Imperial Post Office ; Saxony, 
 Baden, Hesse, and the rest being, in this respect, as essentially 
 Prussian as is any suburb of Berlin. As securing uniformity of 
 practice over a vast area this arrangement commends itself to the 
 practical man, but it of course depends upon the quality of the 
 uniformity obtained as to whether the results to the public are 
 beneficial or otherwise. On this point it must be said that in many 
 respects the arrangements, especially in regard to tariffs in the 
 larger cities and to services rendered, are distinctly good and 
 liberal ; on the other hand, it is impossible to pretend that the 
 technical and engineering plans (with a few exceptions) are other- 
 wise than rudimentary and disappointing. 
 
 The history of telephony in Germany bears a certain resem- 
 blance to our own. At first the Imperial Post Office doubted 
 both the utility and practicability of telephone exchanges. The 
 next stage was the refusal of licences to the International Bell 
 Telephone Company. Time went on, and public opinion calling 
 for exchanges, the Government itself undertook the work. The 
 official appreciation of the nature of the problem and of what was 
 required for a smart telephonic service may be gauged by the fact 
 that the first exchange operators were recruited from the ranks 
 of the superannuated postmen. For many years after starting, the 
 
176 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Government engineers declined to have anything to do with micro- 
 phonic transmitters, arid until 1888 insisted upon supplying their 
 subscribers with nothing but a push-button and battery, a trembling 
 bell, and two receivers, one to speak to, the other to listen by, in 
 spite of the fact that all the lines were single and subject to in- 
 inductive disturbances. These receivers were both attached by 
 long cords, so that a subscriber had to hold one to his ear and the 
 other before his face, somewhat in the attitude of mermaid and 
 looking-glass. With both hands so engaged, the taking of notes or 
 holding of papers was of course impracticable. When at last, in 
 1888, they were compelled by public clamour to provide micro- 
 phones, the type chosen was a kind of Crossley mounted vertically, 
 and known as the Mix & Genest transmitter. Magneto ringers 
 they would not have at any price until last year, when Berlin 
 and Hamburg were provided with them, all the rest of the Imperial 
 towns being still worked with batteries and pushes. In Berlin 
 and Hamburg the old battery instruments have to a large extent 
 been converted to magnetos at an expense said to amount to 65 
 marks (shillings) per instrument exceeding the cost at which new 
 magneto instruments of really efficient design could have been pur- 
 chased. The Imperial Post Office still adheres to single wires with 
 earth return, and has not expressed, or given evidence of the 
 latest multiple boards being made for single wires any inten- 
 tion of an ultimate conversion to double, although the speak- 
 ing over the trunk lines, as between subscriber and subscriber, at 
 least, is already far from satisfactory. The enormous expense 
 of such a change is assigned as a reason, but it is an inade- 
 quate and ludicrous one in face of the facts that the General 
 Telephone Company of Stockholm has actually converted its 
 system within the last two years, and that its example is being 
 followed by other companies and by several Governments. At 
 least, new exchanges might be run with metallic circuits, and 
 the area over which the inevitable change will have to be made 
 thereby limited. As it is, subscribers are crowding on in all 
 parts of Germany, and the public money is being spent in 
 connecting them in a manner which is already recognised 
 nearly everywhere else even in Servia, Bulgaria, and Roumania 
 as obsolete. In a few years more the machine will have 
 
German Empire 177 
 
 become so huge and clumsy, and the trunk-line speaking so 
 immeasurably inferior to that which will prevail in neighbouring 
 States, that an entire reconstruction will have to be undertaken 
 at enormous cost. 
 
 The author visited several of the principal cities both in the 
 north and south of the Imperial postal district, including the 
 chief towns of Baden, Hesse, Alsace-Lorraine, Saxony, and Han- 
 over, with the view of obtaining a just idea of the whole and of 
 avoiding the danger of generalising from only local experiences. 
 There were but few differences to note. The outside construction 
 is practically the same everywhere, better done in some of the 
 towns than in others, but always on the same plan ; the sub- 
 scribers' instruments (excepting in Berlin and Hamburg) are 
 identical. Only the switch-boards and exchange fixtures differ. 
 In all the towns the author took great pains and disbursed divers 
 marks with the object of testing the service, especially that over 
 the trunk lines, from a subscriber's point of view. All the hotels 
 of any note are connected in the various towns, the instruments 
 being usually under the care of the hall porters, invariably men 
 of intelligence and practised in the manipulation of their tele- 
 phones. Under these circumstances it was found a good plan to 
 get through to hotels in other towns and inquire after supposi- 
 titious letters. This was not an expensive amusement, inasmuch 
 as a three-minute talk between any two connected parts of the Im- 
 perial postal district costs only one shilling (this is one of the 
 points on which the Administration is deserving of earnest com- 
 mendation) ; but it required a good fund of perseverance and 
 patience, since the lines, when first asked for, were invariably 
 engaged, and the precincts of the instrument had to be haunted 
 until perhaps after some twenty or thirty minutes the notifica- 
 tion of connection came. The result of this experience (October 
 1894) was decidedly disappointing, for on no single occasion did 
 the author succeed in obtaining a trunk communication that was 
 even tolerably good. The best (and yet indifferent) were between 
 Frankfort-on-Main and Mannheim, and between Leipzig and 
 Berlin. The worst between Berlin (Central Hotel) and Hamburg 
 (Hamburger Hof), excepting that between Berlin and Cologne, 
 which had to be abandoned as hopeless. To compare any Imperial 
 
1/8 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 German speaking (as between subscribers) with that between 
 Brussels and Paris, Paris and Marseilles, or Stockholm and 
 Gothenburg, would be absurd : there is no similitude. The local 
 service in Berlin is slow, but faster than that of Paris. The 
 Central Hotel, Berlin, has a telephone-room, in charge of an 
 attendant, containing three instruments in connection with the 
 exchange, which, during the busy hours, especially the forenoon, 
 are in incessant request by commercial travellers and others stay- 
 ing in the house, would-be users waiting their turns sometimes 
 several deep. It is under such circumstances as these that a good 
 system shines and a bad one breaks down. In that Berlin tele- 
 phone-room the only thing that shone was the patience, under 
 long suffering, of the attendant and customers. At the same 
 time it must not be overlooked that the Berlin exchange is the 
 largest in Europe, if not in the world, counting, as it does, some 
 25,000 connected instruments in the city itself and nearly 3,000 
 more in the suburban area. The problem that presents itself for 
 solution in the Prussian capital is consequently unique, and it 
 would be unfair and ungenerous to underrate its difficulties. 
 But it is reasonable to argue that methods which give bad results 
 with 500 subscribers cannot possibly prove satisfactory with 
 25,000, and it is on the score of persistence in rudimentary forms 
 when an advanced stage of development has been reached that 
 fault may most justly be found with the Imperial Post Office. 
 The overhearing on some of the single wires is very pronounced. 
 At Frankfort-on-Main, the hotel porter, in describing his telephone 
 and the uses he put it to, remarked that before ringing for a con- 
 nection to his fishmonger he always lifted the telephone off its 
 hook and listened, because if the fishmonger was talking to 
 anybody else he could always distinguish his voice and so knew 
 that it was useless to ring just then. If, on the other hand, the 
 familiar tones were absent, he knew that the connection could be 
 got. 
 
 There is some official predilection in Germany towards an 
 eventual abolition of inclusive annual subscriptions in favour of 
 the Swiss plan of a small annual payment and a fee for each con- 
 nection asked for over a certain number. It is considered that 
 an automatic register of the communications had, to be placed in 
 
German Empire 179 
 
 the subscriber's office, is necessary to the success of such a plan, 
 and some experiments are being conducted with meters invented 
 by Messrs. Mix & Genest and by an official of the Imperial 
 Administration. Such registers, however, unless very complicated 
 (in which case the expense of their introduction and maintenance 
 would outweigh all advantages), could not supersede the operators' 
 notes, since they would not differentiate between the numerous 
 classes of connections, local, suburban, short- and long-distance 
 trunk, telegrams, matter to be mailed, &c., that may be asked for. 
 A simple record of the number of connections would help but 
 little, and if the operators' notes must be preserved at all, they had 
 better accomplish the whole task as in Switzerland and Stockholm. 
 In the latter city these reasons have led to counters, efficient as 
 such, being abandoned after extensive use. The Imperial Ad- 
 ministration deserves praise for the manner in which it has con- 
 sistently supported home manufacturers. It has taken as little of 
 its apparatus from abroad as possible, even multiple switch-boards, 
 the most complicated of all telephonic mechanism, having been, 
 whenever possible, procured in Germany. The gratifying result 
 is that, although the native instruments may be somewhat lacking 
 in design, a school has been founded which is rapidly becoming 
 equal to all demands. At present it is traversing ground which 
 has been already exploited elsewhere, making the same mistakes 
 and acquiring the same experience. As regards workmanship, 
 the productions of the three chief firms Siemens & Halske, 
 Mix & Genest, and R. Stock & Co. leave nothing to be 
 desired. 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC 
 
 i. Intercourse between the subscribers and public stations 
 of the same town. The rate is universally 7/. IQS. per annum, 
 irrespective of the size of the town, and includes connections of 
 any length up to five kilometers. This rate is too high, notwith- 
 standing the lon fc ength given without extra charge, for small towns. 
 In such places the vast majority of the lines are much less than 
 half a mile in length, and 90 per cent, less than one mile. A more 
 equitable figure would be 4/. or, at most, 5/., for connections not 
 
 N 2 
 
i8o Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 exceeding one and a half kilometers, with an ascending scale for 
 the exceptionally longer lines. On the other hand, for cities like 
 Berlin and Hamburg ;/. los. may be admitted as reasonable ; but 
 the fact only accentuates the injustice done to the inhabitants of 
 small towns and villages, whose telephones must necessarily be 
 much less valuable than those of the Berliners and Hamburgers. 
 When a 5/. rate is found sufficient in Stuttgart, the capital of a 
 German State, there is certainly ground for complaint under the 
 Prussian rule. The efforts made in Wiirtemberg to restrict the 
 user of telephones to their actual hirers are not made by the Im- 
 perial authorities, whose official instructions to the subscribers are 
 silent on the point, perhaps wisely, for when such restrictions are 
 imposed they soon become dead letters. The subscribers get 
 annoyed at what they regard as an unjust and unreasonable regu- 
 lation, while the officials become tired of trying to enforce rules 
 which produce nothing but ill-temper and friction. Imperial 
 subscribers are simply prohibited from accepting payments from 
 outsiders for the use of their telephones. Subscribers are bound 
 to insure their instruments, together with all leading wires and 
 fixtures connected with them, against fire. Would-be subscribers 
 must produce a written way-leave from their landlord authorising 
 the fixing of all necessary wires and apparatus ; in the absence of 
 such a way-leave no person is accepted as a subscriber. Sub- 
 scribers whose communication has been interrupted for more 
 than four weeks are allowed a proportionate rebate. Subscrip- 
 tions will also be refunded should the Administration, in the 
 exercise of the powers conferred by Parliament, close any ex- 
 change or line permanently or temporarily. Subscribers removing 
 are liberally dealt with, no charge being made unless the new 
 premises come under a more expensive section of the tariff. 
 Peremptory powers to remove instruments are possessed in the 
 event of non-payment of subscriptions when due, damage to 
 apparatus, and improper language addressed to the operators. 
 The proprietor of a building let off as dwellings or workshops to 
 different tenants may pay for a wire to the exchange under the 
 usual tariff, and by providing an attendant at his own expense to 
 operate a switch-board supplied by the Administration is allowed 
 to have instruments fixed in any or all of his tenants' places and 
 
German Empire 181 
 
 to give them exchange communication through this switch-board. 
 There is a special tariff (see Tariffs] for such extensions. The 
 proprietor renders himself responsible for all payments, and col- 
 lects subscriptions from his tenants. If any of them neglects to 
 pay he is the loser. 
 
 2. Intercommunication between a town and its suburbs 
 and, in some cases, other small towns not very far removed. For 
 example, the Berlin suburban intercourse includes Spandau (8 
 miles), Kopenick (9 miles), and Potsdam (15 miles) ; the Leipzig 
 includes Markranstadt (8 miles) ; the Frankfort-on-Main includes 
 Homburg (10 miles), Hanau (13 miles), and Mayence (20 miles). 
 For this suburban intercourse an additional yearly subscription or 
 a fee per communication has to be paid. The connecting lines 
 between these district centres are metallic circuits. 
 
 3. Long-distance internal trunk communication. Herein 
 the policy of the Imperial Administration must be acknowledged to 
 be most liberal and praiseworthy. The charge for three minutes is 
 50 pfennige (5^.) up to about thirty kilometers the exact distance 
 varying in different districts and i mark (is.) for any distance 
 beyond. This means that between any two connected points of 
 the German Empire (excepting Bavaria and Wiirtemberg) a three 
 minute conversation may be had for one shilling. The trunk 
 system is already very extensive, and is growing every month. It 
 has penetrated to every corner of Germany, from the Baltic to the 
 Neckar, and from Saxony to the North Sea and the frontiers of 
 France. Already the distances which may be spoken over exceed 
 450 miles. 
 
 The Imperial Administration admits urgent or express talks 
 over the trunk lines at triple the unit charge. No talk may be 
 prolonged beyond three minutes if the line is wanted by others. 
 When orders given for trunk communications cannot be executed 
 for reasons beyond the control of the Administration the caller 
 must pay a whole unit fee. Such reasons include the failure of 
 the called subscriber to answer, or the absence of the caller at the 
 moment when the connection is ready. When a communication 
 cannot be given at once, the caller may cancel it at any time before 
 the operator has asked the distant station for it ; if that stage has 
 been reached, the caller must pay whether he speaks or not. 
 
1 82 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Subscribers have, as a rule, to accept the operators' records as to 
 duration of talks, &c., as correct ; but complaints of error or over- 
 charge are investigated, and if discovered to be reasonably well 
 founded, admitted. 
 
 4. International trunk communication. The telephone has 
 crossed the frontiers at several points. Reichenberg-Zittau and 
 Warnsdorf-Grossschonau, both in Saxony, have communication 
 with a few of the nearest Austrian towns. Wiirtemberg and 
 Bavaria (see those sections), which, although members of the 
 German Empire, possess independent postal and telegraph ad- 
 ministrations, have both effected junctions the former, via 
 Pforzheim and Heidelberg, with Baden and the south-west of Ger- 
 many ; the latter with Frankfort-on-Main and the south-west of 
 Germany via Aschaffenburg, and with Berlin via Hof. The 
 isolated Bavarian Palatinate of the Rhine, which possesses ex- 
 changes at Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt, and Speyer, 
 is also connected to the Imperial Post Office territory, via Mann- 
 heim. The tariff from Berlin to Bavaria is two marks, or shillings, 
 per three minutes, double that which obtains within the limits 
 of the Imperial Administration. The distance from Berlin to 
 Munich, in the direct air line, is 310 miles, for which the charge 
 under the proposed British Post Office scale would be 4^. 6d. 
 The speaking on the loop is loud. Berlin is also connected with 
 Vienna, distant 616 kilometers. At present the communication 
 is limited to the Bourses and to such lines as are metallic circuits. 
 Communication existed for a time between Mulhouse and the 
 south of Alsace and Switzerland, but was discontinued by orders 
 from Berlin. An agreement has twice been all but concluded 
 with Belgium, but broken off at the instance of the German 
 Political Bureau. A trunk line from Berlin and Hamburg to 
 Copenhagen is now spoken of. Urgent talks at triple fee are 
 admitted to Munich and Vienna. 
 
 5. Public telephone stations. These are fairly numerous. 
 There are twenty-nine in Berlin itself, and thirty-one in its suburbs, 
 all at post or telegraph offices. Other towns are not so well provided, 
 but still one can always be found at the central, and mostly also at 
 the chief branch, post offices. Automatic boxes for checking pay- 
 ments are not used, attendants being always provided, to whom 
 
German Empire 183 
 
 fees are payable. Complaints have been made of delay in obtain- 
 ing communication from these stations, due to the amount of 
 preliminary ceremony that has to be gone through. A would-be 
 talker has to fill up a form with the name, list number, and switch- 
 room number of the person he wants. To this form, which he 
 must also sign, he has to affix postage-stamps to the value of the 
 communication demanded. The attendant then checks the form, 
 enters the particulars in a book, and finally permits access to the 
 instrument. In some towns local subscribers may use the public 
 stations free for local talks in the absence of any paying customer ; 
 a demand for the line from such a person leads to the free talk 
 being interrupted without ceremony. The attendants are in- 
 structed to receive complaints of interruption, &c., from sub- 
 scribers, and to telephone them on to the proper office. The 
 services from the public stations are limited to speaking over the 
 local, suburban, and trunk lines, telephoning of telegrams and 
 mail matter being inadmissible. They are consequently of less 
 public utility than those, for instance, of Denmark and Switzer 
 land ; but yet they are recognised public institutions which the 
 people know where to find and how to use. Germany is conse- 
 quently far in advance of Great Britain, where the Post Office has 
 ever made it a rule to forbid the establishment of public telephone 
 stations at the post and telegraph offices, or anywhere within the 
 bounds of the postal authority. 
 
 6. Telephoning of telegrams. Subscribers may telephone 
 their telegrams to the local telegraph office to be forwarded, 
 and also receive those arriving for them through their own instru- 
 ments. 
 
 7. Telephoning of mail matters-Subscribers may telephone 
 messages -to the central office to be written down and put in the 
 post as letters or post-cards. This is a very handy and useful 
 arrangement, as it virtually extends the time of closing the mail, 
 which may frequently be caught by a telephoned message when an 
 ordinary letter posted by hand would certainly miss. More 
 especially is this the case with suburban subscribers, who may 
 neglect the hour of closing of, say, the English mail at their local 
 post office, and get a telephoned message through to the head 
 office in Berlin two or three hours later in time to be included. 
 
1 84 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 The fees charged being in addition to the ordinary letter postage, 
 it pays the Administration as well as benefits the subscribers. 
 
 8. Telephoning messages for local delivery. As in most con- 
 tinental countries, subscribers may dictate messages for non-sub- 
 scribers resident in the same town to the central office, where 
 they are written down and delivered immediately by messenger. 
 
 TARIFFS 
 
 i. Rates for local exchange communication. Uniformity in 
 this respect prevails throughout the Imperial Administration. For 
 a distance not exceeding five kilometers (2 miles 1,480 yards) 
 measured direct, the charge, per annum, is y/. los. When the dis- 
 tance exceeds five kilometers the annual charge is increased by 
 35. per 100 meters. When the distance exceeds ten kilometers a 
 further additional charge, payable only once, not annually, of los. 
 per 100 meters is exigible. Should it be necessary to employ cables 
 or other works of a specially expensive character, power is reserved 
 to make such further charges as may be deemed equitable. 
 
 A second instrument attached to the same line is also charged 
 7/. i os. per annum, provided the deviation necessary to include it 
 does not exceed 500 meters ; if more wire is necessary, the excess 
 rate of 3^. per 100 meters comes into play. 
 
 For extra instruments let out to tenants of one proprietor and 
 communicating with the exchange through that proprietor's line, 
 5/. per annum per instrument, with a minimum of io/. 
 
 Extra instruments for the use of one subscriber : 
 
 If within the same building as the exchange instrument, per 
 
 instrument per annum ....... 2/. 
 
 If in another building, but on the same property . . 5/. 
 
 Extra bells are charged 5*. per annum. Any special works or 
 deviations from ordinary practice desired by a subscriber have to 
 be paid for, and become the property of the subscriber. 
 
 Charges are usually payable annually in advance, but the 
 Administration may collect quarterly if it judges expedient. 
 
 Agreements are for one year only, and continue from year to 
 year, subject to three months' notice. 
 
German Empire 185 
 
 2. Rates for suburban connections. Suburban subscribers 
 pay the local rate for connection to their local exchange, and com- 
 munication within their own suburb or group of suburbs (each 
 large town has two or more groups in its vicinity, particulars of 
 which are given in the local lists) ; but in order to communicate 
 with the town, or with other suburbs not scheduled as being within 
 their own group, they must pay an additional annual subscription of 
 5/., or 3</. or $d. per three minutes' talk. These charges are equally 
 due by town subscribers who wish suburban communication. 
 Any person paying the extra 5/. annual charge is not only entitled 
 to call any subscriber on the list, but also to be rung up freely by 
 everybody, whether they also pay the extra rate or not. The three- 
 minute rate depends on the distance of the suburban group from 
 the town. For instance, the charge is 3^. between Berlin and 
 Group I., which comprises Charlottenburg, Rixdorf, Friedenau, 
 Pankow, Rummelsburg, Schoneberg, Weissensee, and Westend, 
 none of them very far away ; and 5^. between Berlin and Group 
 II., or between Groups I. and II. The latter includes Potsdam, 
 Spandau, Kopenick, and some twenty other places comprised with- 
 in a radius of fifteen or sixteen miles. In the case of Leipzig there 
 are three so-called suburban groups, the most distant comprising 
 Chemnitz, 48 miles away. $d. per three minutes, or 5/. per annum, is 
 the uniform rate. Under such a rule at home, Brighton would be 
 considered a suburb of London and brought within the scope of 
 an extra 5/. annual payment. The arrangements at Frankfort-on 
 Main are equally liberal, the $d. per three minutes, or 5/. per annum, 
 covering Mayence (20 miles), Rudesheim (33 miles), Hanau, 
 Homburg, and many other towns. 
 
 3. Rates for long-distance internal trunk communication. 
 These are simplicity itself. For distances up to about thirty 
 kilometers (the practice varies somewhat in different districts, and 
 is sometimes modified by the inclusion of towns nearly fifty miles 
 distant in suburban groups) the charge per three minutes is $d. ; 
 for all other distances, is. Express talks are allowed at triple 
 rate. No talk may exceed three minutes if others are waiting to 
 use the line. If a communication asked for cannot be got 
 through from some cause beyond the control of the Administration, 
 the caller is charged a unit fee. 
 
1 86 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 4. Rates for international trunk communication : 
 
 S. (i. 
 
 Between Berlin and Vienna, per three minutes . . .26 
 ,, ,, Munich, ,, ,, ...20 
 
 ,, Mannheim or Heidelberg and Wiirtemberg, per three 
 
 minutes . . . . . . . .10 
 
 ,, other places in Baden and Wiirtemberg, per five 
 
 minutes . . . . . . . .10 
 
 Between Mannheim and Ludwigshafen (Bavaria), 5/. per annum, or 
 3</. per three minutes. 
 
 Urgent or express talks are allowed on payment of triple unit 
 charge. 
 
 5. Rates affecting public telephone stations : 
 
 *. d. 
 Three minutes' local talk . . . . . . .02^ 
 
 ,, suburban talk . . . . . .05 
 
 ,, short trunk talk (up to about 30 kilometers) . o 5 
 
 ,, long trunk talk (any distance exceeding 30 
 
 kilometers) . . . . . .10 
 
 In Frankfort-on-Main and some other towns subscribers may 
 use the public stations locally free of charge in the absence of any 
 paying customer. 
 
 6. Rates for telephoning of telegrams. For each telegram 
 forwarded or delivered by telephone, a foundation charge is made 
 of id., with -fad. per word added. Telegram accounts must be 
 covered by deposit and settled monthly, or, if desired by the 
 Administration, as soon as they amount to ics. 
 
 7 and 8. Rates for telephoning of mail matter and of 
 messages for local delivery. In addition to the postage or cost 
 of special messenger, the telegram charge of id. for each message, 
 with -^ G d. for each word, applies also to these services. 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 
 
 The Imperial German Administration has been specially 
 credited in Great Britain with being possessed of quite Gargan- 
 tuan powers in the direction of autocratic way-leaves. On ex- 
 amination, however, the fairy vision vanishes. The plain fact is 
 that, apart from the clause, which, like the National Telephone 
 Company, it inserts in its subscribers' agreements, the German 
 
German Empire 187 
 
 Government has no control over private or municipal property 
 whatever. No subscriber is connected to the exchange unless he 
 undertakes to give (or, if the property is not his own, obtain) 
 permission to erect on his building fixtures and wires for the 
 common use of the exchange as well as his own. That is an 
 inflexible rule, which is acted upon, and naturally produces good 
 results. The National Telephone Company compels its sub- 
 scribers to sign a similar agreement, but does not press for its 
 observance if any reluctance to comply with it is shown ; the results 
 obtained are consequently inferior to the German. A new Tele- 
 graph Act was passed as recently as April 6, 1892, by which the 
 Government was given various additional powers in connection with 
 telegraphs and telephones. The last clause of this Act declares, 
 ' The Imperial Government does not acquire through this law 
 any powers in excess of those presently existing with regard to 
 private lands or public roads and streets.' The Administration 
 has to take property owners and public authorities along with it in 
 everything it does. The author has been informed by German 
 subscribers that once telephonic communication has been esta- 
 blished a subscriber cannot be deprived of it, even if he gives 
 notice to take away any standard or wires that have been erected 
 on his property other than for his own accommodation, unless the 
 Government can show to the satisfaction of the proper tribunal 
 that no other means exist of getting his wire in. Subscribers 
 have been known, it is said, to consent to the Government way- 
 leave clause, get in their telephones, and as soon as practicable 
 thereafter to give the stipulated notice to take away all fixtures 
 but their own, and to have, nevertheless, succeeded in retaining 
 their connections. The German Government is stated (in Great 
 Britain) to make a practice of coercing property owners who 
 refuse the use of their roofs by planting enormous poles opposite 
 their doors, or by suddenly discovering that their drains are faulty 
 and must be renewed ! The author could not succeed in hearing 
 of such a case in Germany. Apart from the unlikelihood of such 
 undignified proceedings being permitted by the Government, 
 such poles could not be erected under the Act without the co- 
 operation of the local authorities, who would scarcely connive at 
 an outrage on a townsman. In the matter of way-leaves Imperial 
 
1 88 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Germany is less autocratic than Republican France. Certainly 
 the possession of most of the railways gives the State a great pull 
 in way-leave facilities over an English telephone company, but 
 that is a matter apart from streets and private houses. 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 
 
 The multiple switch-boards in use are of three types, manu- 
 factured respectively by the Western Electric Company, Mix : 
 Genest, and R. Stock & Co. The former company has supplied 
 single-cord boards of a total capacity of 24,200 lines to six of the 
 Berlin switch-rooms, and a single-cord board for 5,400 lines to 
 Hamburg. Double-cord boards have been supplied to Frankfort - 
 on-Main (2,800 lines), Cologne (2, 200 lines), Breslau (2,000 lines), 
 and Mannheim (1,000 lines). 
 
 Messrs. Mix & Genest, of Berlin, have supplied their type of 
 board to Hamburg (2,800 lines), Stettin (2,000 lines), Diisseldorf 
 (1,600 lines), Crefeld (1,200 lines), Barmen (1,200 lines), Cassel 
 (1,000 lines), Dortmund (600 lines), and Bochum (600 lines). 
 
 Messrs. R. Stock & Co., of Berlin, have supplied boards to 
 Berlin Moabit (6,000 lines), Dresden (5,000 lines), Leipzig 
 (3,200 lines), Altona (2,000 lines), and Hanover (2,000 lines). 
 Messrs. Stock have also supplied two single- cord boards, each of 
 2,000 lines, to Hamburg, and have extended the Western Electric 
 board at Frankfort-on-Main to 6,000 lines. Experimentally, a 
 flat board has been fitted up at Berlin Moabit by the same firm. 
 
 The Western Electric boards are of that company's well-known 
 type, and call for no special mention. 
 
 The original form of Messrs. Mix & Genest's multiple, 
 which was designed by Mr. D. Oesterreich, has also been often 
 described and illustrated. Its principal feature was the saving of 
 the usual test wires by causing a voltaic current, too weak to 
 actuate the call bells, to flow from a central battery at the ex- 
 change continuously over all the subscribers' lines to earth. The 
 jacks being in series, it was discovered whether a wire asked for 
 was engaged or not by inserting a double-contact plug in one of 
 the jacks. A sensitive galvanometer was looped in the test cord, 
 and, if the wire was free, revealed the test current circulating ; if, 
 
German Empire 
 
 'on the other hand, the line was engaged, no current passed the 
 galvanometer, since, if the connection had been made in front of 
 the jack tested, one side of the galvanometer was insulated, 
 although the other was joined to the battery ; while if the con- 
 nection was on behind the test point, the galvanometer was cut 
 off from the battery altogether. As now used, in addition to the 
 test battery at the exchange, there is a Daniell cell in each 
 subscriber's office, which sends a current to line as long as the 
 
 FIG. 58 
 
 FIG. 57 
 
 receiver is off the hook, but not at other times. The connections 
 are arranged as in fig. 57, in which L 1 L 2 are two subscribers' lines 
 joined through the series jacks i, 2, 3, and to earth through the 
 calling indicators K. In the circuit of each pair of plugs and 
 cords there is a switch u (in practice combined in a single lever), 
 making contact with A and c or with B and D, according to position. 
 When on A, c, the speaking set is brought into play, together with 
 a ringing key Y and battery v ; when on B, D, the ring-off drop R 
 
190 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 is looped into the cord. There is also a Morse key switch M, 
 having its lever connected through the cord to the tip (which is 
 insulated from the body) of the plug s 1 ; its back stop to a test 
 battery of one Daniell cell v 1 through an adjustable resistance G, 
 
 FIG. 59 
 
 and its bottom stop to earth through a i5o-ohm galvanoscope z. 
 Subscriber L 2 , in taking his receiver off its hook when making a 
 call, puts his test cell in connection with the line and immediately 
 blocks it against intrusion, since an operator testing by applying 
 the tip of plug s 1 to any of his jacks and pressing the key M 
 
German Empire 
 
 191 
 
 would get a current on the galvanoscope z. L 1 , the line asked 
 for, being found free by pressing the tip of the plug s 1 against a 
 jack and depressing the key M, is connected by pushing the plug 
 home ; when this has been done, the portion of L I to the right of 
 the connection is guarded by the test battery v 1 acting through 
 its separate conductor in the cord and the insulated tip, but 
 until the subscriber takes off his phone, his line to the left of 
 the connection is not guarded, and another connection may 
 
 consequently be unwittingly popped on in 
 
 the interval between the call and the reply. 
 When L I has answered, the switch u is put 
 over to B, D, and the subscribers left talking 
 through the ring-off drop R. The insulated 
 tip of the plug s 2 has no connecting wire in 
 the cord, for, as this plug is always used 
 with the answering jack, the function of the 
 tip is simply to cut off the calling indicator 
 K and earth. After connection, the whole 
 of L' 2 and the portion of L 1 to the left of 
 the jack used is guarded by the subscribers' 
 test cells, and the portion of L 1 to the right 
 of the jack used by the exchange test cell 
 v 1 . A section and top plan of the Mix 
 & Genest spring-jack are shown in fig. 58, 
 and a view and end section of their table 
 in figs. 59 and 60. 
 
 A front view and cross section of 
 Messrs. Stock & Co.'s latest Berlin Moabit, 
 single-wire, double-cord board are shown 
 
 in figs. 61 and 62, which explain themselves. It will be seen 
 that it differs in plan from a Western Electric board only in 
 matters of detail. Each switching section accommodates 200 
 subscribers, and can be served by three operators. The return 
 cables go to the intermediate field, thence to the answering jacks, 
 and finally to springs against which suitable contact pieces in 
 connection with the indicator coils press when the drops are in 
 place. This absence of soldering greatly facilitates the with- 
 drawal of drops for inspection and repair. There is nothing 
 
 FIG. 60 
 
192 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
German Empire 
 
 193 
 
194 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 <) 
 
 special about the indicators, which are of the familiar American 
 pattern. They are not provided with a night-bell circuit, which 
 seems to show that there is no present intention of inaugurating 
 a continuous service in Berlin. The jacks,* all the contacts of 
 which .are of platinum, are joined in series by soldered wires. 
 
 The form of jack used 
 is shown clearly in fig. 
 63, and of lever switch 
 in figs. 64 and 64A. A 
 general plan of the con- 
 nections is given in fig. 
 65. As will be under- 
 stood from the platinis- 
 ing of all the contacts, 
 no expense has been 
 spared in the construc- 
 tion of this board ; and, 
 in fact, its workmanship 
 is excellent. A few sec- 
 tions of this 6,ooo-line 
 multiple have been fitted 
 up experimentally in the 
 form of a horizontal 
 table as shown in fig. 66. 
 The position of the plugs 
 and cords does not strike 
 one as being happily 
 chosen ; they would 
 
 s> 
 
 Bottom pl( 
 
 an. 
 
 FIG. 64A 
 
 have been much better 
 overhead, as in the au- 
 thor's Mutual board at 
 Manchester. As arranged at Berlin, the cords must cover up the 
 jacks nearest the edges, and require to be continually pushed 
 aside to allow of the insertion of fresh plugs. 
 
 A general plan of the connections of Messrs. Stock & Co.'s 
 single-cord boards, as supplied to Hamburg, is given in fig. 67. 
 This system is worked with test cells at the subscribers' offices, 
 which are cut in when the phones are lifted off the hooks, as 
 
German Empire 
 
 -a. 
 
 if* 
 
 
 il 
 SS?5 
 
 1 
 
 M 
 
 ^ - 
 
 n_ n 
 
 
 a 
 
 X 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 O 2 
 
1 96 Telephone Systems of the Continent 
 
 I ! 
 
German Empire 197 
 
 described in connection with Mix & Genest's board, in addition 
 to a test battery at the exchange. A calling current (fig. 67) 
 passes by a b, K/., plug L.S. to earth. When the plug is lifted the 
 phone K/. is cut in via c d e k /, J.R., key TV., test key CT, test 
 battery, and earth. Test is made by applying L.S. to the socket h ; 
 line being free, connection is established by pushing L.S. home in 
 the desired jack. The calling battery W.B. is divided into two 
 parts for short and long line ringing. To ring on a short line the 
 key u. is depressed, bringing / in contact with g and the cord of 
 the plug L.S. For a long line the key G.B.T. is depressed 
 simultaneously, and the whole battery brought in. After con- 
 nection is ascertained to be satisfactorily through by the presence 
 on the line of a current from one or both of the subscribers' test 
 cells, the phone is cut out by pushing down u., and so separating 
 the contacts i and k. Key CT is used to cut out the exchange 
 test cell momentarily when currents from the subscribers' cells 
 are being tested for. In addition to the single cords, there are a 
 few double cords with ring-off drops and keys kept in reserve. 
 These are shown at SK/., u., T.', T". Each pair of double cords 
 has a jack ;// to receive connections from the next table when 
 necessary, n is in connection with the calling battery, and the 
 key K.B.T. is used for ringing through the plug c.s. 
 
 The multiple boards in the remaining six Berlin switch-rooms 
 are of Western Electric Company's manufacture. One of them 
 is, for want of room for lateral extension, arranged in two tiers or 
 stories, the operators of the upper tier sitting some six feet above 
 the level of the heads of those below. This is ingenious, and 
 saves space, but is not conducive to health. The lady superin- 
 tendents, familiar in other countries, are dispensed with ; the 
 girl operators, who, as German State officials, are of course in 
 uniform, being kept up to the mark by mature gentlemen of 
 severe and martial aspect. Should the British Post Office take 
 over the telephone exchanges in 1897, a new field for employ- 
 ment would be open to the army reserve men were Parliament 
 to sanction the adoption of the Prussian corporal plan. When 
 located in old buildings, the German switch-rooms sometimes 
 lack cubic content and ventilation ; but when opportunity offers, 
 
198 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
German Empire 
 
 199 
 
 as at Moabit, Breslau, Frankfort-on-Main, &c., the architecture, 
 decorations, and accommodation are worthy of all praise. 
 
 There are seven switch-rooms in Berlin, arranged in an 
 irregular circle round 
 the centre of the city. 
 Each has direct junction 
 lines to every other, 
 there being some 700 
 wires so employed, with- 
 out counting those going 
 to the suburban rooms. 
 All these junctions are 
 single and erected over- 
 head. The trunks all 
 come into one switch- 
 room, and are multi- 
 pled over small tables, 
 divided from each other 
 by partitions, each of 
 which accommodates 
 two trunk lines and is 
 attended to by one 
 operator. These trunk 
 tables are a speciality of 
 Messrs. Mix & Genest, 
 who have supplied nearly 
 300 to the Imperial Ad- 
 ministration for use in 
 different towns. Fig. 68 
 shows their general ap- 
 pearance. Each section 
 is fitted with answering 
 jacks for the trunk and 
 intermediate board wires, 
 together with forty repeat 
 jacks and the necessary indicators ; also a metallic circuit on which 
 branch switch-rooms may be put through to the trunks without 
 the intervention of a translator. The local operators notify trunk 
 
 FIG. 68 
 
2OO Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 calls to the small boards, and the connections are completed 
 through an intermediate section on which all the local lines are 
 multipled. The trunk tables are provided with sand-glasses on 
 the Swiss plan for checking the duration of conversations. The 
 arrangements are very carefully devised, but the speed and 
 economy obtained would be greater, and the chance of error less, 
 if the trunk girls had the local repeats directly at command. One 
 operator to two trunks appears superfluously luxurious. The 
 translators used are of the double- coil type with yoked cores, the 
 resistance of both primary and secondary being 1 70 ohms. 
 
 To those who understand the possibilities of telephonic 
 switching in the direction of rapidity, and are accustomed to 
 think of demand and connection as a matter of three or four 
 seconds only, the methods adopted in Berlin appear strange, even 
 to the verge of incomprehensibility. The seven switch-rooms are 
 numbered from i upwards, and a subscriber is represented in 
 the list by two numbers, firstly that of his switch-room, secondly 
 that of his line, so that in the same town the same series of 
 numerals is repeated seven times and distinguished by an index 
 number, like so many logarithms. Indices, consisting of short 
 words differing widely in pronunciation such as the names of 
 colours, of jewels, of rivers, anything would be much more dis- 
 tinctive and less liable to be misunderstood than a constant 
 repetition of numerals. That confusion is apt to arise is obvious 
 from the rule which enjoins the calling subscriber to mention the 
 number and name of the switch -room to which the person he 
 wants is connected. Thus, to quote the rule, No. 3 switch-room 
 must be asked for in a ten-syllable formula, ' Amt drei, Oranien- 
 burgerstrasse.' The following indicates the steps of a Berlin con- 
 nection through one switch-room when the fates are propitious 
 and the course of telephony runs smooth. A wants B. 
 
 Operation i. A takes one of his two telephones off its hook 
 and applies it to an ear. 
 
 [He is instructed to do this, but is not told which. If he happens to take 
 the left-hand one and a stranger would be as likely as not to do so he cannot 
 ring the exchange, and naturally does not get any answer. It is true that in 
 another part of the instructions he is advised to leave both telephones in their 
 places when not corresponding, and in any case to leave the one on the 
 
German Empire 201 
 
 movable hook, as otherwise the bell cannot be rung ; but this is not in the 
 specific directions for obtaining a connection.] 
 
 Operation 2. A turns the crank of his magneto ' slowly and 
 at most once.' 
 
 [The instructions are emphatic as to the necessity of ringing slowly and 
 only once, 'in order not to hurt any officers or subscribers.' It seems that 
 some of the instruments are arranged so that people handling them are apt to 
 get their bodies into circuit, and that when the magnetos were first put in, 
 divers subscribers were unwittingly almost electrocuted by their friends. One 
 is said to have gone to answer a call from a debtor whom he was pressing for 
 payment and received a shock, which for a time he persisted in regarding as 
 intentional and designed to close the account even more summarily than he 
 was proposing to do.] 
 
 Operation 3. A takes off the second telephone and applies it 
 to his other ear. 
 
 [The Berlin telephones weigh nearly two pounds each.] 
 
 Operation 4. Fraulein (answering ring) : ' Here office.' 
 [The operators are habitually addressed as ' Fraulein. '] 
 
 Operation 5. A (who has all the time kept both phones to 
 his ear) : '9014, Verwaltung des Ritterguts.' 
 
 [The subscribers are directed to state the number and name of the person 
 they want.] 
 
 Operation 6. Fraulein : ' Please call.' 
 
 Operation 7. A hangs up one phone, keeping the other to his 
 ear. 
 
 Operation 8. He turns his crank 'slowly and at most 
 once.' 
 
 [As it is the left phone he must hang up, and is instructed to keep the 
 other to his ear, he is necessarily compelled to turn the crank with his left 
 hand.] 
 
 Operation 9. B : 'Here Verwaltung des Ritterguts; who 
 there ? Please answer.' 
 
 [Subscribers are recommended to close every remark with the words 
 ' please answer ' until they reacn the final one, which should be followed by 
 ' finished.'] 
 
 Operation 10. A takes off his second phone and commences 
 talk. " 
 
-2O2 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Operation n. (After conversation.) A and B hang up both 
 their phones. 
 
 Operation 12. A and B now each turn their cranks 'three 
 times, by jerks, very quickly.' 
 
 [This they do regardless of consequences to officers and to each other, and 
 yet with fear and trembling, for have they not been already told in plain 
 German black and white that * in order not to hurt officers and subscribers ' 
 they must ring ' slowly and only once ' ? Is it possible that, like Genesis, 
 the Berlin book of instructions has been written by two authorities, the one 
 oblivious of what the other has said ?] 
 
 When, as in about five cases out of seven, the connection has 
 to pass through two switch-rooms, A has to ask his operator for 
 the room to which his client is joined in these terms : ' Office 
 three, Oranienburgerstrasse,' or 'Office seven, Blankenfelden- 
 strasse.' The first operator thereupon rings the second upon one 
 of the junction wires between the two rooms, and A, upon finding 
 himself through, prefers his request for the person he wants to the 
 second girl. 
 
 If on the completion of a conversation another connection is 
 wanted, half a minute must (according to the regulations) elapse 
 after the ring-off is given before the operator can be rung up 
 again. Such a regulation is a practical admission of the unsuita- 
 bility of the system employed for a busy telephone exchange. 
 With the Mann system, as used by the Mutual Telephone 
 Company at Manchester, two separate connections could be 
 obtained and got rid of within the half-minute so lightly wasted 
 at Berlin, a short conversation being held on each occasion. But 
 in practice, according to the author's observation, this regulation 
 is neglected. In the telephone-room at the Central Hotel, 
 already alluded to, a fresh customer seizes the crank, and 
 oblivious of consequences to officers and subscribers alike, begins 
 to twirl it vigorously as soon as the place is vacated by his 
 predecessor, although much more than half a minute frequently 
 elapses before any tangible result is obtained. 
 
 In the other towns the method of procedure is much the same, 
 but (except in Hamburg) the battery press-button takes the place 
 of the magneto. 
 
 In the suburban intercourse the calling subscriber is put 
 
German Empire 203 
 
 through to the town in which his client is located, and asks the 
 connection from the operator there. In the trunk service he gives 
 all the particulars to his own operator, and is rung up by her as 
 soon as the connection is ready. 
 
 During thunderstorms traffic is suspended. The subscribers 
 are recommended not to touch their instruments, and the 
 operators are forbidden to answer any calls while a storm 
 continues. 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 
 
 In this matter Germany is very far behind Great Britain and the 
 age generally, Berlin being open only from 7 A.M. till 10 P.M. The 
 principal suburban switch -rooms have the same service ; others 
 are open from 7 A.M. till 9 P.M., and others again from 7 or 8 A.M. 
 (according to the season) till 9 P.M. In the provinces, the hours 
 in the larger towns are from 7 A.M. (summer) or 8 A.M. (winter) till 
 9 P.M. These arrangements mean that for nine or ten hours out of 
 every twenty-four the vast capital sunk in the German exchanges and 
 trunk lines is lying idle and unproductive, while the subscribers are 
 deprived of some of the most important of all the applications of 
 the telephone. Other countries can find traffic for their lines 
 during the night, and so, no doubt, could Germany, if the effort 
 were made, or even if the opportunity were afforded and the effort 
 left to the public. 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 
 
 These generally consist of a battery-push and trembling bell 
 microphonic transmitter, two spoon-shaped double-pole receivers 
 (weighing from 23 ozs. to 2 Ibs. each), and a separate battery-box 
 OT- cupboard ; but in Berlin and Hamburg magneto ringers have re- 
 placed the battery-pushes to a large extent, although the trembling 
 bells are for the most part still retained. The general appearance 
 and internal arrangements may be gathered from figs. 69, 69A, 
 and 70, which represent wall- and table-instruments respectively. 
 The battery instruments are similar in appearance, a push-button 
 occupying the place of the magneto spindle. The instruments 
 represented are by Messrs. R. Stock & Co., but the design is that 
 
2O4 Telephone Systems of tJie Continent of Europe 
 
 of the Imperial Post Office, and Messrs. Siemens & Halske, Mix & 
 Genest, C. F. Lewert, and others supply instruments of exactly 
 the same type. The workmanship in every case is superior ; let 
 the design make such impression as it may on telephone engineers. 
 Many of the instruments have been converted from the battery 
 form at a cost, the author was told, of 65 marks (37. 5*.) apiece. 
 
 The German Govern- 
 ment could have been 
 supplied with new and 
 complete instruments, 
 comprising magneto, 
 battery-box, backboard, 
 good carbon transmitter, 
 double-pole receiver and 
 cord, of better design 
 and equal workmanship 
 from England, America, 
 Belgium, or Sweden, de- 
 livered free in Berlin, 
 for 37. 3.$-., or even less. 
 Sometimes the conver- 
 sion has been effected 
 by placing a magneto in 
 a separate box on the 
 top of the battery instru- 
 ment ; in these cases 
 the crank-handle is at 
 the right-hand side of 
 the instrument, as it 
 should be, but too high 
 up, while the appearance 
 is ungainly. The introduction of magnetos was strongly objected 
 to by the subscribers, who found that they often got unpleasant 
 shocks from them. That there was something more than imagi- 
 nation in this appears evident from the instruction in the Berlin 
 list, already quoted, to ' ring slowly and only once to avoid injur- 
 ing officers and subscribers ' ! It is not often that the comic 
 element intrudes into telephone subscribers' lists, and we are here 
 
 FIG. 69 
 
German Empire 
 
 205 
 
.206 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 under a distinct obligation to concede a ' record ' to our Berlin 
 friends. As the difficulty is not one that causes trouble elsewhere, 
 it is presumably due to faulty arrangement of parts in the German 
 instruments. When ringing batteries are used, the cells, eight to 
 twelve in number, are contained in a small cupboard placed on the 
 floor immediately below the instrument. The cupboard is about 
 two feet high, and has a veneered front of decorative wood, with 
 ornamental mouldings, so as to look somewhat like a piece of 
 ordinary furniture. The automatic switch is of Morse-key 
 pattern, with top and bottom anvil contacts, a form which, it 
 will be remembered, was adopted in the American instruments of 
 1879 and 1880, and which was speedily abandoned in favour of 
 rubbing surfaces owing to the facility with which the original 
 ones choked with dust. The transmitters are most often of the 
 familiar Mix & Genest type, two carbon blocks, mounted on a 
 vertical wooden diaphragm, carrying three horizontal pencils 
 backed by silk or felt packing and an adjustable spring ; but 
 there is also a transmitter by Siemens & Halske, which consists 
 of a flat disc of carbon, about one and a half inches in diameter, 
 attached to a vertical diaphragm and touching a similar disc 
 placed behind it, but with its face cut into lozenge pattern so as 
 to offer thirty-four flattened points to the pressure of the front disc. 
 The intimacy of contact between the two plates is adjustable by a 
 screw behind the back disc. This transmitter speaks loudly, but 
 the tone is inclined to be harsh. The receivers are universally of 
 Siemens & Halske's admirable double-pole type (but supplied 
 by all the firms), which has been often described, and which for 
 many years served the German Post Office as transmitters also. 
 It was this instrument which enabled the Mutual Telephone Com- 
 pany, Limited, to open its Manchester exchange in 1891, before 
 the expiry of the transmitter patents, and to obtain better speak- 
 ing on its metallic circuits than the National Telephone Com- 
 pany could manage with Blake microphones and single wires. 
 But when used as a receiver its weight (23 ozs.) and shape do not 
 commend it to those who have been accustomed to light receivers 
 of more elegant form. It will be noticed that no desk on which 
 a writing pad can be placed is provided, so that notes of a con- 
 versation cannot be taken, and the use of reference books or papers 
 
German Empire 
 
 207 
 
 is rendered difficult. The instruments have the following resis- 
 tances : Induction coil, i and 200 ohms ; receiver, 200 ohms ; 
 generator armature, 200 ohms ; trembling bell, 170 ohms. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 
 
 A feature of the German outside work is the manner in which 
 the central stations are often adorned, or at least made striking in 
 appearance, by special and 
 costly domes and towers 
 in iron or steel, the number 
 of which is constantly in- 
 creasing as new stations are 
 opened or old ones rebuilt. 
 Fig. 71 represents a wire 
 fixture of this nature, and 
 gives a good idea, although 
 there is some differences in 
 detail, of the telephone 
 dome at the Oranien- 
 burgerstrasse switch-room, 
 Berlin. It is erected on a 
 tasteful brick turret at the 
 corner of the Artillerie- 
 strasse. Painted green 
 picked out with gold and 
 studded with white insu- 
 lators, the whole produces 
 an effect which is decidedly 
 pleasing. At the Moabit 
 switch-room there is a 
 somewhat similar fixture, 
 but the ironwork is in the 
 form of a square steeple and not domed. The remaining five 
 central station fixtures in Berlin are ordinary affairs enough ; 
 the only one worthy of any remark, and that only on account 
 of its size, is at Blankenfeldenstrasse, which is an immense oblong, 
 containing forty-two wooden uprights connected by iron bars. 
 
208 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Fig. 72 shows the telephone tower at the new postal buildings at 
 Frankfort-on-Main, which few, perhaps, will consider beauti- 
 ful. It is not quite certain whether the attachment of hundreds 
 
 FIG. 72 
 
German Empire 
 
 of aerial wires to the summits of brick 
 or masonry towers is not open to ob- 
 jection. The vibration is not only 
 great, but incessant, while it is difficult, 
 in most cases impossible, to secure an 
 equal stress all round. When this 
 cannot be done there is a permanent 
 strain on the tower. The great struc- 
 ture at Stockholm is built on steel 
 pillars carried down to the ground in 
 order to avoid trusting to brickwork or 
 masonry. 
 
 Having given the Imperial Adminis- 
 tration every credit for the enterprise 
 and ability which stand revealed in its 
 exchange fixtures, the author is con- 
 strained to lament that the same class 
 of work has not been considered neces- 
 sary for the ordinary overhouse stan- 
 dards. These are decidedly wanting in 
 the most important of all qualities 
 strength. Figs. 73,73.*, 7 4, and 7 4A show 
 the single and double standards respec- 
 tively 'with their fittings and details to 
 scale. There are also standards with 
 three and even four uprights, but these 
 are simply extensions of the double. 
 The standards consist of iron or steel 
 tubes, three inches in external diameter, 
 which are bolted or clamped to the 
 rafters or other suitable portions of the 
 roof. The arms are formed of two flat 
 iron bars riveted together, the rivets 
 passing through spacing rings, and 
 having a stiffening piece cut out to fit 
 the circumference of the tube, fas- 
 tened at the middle by two rivets 
 which pass through the stiffening 
 
 20 -40 60 80 100 
 FIG. 73. Scale of 200 centimeters. 
 
2io Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 ' 
 
 r 
 i 
 
 8 
 
 OJ <- 
 
1 1 f I.I 1 .1. i J i l I fl 
 
 i i i i i 
 
 (T. 20 40 60 80 .100 200 
 
 YIG 74. Scale of 200 centimeters. 
 
 P 2 
 
2 1 2 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 and arm plates alike. An iron strap terminating in threaded bolts 
 passes round the tube and between the plates of the arm, the bolts 
 ultimately projecting through a separate plate bearing against the 
 front of the arm. Nuts are then placed on the bolts, and being 
 screwed up the strap embraces the tube tightly and fixes the arm. 
 After erection the arm is further stiffened by the insulator bolts, 
 which pass through spacing rings between the two plates, and 
 are screwed up tightly from beneath. Sometimes these arms are 
 replaced by simple lengths of angle -iron pierced to receive the 
 
 5 
 
 6 a, 4b'ubb Too me 
 
 FIG. 74A. Scale of 200 millimeters. 
 
 insulator bolts. Arms of this nature can be seen on the standard 
 in the right-hand bottom corner of fig. 72. The German standards 
 are seldom, if ever, provided with climbing clips, but most have a 
 wooden platform, as shown in the figures, on which the man stands 
 when attending to the wires. The platform is generally, but not 
 always, supported on a clip, so that its height can be readily 
 lessened as the standard fills. The details of the double standard 
 (fig. 74A) are precisely similar, the arms, however, being connected 
 together by three vertical bracing rods. The platform extends 
 the whole width. Often, but very far from universally, the cross- 
 
German Empire 213 
 
 braces shown are added, but with variations, as they frequently 
 do not extend up nearly so far as shown. In Mannheim and 
 Frankfort-on-Main cross-braces are generally present ; in Berlin 
 and Leipzig they are mostly wanting. The standards, which seldom 
 exceed eighteen or twenty feet in height, have a neat appearance 
 when newly erected, but they are always most inadequately stayed 
 and frequently have no stays at all, although loaded sometimes 
 with over 200 wires. They are kept straight at first by adjusting 
 the tension of the wires on either side, but often, as might be 
 expected, fail out of shape. There is (October 16, 1894) a single 
 three-inch tube on 23 Kaiserstrasse, Frankfort-on-Main, carrying 
 seven arms and thirty wires, without a stay of any kind ; it contains 
 more curves and angles than a box of drawing instruments. A few 
 roofs off, on No. 27, there is another, carrying two arms and seven 
 wires, almost as bad. On 34 Franzosischestrasse, Berlin, there is a 
 triple standard, carrying eleven long and three short arms and 336 
 wires, provided with only two inadequate and wrongly-placed stays. 
 The tubes are badly bent and leaning in various directions, and 
 the arms are all awry. As seen from 49 Markgrafenstrasse, this 
 standard reminds one of the human figure there is not a straight 
 line in it. Such instances might be multiplied. He would be a 
 bold man who would insure the Prussian overhouse system against 
 a winter's storm accompanied by damp snow, or even an hour's 
 downfall of damp snow unaccompanied by wind. A visitation of 
 damp snow followed by a gale would certainly lay the whole in 
 ruin. There is no provision against the destruction of a span by 
 fire or tempest. The wires are made to balance, one span against 
 another, and there is nothing to save the standards in the event of 
 the stress on one side becoming suddenly much greater than that 
 on the other. In such a contingency the three-inch tubes would 
 collapse like paper and crumple up. The Dutch, who use the 
 same type of fixture, are much wiser in this respect (fig. 83, Dutch 
 section). The work is, nevertheless, very pretty to see. On 31 
 Kl. Fleischergasse, Leipzig, there is a double standard carrying 
 ten long and one short arm and 202 wires, practically without 
 stays, which is perfectly straight and regular. In Berlin, where 
 the overhead wires are necessarily extremely numerous, junction 
 standards consisting of eight or twelve three-inch tubes arranged in 
 
2 1 4 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 a square and connected by long arms are sometimes placed at the 
 meeting of two or more routes, the wires being joined through 
 between the different sides of the square by insulated leads going 
 down boxing on one side and up on the other. These structures 
 are necessarily much stronger than simple double or triple 
 standards, but the tubes are unstayed and not braced together 
 except by the arms, so that the sudden destruction of several 
 hundred wires on one side would probably cause a collapse or at 
 least a severe distortion. Trunk lines are frequently carried on 
 short arms attached to one or both tubes of a double standard 
 above the long arms. The standards are sometimes connected 
 to earth as a precaution against lightning. Noise and vibration 
 seem to be experienced in the houses carrying standards, as the 
 wires are frequently provided with dampers in the form of pieces 
 of lead clamped on the wires two or three feet from the support. 
 This may be due to the bolting of the tubes rigidly to the rafters, 
 instead of allowing them to sit in a socket without any rigid 
 fastening as is practised in Great Britain. The appearance of a 
 standard carrying, perhaps, 200 dampers on either side of the 
 insulators is more peculiar than pleasing. In ground pole work 
 the author saw nothing striking in Germany. The poles appear 
 to be uniformly of wood ; frequently, when additional height is 
 wanted, a tube is fastened to the top of a wooden pole, and in 
 some instances double fixtures are treated in the same way, as 
 shown in fig. 75. The top of the pole is grooved out for some 
 two feet, the tube is laid in the groove, and iron clamps placed 
 round both and tightly screwed up with bolts and nuts. Arms 
 are either of the double-bar type (fig. 7 3 A), or simple lengths of 
 angle-iron. Ground poles are not earth-wired. Bronze wire of 
 1*25 mm. to 1*5 mm. gauge, supported on small double-shed white 
 porcelain insulators, is now used for town work. Wires are led 
 into subscribers' premises at the back whenever possible, joint 
 cups being sometimes used. Underground work is being under- 
 taken in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfort-on-Main, and other 
 towns. The conduits are simply iron pipes, into which the cables 
 are drawn, connecting draw-boxes and manholes placed from 100 
 to 150 meters apart. Numerous types of cable have been tried, 
 mostly insulated with india-rubber or gutta-percha served with 
 
German Empire 
 
 215 
 
 metal foil for earthing. In some cables the wires have been 
 placed parallel, but in later types 
 twisting in pairs or in fours has been 
 Introduced, together with, in some 
 cases, paper insulation. The under- 
 ground work, so far, is understood 
 not to have been an unalloyed suc- 
 cess, which is not surprising when 
 the plan usually followed has been 
 to suppress one evil overhearing 
 by exaggerating another capacity. 
 The growing importance of the trunk 
 system will eventually force a resort 
 to metallic circuits, and then the 
 want of foresight which has prevailed 
 will be deplored. The cables have 
 been supplied chiefly by Siemens 
 & Halske, Felten & Guilleaume, 
 Western Electric Company, and 
 Franz Clouth ; the workmanship in 
 every case may be pronounced ex- 
 cellent. One of the cables employed 
 has a conductor composed of three 
 tinned copper strands of '5 mm. dia- 
 meter, insulated with one layer of 
 white Para rubber and one layer of 
 vulcanised, then wrapped in prepared 
 tape, and all vulcanised together. 
 Afterwards, each wire is taped with 
 tin-foil. The cable consists of seven 
 bunches of four wires, coloured blue, 
 green, red, and white, each bunch 
 arranged round a bare copper wire 
 
 of i mm. diameter, with which the , ? ? , ? ^ T ? .pro* 
 foil comes in contact. The whole 
 is wrapped in impregnated tape and 
 
 drawn into a leaden tube of i'5 mm. thickness. The copper 
 resistance per kilometer is 31 ohms ; capacity, '25 mf. ; and insula- 
 
216 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 tion, 250 megohms. Mr. Clouth has recently supplied several 
 cables of this nature for use under the streets of Cologne, which 
 are stated to show a capacity of only '075 mf. per kilometer, 
 although the wires are wrapped in tin-foil. The foil is the thinnest 
 procurable. The results are said to be excellent. There is no 
 overhearing between wire and wire, and a distance of sixty kilo- 
 meters is said to have been spoken over. This cable contains 
 fifty-six conductors of a resistance of 21-5 ohms per kilometer. 
 Messrs. Felten & Guilleaume's cable of this type has generally four 
 uninsulated wires strung through it (fig. 76) for the purpose of 
 connecting the tin-foil to earth. This latter firm has also sup- 
 plied the German Government with cable of the kind illustrated in 
 
 FIG. 76 FIG. 77 
 
 fig- 77> which is a compromise between the anti-induction single 
 wire and metallic circuit classes. Each insulated conductor is- 
 wrapped in tin-foil, and four such conductors are twisted round an 
 uninsulated copper wire, which is earthed when the cable is used 
 for single wires. When metallic circuits are required the opposite 
 wires of the same group are looped. Cables for the German 
 Government are generally sheathed in flat iron wires or some 
 other form of armouring. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (TRUNK) 
 
 There is little calling for remark about the trunk line work. 
 The wire used is generally 3 mm. copper, but for the long lines, 
 like the Berlin-Cologne, Berlin-Munich, Berlin-Vienna, and 
 
German Empire 217 
 
 Berlin-Memel, the gauge is 4 and 4/5 mm. The insulators are 
 large double-shed of white porcelain of German manufacture. The 
 trunks generally follow the railways and are supported on ordinary 
 wooden poles, the wires being crossed at intervals. 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 The union of the telephone with the telegraph is so intimate 
 in Germany that no separate account is kept, or at least published, 
 of the exclusively telephonic receipts and working expenses. It 
 is consequently impossible to know whether the system is re- 
 munerative or the reverse. 
 
 December 31, 1893, is the date of the following the latest 
 figures relating to lines, instruments, and volume of traffic. 
 
 Exchange areas ....... 366 
 
 Switch-rooms ....... 384 
 
 Exchange subscribers . . . . . . 75, I2 i 
 
 ,, subscribers' instruments . . . 80^82 
 
 Official and service instruments .... 12,349 
 
 Exchange instruments of all kinds in connection . 93> I 3i 
 
 Public telephone stations . . . . . 164 
 
 Instruments in stock exchanges .... 106 
 
 Trunk lines ....... 432 
 
 Length of local or town routes, kilometers . . 13,162 
 
 ,, wire of all descriptions, kilometers . 142,269 
 
 Number of talks for year 
 
 Local ..... 313,628,062] 
 
 Trunk 59,082,178 1 372,710,240 
 
 At the end of 1894 the exchange instruments working in the 
 chief towns numbered approximately : 
 
 Berlin . 
 Breslau 
 Cologne 
 Dresden 
 
 25,000 
 
 Frankfort-on-Main 
 
 . 2,700 
 
 2,300 
 
 Hamburg 
 
 . 9,200 
 
 2,800 
 
 Leipzig 
 
 . 3,320 
 
 3,300 
 
 
2 1 8 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 X. GREECE 
 
 To date of writing (March 1895) no telephone exchange has been 
 opened for public use in Greece, but a small one exists for police 
 purposes only between Athens and the Piraeus. A law was, 
 however, passed in 1893 reserving the establishment of a public 
 exchange in Athens and the Piraeus to the State, but authorising 
 the granting of concessions for the other towns to individuals or 
 private companies. 
 
219 
 
 XI. HOLLAND 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 TELEPHONICALLY, as in other respects, Holland is one of the 
 most interesting countries on the Continent. The industry and 
 the proverbial ability of the Dutch to adapt means to ends have 
 resulted in the telephone being brought, and that without State 
 intervention, within the reach of all, for surely that point has been 
 nearly approached when annual subscriptions have been reduced 
 .as low as 2/. gs. yd., including the supply and maintenance of 
 wires, apparatus, and all expenses. For a parallel it is necessary 
 to go to Scandinavia, and it is worthy of remark that the lowest rates 
 are everywhere associated with companies, not with Government 
 administrations. The sole exception is the case of Switzerland, 
 but in that instance the rates are low only for those who use their 
 telephones but little : for the busy firms the ^d. per call mounts 
 up during the year to a total that exceeds anything known in 
 Holland or Scandinavia. That is, of course, as it should be ; the 
 important firms paying, as they can well afford to do, in proportion 
 to their actual needs. When an all-round rate exists the poorer 
 folk are really taxed for the benefit of their richer brethren, and 
 such a rate possesses no other merit than convenience. 
 
 The Dutch Government, until the advent of the era of trunk 
 lines, did not attempt to participate at all in the telephonic game. 
 It granted concessions to companies and, in some instances, to 
 private firms and even individuals, for definite towns and districts, 
 within which they were secured from competition. The Inter- 
 national Bell Telephone Company obtained Amsterdam, which 
 it subsequently handed over to a local association, the Nether- 
 
22O Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 lands Bell Telephone Company, to which fifteen of the other 
 chief towns have since been conceded. Messrs. Ribbink, van 
 Bork & Co., manufacturing electricians of Breda and Amsterdam, 
 hold and work' concessions for eleven of the smaller towns, the 
 exchanges in which, under the fostering influence of a 2/. I'js, lod. 
 rate, have obtained respectable proportions. The historic town 
 of Zutphen, population 17,004, has a model exchange of 141 in- 
 struments on the same subscription. Maastricht is worked by 
 the Maastricht Telephone Company, also on 2/. 17^. lod. 
 Nijmegen, which, with a population of 34,128 and a 2/. 17^. lod. 
 rate, has 450 subscribers, belongs to Mr. J. W. Kaijser. Alk- 
 maar and Helder are in the hands of Mynheer Jan Sot, who 
 carries off the palm for low subscriptions with 2/. qs. *jd. per 
 annum, everything included. It is perhaps superfluous to remark 
 that Mynheer Jan Sot possesses none of those autocratic powers 
 in respect to way-leaves which apologists in this country have so 
 liberally, if gratuitously, endowed foreign telephonists generally 
 by way of accounting for the low rates on which they are able to 
 live and thrive. 
 
 The concessionaries have to obtain licences both from the 
 State and the local authorities, power being reserved to the State 
 to revoke its grant at any time. The municipal licences are for 
 from fifteen to twenty- five years. The concessionaries' tenure is 
 therefore somewhat uncertain, but so far the State has not inter- 
 vened anywhere. No royalty is payable to the Government 
 unless a subscriber's line exceeds five kilometers in length. 
 It is then deemed to partake of the nature of a trunk line, 
 and the State makes an annual charge of i/. 13^. for the sixth 
 and 16-5-. 6d. for each additional kilometer. The municipalities 
 generally stipulate for a few free connections in return for their 
 licence (which, however, usually carries with it valuable way-leave 
 privileges) ; the Town Council of Amsterdam alone exacts a 
 money payment, and this is no less than 2/. is. yd. per annum on 
 every primary subscription of Q/. i^s. 2\d. obtained by the 
 company in Amsterdam. If a subscriber for any reason pays 
 more than the unit rate, the company keeps the whole of the 
 excess. In addition, the company has to give the Amsterdam 
 Corporation no less than thirty- one free connections and a 
 
Holland 22 1 
 
 reduction of 50 per cent, on any above that number. In return, 
 way-leave is granted for the streets and public buildings. 
 
 The history of the Dutch trunk lines is rather involved. The 
 Government had conceived the idea at an early date that trunks 
 meant ruin to telegraphic traffic, and fell into the usual fallacy 
 that because the telegraph system belonged to the public it was 
 necessary and essential to protect it against the public. That is 
 to say, that which was no longer the best and fittest for certain 
 purposes must, in the interests of the nation, be fostered and 
 protected by artificial means to the damage of the new and 
 worthier method of communication, because, forsooth, the public 
 had originally paid for the obsolete system. 
 
 As a consequence, the action of the Dutch Government was 
 not encouraging. Owing to financial or other reasons it was not 
 at that time deemed politic for the State to undertake the con- 
 struction of the trunks ; but it was not till 1887, when the com- 
 mercial community had long been clamouring for communication, 
 that it \vas resolved to allow the Netherlands Bell Company to 
 connect Amsterdam with Haarlem. The conditions imposed 
 were sufficiently onerous. The company was to erect and main- 
 tain the line, pay over half the profits to the State, and, moreover, 
 undertake to make good the full value of any diminution of 
 telegraphic traffic that might occur between the points connected. 
 The telegraphic traffic was further protected by the imposition of 
 high rates. Messages were not to be paid for singly, but all users 
 of the trunks were to pay an annual rate equal to the local 
 subscription in the towns to which they spoke. Did not the trunk 
 make a Haarlem man virtually a member of the Amsterdam 
 exchange, and an Amsterdam man a participator in that of 
 Haarlem ? Then let the Haarlem subscriber pay the Amsterdam 
 rate and the Amsterdam subscriber the Haarlem rate in addition 
 to his own, and ends would meet. Notwithstanding these 
 conditions traffic flourished and, strange to say, without pro- 
 ducing any marked effect on the telegraphic revenue. At the end 
 of the first year the company paid a small sum to the State to put 
 the telegraphic receipts on a level with those of the previous year ; 
 but during the second year the telegraph recovered itself, and no 
 further payment was demanded. Then the Government acquired 
 
222 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 a little courage and consented to Amsterdam being connected: 
 with the Hague and Rotterdam, a work which the company 
 successfully achieved in the face of considerable difficulties. The 
 local authorities along the route raised many objections to the 
 planting of the poles, and no less than seven submarine cables had 
 to be laid across the intervening rivers and canals. Experience 
 again demonstrated that, although the telephonic traffic was con- 
 siderable, the effect on the telegraphic revenue was both slight 
 and transitory, and the Government at last determined to yield 
 to public opinion and bring about the linking up of the other 
 principal towns. But, although the company had proved at its; 
 own expense and risk the existence of a telephonic demand and 
 the practicability of satisfying it, the Government determined to- 
 keep the trunks so far as possible in its own hands. Apparently 
 there were obstacles to such a policy being given effect to openly 
 and without reserve ; so it was decided to allow the Netherlands- 
 Bell Company to continue constructing and working, on the 
 understanding that the State should supply the material and the 
 company the labour, the company receiving 4 per cent per annum 
 on the cost of their share of the work by way of interest, and 
 agreeing to make over the lines to the State at any time on 
 reimbursement of their outlay, the amount of which was to be 
 determined and certified on the completion of each trunk. This 
 is a good bargain for the company, since it gets back the full 
 value of its work, whatever the state of the lines may be when 
 eventually taken over. At the same time (November 1889) the 
 annual trunk subscriptions were abolished and the present pay- 
 ment per time unit substituted. The trunk lines go straight inte- 
 rne company's exchanges and are worked by its employees without 
 interference of any kind. The lines, however, are maintained by 
 the State. The receipts are divided, 75 per cent, going to the 
 State and 25 per cent, to the company. This policy has resulted 
 in the linking up of all the sixteen towns conceded to the 
 Netherlands Bell Company and one other. 
 
 The trunk traffic is large, but the State officials are not now 
 disposed to say that it has any bad effect on the telegraph 
 revenue. The impression rather prevails that the efficacy of the 
 telephone as a general feeder and stimulant over the whole system- 
 
Holland 223. 
 
 compensates for any diversion of traffic between particular points. 
 Exact comparisons are not possible, as, since the telephone trunks 
 came into operation, the telegram tariff has been reduced and 
 receipts have fallen, although messages have multiplied. The 
 Dutch internal telegram tariff is 4'95</. for ten words, with "59^. for 
 each additional word ; but for telegrams passing between parts of 
 the same town the charge is only 2-97^. for ten words, with '198^. 
 for each extra word. 
 
 The subscribers' lines in all the large towns are single, but the 
 Netherlands Bell Company recognises the superiority of the metallic 
 circuits, and some of its recently constructed exchanges have been 
 fitted with it, as all future ones will also be. The Zutphen 
 Company has adopted the metallic circuit ; but the other con- 
 cessionaries continue to run single wires. In Amsterdam there is 
 a considerable amount of underground work, the extent of which 
 is growing rapidly. To date of writing, no international trunk 
 lines actually exist, but an agreement has been signed with 
 Belgium by which the Dutch and Belgian centres will be brought 
 into communication at as early a date as possible. The rate 
 agreed upon, as between Amsterdam and Rotterdam on the one 
 hand, and Antwerp and Brussels on the other, is 2s. $d. per three 
 minutes. Last autumn experiments were tried with the view of 
 establishing telephonic communication with England by means of 
 a direct cable, the Dutch being averse to adopting a route via 
 Belgium. It was found possible to telephone fairly well, using 
 ordinary instruments, through the old telegraph cables between 
 Lowestoft and Zandvoort and Benacre and Zandvoort, so that, 
 given a special telephonic cable, the practicability of the scheme 
 is beyond doubt. The Dutch Government has given the promise 
 of a concession to Dr. Hubrecht, managing director of the Nether- 
 lands Bell Telephone Company, for the works on the Dutch side, and 
 that gentleman proposes that an Anglo- Dutch company shall be 
 formed to lay a cable between Aldborough in Suffolk and the Hook 
 of Holland, and establish the necessary connecting lines on both 
 sides. But nothing can be done without the consent of the 
 British Post Office, which now has several memorials on the: 
 subject before it. 
 
224 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED BY THE NETHERLANDS BELL 
 TELEPHONE COMPANY 
 
 1. Local intercourse between the subscribers and public 
 telephone stations of the same town, 
 
 2. Internal trunk line communication. Seventeen towns, 
 with a total of 4,700 subscribers, had been put into communica- 
 tion at the end of 1894, these, with the exception of Nijmegen, 
 being all those conceded to the Netherlands Bell Company. The 
 number of trunk messages exchanged during 1892 was 71,833 ; 
 during 1893, 79,424 ; and during 1894, 85,142. The trunk regu- 
 lations are in some respects peculiar to Holland. For instance, 
 subscribers who use the trunks pay an annual subscription 
 of i6.r. 6\d. in addition to the charge per connection, which, for 
 the distances spoken over, is high 9 "yd. per three minutes 
 compared with that which obtains in some other countries. When 
 a called subscriber does not answer within one minute, the caller 
 is debited with half a fee, 4'g$d. Express talks are allowed, a 
 subscriber being given precedence over any others who may be 
 waiting their turn in return for a double fee ; but no connection 
 must exceed six minutes in duration if others are waiting. 
 Deposits to cover conversations must be made in advance, the 
 minimum deposit accepted being 4/. 25. $\d. 
 
 3. Public telephone stations. Of these there are eight in 
 Amsterdam, six in Rotterdam, six in the Hague, four each in 
 Groningen and Utrecht, and from one to two in each of the smaller 
 towns. These stations are frequently situated in the booking halls 
 of the railway stations and at the post and telegraph offices, and 
 are available both for local and trunk talks. Automatic boxes for 
 checking payments are not used, the charges being payable to an 
 attendant in cash or in tickets. At the Amsterdam and Rotterdam 
 Bourses messengers are in attendance to fetch to the telephone 
 station members who may be asked for. Persons so called, if 
 they come, have to pay the tariff charges. To facilitate this 
 fetching system a plan of the Bourse, on which each member's 
 place is indicated by a number, is printed in the subscribers' lists, 
 and the number of the member wanted must be mentioned when 
 asking for him. The messenger hands the member called a dated 
 
Holland 225 
 
 and timed ticket bearing the name and telephone number of the 
 person who wants him. Trunk talks are subject to the same 
 charges and regulations as those made from subscribers' offices. 
 
 4. Telephoning of telegrams. This is an important service, 
 but, owing perhaps to the higher charges and less elastic regulations, 
 the traffic does not attain the proportions reached in the neigh- 
 bouring kingdom of Belgium. In 1894 the total number of tele- 
 grams handled by the Netherlands Bell Cofcnpany was 104,367, of 
 which Amsterdam was responsible for 66.348. Senders of telegrams 
 have to deposit the estimated value of their traffic in advance, and 
 are not allowed to outrun their deposits. The company's operators 
 attend at the telegraph office to receive and transmit telegrams by 
 telephone ; the State charges nothing for the space occupied, nor 
 for lighting or warming. In connection with the State telegraphs 
 there is a little facility granted to the public which appears peculiar 
 to Holland. Senders of telegrams from any of the Dutch towns, 
 when addressing a telephone subscriber in any of those towns in 
 which the telegraph office is connected to the telephone exchange, 
 may order their message to be telephoned on its arrival to its 
 addressee even when the latter does not subscribe to the ordinary 
 telegram service. To take advantage of this regulation it is only 
 necessary to write the letters T. B. in brackets before the address 
 and pay for them as two words. Should it not be possible to get 
 the addressee to answer his bell, the message is delivered by 
 messenger in the ordinary way. 
 
 5. Time service. All the Netherlands Company's exchanges 
 receive the correct time from Amsterdam Observatory once a day. 
 Subscribers wishing to regulate their clocks are told the time on 
 demand. Nothing is charged for this service. It is nevertheless 
 not without an importance to those subscribers who use the trunks 
 a good deal and like their monthly accounts, made up from the 
 operators' registers, to tally with their own notes. 
 
 TARIFFS l 
 
 i. Rates for local exchange communication. The rates 
 levied by the Netherlands Bell Company were approved by Royal 
 1 One florin = is. j^d. 
 
 Q 
 
226 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Resolutions in 1881 and subsequent years. Instead of increasing 
 in proportion to the mileage beyond a defined radius, as in most 
 countries, a system of division into districts has been effected, 
 and a definite rate allotted to each district. Thus in Amsterdam 
 there are three grades of subscription : 
 
 s. d. 
 
 Subscribers located within Amsterdam proper . 9 14 2| 
 
 ,, in Nieuwer-Amstel . . . 12 6 io 
 
 Ouder-Amstel . . . . 20 11 5| 
 
 In Rotterdam : 
 
 Within the city 9 *4 2 ^ 
 
 In Kralingen 12 6 loj 
 
 In Dordrecht : 
 
 Within the town 4 3 * ! 
 
 In Zwijndrecht . . . .847 
 
 The remaining towns of the Netherlands Bell Company have a 
 single tariff. They are : 
 
 Per annum Per annum 
 
 s. d. . * d. 
 
 The Hague . .911 Schiedam . . . j 
 
 Arahem. . -> Utrecht . . - -4 19 4 
 
 Baarn . . . Zaandam . . . J 
 
 Bussum. . , Amersfoort .) 
 
 Groningen . . ' Hilversum . .368 
 
 Haarlem . . I Vlaardingen . . ) 
 Maassluis . ' 
 
 The towns worked by Messrs. Ribbink, van Bork & Co. are : 
 
 Per annum Per annum 
 
 s. d. s- <t- 
 
 Breda . . -\ Leyden . . .-, 
 
 Deventer . . | Middelburg 
 
 Enschede . - i-2 17 10 Tilburg . . . ;-2 17 10 
 
 s'Hertogenbosch . I Flushing . . i 
 
 Leeuwarden . . ' Xwolle 
 
 Mr. Kaijser has one exchange : 
 
 Per annum 
 s. d. 
 Nijmegen 2 17 10 
 
Holland 227 
 
 The Zutphen Telephone Company has one exchange : 
 
 Per annum 
 s. d. 
 
 Zutphen 2 17 10 
 
 The Maastricht Telephone Company has one exchange : 
 
 s. d. 
 Maastricht . . . . . . 2 17 10 
 
 Mr. Jan Sot has two exchanges : 
 
 Alkmaar . . . . . . . . 
 
 Helder 
 
 97 
 
 The Dutch rates cover all expenses of installation and main- 
 tenance. They do not, at least to an unprejudiced or disin- 
 terested outsider, appear remarkable for extravagance or oppressive- 
 ness ; but such is the frailty of human nature, which for ever yearns 
 for something not yet within its grasp, the subscribers are not 
 satisfied, and hope to obtain better terms when the present con- 
 cessions expire. On the other hand, the concessionaries appear 
 quite satisfied. The Zutphen Company is making money, and 
 Messrs. Ribbink, van Bork & Co. deplore the fact that Holland, 
 telephonically speaking, is, at least pending the reclamation of the 
 Zuyder Zee, nearly used up, and but few towns worth mentioning 
 remain to be telephoned. This firm assured the author that their 
 rate of thirty-five florins (2/. i js. io</.) pays them satisfactorily, and 
 that they are willing to take as many new towns as they can get 
 on the same terms, and would even agree, if the Government 
 wished, to put in metallic circuits. It is well to state, however, 
 that the firm are manufacturing electricians and, there being no 
 patent laws in Holland, make all the switch-boards and instru- 
 ments they require in their own shops. Something, the manu- 
 facturer's profit, is saved in this way on the first cost of their 
 exchanges. But the Zutphen Company without this advantage, 
 and with first-class construction and instruments, contrives to make 
 a profit on the same rate. 
 
 2. Rates for internal trunk communication. To acquire the 
 right to use the trunks a subscriber must agree to pay i6s. 6\d. 
 per annum in advance in addition to his local subscription. 
 
 Q 2 
 
228 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Besides, each trunk talk must be paid for at the rate of 9-9^ 
 per three minutes, irrespective of distance. 
 
 Express or urgent communications, by which the caller is given 
 precedence of any others who may be waiting, are charged double 
 rates. A half-fee is exigible for a connection asked for, but which 
 cannot be had through no fault of the company. The right to 
 use the trunks for a stated daily period may be acquired by annual 
 subscription. Fifteen minutes' daily use costs 41 /. i$s. ^d. per 
 annum ; some newspapers subscribe as much as 5007. in this way. 
 
 3. Rates at public telephone stations. No distinction is. 
 made between subscribers and strangers. 
 
 Local talk, 5 minutes ...... 
 
 ,, 10 ,, ...... 9'90./. 
 
 13 ...... 14-85^. 
 
 Each additional 3 minutes ...... 4 '95^. 
 
 Talks must not last longer than ten minutes if others are 
 waiting their turn. 
 
 Trunk talk, per 3 minutes ...... 9*9^. 
 
 The charge is irrespective of distance. Talks must not exceed 
 six minutes in duration if the line is otherwise wanted. If the 
 called subscriber does not answer within one minute, or if the 
 connection cannot be had through no fault of the company, the 
 caller must pay half-fee. Payments may be made in cash, or by 
 tickets which are sold by agents appointed by the Company at a 
 reduction of 20 per cent. Express talks are admitted on payment 
 of double rate. 
 
 4. Rates for telephoning telegrams.- To enjoy this service, 
 subscribers must pay 8^. 3^. annually in addition to their ordinary 
 subscriptions ; this charge is, however, remitted to those who 
 subscribe to the trunk service. 
 
 Each telephone despatched or received by telephone is charged 
 99^., irrespective of the number of words. Copies of telegrams 
 telephoned to subscribers are not delivered unless specially desired. 
 In that case a copy is posted and the addressee debited with -495^. 
 If he does not care to wait for the post, he can have a copy 
 immediately by sending to the telegraph office and paying '495^. 
 
Holland 229 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 
 
 Neither the Netherlands Bell Telephone Company nor any 
 other of the concessionaries possesses compulsory powers : they 
 have to beg and pay their way in the same fashion as the English 
 companies. The Netherlands Bell Company inserts a clause in 
 its agreements by which subscribers bind themselves to grant way- 
 leave facilities on their premises, but it has not been found politic 
 to enforce it strictly. The same company pays the Amsterdam 
 Municipality no less that 2/. is. ^d. per subscriber per annum, and 
 provides no less than thirty-one free connections for the right to 
 erect poles and lay cables in the streets and public places and to 
 fix wires on public buildings. This does not obviate the necessity 
 of going on private property, a privilege which has to be bought 
 occasionally with a free exchange connection or payment of one 
 florin (is. 7$d.) per wire per annum. The provincial towns deal 
 more liberally with the company than Amsterdam does, and cor- 
 responding rights-of-way are usually granted in return for a few 
 free connections to the municipal offices. 
 
 ROYALTIES 
 
 None are payable to the State unless a subscriber's line exceeds 
 five kilometers in length. In such a case i/. i^s. is charged for 
 the sixth, and i6s. 6d. for each succeeding kilometer per annum. 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 
 
 The switch-boards in Holland are not of the latest type ; 
 Amsterdam with nearly 1,700, and Rotterdam with nearly 1,000 
 subscribers being still worked with Gillilano. boards. The reason 
 is the company's undefined position in respect to the State. A 
 new post and telegraph office is to be built in Amsterdam, to 
 which it is proposed that the telephone exchange shall be removed. 
 With such a shift in prospect, it is not to be expected that the 
 company would go to the great expense involved in fitting a 
 modern multiple board on its old premises. Much the same 
 state of matters exists at Rotterdam. At Amsterdam, where the 
 
230 Telephone Systems of tJie Continent of Europe 
 
 trunks chiefly concentrate, there is a special trunk table fitted for 
 fifty lines. The key-board is shown in fig. 78. It is mounted 
 with ten pairs of double-conductor plugs and cords, i to x, each 
 pair being connected to a key i to 10. Six of these keys i, 2, 
 3, and 8, 9, 10 are joined to the keys TI T2 T3 and T8 TQ Tio r 
 which bring the translators (of the Landrath pattern) into circuit. 
 By turning down the switches A and c the key-board is divided 
 into two sections and may be attended to by two operators ; when 
 A and c are up and B down one operator can control the whole. 
 LI to 14 are listening keys, and cut off one side of a connection 
 when the plugs are in ; RI to R4 are ringing keys. Fig. 79 (with 
 
 O1O 
 
 QUO 
 
 A B C 
 
 omo oivo ovo ovio ovco coo OKO 
 
 oxo 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 3456789 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 Ti 
 
 
 
 T2 
 
 
 
 Ta Ts T9 
 
 
 Tio 
 
 
 Li 
 
 
 
 L2 
 
 
 Ls 
 
 
 
 L4 
 
 
 
 R 
 
 
 
 Hi 
 
 
 
 ~IU 
 
 
 
 R3 
 
 FIG. 7 
 
 the same reference letters) is a diagram of the general connections. 
 The spring-jacks may have attached to them either metallic 
 circuits or single earthed wires ; thus w v z are metallic trunks 
 and x an earthed wire going to the main switch-board for joining 
 to the subscribers' single lines. It will be seen that the table 
 allows of all necessary combinations i.e. direct connection of two 
 metallic circuits, of two single wires, and of a metallic with a single 
 either through a translator or direct. 
 
 Subscribers are asked for by numbers ; after receiving the 
 operator's intimation that the connection has been made, the 
 caller hangs up his phone, and himself rings his client's bell. 
 After the talk is over he rings off in the ordinary way. When a 
 subscriber is called he takes down his phone and speaks without 
 
Holland 
 
 231 
 
 ringing back. It is hard to accept this system as satisfactory. If 
 a called person does not answer immediately, the caller continues 
 
 i] Jj 
 
 i' J |T i ill 
 11 G 11 
 
 FIG. 79 
 
 to ring, and the operator, after a minute or two, mistakes one of 
 these rings for a ring-off and disconnects, with the usual effect on 
 the tempers of all concerned. If by force of tapping she learns 
 
232 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 the true position of affairs and does not disconnect, she has the 
 useless labour of restoring the ring-off shutter every time it falls, 
 labour which is more than thrown away, since it is subtracted from 
 that which could be usefully bestowed in other directions the 
 young lady telephonist capable of doing several things properly 
 at the same moment not having yet been successfully evolved, 
 although perhaps she is on the road. A distinctive disconnection 
 signal is the only solution of the difficulty, and that will have to 
 be evolved too. These remarks do not apply to Amsterdam or 
 Holland alone ; the same difficulty exists in Sweden, in Germany, 
 and wherever the caller is made to do his own ringing. In trunk- 
 line switching the calling subscriber rings through to the operator 
 at the distant town and asks his connection from her. The 
 smaller concessionaries have nothing special to show in the way 
 of switching apparatus. The Zutphen Company has a nicely- 
 .made i6o-line board by Ericsson & Co., Stockholm. 
 
 The Amsterdam subscribers are divided between three switch- 
 rooms in addition to the central viz. Haarlemmer-Houttuinen, 
 Rapenburg, and Kerkstraat. The central has twenty-five junction 
 wires to each of the others, and these are also directly connected 
 by from five to ten junctions. The junction wires follow different 
 routes, so that it is impossible for one fire or accident to sever 
 the whole communication between any two switch -rooms. 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 
 
 The anomaly is presented of the capital having shorter hours 
 than some of the provincial towns. Amsterdam exchange is open 
 only from 8 A.M. till 10 P.M. (6 P.M. on Sundays). These are also 
 the hours at Rotterdam and the Hague for general work, but in 
 each of these towns an operator paid by the municipality attends 
 all night to answer any calls to or from the fire and police offices. 
 Such a service is not considered necessary in Amsterdam, where 
 an extensive fire- and police-alarm system exists independently 
 of the telephone exchange. Dordrecht, Arnhem, Haarlem, and 
 Utrecht are open day and night. Others of the smaller towns are 
 closed during the day to allow the operator away for meals ; thus 
 at Zaandam the hours are 8.30 A.M. till noon, i P.M. till 5 P.M., 
 
Holland 233 
 
 and 7 P.M. till 9 P.M. ; and at Hilversum, 8 A.M. till 5 P.M., and 
 7 P.M. till 8.30 P.M. Messrs. Ribbink, van Bork & Co.'s exchanges 
 are open from 7 or 8 A.M. till 9 or 10 P.M., according to local require- 
 ments. They all have, however, a night service for the fire and 
 police offices and doctors. The Zutphen exchange is kept open 
 continuously for all kinds of traffic. 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 
 
 The Netherlands Bell Company now employ magneto ringers 
 of substantial, but not uncommon, design, together with double- 
 pole receivers and the Groof form of Runnings transmitter, all of 
 Antwerp manufacture. There is, however, a goodly number of 
 Blake transmitters and single-pole receivers still in use. Messrs. 
 Ribbink, van Bork & Co., at their centres, use magneto ringers, 
 double-pole receivers, and a modified form of Berliner trans- 
 mitter, all manufactured by themselves. The Zutphen Telephone 
 Company use magneto ringers, double-pole receivers, and trans- 
 mitters manufactured by Messrs. Ericsson & Co., Stockholm. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 
 
 i '5 mm. bronze wire, supported on small double-shed porce- 
 lain insulators, is now used in the towns instead of the original 
 galvanised steel. With few exceptions, the subscribers' lines in 
 Amsterdam and the other principal towns are single with earth 
 return ; but Vlaardingen and Amersfoort, the two latest centres of 
 the Netherlands Bell Company, are metallic circuit, and it has been 
 determined that all future ones shall be so likewise. The pole work 
 of the Netherlands Bell Company is exceedingly well executed. 
 In Belgium and Switzerland much attention is given to the design 
 of poles of the largest size from 50 to 80 feet which are often 
 both handsome and substantial, while their smaller work partakes 
 of the commonplace ; in Holland the design of the small poles 
 receives as much attention as that of the large, with the result that 
 the citizens do not complain of being affronted by ugly and evil- 
 smelling creosoted posts, such as are mostly affected in the United 
 Kingdom. Along the canals in Amsterdam and in the suburbs 
 (as well as in most of the other towns) one sees far- stretch ing routes 
 
234 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 of supports of the design shown in figs. 80 and ST. Essentially 
 the poles are but the familiar iron lattice signal-post of the 
 
 FIG. 80 
 
 British railways ; their attractiveness lies in the tasteful arrange- 
 ment of the cross-arms, insulators, and finials. When nicely 
 
Holland 235 
 
 painted, with clean insulators and well-regulated wires, they look 
 extremely well, and give one the impression that the company in. 
 
 FIG. 81 
 
 erecting them has done its duty, both to the citizens and to its 
 shareholders for they are strong and durable withal, and go far 
 
236 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 to disarm grumblers. To give a firm hold on the ground the 
 inside of the pole is filled to just above the ground level with 
 concrete. The taller poles are of quite a different type, although 
 they too are handsomely got up. They are of wood, painted with 
 preservative compound ; the pole is encased in a square wooden 
 box from the butt to some three feet above the ground level, the 
 space between the pole and the box being tightly rammed with 
 clean dry sand. The box is closed with a moulded lid, and lends 
 a finish to the appearance of the pole ; but it is intended primarily 
 by its deviser, Dr. Hubrecht, the general manager of the Nether- 
 lands Bell Telephone Company, to prevent the decay which in- 
 variably attacks wooden poles at or near the ground line. When 
 so fitted it is the box, which can be readily renewed, which decays ; 
 while the pole, embedded in dry sand, lasts an indefinite period. 
 The square box furthermore affords the pole a better hold in the 
 ground than the rounded butt could give. Fig. 82 shows such a 
 pole, 75 feet high and carrying 150 bronze wires. The climbing 
 steps on these poles are riveted to long strips of iron, which are 
 spiked or screwed to the poles on either side ; this form of con- 
 struction was adopted owing to steps working loose when fastened 
 individually direct to the wood. In the suburbs light telescopic 
 iron tubular poles are employed for branch routes of six or eight 
 wires ; they occupy little room and look well. The Dutch do not 
 earth-wire their wooden poles. The more recent standards are of 
 German type, consisting of one or more tubes fastened rigidly 
 at their lower extremities to some part of the roof, and fitted with 
 cross-arms consisting of strips of iron connected by rivets and 
 by the insulator bolts. Such arms are cheap one to carry six 
 insulators costing 80 cents (is. 3^.), and one to- carry twenty 
 insulators only i'8o florins (2s. <)d.) They are not, however, 
 nearly so strong as the channel-iron arms designed by the author 
 for the National Telephone Company, and now exclusively 
 employed in the United Kingdom. The details of these 
 standards are given in figs. 73 and 74 (German section). But, 
 although identical in design, there is an important difference 
 between the methods of erection in Germany and Holland. In 
 the former country stays are rarely employed, and scarcely ever in 
 an efficient manner, even when there are 200 wires attached ; but 
 
Holland 
 
 237 
 
 in Holland there is no false economy in the matter of stays, and 
 the standards are treated as though the destruction of the span of 
 
 wires on one side by fire or storm is not altogether an impossible 
 contingency. In a word, the Dutch work is far superior to the 
 
2 $8 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 German. At the same time, it must be said that the Dutch 
 standards are not nearly so well calculated to withstand the 
 vicissitudes of accident and tempest as are the Belgian ; but that is 
 a fault of the design, not of erection. They are not earth-wired. 
 Fig. 83 gives a good idea of an Amsterdam double standard. 
 
 The numerous rivers and canals in Amsterdam and else- 
 where compel the frequent use of lengths of submarine cable. 
 Originally, indiarubber-covered wires encased in lead were put 
 down, but did not stand. Now a regular type of armoured sub- 
 marine cable containing guttapercha-covered wires is employed. 
 
 Underground work has not been neglected, there being 11*6 
 aniles of cable already down in Amsterdam. It is chiefly designed 
 to get past the crowding of overhouse wires around the exchange, 
 and the cables usually lead to a terminal pole in some secluded 
 corner whence the wires are distributed overhead. No attempt 
 has been made to serve the subscribers directly underground ; the 
 Dutch towns do not lend themselves to such a method, the cost 
 of which would be prohibitive. The cables usually contain 
 fourteen pairs of twisted wires insulated with paper, each pair 
 being spiralled with metal foil for earthing. One wire of each pair 
 is tinned, and the identification of the pairs is assisted by two 
 -adjacent pairs in each layer being coloured respectively blue and 
 pink. The cable is first covered with plain linen and then by a 
 leaden tube, which in its turn is covered by a layer of impregnated 
 jute and another of impregnated linen, the whole being protected 
 by flat steel wires laid on spirally. These cables are supplied by 
 Messrs. Felten & Guilleaume. It will be seen that the ultimate 
 adoption of the metallic circuit is borne well in mind. The cable is 
 laid in sand contained in a closed trough of creosoted wood, access 
 boxes being placed every fifty meters or so, to facilitate distribution 
 should it be found desirable at any future time to erect addi- 
 tional poles and terminate thereat some of the spare cable wires. 
 The engineers appear to have confidence in this method of 
 laying, no accidents from the picks of strange workmen having 
 been experienced, and the cables maintaining their electrical 
 conditions well. The plan involves the reopening of the ground 
 whenever the spares on a route become exhausted, so a good 
 deal of capital has to be buried in the shape of wires that may 
 not be required for a considerable time. Great pains are taken 
 
Holland 
 
 239 
 
 at the junction of the underground with the overhead wires. 
 Whenever space permits, a small hut (fig. 84) is built at or 
 near the base of the distributing pole and fitted most efficiently 
 
240 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 FIG. 84 
 
Holland 
 
 241 
 
 with cross-connecting terminals and lightning-guards. The 
 cable ends are of course sealed in insulating material, the 
 
 FIG. 85 
 
 junction between underground and overhead being effected by 
 an intermediate cable insulated with india-rubber or gutta-percha. 
 
 R 
 
242 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Fig. 85 shows a public telephone station of the Netherlands 
 Company at Baarn. 
 
 Messrs. Ribbink, van Bork & Co.'s methods of construc- 
 tion are in no wise noteworthy. Although some bronze wire has 
 been erected, their subscribers? lines are run chiefly with steel 
 of r8 mm. gauge, of a breaking strain of 300 kilogrammes per 
 square millimeter. 
 
 The Zutphen Telephone Company is remarkable in many 
 ways. Its rate, 2/. 17^. io^/. per annum, is not the lowest in 
 Holland Mynheer Jan Sot takes care of that but no attempt 
 has been made elsewhere to give metallic circuits, the best of 
 modern instruments, and a perpetual service for such a mo- 
 derate sum. But they do it at Zutphen, and, what is stranger 
 still, find it pays. The originator of the company and its 
 present manager, Mr. C. J. van Bueren, 
 a retired (Dutch) East Indian merchant, 
 resident at Zutphen, applied, in conjunc- 
 tion with Mr. Carel Henny, for the con- 
 cession (as much with the idea of passing 
 the time as anything else), and having ob- 
 tained it for the town and five kilometers 
 around, succeeded in forming a company 
 to work it. Mr. van Bueren knew nothing 
 
 about telephone work at the time, but determined that he 
 would have the best system and best workmanship procurable 
 for his exchange, and, after due inquiry, placed a contract 
 with the Netherlands Bell Telephone Company for its construc- 
 tion. All materials were to be of the best, and, with a view to 
 ultimate connection with the Dutch trunk wire system, all lines 
 were to be double and of 1*5 mm. bronze, having a breaking 
 strain of 120 kilogrammes and a conductivity of 60 per cent, of 
 pure copper. The exchange was opened on July i, 1893, with 
 107 subscribers (the population of Zutphen is 17,004), and 
 as these all had Ericsson transmitters, double-pole receivers, and 
 metallic circuits, the speaking was as near perfection as well 
 could be. By December 31, 1894, the instruments connected 
 had increased in number to 141, with many more in prospect. 
 The company enjoys free premises at the town hall, with the use 
 
Holland 
 
 243 
 
 >--350 --^I 
 
 
 I I I 
 
 I I 
 
 475 
 
 475--->- 
 
 of the roof, in return for four free connections given respec- 
 tively to the burgomaster, town 
 hall, and to the fire and police 
 offices. As all these are con- 
 tained within the walls of the 
 
 300 
 
 town hall, the company may be 
 adjudged to have made a very 
 good bargain. Owing to the con- 
 figuration of the town hall roof 
 and the existence of a steeple, two 
 separate fixtures had to be erected. 
 These are substantially built of 
 angle-iron, the larger consisting of 
 eight uprights arranged in a square 
 of 3-3 meters and connected by 
 nineteen cross-arms. The uprights 
 are fastened solidly to the roof, and 
 the whole stands without the aid of 
 stays. The fixtures are joined to the 
 lightning conductor of the neigh- 
 bouring steeple, and, in addition, 
 have a special conductor and earth 
 of their own. All the other standards 
 in the town are carefully earthed 
 and each metallic circuit has a 
 lightning-guard, not only at the ex- 
 change, but at the premises of the 
 subscriber served by it. Fig. 86 
 shows the method of attaching the 
 insulators to the exchange cross- 
 arms. Fig. 87 shows one of the 
 standards used through the town, 
 with dimensions. The tubes are 
 continued through the roofs, and 
 are bolted or strapped to the wood- 
 work. The finials are provided with 
 holes through which, when sub- 
 scribers exist in a building on which FlG . 87 ._ Dimensions in m iiH me ters. 
 
 & 2 
 
 1OOO -- 
 
 67 
 
244 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 a standard is erected, the leading-in wires may be taken, passing 
 thence into the house through the tube and roof. Some of 
 the standards are double, the tubes then being connected by 
 long arms as in fig. 83. All fixtures are carefully painted, and 
 every roof, besides being strengthened under the standard, is 
 protected by substantial foot-boards. The spans are short, and 
 to reduce as much as possible the chance of contact, no joints 
 are made in the running wire ; when a coil of wire, during 
 construction, chanced to end in the middle of a span the 
 odd piece was sacrificed, and the joint made at the preceding in- 
 sulator as shown in fig. 88. There are no joints, therefore, in the 
 line wires themselves to help them to hang together during a gale. 
 
 All joints throughout the sys- 
 tem are soldered with resin. 
 Standards are used only when 
 it is impossible to manage 
 with poles. Of these last there 
 are a good many, ranging from 
 fifty-eight to seventy-five feet 
 in height. They are of fir, 
 pickled, and in every case well 
 erected and carefully fitted. 
 The climbing steps, as in 
 Amsterdam, are riveted to 
 
 iron strips which are screwed to the poles. Fig. 89 shows the 
 method of attaching the arms, which differs in several respects from 
 the English. At the exchange the wires are first led by twisted pairs 
 to cross-connecting and lightning-guard boards placed in an attic 
 and carefully protected from dust by wooden casing with glass doors, 
 and then, also by twisted pairs, to the switch -room on the ground 
 floor. Here there is a i6o-drop table by Ericsson, of Stockholm, 
 beautifully made and neatly fitted, no detail, however trifling, 
 being overlooked. There is, however, nothing special about the 
 arrangements of the table, which has the usual indicators, call- 
 ing and ring-off, speaking and ringing keys, and weighted 
 cords. Alongside it is fixed a testing galvanometer with keys and 
 battery, so that a suspected line may be tested for earth or dis- 
 connection at once. Adjacent to the switch-room is a public 
 
Holland 
 
 245 
 
 telephone station containing an American { long-distance ' desk 
 set of the kind designed by Mr. Thomas D. Lockwood, of Boston, 
 in 1888. It consists of an elegant table, on which are conveniently 
 mounted the transmitter, receiver, and ringer, with every conveni- 
 ence for writing. There is not a bit of scamped work from 
 beginning to end, and Zutphen constitutes a really model exchange, 
 to which it would pay certain telephone administrations and 
 companies, English not excepted, to send their engineers as to 
 a school. To the date of opening, the installation, including 
 the preliminary expenses, had cost 20,000 florins (1,6507.). 
 
 j 3 
 
 3 3 
 
 3 5 mu 3 
 
 3.3 
 
 3 j 
 
 <<_ 
 
 
 fp 
 
 
 >o> 
 
 3 
 
 3 9 
 
 i 
 
 Is 9 
 
 f 3 3 
 
 3 
 
 
 \\ 
 
 I ' 
 
 
 FIG. 89. Dimensions in centimeters. 
 
 As there were 107 subscribers to start with, this amounts to 
 1 5/. 8s. $d. per line, but plenty of spare room for future expansion 
 was provided at the exchange fixture and on the poles and 
 standards. Inspection and repairs have cost since the open- 
 ing from 2/. is. $d. to 2/. gs. 6d. per month. Way-leaves cost 
 about 24/. per annum. Day operating costs i2s. 6d. per week 
 (one girl relieved for meals by a younger under-study who is 
 competent to take her place on holidays or in case of sick- 
 ness) ; and night operating, i6/. 9^. od. per annum This is 
 performed by a young man, otherwise engaged during the day, 
 who sleeps in the switch-room with an alarm bell worked by 
 
246 Telephone Systems of tJie Continent of Europe 
 
 the indicator shutters over his head. The manager receives 
 only 24/. 13-r. 9^. per annum by way of salary, but he is en- 
 titled to a preferential percentage of the profits, and is, besides, 
 a shareholder. At Deventer and Enschede, neighbouring small 
 towns in which similar but single-wire exchanges exist, the 
 managers are a master plumber and an insurance agent respec- 
 tively. New construction and repairs are contracted for with 
 the Netherlands Bell Telephone Company at fixed rates. In- 
 spection and testing is performed by the manager. As a result 
 of the first year's working, to June 30, 1894, all expenses to 
 date were paid, and the costs of obtaining the concession and 
 forming the company written off. 
 
 By December 31, 1894, the profits realised justified the de- 
 claration of a dividend of 4*2 per cent. A translation of the 
 company's report and accounts for 1894 is given at the end 
 of this section in order that some inkling of the secret (in 
 Britain) art of running a model telephone exchange on an in- 
 clusive annual subscription of 2/. i^s. lod. may be obtained. 
 
 In considering the cost of construction, it would not be correct 
 to imagine that the work was performed by underpaid or un- 
 skilled men. It was done by contract by the Netherlands Bell 
 Telephone Company, who sent some of their best men, paid 
 according to the scale on page 248. As they would be working 
 in a strange town, each man would get sleeping allowance in 
 addition to his pay ; and to all must be added the Netherlands Bell 
 Company's profit on the contract. The author does not profess 
 to regard the manager's salary as sufficient, nor the provision for 
 reserve and deterioration adequate, but an advance of the sub- 
 scription to 4/. 5*. per annum would afford ample margin for these 
 items. With this reservation there is no reason why, under similar 
 conditions, the Zutphen results should not be obtained in English 
 towns of the same size ; and the author does not doubt its prac- 
 ticability in many cases, especially if undertaken by the municipal 
 authorities. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (TRUNK) 
 
 There is not much to remark about the Dutch trunk line work 
 except that it is generally very well done. The first lines were 
 
Holland 
 
 247 
 
 erected along the roads, the railways being avoided, as it was 
 feared that the strong currents in the telegraph wires would inter- 
 
 FIG. 90. A Dutch trunk line. 
 
 fere in a degree even with metallic circuits. That theory is, of 
 course, now disproved, and was known to be groundless in Great 
 
' ':"** -B^vr 
 
 248 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Britain at least as early as 1881, six years before any trunks were 
 erected in Holland. Advantage has been taken of the railways 
 for the later extensions. The Netherlands Bell Company likes tall 
 poles for its trunks, and on some routes there are long stretches of 
 5o-feet poles, which lift the wires well above the trees. Fig. 90 
 shows a Dutch trunk route with 54-feet poles. The wire used 
 is 3 mm. hard copper, and the insulators are large double-shed 
 white porcelain. The wires are crossed, not twisted, but the 
 Dutch Government is understood to contemplate the twisting of 
 the projected international trunk line to Belgium as far as the 
 frontier. The Netherlands Bell Company, which is to construct 
 the line, well aware of the uselessness and drawbacks of such a pro- 
 ceeding, has protested and may succeed in getting the intention 
 altered. The speaking over the trunks is very good, but the 
 distances are not, of course, great. 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 
 
 Foremen receive from 3 to 4 florins (4$. \\d. to 6s. 7^.) per 
 day ; skilled wiremen, 4^. zd. ; and labourers, 3*96^. per hour. 
 When working away from home the men's actual expenses are 
 paid. Working hours are from 7 A.M. till 6 P.M., with one and a 
 half hours off for meals. 
 
 PAYMENT OF OPERATORS 
 
 Girls, when taken on at the age of seventeen years, receive 
 6s. 7</. per week, and rise by degrees to gs. io\d. as ordinary 
 operators. The average pay of this class at Amsterdam is at 
 present Ss. $d. per week. - The trunk operators and those who 
 attend at the telegraph office for the telephoning of telegrams are 
 required to understand English, German, and French in addition 
 to their own language, and are paid from i6s. 6d. to 195. 9^. 
 per week, according to length of service. These amounts include 
 a small premium payable on each telegram handled without error. 
 Applicants for vacancies must produce high-school certificates of 
 intelligence and industry. 
 
Holland 249 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 At the end of 1894 there were in Holland 7,263 subscribers 
 distributed as follows : 
 
 Owner Town 
 
 Number of 
 subscribers 
 
 Population 
 
 , Amsterdam 
 
 1,752 
 
 426,914 
 
 
 Arnhem . 
 
 28 4 
 
 51,105 
 
 
 Amersfoort 
 
 36 
 
 I4,l82 
 
 
 Baarn 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 
 Bussum . 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 Dordrecht 
 
 252 
 
 34,125 
 
 Netherlands Bell 
 Telephone Com-< 
 pany . 
 
 Groningen 
 Haarlem 
 ^ Hague . 
 Hilversum 
 
 173 
 165 
 
 381 
 47 
 
 57,967 
 
 55,3" 
 169,828 
 12,199 
 
 
 Maassluis 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 Rotterdam 
 
 961 
 
 222,233 
 
 
 Schiedam 
 
 54 
 
 25,280 
 
 
 Utrecht . 
 
 214 
 
 89,436 
 
 
 Vlaardingen . 
 
 . I 24 
 
 12,059 
 
 ^ Zaandam 
 
 13 
 
 14,545 
 
 
 4,373 
 
 
 Breda . 
 
 202 
 
 22,987 
 
 
 Deventer 
 
 198 
 
 
 
 Enschede 
 
 196 
 
 2 5',664 
 
 
 s' Hertogenbosch 
 
 200 
 
 27,594 
 
 Ribbink, van Bork & 
 
 Leeuwarden . 
 
 197 
 
 30,712 
 
 Co. . . .< 
 
 Leyden . 
 
 300 
 
 44,198 
 
 
 Middelburg . 
 
 . ; 150 
 
 i6,455 
 
 
 .Tilburg . 
 
 195 
 
 35,o68 
 
 
 Flushing 
 
 . ; loo 
 
 12,565 
 
 Zwolle . 
 
 200 
 
 27,706 
 
 
 1,938 
 
 
 J. W. Kaijser . Nijmegen 
 
 45 
 
 34,128 
 
 ^^h'one^omplny 6 ." [ Maa stricht 
 
 225 
 
 32,757 
 
 ZU Com n an rdeph0ne / Zut P hen 
 
 141 
 
 17,004 
 
 Alkmaar 
 
 73 
 
 14,048 
 
 Jar ' Helder . 
 
 63 
 
 23,H5 
 
250 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 The number of local connections is unfortunately not given, 
 but the chief exchanges are undoubtedly very busy. In Amster- 
 dam as many as 254 connections have been given to one instru- 
 ment in one day. On January 29, 1895, seven Amsterdam 
 subscribers asked for over 200 connections each, an eighth for 
 184, and a ninth for 167 ; and this traffic is not exceptional. 
 During 1893 100,311 telegrams were forwarded from, or received 
 at, subscribers' offices by telephone. For the year 1894 the 
 number of trunk connections was 85,142. The Netherlands Bell 
 Telephone Company has a capital of 600,000 florins (49,375/.) r 
 the whole of which, together with its reserve fund, has been 
 expended in constructing its system. A special reserve fund is pro- 
 vided, out of which the cost of improvements and renewals is 
 defrayed. Last year a dividend of 9 per cent, was paid. Seeing 
 that the company's effective rate in its chief centre, Amsterdam, 
 is only ;/. i2s. g\d., this result must be admitted as very satisfac- 
 tory. 
 
 SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ZUTPHEN 
 TELEPHONE COMPANY 
 
 It was with much pleasure that I acquainted the shareholders last year that 
 the company's undertaking had been successfully launched. On the present 
 occasion I also feel satisfaction in being able to report that the favourable 
 expectations held out last year have been realised ; that the number of sub- 
 scribers has gradually increased, whilst the establishment and its working 
 have been satisfactorily maintained. 
 
 The number of faults has been small and less than last year, viz. : 
 
 Disturbances of wires ....... 68 
 
 ,, ,, instruments . . . . . .46 
 
 Total 
 
 114 
 
 The company's system now comprises : 
 
 Free connections given in terms of concession ... 4 
 Service connections . . . . . . .3 
 
 Free connections in part payment of way-leaves . . 2 
 
 complete ,, ,, . . . 6 
 
 Paying subscribers 126 
 
 Total 141 
 
Holland 251 
 
 In the course of the year nineteen new subscribers joined and four gave 
 notice, two on account of leaving the town. At the commencement of the 
 current year two more also gave notice. The construction of a connection to 
 the Waterworks has been commenced, and one to the Netherlands Industrial 
 School will also be put in hand shortly : these are certain to lead to further 
 developments. 
 
 For these and other new lines some additional capital will be necessary, in 
 connection with which proposals will be laid before the shareholders. 
 
 Although the number of calls is liable to be influenced by several circum- 
 stances, a steady increase is observed, viz. : 
 
 Total calls for second half of 1893 . . . -30,653 
 ,, whole of 1894 73,270 
 
 The telegraph station has not yet been connected ; this, however, may be 
 expected shortly. 
 
 The costs of repairs and maintenance of lines and instruments amounted 
 toFl. 315. 
 
 It will be seen from the small number of faults that the company's system 
 is very efficient ; also that the repairs have been done very cheaply. The 
 shareholders will remember that repairs are done for us by the Netherlands 
 Bell Telephone Company from its Arnhem centre. 
 
 I am also pleased to report that the employees have done their duty with 
 diligence and exactitude. Efficient substitutes are provided against sickness 
 or holidays. 
 
 For the financial position of the company I have the honour to refer to the 
 annexed accounts. 
 
 [Signed] C. J. VAN BUEREN, Managing Director. 
 
 ZUTPHEN : Februajy 18, 1895. 
 
 VALUE OF THE COMPANY'S PROPERTY AT DECEMBER 31, 1894 
 
 I florin = \s. 'J^d. 
 
 Fl. 
 
 Exchange system . I9>994'3 85 
 
 Central office 621 -44* 
 
 Office furniture 27976 s 
 
 Materials on hand 473 ' 2 5 5 
 
 Tools 81-99 
 
 Fl. 21,450-84 
 
252 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 PROFIT AND Loss ACCOUNT 
 
 Gr. 
 
 Fl. 
 
 Debit from 1893 . . 300-24 
 Capital Account . . 977-26 
 Head office . . . 29-71 
 Office furniture . . . 13 '87* 
 Materials . . . I3"3 8 
 
 Tools . . . . 2-21 
 Interest Account . . 22-27 
 Stationery . . . 8 1 -6 1 
 General expenses . .401 -09 
 Salaries .... 1,070-50 
 Repairs to system . . 3i5'34 5 
 Advertisements ... 67 -45 
 Way-leaves . . . 237-50 
 Dividend . . . .900-00 
 Balance, Profit and Loss, 
 
 1893 .... 15-38 
 
 Fl. 4,447-82 
 
 Subscriptions and various 
 
 receipts . . . 4,447-82 
 
 Fl. 4,447 '82 
 
 BALANCE SHEET, DECEMBER 31, 1894 
 
 Assets 
 
 Fl. 
 
 Cash in hand . 
 
 57-53 
 
 Value of exchange s 
 
 lys- 
 
 tern . 
 
 I9,994'38 5 
 
 Head office . 
 
 62 1 -44 s 
 
 Office furniture 
 
 279-76* 
 
 Materials 
 
 
 Tools . 
 
 81-99 
 
 At Banker's . 
 
 156-63 
 
 Fl. 21,665-00 
 
 Liabilities Fl. 
 Capital .... 20,000-00 
 Netherlands Bell Tele- 
 phone Company . 655 -92* 
 Sundry creditors . . 93 '69* 
 Dividend . . . 900-00 
 Profit and Loss iS"?8 
 
 Fl. 21,665-00 
 
 The above dividend of Fl. 900 to be divided according to Article 21 of 
 the Rules, and will be payable at the company's office at the rate of Fl. 4-20. 
 
 C. J. VAN BUEREN, Managing Director. 
 
 C. SCHILLEMA 
 
 CAREL HENNY 
 ZUTPHEN : Febmary 18, 1895. 
 
253 
 
 XII. HUNGARY 
 
 THE establishment and working of telephone exchanges has 
 been declared a privilege of the State in Hungary ; but before the 
 Government had determined to enter the field actively, some con- 
 cessions for thirty years had been granted to private persons, and 
 the telephone system of the country is now divided between the 
 Government and several companies. Trunk lines between Buda- 
 Pesth and the chief towns have recently been commenced, and in 
 some instances completed, and these belong exclusively to the 
 State, and are, indeed, intended primarily for State use, public 
 traffic being only a secondary consideration. There is also a 
 trunk route consisting of seven metallic circuits from Buda-Pesth 
 to Vienna, over which Szegedin, Temesvar, Arad, Raab, Pressburg, 
 and a few other towns can communicate with Austria. An 
 international line to Odessa has been proposed. 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED AND TARIFFS 
 
 i. Local exchange intercommunication. Subscriptions are of 
 two classes : (i) for instruments located actually within a town, 
 and (2) for instruments located in the suburbs. 
 
 In Buda-Pesth the annual rates are : 
 
 Per annum 
 s. d. 
 
 CLASS i 12 10 o 
 
 CLASS 2. If not more than \ kilometer beyond the 
 
 town boundary . . . . . 12 13 4 
 If between | kilometer and 5 kilometers . 12 18 4 
 For each additional kilometer . . .018 
 
254 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 In Other tOWnS I Per annum 
 
 s. d. 
 
 CLASS i 5o 
 
 CLASS 2. If not more than \ kilometer beyond the 
 
 town boundary . . . . -534 
 If between | kilometer and 5 kilometers . 584 
 For each additional kilometer . . .018 
 
 These rates cover all expenses of installation and maintenance. 
 Hotels, restaurants, clubs, and other places where the public have 
 access to the instruments are charged 50 per cent, extra ; on the 
 other hand, State, municipal, church, and charitable institutions 
 enjoy a reduction of one-half. 
 
 2. Rural exchange communication. This corresponds to the 
 German ' vicinity ' intercourse and the French * annexes,' and is 
 intended for extra-suburban villages in the neighbourhood of 
 towns which possess an exchange. The subscription depends on 
 the facilities required. A subscriber desiring only power to call 
 the other subscribers in his own village pays 5/. per annum if 
 he wishes to ring up the town subscribers also, he is charged io/. 
 This, however, only applies when the State owns both the town 
 and the village exchange. When a company owns the town 
 exchange the village subscriber who wants the town subscribers 
 must pay io/. + i/. 5^. = n/. $s. if the town is a country one, 
 and io/. + 5/. = i5/. in the case of Buda-Pesth. 
 
 3. County or departmental exchanges. These serve the 
 purely country districts, and are intended to connect one or more 
 villages with the chief village of a parish or ward. Such an 
 exchange may be connected with a similar one situated in another 
 parish or ward, whether of the same or of an adjoining county 
 or department, and also with a town exchange within its own 
 county. It is likewise permissible to join it to a town exchange 
 in a neighbouring county, provided this town is situated near the 
 boundary between the two counties. Subscriptions vary with the 
 service required. A subscriber calling only those connected to 
 his own village switch-room pays 2/. los. per annum ; if he would 
 be free to call through all the village exchanges in his group he 
 pays double 5/. ; if he would wander telephonically at will over 
 villages of the adjoining county also, his rate is 6/., which also 
 
Hungary 255 
 
 entitles him to originate conversations with one town exchange, 
 situated either in his own county or near its boundary. For all 
 other connections (except trunk ones, which are denied him under 
 any circumstances) he must pay per five minutes' talk according 
 to the public telephone station scale, but speaking from his own 
 instrument. Town subscribers who would call through the 
 county village exchanges must pay i/. per annum in addition to 
 the town subscription. 
 
 4. Internal trunk line communication. A uniform trunk rate 
 of is. M. per three minutes has been fixed for the whole country. 
 Express or urgent talks are admitted at double rates. 
 
 5. International trunk line communication. These actually 
 exist only with Austria, the rates being the same as for the interior 
 of Hungary. 
 
 6. Telephoning of telegrams. The Buda-Pesth subscribers 
 may forward and receive their telegrams by telephone at a charge 
 of 2d. per message, irrespective of length. A similar facility is 
 accorded to some of the provincial towns, and even to some of 
 the villages, at id. per message. 
 
 7. Public telephone stations. These exist in the towns and 
 departmental districts, but not in the rural. The time unit is five 
 minutes. A town subscriber or non-subscriber pays 2d. for a 
 local talk. In the departments the charge is id. for speaking 
 within the same ward ; 6d. for a call to other wards of the same or 
 adjoining department ; and lod. for communicating through a 
 town exchange of the same department, or of a neighbouring 
 department if situated near the boundary. 
 
 WORK 
 
 No information of importance can be given on this head, 
 promised details not having arrived in time for inclusion. The 
 Buda-Pesth exchange is worked with two double-cord, single-wire, 
 series multiples supplied by the Western Electric Company. The 
 Hungarian system is, with the exception of the trunks, single wire 
 throughout. It is, for the most part, aerial ; but some under- 
 ground work, with cable supplied by Messrs. Felten & Guilleaume, 
 exists in the capital. 
 
256 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 No figures dealing with a later period than 1892 are available. 
 At the end of that year the State owned 14 out of a total of 23 
 exchanges; 16 out of 25 switch-rooms; 59 out of 71 public 
 stations ; and 2,988 out of 3,952 subscribers. There were then 
 no trunk lines in operation. 
 
257 
 
 XIII. ITALY 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 THE Italian telephone system is worked entirely by concessionary 
 firms or companies under the regulations imposed by rhe law of 
 April 7, 1892. This law reserves absolute power to the State to 
 forbid the erection of even private wires, unless confined entirely 
 to the property of the constructors, without its formal sanction, 
 and empowers it to exact an annual payment of i6s. for each 
 private wire, and 4^. for each instrument in excess of two used in 
 connection with it, besides an extra charge if such a private line 
 should exceed three kilometers in length. 
 
 With regard to exchange communication, the State reserves right 
 to work exchanges itself, and to grant more than one concession for 
 the same town or district should it deem such a course desirable. 
 The maximum term for any concession is twenty- five years, but the 
 State may purchase the system after twelve years on giving one year's 
 notice. In such a contingency the price, failing mutual agreement, 
 is to be fixed, without right of appeal, by three arbitrators, named 
 respectively by the Government, the concessionary, and the presi- 
 dent of the court by which such a dispute would ordinarily fall 
 to be tried. But in any case the price is not to exceed the mean 
 of the last three years' profits multiplied by the unexpired years 
 of the concession. Profits are defined as meaning the gross 
 receipts less the ordinary working expenses and Government 
 taxes. Should the Government not purchase at the end of twelve 
 years, the concessionary will retain possession for the whole term 
 of twenty-five years ; but on the expiry of that period the system 
 becomes the property of the State without any payment whatever. 
 
 s 
 
258 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Concessionaries must therefore arrange matters, if they would 
 avoid loss, so as not only to make a living out of the business 
 during their term of occupancy, but to get back the whole of the 
 capital invested before the time for relinquishing comes. This is 
 unquestionably a bad system. It simply means that the sub- 
 scribers pay both principal and interest, and that during the con- 
 cluding years of the concession improvements will be tabooed 
 and the service starved. 
 
 On local exchange communication an annual tax of 10 per 
 cent, on the tariff charges is imposed, plus an annual charge of 
 2/. for each public telephone station opened. On trunk commu- 
 nication the tax is 5 per cent, of the gross receipts. These taxes 
 are payable by the concessionary. The Italian Government 
 appears to have taken the British Post Office as its model in this 
 matter, although the Italian tax is not quite so onerous as the 
 British, which is 10 per cent, on the trunk as well as on the local 
 gross receipts. The law further provides that should the Govern- 
 ment itself undertake the construction and working of trunk lines 
 the whole of the receipts will belong to it, giving the companies 
 nothing for the use and operating of the terminal wires. When 
 trunk lines are erected and worked by concessionaries, the 
 receipts less 5 per cent, will belong to them, but they must 
 guarantee the Government the average of the previous three 
 years' receipts for telegrams between the two points connected. 
 Parishes which erect telephone lines to Government telegraph 
 offices at their own expense, with the object of participating in the 
 telegraph service, are exempt from all these payments. 
 
 The maximum tariffs which concessionaries may charge to 
 their subscribers are fixed by the law, but these have proved too 
 high for the pockets of the people, and except in the largest 
 towns Venice, Turin, Genoa, and Milan are not applied. In 
 Rome there is competition between a company and a co-operative 
 society, and the rates are consequently lower than in the towns 
 just mentioned. The legal maximum tariff is as follows : 
 
 For each subscriber's line within a radius of three kilometers of 
 the central station, 8/. per annum if aerial, and i2/. if underground. 
 Excess distance to be charged at the rate of ^s. q\d. and 6s. $d. 
 respectively for each additional 200 meters or fraction thereof. 
 
Italy 259 
 
 For each conversation from a public telephone station, 2-88^. 
 over a line not exceeding three kilometers in length, the charge 
 to be increased at the rate of '48^. for each additional kilometer. 
 The time unit to be five minutes. 
 
 For trunk communication the charge fixed is 2s. $d. for dis- 
 tances not exceeding 500 kilometers, with increments of 576^. for 
 each additional 100 kilometers or fraction thereof, the time unit 
 being five minutes. 
 
 The only reduction authorised to ordinary subscribers is one 
 not exceeding 20 per cent, on each instrument taken in excess of 
 the first. Concessionaries are authorised to require from each 
 subscriber a first-and-last payment, not exceeding one-fifth of his 
 annual rental, as a contribution to the cost of his line. This 
 regulation is permissive, not obligatory. Concessionaries are 
 bound to connect Government, municipal, and parochial offices 
 at half-rates, but such connections are freed from the usual taxes. 
 They are also bound to permit Government, at its own expense, 
 to join its post and telegraph offices to their exchanges free of 
 charge. 
 
 The chief fault of this tariff is that it possesses no elasticity. 
 The rates are made the same for the capital and the villages, and 
 there is no distinction between trunks fifty kilometers long and 
 five hundred. 
 
 The lot of the telephone concessionary in Italy is not, on the 
 whole, a happy one. In addition to the legal obligations already 
 enumerated, he has to deposit, as security for due payment of the 
 Government taxes, a sum equal to 10 per cent, of the maximum 
 legal tariff multiplied by two for each thousand inhabitants of 
 the locality to which his concession applies. Should he contem- 
 plate dabbling in trunk lines he must deposit a further sum equal 
 to 50 per cent, of the annual telegraphic receipts between the two 
 points connected, based on the average of the last three years. 
 He must pay his taxes monthly at the nearest telegraph office. 
 If the concession is worked by a company, copies of its articles 
 of association, proceedings at its general and special meetings, of 
 its balance-sheets, and of its directors' and auditor's reports, must 
 be regularly furnished to the Minister of Posts and Telegraphs. 
 Then the concessionary is bound to reimburse to his subscribers 
 
 s 2 
 
260 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 charges collected for conversations that could not be held. If a 
 line is interrupted for more than three days from any cause what- 
 soever, a proportionate part of the annual subscription must be 
 returned to the subscriber ; if the interruption is one which 
 might have been avoided by care and attention, the subscription 
 for its whole duration must be refunded. If such an interruption 
 continues more than ten consecutive days, the subscriber may 
 claim damages to the tune of double his subscription for the 
 period of the interruption ; and if it lasts fifteen days he may, if 
 he chooses, terminate his agreement as well. These regulations 
 are certainly calculated to engender a sense of responsibility and 
 to conduce to careful construction and good maintenance, but at 
 the same time their enforcement in the case of interruptions due 
 to fire, floods, snow, or extraordinary tempests is unjust to the 
 concessionaries, and cannot be productive of good. 
 
 A Swiss company, with headquarters at Zurich, is the owner 
 of thirteen concessions, while a good many have been taken up 
 by French companies, and a few by co-operative societies. The 
 capabilities of the telephone, as measured by the services rendered 
 to the public, have not yet been exhausted in Italy. The internal 
 trunks are yet on paper ; the international ones have scarcely 
 reached even that stage ; there is no telephoning of messages for 
 local delivery or for mailing ; the public telephone stations are 
 few, and there appears to be no messenger organisation. With 
 the exception of Brescia, all the Italian exchanges are run on the 
 single-wire plan, and, again with the exception of the Brescia, are 
 exclusively overhead. 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED AND TARIFFS 
 
 i. Local exchange communication. The rates charged by 
 the different concessionaries vary greatly. Some of them have 
 made a uniform price for connection within the legal three-kilo- 
 meter radius ; others have divided that radius into two, and others 
 again into three zones, taking care that the maximum charge does 
 not exceed that fixed by law. 
 
Italy 
 
 261 
 
 TOWN 
 
 Population 
 
 Annual subscription 
 
 Remarks 
 
 
 
 
 Two competing sys- 
 tems : Societa Ro- 
 
 Rome . . 1 
 
 , j 
 
 407,936 
 
 f 67. 145, 5</. 
 ( 57. ID*. 5</. 
 
 mana di Telefoni 
 and Societa Ano- 
 
 
 
 
 nima Co-operativa 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 dei Telefoni 
 
 Naples 
 
 536,000 
 
 87. 
 
 
 Milan . 
 
 426,500 
 
 ; 87. 
 
 
 Palermo 
 
 273,000 
 
 87. 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 Reduced to 67. Ss. 
 
 Turin . 
 
 230,183 
 
 8/. 
 
 for private houses, 
 doctors, and drug- 
 
 
 
 
 gists 
 
 i Genoa . 
 
 212,500 
 
 8/. 
 
 
 Florence 
 
 197,000 
 
 61. 8*. ; 7/. 4*. ; 8/. 
 
 Three zones 
 
 Venice 
 
 149,500 
 
 87. 
 
 
 Bologna 
 
 I47,OOO 
 
 67. Ss. ; 67. 16*. ; 87. 
 
 Three zones 
 
 Messina 
 
 I42,OOO 
 
 7 7. is. 
 
 
 Leghorn 
 
 106,000 
 
 67. Ss. ; 77. 4s. ; 87V 
 
 Three zones 
 
 Padua . 
 
 79,5oo 
 
 67. ; 7/. 4*. 
 
 Two zones 
 
 Verona 
 
 69,500 
 
 4/. 1 6s. ; 67. 
 
 Two zones 
 
 Bari . 
 
 58,266 
 
 67. 
 
 ! 
 
 Parma . 
 
 44,492 
 
 67. 
 
 
 Brescia 
 
 43,354 
 
 57. I2J-. ; 67. ; 77. 4*. 
 
 Three zones 
 
 Pisa . 
 
 37,704 
 
 47. i6j. 
 
 
 Pavia . 
 
 29,836 
 
 4/. 1 6s. 
 
 . 
 I 
 
 Vicenza 
 
 27,694 
 
 67. 
 
 | 
 
 Mantua 
 
 28,000 
 
 4 7. 
 
 
 Perugia 
 
 17,395 
 
 4/. 
 
 
 Piacenza 
 
 35,ooo 
 
 47. 
 
 
 Casale Monferrat . 
 
 17,096 
 
 37. I2T. 
 
 
 Biella . 
 
 (?) 
 
 27. i6s. 
 
 
 It will be seen that competition has given the capital lower 
 rates than prevail in the chief provincial towns ; also that the 
 endeavours of the concessionaries to adapt themselves to local 
 circumstances have brought about a nearly regularly descending 
 scale of subscriptions in sympathy with the population, until, in 
 the small towns, the point reached is almost Norwegian or Dutch - 
 like in its moderation. 
 
 2. Public telephone stations. These are not numerous in 
 Italy, the Government tax of 2/. per annum for each station 
 deterring the concessionaries from opening any that are not quite 
 certain to pay. In Rome there are eight ; in Milan two ; in 
 
262 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Turin four ; in Verona four ; in Venice five ; in Genoa three. 
 In Naples, Bologna, Palermo, Messina, and many other towns 
 there are none at all. The legal maximum tariff is 2 '8&/. for five 
 minutes, but this is imposed in two towns only, Leghorn and 
 Venice. In other towns possessing public stations five minutes' 
 local talk costs as follows : 
 
 Rome : i Turin . . . 2-4^. 
 
 Societa Romana . i '44^. Genoa . . . -96^. 
 
 Societa Co-operativa -96^. Padua . . . 
 
 Milan . . . 1-92^. Verona . . . 
 
 In some towns subscribers use the public stations free of 
 charge, but the more usual plan is to make everybody pay. 
 
 3. Internal trunk lines. These have, so far, attained but 
 little development. Milan is connected with Monza, and a line 
 from Milan to Legnano is in course of erection. At the date of 
 writing (February 1895) none of the chief towns are in regular 
 telephonic correspondence, but the Italian Government has 
 prepared a very large scheme which, when given effect to, will 
 place all the business centres in communication. The trunk rates 
 have been fixed in anticipation by law, as already stated (p. 259). 
 
 4. International trunk lines. The Italian Government has 
 approached the French, Austrian, and Swiss Governments with 
 proposals for international lines, but the schemes have yet to be 
 matured. 
 
 5. Telephoning of telegrams. This traffic is not large. The 
 direct connection of telephone exchanges with telegraph offices 
 for the transaction of the subscribers' business appears not to be 
 practised. Thus at Milan, the second largest telephone centre in 
 Italy, the subscribers' telegrams are taken down at the central 
 office and sent across to the telegraph station by messenger ; 
 conversely, telegrams arriving for subscribers are delivered at the 
 telephone office and thence dictated to the addressees. For this 
 service the company charges 1-92^. per message, irrespective of 
 the number of words. 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 
 
 The law of 1892, which hits the concessionary very hard in 
 most directions, comes to his aid a little in the matter of way- 
 
Italy 263 
 
 leaves, for it decrees that telephone wires may be passed without 
 fixing over both public and private lands and properties, or in 
 front of buildings provided the view from windows or other 
 openings is not interfered with. But no wires may be fixed to a 
 building without the consent of the proprietor interested, while 
 the local authority is given power to rate such fixtures for the 
 benefit of its funds. Concessionaries are warned that when it is 
 necessary to fix telephone wires to public monuments which have 
 an artistic or historical value, it will be necessary to take steps to 
 protect the said monuments from damage, and to preserve their 
 artistic effect. Evidently all faith in human nature has not 
 departed from the Italian Parliament when it is willing to trust 
 its public monuments to the artistic taste of telephone men, even 
 though they be countrymen of Michael Angelo, in want of a way- 
 leave. 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS AND SUBSCRIBERS' 
 INSTRUMENTS 
 
 With a separate company in almost every town, the practice 
 as regards switch-boards and instruments is naturally very mixed. 
 French apparatus is used to a considerable extent, many of the 
 concessionary companies being of French origin ; but there is 
 also much of English, American, Swiss, Belgian, and German 
 manufacture. The Societa Telefonica Lombarda (Telephone 
 Company of Lombardy), one of the largest and most progressive 
 of the companies, has a multiple board for 1,600 single lines,, 
 supplied by the Western Electric Company, at its Milan exchange. 
 The board, which possesses no special features, is now (February 
 1895) nearly full, there being 1,450 subscribers connected to it. 
 The same company at its Como and Monza exchanges has non- 
 multiple boards made by the Officina Elettrica de Milano after 
 English models. The subscribers' instruments in these towns 
 comprise magneto, back-board, battery-box, Blake transmitter and 
 Bell receiver, all of the type and arrangement familiar in Great 
 Britain. Called subscribers are rung by the operator. At Brescia, 
 where there are metallic circuits, the Hipp form of Runnings 
 transmitter, without induction coil, is used. The operators are 
 
264 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
Italy 265 
 
 usually girls by day, and men by night ; but at Palermo, Catania, 
 and Messina, males are exclusively employed. 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 
 
 The Telephone Company of Lombardy gives a perpetual 
 service in all its exchanges, a good example which is followed in 
 most of the larger towns. In the smaller, the hours vary from 
 7 or 8 A.M. to 8 or 9 P.M. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK 
 
 The Telephone Company of Lombardy uses galvanised steel 
 wire of 1-8 mm. diameter for its local, and galvanised iron wire of 
 3*17 mm. for its trunks to Monza and Legnano. Other companies 
 follow the same practice, but bronze wire is nevertheless ex- 
 clusively used in some places and partially in others. As its 
 merits come to be better understood, bronze will doubtless oust 
 iron and steel in Italy as it has already done in most other 
 countries. The sole objection to bronze is its tendency, owing 
 to the superior heat conductivity of the metal, to favour the 
 formation of frost on its surface ; but this should not weigh against 
 it much in Italy. The wall-bracket form of construction is much 
 in vogue, and it must be confessed, on the testimony of figs. 91 
 to 94, that the Italians have a pretty fancy in wall-brackets. 
 Figs. 91 to 93 represent the practice of the Telephone Company 
 of Lombardy. It will be perceived that the insulators are of a 
 kind that would be altogether insufficient in our damp climate to 
 prevent leakage overhearing between wire and wire, being merely 
 short tubes of porcelain slipped over the bolt and fastened by a 
 nut at the top. A strong, well-designed standard, built up of 
 angle-iron on the Belgian plan, is shown in fig. 95 as an example 
 of the Lombardy Company's roof work. The same company 
 also employs tall iron-lattice ground poles very similar to those 
 illustrated in the Belgian section. Two of its smaller poles are 
 shown in figs. 96 and 97 as being of a more special design. They 
 are formed of three parts, socketed one into the other, and, while 
 providing a good carrying capacity, are far more ornamental than 
 
266 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Vn a 
 
Italy 
 
 u jfl 
 
 2 6 7 
 
 pi Q 
 
 FIG. 96 
 
 FIG. 97 
 
268 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 any we are accustomed to see in England. The exchange system 
 at Brescia is noteworthy as being largely composed of underground 
 work on a system devised by Dr. von Wurstemberger. Berthoud- 
 Borel cables, well cased in lead, are laid directly in trenches 
 excavated under the pavements, and protected by a layer of coal- 
 tar, sand, and tiles. At suitable points the cables are brought up 
 the sides of buildings and opened out in junction boxes, whence, 
 after passing test terminals, the wires are carried in smaller cables 
 along the fronts of the houses to the subscribers' instruments. 
 To avoid crossing streets with the secondary cables, a junction 
 box served by an underground cable is provided for every block 
 in which subscribers occur. That such a system is practicable in 
 Brescia speaks much for the good nature of the inhabitants : a 
 few cantankerous persons would spoil it to a great extent. 
 Altogether, it is a pretty system, the most questionable point 
 about which is the durability of the cables. Simple casing in lead 
 is scarcely calculated to ensure them a long life, and their renewal 
 several times in twenty- five years would mean disaster to the 
 company. So far, the Brescia Company has paid good dividends, 
 averaging between 4^ and 5 per cent., while the extension of its 
 system has also been partly paid for out of profits. 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 In January 1895 tne Telephone Company of Lombardy had 
 1,518 subscribers, with 1,585 instruments joined to its three 
 exchanges of Milan, Como, and Monza. During 1894 the 
 number of local talks was 1,775,000 ; of trunk talks, 4,380 ; and of 
 telephoned telegrams, 1,100. The receipts for the same period 
 amounted to 255,598 francs ; and the working expenses, including 
 taxes, bad debts, deterioration fund, and all liabilities, to 154,017 
 francs, leaving a profit of 101,581 francs, or 4,0637. The capital 
 expenditure for the year was 34,244 francs, but the total capital 
 of the company is not stated. No statistics are forthcoming for 
 the other companies of a later date than December 31, 1892. At 
 that date the total number of systems in operation was 51, with 
 53 switch-rooms, 34 public stations, and 11,980 subscribers. The 
 length of wire in use was 20,076 kilometers. The number of 
 
Italy 269 
 
 local talks for 1892 is returned at 17,748,559; of talks from 
 public stations, 75,250 ; of telephoned telegrams, 2,022 ; and of 
 trunk talks, o. At the end of 1893 Rome had 2,350 subscribers 
 divided between the Societa Romana di Telefoni (1,750) and the 
 Societa Anonima Co-operativa dei Telefoni (600) ; Florence, 860 ; 
 Genoa, 780 ; Turin, 762 ; Naples, 721 ; Palermo, 455 ; Leghorn, 
 370; Venice, 351 ; and Bologna, 300. 
 
270 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 XIV. LUXEMBURG 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 ONE of the smallest States of Europe, with an area (998 square 
 miles) and a population (211,088 in 1891) practically the same 
 as that of Dorsetshire, with a capital, too, counting only 18,187 
 souls, Luxemburg is nevertheless also one of the most telephoni- 
 cally active. In January 1895' the capital with its 18,000 people 
 had 621 exchange instruments working, or 3*4 for each 100 in- 
 habitants, while the whole Grand Duchy boasted 85 exchanges 
 and 1,315 instruments, or '62 of an instrument for each 100 
 inhabitants. Fancy Dorsetshire with 85 telephone switch-rooms 
 within its borders ! 
 
 By the law of December 17, 1884, the establishment of tele- 
 phone exchanges was made a Government monopoly, and the 
 existing regulations and charges were fixed by the law of March 9, 
 1887. The first exchange was opened in Luxemburg city in 
 1885. 
 
 The Luxemburg system differs from all others in Europe in 
 one essential respect : there are no trunk rates. While all the 
 villages (there is only one town, the capital) possess exchanges 
 and are joined together by numerous trunk lines, the subscribers 
 have nothing to pay beyond the subscription (a very moderate one 
 as will presently appear) to their local exchange, and may call up 
 any other subscriber within the limits of the Grand Duchy at 
 will. That they are not backward in availing themselves of this 
 privilege appears from the fact that in 1892 the inter-town talks 
 numbered 671,937, considerably more than in the neighbouring 
 republic of France for the corresponding period, while the local 
 
Luxemburg 271 
 
 talks reached the total of 922,692, scarcely 50 per cent. more. 
 This is a good traffic to develop within the area of one of the 
 smaller English counties and amongst a population, scarcely 
 equalling that of Edinburgh, chiefly employed in agriculture. It 
 bears out the opinion so often reiterated by the author that the 
 telephone possesses a sphere of usefulness all its own, which is at 
 present but little understood in the United Kingdom a sphere of 
 usefulness that it will fill without artificial fostering, as it were 
 spontaneously, whenever left to be introduced on its natural merits 
 and at its legitimate price. The different methods of treatment 
 pursued by the respective legislatures of the United Kingdom 
 and Luxemburg produce the result that in London, the greatest 
 commercial city in the world, there is about "14 of a telephone to 
 each hundred persons ; and in Luxemburg, one of the poorest 
 countries in Europe and possessed of no commercial importance 
 whatever, the ratio is "62. The British system would have been 
 simply prohibitive in such a country, just as it has proved to be 
 in many of the poorer British and Irish districts, which are to-day 
 as innocent of telephones as they were in the reigns of Caractacus 
 and Brian Boru. 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC 
 
 1. Intercourse between the subscribers to the same ex- 
 change. 
 
 2. Intercourse between all the exchanges. Twenty of the 
 chief villages have direct wires to Luxemburg ; the remainder 
 communicate through an intermediate switch-room. 
 
 3. Telephoning of telegrams. 
 
 4. Telephoning of messages for local delivery or posting. 
 
 5. Public telephone stations. There are some sixty-five of 
 these, which subscribers use without charge on producing a card 
 of identity. 
 
 6. Calling non-subscribers to the public stations. This 
 facility is not confined as in other countries to the subscribers : 
 a non-subscriber may go to one public station and have a non- 
 subscribing client fetched to another. 
 
 7. Parochial or communal stations. As in France and Swit- 
 zerland, a local authority wanting a telephone station where the 
 
272 TelepJione Systems of tJie Continent of Europe 
 
 Government is not disposed to establish one, at its own expense 
 may arrange to contribute to the cost. In Luxemburg this is 
 done by an annual subscription and by providing an office and 
 operator at the charge of the commune. In January 1895 there 
 were thirty-four such stations in operation. 
 
 TARIFFS 
 
 i. Rates for local and (2) trunk intercourse. Within the 
 limits of any town or village in which an exchange exists the 
 annual subscription, which is payable half-yearly in advance, is 
 3/. ^s. 
 
 It is important to note that the State erects the lines, supplies 
 the instruments, and maintains everything at its own expense. 
 The 3/. 45-. per annum covers all charges and includes the right 
 to communicate freely all over the Grand Duchy, which measures, 
 roughly, 44 miles by 30. 
 
 When the subscriber is located at a distance from an exchange 
 the tariff is modified. When his place lies not more than one 
 and a half kilometers from an existing route of telephone wires 
 the subscription is maintained at 3/. 4^. ; for each additional 
 kilometer it is increased by 2/. But the subscriber has, in any 
 case, to reimburse the State the cost of his wire, at the rate of 4/. 
 per kilometer, between its point of junction with the main route 
 and the exchange. If he is located actually on an existing trunk 
 route, but outside the radius of any exchange, the same system 
 obtains : he bears the cost of so much of his line as lies outside 
 the radius at the rate of 4/. per kilometer, and pays the usual 
 local subscription of 3/. 45". This rule, which, so far as the author 
 is aware, has not its counterpart elsewhere, is by no means a bad 
 one : it enables the distant subscriber, for one reasonable payment 
 down, to bring out the exchange, as it were, to the nearest point 
 on a main route to his dwelling, and puts him thenceforward on a 
 par as regards annual subscription with his urban competitors. 
 
 Extra instruments are charged i/. and extra bells 45-. per 
 annum. In calculating distances the actual course of a wire is 
 taken. Contracts are for three or five years, according to the sub- 
 scriber's distance from the exchange. The use of instruments is 
 
Luxemburg 273 
 
 restricted to the subscribers, their families, servants, and em- 
 ployees. Proprietors of hotels and other public places pay the 
 ordinary rate and are allowed to place their instruments at the 
 disposal of their customers, but are limited to 2,000 communica- 
 tions per annum. Any over that number are charged 3*36^. each, 
 which charge the subscriber, if he likes, may collect from the 
 person making the call. 
 
 In the event of a subscriber removing he must bear the cost 
 of the labour, but not of the material, involved in shifting his 
 instrument. Subscribers are entitled to a proportionate refund 
 when an interruption lasts longer than thirty days. 
 
 3. Rates for telephoning telegrams. For each telegram 
 transmitted to, or received from, a telegraph office by telephone, 
 a charge of "98^. is made, irrespective of the number of words. 
 The arrangement for ensuring payment of charges under this and 
 the following heading is ingenious, and peculiar to Luxemburg. 
 No deposit in advance is exacted, so that every subscriber can 
 profit by the service without previous notice or agreement, but 
 the subscription which he has paid in advance for his exchange 
 line is debited with the costs of telegrams forwarded or received. 
 At the end of the month a memorandum of the amount of this 
 debit is presented, which the subscriber is expected to make good 
 immediately : should he not do so, his exchange agreement is 
 considered curtailed by the number of days represented by the 
 amount of the debit, and his instrument may be taken out that 
 number of days before the expiration of the period for which he 
 had paid. 
 
 4. Rates for telephoning local messages and mail matter. 
 The charge is '98^. per message, irrespective of length, plus the 
 cost, 3'36</., of the messenger employed to effect delivery, or of 
 the postage, as the case may be. 
 
 5. Rates at public telephone stations. The charge to non- 
 subscribers is 3 -36^. for five minutes' talk with any subscriber 
 within the limits of the Grand Duchy. Two non-subscribers 
 conversing together from different public stations are charged 
 double fee. Subscribers, on showing a card furnished by the 
 administration, use the public stations free. 
 
 T 
 
274 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 6. Rates for fetching non-subscribers to public stations. 
 When called by a subscriber : 
 
 3*36</. if resident within the telegram free delivery limits 
 
 4*&/ ,, i \ kilometers beyond the limits 
 
 T2d- 3 
 
 9'6^ 5 
 
 i -92^. for each kilometer above 5 
 
 When called by a non-subscriber : 
 3-36^. in addition 
 
 7. Bates applicable at parochial telephone stations. The 
 local authority desiring the station pays the State 4/. per annum 
 as rental for the line and instrument, and finds house room and 
 attendance. The charge, which goes to the State, is, to all users, 
 subscribers or non-subscribers, 3'36^/. per five minutes. 
 
 WORK 
 
 Phosphor bronze wire of i -4 mm. is used for the local ; and 
 of 2 mm. for the trunk lines, of which there are about seventy-six. 
 Many of these are still single wires, but the more important are 
 metallic circuits. The system is entirely aerial. There are, as yet, 
 no multiple switch-boards employed. There is no night service, but 
 any two or more subscribers who desire it are left plugged through 
 during the close hours. Magneto instruments made by Messrs. 
 Schafer & Moutanus, Frankfort-on-Main, are used throughout 
 the Duchy ; the generator coils have to be cut in by pressing a 
 button when ringing. Two receivers are provided to each instru- 
 ment. Service is suspended during thunderstorms, and subscribers 
 are required to earth their lines by means of a cord and plug 
 attached to each instrument for the purpose. 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 The latest available for telephones, apart from posts and tele- 
 graphs, are those for 1892. In that year Luxemburg possessed 50 
 exchanges, 54 kilometers of local routes, 531 kilometers of trunk 
 routes, and 1,306 kilometers of trunk lines, used by 1,003 sub- 
 
Luxemburg 275 
 
 scribers and 61 public stations. The local talks numbered 
 922,692 ; the trunk talks, 671,937 ; and the telegrams telephoned, 
 2,838. The capital expenditure amounted to 808,802 francs 
 (32,3527.). The receipts for the year were : 
 
 Francs 
 
 Local subscriptions . . . '. . . . 60,989 
 Public stations and telegram service .... 3,505 
 Sundry receipts ........ 4,717 
 
 Total ...... 69,211 
 
 The working expenses amounted to 61,762 francs, leaving a 
 profit of 7,449 francs (2987.) as evidence of the sufficiency of a 
 3/. 4-r. rate. 
 
 Statistics for 1893, furnished to the author by M. F. Neuman, 
 Director of Posts and Telegraphs, Luxemburg, give the following 
 figures : 
 
 Number of centres ....... 52 
 
 ,, subscribers ...... 1,203 
 
 Length of routes, in kilometers . . . . . 617 
 
 wire 2,333 
 
 Number of local talks 963,005 
 
 trunk 765,929 
 
 ,, public station talks ..... 9,780 
 
 ,, telegrams telephoned .... 2,661 
 
 Receipts for subscriptions, in francs .... 66,400 
 
 ,, at public stations, ,, . . . . 3,8 1 6 
 
 ,, sundries, in francs 2,517 
 
 Unfortunately the working expenses for 1893 are not shown 
 separately from those of posts and telegraphs. 
 
 In January 1895 the exchanges and instruments connected 
 throughout the Grand Duchy were as follow : 
 
 Ex- 
 
 Instru- 
 
 
 Ex- 
 
 Instru- 
 
 changes ments 
 
 changes ments 
 
 Luxemburg town . 2 
 
 621 
 
 Brought forward . 
 
 6 
 
 645 
 
 Andorf . . I 
 
 3 
 
 Beckerich 
 
 i 
 
 2 
 
 Aspelt . .1 
 
 I 
 
 Befort . 
 
 I 
 
 6 
 
 Bad-Mondorf . . i 
 
 16 Beles 
 
 i 
 
 6 
 
 Bauschleiden . . i 
 
 4 Berburg . 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 Carried forward . 6 645 Carried forward . 10 660 
 
 T 2 
 
276 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Ex- Instru- 
 
 Ex- 
 
 changes ments ; 
 
 changes 
 
 Brought forward . 10 660 
 
 Brought forward . 48 i 
 
 Bettborn . . . I I 
 
 Medernach 
 
 Bettemburg . . i 19 
 
 Mersch . 
 
 Bettingen 
 
 5 
 
 Mertzig . 
 
 Bissen . . . 
 
 4 
 
 Mutfort . 
 
 Boegen . 
 
 4 
 
 Niederanven . 
 
 Bcevingen . . 
 Bourscheid 
 
 i 
 
 Niederfeulen . 
 Niederkerschen 
 
 Clerf 
 
 21 
 
 Petingen . 
 
 Consdorf 
 
 I 
 
 Rambruch 
 
 Consthum 
 
 I 
 
 Redingen 
 
 Cruchten 
 
 4 
 
 Reisdorf . 
 
 Dalheim . 
 
 3 
 
 Remich . 
 
 Diekirch . 
 
 66 
 
 Rodingen 
 
 DifFerdingen . 
 
 15 
 
 Roodt . 
 
 Dommeldingen 
 
 10 
 
 Rosport . 
 
 Diidelingen 
 
 23 
 
 Rumelingen . 
 
 Echternach 
 
 18 
 
 S*ul 
 
 Esch-on-Alzette 
 
 55 
 
 Sandweiler 
 
 Esch-on-Sauer . 
 
 4 
 
 Schrondweiler . 
 
 EttelbriAck 
 
 38 
 
 Simmern 
 
 Pels 
 
 15 
 
 Stegen . 
 
 Frisingen 
 
 i 
 
 Steinfort . 
 
 Garnich . 
 
 i 
 
 Strassen . 
 
 Grevenmacher . 
 
 22 
 
 Tuntingen 
 
 Grosbous 
 
 5 
 
 Ulflingen 
 
 Harlingen 
 
 i 
 
 Useldingen 
 
 Heinerscheid . , . 
 
 2 
 
 Vianden . 
 
 Hellingen 
 
 2 
 
 Vichten . 
 
 Hesperingen . 
 
 3 
 
 Wahl 
 
 Hobscheid 
 
 i 
 
 Wasserbillig 
 
 Hoscheid 
 
 i 
 
 Wecker . 
 
 Hosingen 
 
 13 
 
 Weiler (Piitscheid) . 
 
 Itzig 
 
 i 
 
 Weiswampach . 
 
 Junglinster 
 
 5 
 
 Wiltz . 
 
 Kap 
 
 H 
 
 Wilwerwiltz 
 
 Kehlen . 
 
 i 
 
 Wormeldingen 
 
 Koerich . . . 
 
 i 
 
 Walferdingen . 
 
 Mamer . 
 
 7 
 
 r> _. 
 
 85 
 
 Carried forward . 48 1,050 
 
277 
 
 XV. MONACO 
 
 THE Principality possesses a telephone exchange which in March 
 1895 numbers just seventy connections. It is conducted in 
 every respect on the French plan, the instruments and mode 
 of construction being French, and the tariff identical with that 
 applicable to French towns of less than 25,000 inhabitants (see 
 French section, p. 147). The list of subscribers is printed in 
 Paris ; the conditions of subscription, regulations, and instructions 
 how to use the instruments are all copied verbatim from the 
 French ; so, when it has been stated that a trunk line gives 
 Monaco communication with Antibes, Cannes, Grasse, Mentone, 
 and Nice, there is nothing further to be said about the telephonic 
 system of Albert I., Sovereign Prince of Monaco. 
 
278 Telephone Systems of tlie Continent of Europe 
 
 XVI. MONTENEGRO 
 
 No steps have yet been taken to provide this principality with 
 telephonic exchange system. 
 
2/9 
 
 XVII. NORWAY 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 NORWAY, with a capital about the size of Dundee, half a dozen 
 towns which may rank with Colchester, a multiplicity of villages, 
 and a total population of 2,000,917, could not have presented 
 itself to the imagination of the original pioneers of Bell's wonder- 
 ful speaking trumpet precisely as a fountain of telephonic milk 
 and honey. But it is rarely given to pioneers to realise the 
 ultimate importance of their work ; and when the International 
 Bell Telephone Company went to Christiania in 1880 intent on 
 inducing the hardy Norseman to have his ears lengthened as it 
 alone (as was then thought) could lengthen them, the task must 
 have appeared (in view of the inertia exhibited in many far 
 wealthier and more populous countries) an up-hill one indeed. 
 It looked like sowing in ice with a prospect of reaping in snow- 
 balls ; but the event proved otherwise, for the Norse spirit of 
 enterprise, which erstwhile discovered America, peopled Green- 
 land and Iceland, and conquered Normandy and England, proved 
 quite equal to the assimilation of the telephonic exchange idea. 
 America may have discovered the telephone indeed, but had not 
 Norway discovered America ? So it came about that, within a 
 year of the International Bell Company's start in Christiania, a 
 local company was formed to oppose it, and oppose it it did in a 
 hammer-and-anvil fashion that was all Norwegian. Indeed, so 
 energetic was the battle so frequent the encounters of legions of 
 wiremen on the roofs so exasperating the 'cross-talk' (both on 
 the roofs and on the wires) to which it gave rise, that the 
 Municipality intervened and threatened to cancel the concessions 
 it had granted to the combatants unless peace could be success- 
 
280 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 fully invoked. The subscribers, too, were tired of the incessant 
 interruptions to which their wires were subjected, while the way- 
 leave granters began to think that no telephone company was surely 
 better than two which, usurping the time-honoured privileges of 
 both proprietors and Tom cats, fought out their differences on 
 the roofs. So in 1885, when the rival systems possessed 995 and 
 634 subscribers respectively, both were purchased by a new local 
 association, the Christiania Telephone Company, which has since 
 carried on the business, under Mr. Knud Bryn's able management, 
 with marked satisfaction to both its subscribers and shareholders. 
 Starting with 1,493 subscribers in its first working year, it had 
 increased to 3,150 in 1890, 4,210 in 1892, and 4,624 in October 
 1894. The capital cost has been just 5o,ooo/., or nearly u/. per 
 subscriber practically the same as that of a similar system in 
 England. The rate is 4/. 8s. \\d. per annum, everything in- 
 cluded, which has sufficed to pay dividends of 5 and 5^ per cent, 
 (the company's concession limiting dividends to 6 per cent.) per 
 annum. The company possesses no special way-leave privileges, 
 and its construction work has been superior, as a rule, to that of 
 the United Telephone Company and its subsidiaries in England. 
 
 The International Bell Company started in only one other 
 Norwegian town Drammen which it continued to work until 
 1889, when the business, then comprehending 147 connected 
 instruments, was transferred to the Drammen Telephone Com- 
 pany. In February 1895 the number of instruments connected 
 had risen to 401. The population of Drammen being only 20,000, 
 the development here, on the, same inclusive rate (4/. 8^. n^.) as 
 in Christiania, must be considered satisfactory. It covers con- 
 nections up to two kilometers in length. The Drammen Company 
 has paid good dividends. At the end of 1894 the capital ex- 
 pended was 4,01 1/. The receipts amounted to 1,4837., and the 
 management and maintenance to 6597., leaving a profit which 
 enables a dividend of 7 per cent, to be paid after placing a 
 substantial amount to the reserve fund. The dividends have 
 always ranged from 5 to 7 per cent. At December 31, 1894, the 
 company's system comprised 507 kilometers of line, of which 479 
 kilometers were single wire. 
 
 The Drammen Telephone Company declined to extend its 
 
Norway 281 
 
 lines beyond the immediate precincts of the town, a policy which 
 gave umbrage to the country folk, who wanted to share in the 
 benefits flowing from telephonic communication, and ultimately 
 led to the formation of the Drammen Uplands Telephone Com- 
 pany, which obtained a concession for a tract of country around 
 Drammen measuring 230 kilometers from north to south and 
 extending over five counties, forming the largest concessionary 
 tract in Norway. It began business in June 1890, and at 
 December 31, 1894, owned 24 switch-rooms, 2,500 kilometers 
 of routes, comprising 770 kilometers of poles and i, 080 kilometers 
 of metallic circuits, all for the benefit of 292 subscribers. The 
 principal places within its area are the townlets of Kongsberg 
 and Honefros. The annual subscription, which is inclusive, and 
 covers lines not exceeding two kilometers in length, is 5/. i is. id., 
 for which sum free communication over the whole of the com- 
 pany's area is allowed. Up to December 31, 1894, the system 
 had cost 9,8 1 5/., and the receipts for 1894 amounted to 2,3327., 
 the repairs to 373/., and the net profit to 7527. Since its com- 
 mencement the company has regularly paid a dividend of 6 
 per cent. Last year 900 kilometers of new line were run. The 
 success of this Drammen Uplands Telephone Company is most 
 interesting, and most creditable to the managers. The company 
 has shown how a large tract of sparsely populated country, 
 containing nothing larger than a village, can be telephoned and 
 maintained year after year at a handsome profit. It is a lesson 
 which the author fears will nevertheless be quite without effect on 
 the British Post Office. It should be added that the whole of 
 the Uplands system is in trunk communication with Drammen 
 town, Christiania, and the network of lines radiating therefrom. 
 
 The third exchange established in Norway was that of 
 Trondhjem (population 30,000), commenced in 1881 by a private 
 concessionary, and worked by him until 1889, when it was pur- 
 chased by the Town Council for 1,6507. At that time it numbered 
 315 subscribers ; in October 1894 these had increased to 700. 
 The rate, which is an inclusive one and represents all the expense 
 for which a subscriber is liable, is only 27. IQS. per annum for 
 business connections, and i7. 55. for private houses within a 
 radius of one and a half kilometers. At the end of 1892 the total 
 
282 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 capital expenditure was 6,ooo/. ; the annual income, 1,2407. ; the 
 working expenses and maintenance, i,ooo/. ; and the profits 2407., 
 equal to 4 per cent, on the capital. This is a good specimen of 
 what may be done by a municipality owning its own telephones. 
 It cannot be said that the cheapness is due to indifferent work, 
 because the lines are well constructed of bronze wire strung on 
 substantial wooden and iron poles and standards, while the 
 switch-boards are Ericsson's make, as are also most of the sub- 
 scribers' instruments. The municipality, as controlling the roads 
 and streets, may have some advantage over a company in the 
 matter of way-leaves, but it possesses no rights over private 
 property. It must be remembered, too, that, unlike the practice 
 in many of the Norwegian systems, the Trondhjem subscribers' 
 instruments are provided by the exchange and are included in 
 the subscription. 
 
 The Bergen (population 53,000) exchange was begun in 1882 
 by a local company, and is noteworthy as being the first in 
 Norway in connection with which the subscribers were required 
 to pay for their own instruments. These are sold to them by the 
 company, and their purchase amounts in effect to an entrance 
 fee, similar to that payable in Sweden, of some 2/. ics. The 
 maintenance of the instruments after erection is included in the 
 annual subscription. In Bergen itself the company finds and 
 maintains the lines, but subscribers located outside the town have 
 to pay the first cost of their wires according to a distance scale. 
 The annual subscription, which, with the above-noted exceptions, 
 is an inclusive one, is 3/. 8s. ioj^7. per annum, both in town and 
 country. For this, day and night service is given, and the 
 company can afford to assign its girl operators a maximum 
 duty of six hours daily. At December 31, 1894, the number of 
 subscribers was 1,439, renting 1,516 instruments, of which 35 
 were connected to country branch switch-rooms. The capital 
 expended on construction to the same date was io,46o/. In 1893 
 the total income was 4,2447. ; in 1894, 4,6217., out of which, after 
 paying all expenses and providing for the maintenance of the 
 system, the usual dividend of 6 per cent, per annum was paid to 
 the shareholders. The instruments used are magnetos of the 
 best type, and the equipment generally is creditable. A con- 
 
Norway 283 
 
 siderable extension, notwithstanding the present ratio of 2*9 
 instruments to every 100 souls, is looked for, and an order has 
 been placed with Messrs. Ericsson & Co. for a multiple switch- 
 board comprising the latest improvements. It is usual for 
 partisans to asseverate that, even if -very low subscriptions do 
 exist, they are applicable to very small exchanges only. Here, 
 however, is an instance of a system, surpassing in size the vast 
 majority of those belonging to the National Telephone Company, 
 paying a 6 per cent, dividend year after year on a subscription 
 of 3/. 8s. \v\d. \ The fact speaks eloquently of the competency 
 and conscientiousness of the Bergen managers, as well as of the 
 enterprise of the population. 
 
 Besides these five chief exchanges, there are about one 
 hundred and seventy others in Norway, mostly worked quite 
 independently (although many of them are joined by trunk lines) 
 by concessionary companies, co-operative societies, or individuals, 
 but occasionally by municipalities or rural authorities. The rates 
 charged are, from a British point of view, absurdly small ; but two 
 facts cannot be gainsaid : that this system of concessions enables 
 the Norwegian citizens and even peasantry to enjoy facilities 
 which are denied to the English public ; and that, low as the rates 
 are, the companies succeed in more than making ends meet. 
 The following statistical table, which the author has been enabled 
 by the courtesy of the companies and gentlemen named therein 
 to compile, abundantly demonstrates these facts, and also gives 
 some idea of the constitution and mode of working of enterprises 
 which contrive to do so much for so little. One of them, that of 
 Hammerfest, is well within the Arctic circle, being situated in 
 latitude 71 '6 and within a few miles of the North Cape. The 
 population of Hammerfest is some 2,500, yet telephonically it is 
 far in advance of some of the London suburbs with populations 
 counted by the fifty thousand, and of a greater number of British 
 towns than could be tabulated in a day's work. There is another 
 small exchange, that of Tromso, within the Arctic circle. With 
 these exceptions, nowhere does the midnight sun obtain a glimpse 
 of a telephonic switch-board. Two of the towns named in the 
 list Christianssand and Hammerfest were destroyed, together 
 with their telephone exchanges, by fire a few years since ; but the 
 
STATISTICS OF SOME PROVINCIAL NORWEGIAN 
 
 
 TOWN 
 
 Population 
 
 !i 
 
 By whom 
 owned 
 
 sl Wi 
 
 Ji? Ill 
 
 B-8 IS 
 
 3_*i 3,0 
 
 f|j 
 
 Do subscribers 
 pay for their 
 lines ? 
 
 Ii 
 11 
 
 i. Christianssand a 
 
 \ 
 
 12,813 
 
 Oct. 
 
 1883 
 
 Company 
 
 i Central 
 4 Branch 
 
 230 
 
 No 
 
 No 
 
 In town, 
 21. 15*. 7 d. ; 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 in suburbs, 
 
 \ . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2/. 4-y. id. j 
 
 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2. Christianssund 
 
 10,381 
 
 1888 Co-operative 
 Society 
 
 i loo Yes 
 
 No 
 
 2 /. gs. 7 d. (b) 
 3/. is. id. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3/. i2.y. zd. \ 
 
 3- 
 
 Flekkefjord . 
 
 - 
 
 Sept. 
 1894 
 
 Co-operative 
 Society 
 
 2 
 
 36 
 
 Yes 
 
 Yes 
 
 i/. 13-r. zd. 
 shareholders ; 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2/. 4,S. id. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Others 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4. Fredrikstad , 
 
 11,217 
 
 May 
 
 1883 
 
 Company 
 
 2 2 77 
 
 No 
 
 No ' 
 
 3/. 6s. 8d. 
 business place ; 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2/. 15*. 7 d. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 residence 
 
 5. Grimstad 
 
 3,000 
 
 Nov. 
 1891 
 
 Co-operative 
 Society 
 
 3 "9 
 
 No 
 
 Not, in town ; 
 outside sub- 
 
 i/. 13^. 2d. for 
 one, 2/. 9-y. jd. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 scribers pay a 
 
 for two, and 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 proportion of 
 
 3 /. 6s. 8d. for 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 cost 
 
 three instru- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ments 
 
 6. Hammerfest . 
 
 2,500 
 
 1887 
 
 Mr. H. 
 
 i 
 
 23 
 
 Yes 
 
 Yes 
 
 2/. 4S. id. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wingaard 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 Friis 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7. Haugesund . 
 
 
 
 Oct. 
 
 Company 
 
 i 104 
 
 Yes 
 
 Yes 
 
 Entrance fee 
 
 
 
 1888 
 
 
 
 
 
 4 /. 8s. nd. ; 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 annual sub- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 scription, 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 i/. 7 s. iod. 
 
 8. Mortens . 
 
 
 
 Feb. Company 
 
 i 
 
 1 20 
 
 No 
 
 Not, in town ; 
 
 Entrance fee 
 
 
 
 
 1889 
 
 
 
 
 in country, yes 
 
 1 2/. 15^. 7 d. ; 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Country mem- 
 
 annual sub- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 bers also pay 
 
 scription, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 maintenance 
 
 I/. 1 3 S. 2d. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 of their lines 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 outside town 
 
 
 9- 
 
 Mandals . 
 
 
 
 June 
 
 Company 5 
 
 67 
 
 Yes 
 
 Yes 
 
 2 /. is. id. 
 
 
 
 
 1892 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10. 
 
 Roros . 
 
 
 
 Oct. 
 
 Company i Central 
 
 20 
 
 Yes 
 
 Yes 
 
 i/. 1 3 j. 2d. 
 
 
 
 
 1894 ! 5 Branch 
 
 
 
 
 
 ii. 
 
 12. 
 
 Skien . 
 Stavanger 
 
 24,000 
 
 June 
 1883 
 Oct. 
 
 Co-operative 
 Society 
 Messrs. 
 
 i 
 i 
 
 1 80 
 304 
 
 Yes 
 
 Yes 
 
 Yes 
 Yes 
 
 zl. is. id. 
 il. 8s. old. 
 
 
 
 1881 
 
 Grene & 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Egends 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 13- 
 
 Tromso . . 
 
 5,409 
 
 April 
 
 Mr. Andr. 
 
 i 
 
 7 6 
 
 Yes 
 
 Yes 
 
 21. 1 S S. 7 d. 
 
 
 
 1886 
 
 Risock 
 
 
 
 | 
 
 i 
 
 (a) Shareholders mostly subscribers. Lines measure 250 kilometers. Central station was 
 destroyed by fire in 1892. (b) According to island on which subscriber lives, town being 
 
 built on three islands. 
 
EXCHANGES FOR YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1894 
 
 
 
 -| 
 
 ls s " : ^" 
 
 ,gj; 
 
 i's 
 
 'o* 
 
 .al| 
 
 - lilt 
 
 o > 
 
 gi 
 
 0_> 
 
 "ill" 
 
 iii ii& 
 
 o 5 > > - " 
 
 jl 
 
 11 
 || 
 
 ||| ' 
 
 If] 
 
 58-5 
 
 Is* 
 
 ffi !| 
 
 * * "ills 5 * 
 
 < 2 
 
 
 *a 
 
 rt 3 M 
 
 i. Town and 
 
 14 hours 
 
 1,923 
 
 
 
 549 
 
 
 
 384 
 
 165 
 
 One-third to 
 
 25,000 
 
 Not 
 
 vicinity 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ' extension ' 
 
 
 stated 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 fund ; one- ' 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 twentieth to ( 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 shareholders ; 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 balance to j 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 reserve 
 
 
 
 2. -2\ kilometers 
 
 8 till 9 
 
 44 
 
 305 ' Not yet 
 ascer- 
 
 Not yet 
 ascer- 
 
 5 per cent, of 
 profits to re- 
 
 8,000 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 
 
 
 tained 
 
 tained 
 
 serve ; subse- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 for 1894 
 
 for 1894 
 
 quently, not 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 exceeding 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 per cent, to 
 
 '. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 subscribers 
 
 
 
 3. 5 kilometers 
 
 1 1 hours ; 
 
 no 
 
 (*) 
 
 (a) 
 
 (*) 
 
 Reserve fund 
 
 1,300 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 
 but exchange 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 can be called 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 all night for 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 extra pay- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ment 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4. 3 kilometers 
 
 Day and 
 
 night 
 
 2,692 
 
 846 
 
 Not yet 
 ascer- 
 
 Not yet 
 ascer- 
 
 5 per cent, to 
 shareholders ; 
 
 42,000 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 
 
 
 tained 
 
 tained 
 
 balance to 
 
 
 
 
 
 for 1894 
 
 for 1894 
 
 reserve 
 
 
 
 5. District ex- 
 tends to about 
 
 13 hours 
 
 1,044 ' 143 143 
 
 (*) 
 
 (*) 
 
 10,500 
 
 Battery 
 calls 
 
 30 kilometers 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6. i kilometer ; 
 
 10 hours 
 
 192 
 
 (c) (c) 
 
 (c) 
 
 
 1,400 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 one subscriber 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 kilometers 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 off, pays 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7. 6 square 
 kilometers 
 
 14 hours 
 
 I93/. in 230 S5 
 _i888; 
 
 175 
 
 At discretion 
 of shareholders 
 
 4,5oo 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 
 
 since, en- 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 
 
 trance fees 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 have paid 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 for con- 
 
 
 l 
 
 
 
 
 
 struction 
 
 
 
 
 
 8. i Town and 
 vicinity 
 
 Day and 
 
 night 
 
 935 
 
 248 
 
 170 
 
 78 
 
 General 
 meeting de- 
 cides 
 
 11,500 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 9- 
 
 12 hours 
 
 823 256 
 
 100 
 
 137 
 
 General meet- 
 
 6,000 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 
 
 
 
 ing decides 
 
 
 
 10. 3 kilometers 
 
 9 till 5 
 
 329 (d) (d) 
 
 ' (d) 
 
 5 per cent, to 
 shareholders ; 
 
 1,200 
 
 Battery 
 calls 
 
 
 
 
 
 rest to reserve 
 
 
 
 ii. Town and 
 
 ; 14 hours 
 
 395 395 () 
 
 (fi) 
 
 
 65,100 
 
 Not 
 
 vicinity 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 stated 
 
 12. i kilometer 
 
 Day and 
 night 
 
 1,980 
 
 494 340 
 
 154 
 
 
 
 Not 
 stated 
 
 Some 
 magnetos, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 some bat- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 tery calls 
 
 13. i kilometer 
 
 i _ \_ hours 
 
 Not 
 
 164 
 
 99 
 
 66 
 
 Owner 
 
 6,445 
 
 Magnetos 
 
 
 
 stated 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 (a) New society. Uses bronze wire. (b) Subscriptions adjusted to cover all expenses, 
 leaving no profit to divide. (c) Receipts are made to balance expenses. Instruments 
 
 and lines are bought from Mr. Friis. (<t) New company. 
 
286 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 exchanges have been re-established, and are worked at a profit. 
 At the end of this section will be found the accounts and balance- 
 sheet of the Christiania Telephone Company for 1893, which 
 cannot fail to be instructive to telephone managers who doubt 
 the vitality of a 4/. 8s. \\d. rate. 
 
 The Norwegian Government held aloof from matters tele- 
 phonic until a proposal was made to connect Christiania with 
 Drammen, when, in 1881, it passed a law conferring on the State 
 the exclusive right to establish inter-town communication. This 
 effectually put a stop to the projected trunk lines, as the State had 
 no funds available wherewith to undertake the construction itself, 
 and, influenced by the usual bogle of competition with the Go- 
 vernment telegraphs, refused to license the companies to do the 
 work. It granted permission for each to operate within a radius 
 of eleven kilometers of its central office, and so secured reasonable 
 facilities for communication between a town and its suburbs and 
 immediate surroundings, but no two such radii were allowed to be 
 joined ; and if two eleven-kilometer radii each containing a telegraph 
 office chanced to overlap, the radius of each was to % be restricted 
 on the overlapping side in such a manner that two kilometers of 
 neutral ground were to intervene between them. However, by 
 1885 the local telephonic systems had multiplied and grown to 
 such an extent that the Government was no longer able to escape 
 from the necessity of either constructing or licensing, and in that 
 year it allowed the local telephone companies of Skien and 
 Porsgrund to join their systems by a trunk line conditionally on 
 their paying to the State an annual sum of 257., the estimated loss 
 of telegraphic revenue between the two places. Other trunks soon 
 followed, and it was not long before Christiania had joined ears 
 with Drammen, Gjovik, and twenty other towns in its vicinity. To 
 show how groundless was the fear for the telegraphic revenue, it 
 may be mentioned that in 1891 the amount payable to the Go- 
 vernment (on its own valuation be it remembered, as the companies 
 had to pay whatever the State demanded) was only 489^ for the 
 twenty-two trunk lines radiating from Christiania, some of which 
 extended to a distance of 120 kilometers. On only one of these 
 trunks, that to Drammen, the conversations had averaged 100 per 
 working day, which, at the tariffof 6^., meanta telephonic revenue 
 
Norway 287 
 
 of 8477. per annum. It consequently became obvious that the 
 two systems of communication could exist side by side. It 
 should, however, be noted that the Norwegian Government had 
 acted wisely from the first in availing itself of the telephonic 
 exchanges as feeders of the telegraph ; and had even inserted a 
 clause in the companies' concessions binding them to allow their 
 lines to be used for the transmission of telegrams. The British 
 Post Office, on the other hand, moved heaven and earth to pre- 
 vent the English telephone companies doing anything of the 
 kind ; thereby proving itself far less enlightened, and appreciative 
 of the new state of affairs that had arisen, than that of Norway. 
 In 1894 the Norwegian trunk system has grown to such an extent 
 that space cannot be spared in the present work for a mere 
 enumeration of the lines. 
 
 In Norway, particularly in the north, many telegraph lines 
 exist which, prior to the advent of the telephone, were used only 
 during the fishing season, the traffic during the rest of the year not 
 sufficing to pay the cost of skilled operators, lighting, warming, 
 &c. As the towns and villages concerned were nevertheless 
 desirous of enjoying a service all the year round, the Govern- 
 ment determined to utilise the telephone the employment of 
 which does not call for any special skill for this purpose; and, on 
 the towns agreeing to bear the cost of warming and lighting and 
 to find persons satisfactory to themselves to act as operators, some 
 of these fishing wires were brought into acceptable use during the 
 winter. Others, which happened to connect towns or districts in 
 which local telephone exchanges had been established, were 
 handed over to the telephone companies to serve as trunk lines 
 conditionally on the companies agreeing to transmit telegrams 
 for non-subscribers, when required, at the State tariff rates. In 
 this matter again the Norwegian Government showed a happy 
 adaptation to special circumstances and a freedom from red-tapeism 
 which cannot be too highly commended. 
 
 The latest telephonic development in Norway is the inter- 
 national trunk line to Stockholm. 
 
 The subscribers who use this are already on metallic circuits ; 
 all others throughout Norway are as yet connected with their 
 exchanges by single wires, but the Christiania Company has 
 
288 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 definitely resolved to convert its system to metallic circuit, and the 
 alteration will be commenced as soon as the new switch -board 
 has been installed. 
 
 As being by far the most important and at the same time 
 typical of all, the system of the Christiania Telephone Company 
 is particularly referred to (unless otherwise stated) in the following 
 description. The concessions of all the companies are much on 
 the same lines, and the services rendered to the public, except 
 when modified by special local conditions (as the fishing wires 
 already mentioned), are essentially of the same nature. They all 
 have the right to telephone telegrams, to open public telephone 
 stations, and to use trunk lines ; but the international line to 
 Sweden is at present only available from Christiania and towns 
 which, like Drammen, are joined to it by metallic circuit trunks ; 
 and Kongsvinger, where the Norwegian Post Office has opened 
 a public station. 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC BY THE 
 CHRISTIANIA TELEPHONE COMPANY 
 
 1. Intercourse between the subscribers and public tel: phone 
 stations of the same town or district. 
 
 2. Internal trunk communication. There are several groups of 
 trunk lines, at present unconnected with each other, but the only 
 one of importance is that having Christiania for its centre. This 
 is, however, very extensive. Not a town, and scarcely a village, 
 on both coasts of the Christiania fjord, down to Sarpsborg and 
 Fredrikshald on the one side and to Skien and Fredriksvsern on 
 the other, but has its trunk ; while to the north of the capital five 
 main routes exist, embracing Gjovik, Hamar, Elverum, and Lille- 
 hammer, with every place of importance for some 400 kilometers, 
 making a total distance of about 500 kilometers (284 miles) that 
 may be spoken over from south to north. The trunks are erected 
 under agreement between the companies concerned, each asso- 
 ciation sharing in the traffic of a particular trunk contributing 
 equal proportions to the cost of erecting and maintaining it, 
 irrespective of the mileage within its own specific area. Each 
 company retains the whole of its receipts for trunk talks, but may 
 not demand two consecutive connections if another partner com- 
 
Norway 289 
 
 pany wants the wire. The payment to the State to compensate 
 for loss of telegraph traffic is borne by the different companies 
 proportionately to the number of messages originating with each. 
 Trunk talks may be booked several hours in advance, and this 
 plan is in common use. If a called subscriber proves not to be 
 in, the caller has to pay the unit trunk charge all the same, but is 
 allowed a second inquiry later in the day, when, if his man is then 
 in, he obtains a connection without further payment. 
 
 3. International trunk line communication. This is at 
 present, and, owing to the geographical situation of Norway, is 
 likely to be for a long time, restricted to the metallic circuit trunk 
 line to Stockholm. The length of the line is about 325 miles, 
 and the tariff 15-. >d. per three minutes, a rate which is found to 
 produce a satisfactory traffic. The line has been erected by the 
 Norwegian and Swedish State telegraph departments within their 
 respective territories, but on the Norwegian side it is worked 
 by the Christiania Telephone Company. By agreement with the 
 State, only those subscribers who have special metallic circuits 
 are allowed to be connected to the trunk. There are already 
 seventy such metallic circuits (for which an additional subscription 
 of 3/. 6s, 9</. per annum is charged) in Christiania. To cover 
 operating and administrative expenses the State pays the company 
 \'()d. on each international trunk talk originating in Norway; 
 but, on the other hand, the company must make all connections 
 demanded from Sweden gratis. 
 
 4. Telephoning of telegrams to the State telegraph office. 
 This is practised very largely, and is conducted by the company's 
 employees, who attend at the State telegraph office for the pur- 
 pose and who are sworn to observe secrecy. They write down 
 and hand to the Government clerks messages dictated to them 
 through the telephone, and receive from the Government clerks, 
 and telephone on, messages destined for the subscribers, copies of 
 which are afterwards delivered by messenger. Non-subscribers 
 may forward telegrams in this manner from the public telephone 
 stations, which thus become branch telegraph offices, the use of 
 which, however, entails payment of the company's charges in 
 addition to the ordinary telegram tariff. The State pays the 
 Christiania Company an annual subsidy of 27 /. 15^. 5^. in respect 
 
 u 
 
290 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 to this service ; but in all other places the proprietors of the tele- 
 phone exchanges have to rely entirely on the charges they impose 
 on their subscribers, although they too, as a rule, have to furnish 
 the necessary attendants at the telegraph offices. 
 
 5. Telephoning of messages for local delivery. Subscribers 
 (and non-subscribers using public telephone stations) may ring 
 up the central office and dictate messages to be delivered 
 direct by company's messenger without the intervention of the 
 State. 
 
 6. Public telephone stations. There are 71 of these in 
 Christiania and 45 in the suburbs, making 116 in all. Many are 
 at subscribers' offices. In this case the keepers pay the ordinary 
 tariff for their connections and are permitted to retain 30 per 
 cent, of the receipts. In a good many instances automatic slot 
 boxes are employed to receive the initial payment of ten ore (\"$d.\ 
 without which no service is rendered ; in others, a simple box is 
 hung up into which the user drops the coin. The charges for 
 trunk talks and telegrams are paid to the keeper, these being too 
 variable and complicated to be dealt with by automatic boxes. 
 The slot machine favoured, after several years' experimental trial 
 of many different patterns, is that of Mr. Jakobsen, of Christiania. 
 Subscribers pay the same as strangers when using the public 
 stations ; but quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly tickets, covering 
 the use of one or more stations, are issued. 
 
 7. Messenger service. Messengers are kept at, or within call 
 of, the central station and some of the public telephone stations, 
 who, on demand, are sent round to subscribers' offices or houses, 
 or utilised to summon to a public station non-subscribers with 
 whom subscribers wish to speak. 
 
 TARIFFS 
 i. Bates for local exchange communication : 
 
 Per annum 
 s. d. 
 For one instrument on a direct line not exceeding 1,500 
 
 meters in length . . . . . . .4811 
 
 For each additional 500 meters . . . . .084 
 
Norway 29 1 
 
 For additional instruments on the same line and in the same 
 building : 
 
 Per annum 
 s. d. 
 
 Per instrument, if to the same subscriber . . .123 
 ,, ,, other persons . . . . i 13 4 
 
 For additional instruments on the same line but in different 
 buildings : 
 
 s. d. 
 
 Per instrument, if to the same subscriber . . .1134 
 ,, ,, other persons . . . . .245 
 
 For an extra bell or extra microphone . . . -057 
 ,, receiver . . . . . . .034 
 
 A second person, unconnected with a subscriber in business, 
 may use his instrument and have his name printed in 
 the subscribers' list for . . . . .0113 
 
 When one person or firm takes more than one connection the 
 tariff rate of each is reduced by us. id. Thus a subscriber can 
 have his private house joined up for 3/. 6s. &/., being 225. $d. less 
 than the tariff for his two connections. Three exchange lines 
 would cost such a person n/. i$s. 6*/., and four 157. us. 4^., per 
 annum. Lines that are only used six months out of the twelve are 
 charged 3/. 6s. &/. per annum. 
 
 Contracts for one year only. There is no payment down on 
 connection as practised in Sweden. The subscribers do not find 
 their own instruments, and the rates are inclusive of all expenses 
 of installation, maintenance, and service. 
 
 2. Rates for internal trunk communication. The time unit 
 is five minutes. 
 
 Rates from Christiania to Gjovik, Toten, or Gran . . 3 -3^. 
 ,, ,, any other town connected . . 6~$d. 
 
 3. Rates for international trunk communication. The time 
 unit is three minutes. Rate between Christiania and Stockholm, 
 is. 8*/.; Drammen and Stockholm, is. lod. 
 
 4. Rates for the telephoning of telegrams. This important 
 traffic may be paid for per single message, or by annual subscrip- 
 tion. 
 
 For each message telephoned to the State telegraph office from 
 
 u 2 
 
29 2 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 a subscriber or a public telephone station, or telephoned from the 
 State telegraph office to a subscriber : 
 
 If not exceeding 20 words ...... 2-6d. 
 
 For each additional 10 words ..... -66</. 
 
 Telegrams may likewise be telephoned to a public telephone 
 station in the neighbourhood of which there is no telegraph office 
 and delivered by messenger on payment by the sender of 2'6d. per 
 telegram, without regard to the number of words ; if the addressee 
 is not a telephone subscriber, a similar amount is collected from 
 him also. 
 
 Subscribers who telegraph often, obtain a decided advantage 
 by paying annually as follows : 
 
 J r J J Per annum 
 
 s. d. 
 
 For 100 telegrams . . . . . . . o 1 1 i 
 
 ,, 101 to 300 . . . . . . . o 16 8 
 
 301 600 123 
 
 ,, 601 ,, 1,000 . . . . . . . i 7 10 
 
 ,, each additional 5 C 5 7 
 
 Messages containing over twenty but under forty words are 
 counted as two ; over forty but under sixty words, as three tele- 
 grams ; and so on. 
 
 Deposits to cover the cost of despatched telegrams are not 
 obligatory, but the company can demand them if not satisfied 
 with the standing of subscribers ; usually the company pays for 
 the messages, and charges the subscribers 2 per cent, on the cost 
 for the accommodation. Accounts are rendered once a month to 
 subscribers of acknowledged position, or oftener, at the company's 
 discretion. Accounts for telegrams emanating from hotels are 
 rendered the same day. 
 
 The foregoing particulars apply to Christiania only ; in the 
 provinces the charges for telephoning telegrams vary very much 
 between limits of 2d. to 6 '$d. per message. 
 
 5. Rates for messages telephoned for delivery by the 
 company : 
 
 If addressee is located within i kilometer of central station . 4</. 
 ,, ,, ,, 2 kilometers ,, ,, . 5 '3^. 
 
 > ?> >> 3 >> 5> 6'5</. 
 
Norway 293 
 
 These charges cover thirty words, exclusive of address and 
 signature, and are increased, irrespective of distance, by m i$2d. for 
 each extra word. A person receiving such a message may send 
 back by the messenger a written reply at half-price if not exceeding 
 thirty words, with -132^. for each extra word. 
 
 6. Bates applicable at public telephone stations. Persons 
 using a public station must pay a first charge of ten ore, or i'$d. 
 This covers a five-minute talk with a subscriber within Christiania. 
 If any other service is taken advantage of, the following additional 
 charges are made : 
 
 For a five-minute talk to a suburban subscriber (according 
 
 to distance) . . . . . . . . 2d. to 3 -3^. 
 
 For a five-minute trunk talk ...... b'$d. 
 
 For a telegram to the State telegraph office, 2-6d. for 
 20 words, with -66</. for each additional 10 words . 
 
 For a message for local delivery by the company (according 
 
 to distance of addressee from point of delivery) 4^., 5'3</. , and 6 '5^. 
 
 Habitual users of public stations may obtain some reduction 
 on the tariff charges by subscribing for quarterly, half-yearly, or 
 yearly tickets. 
 
 7. Rates for messenger service : 
 
 For fetching a non-subscriber to a public station (payable by 
 
 person called) ........ 2'6d. 
 
 For sending a messenger to a subscriber's premises . . i -$d. 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 
 
 None of the companies possesses any compulsory powers, and 
 way-leaves have to be arranged by negotiation with the proprietors 
 and local authorities concerned. In Christiania facilities have, as 
 a rule, been obtained on favourable terms, the maximum con- 
 sideration given being a free telephone connection, corresponding 
 to 4/. Ss. i \d. per annum. Many buildings are roofed with iron, 
 which is not nearly so susceptible to damage as slates or tiles, a 
 fact which has helped the company to obtain and keep its way- 
 leaves. 
 
294 Telephone Systems of tJie Continent of Europe 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 
 
 The existing switch-board at Christiania is an ordinary Western 
 Electric Company's single-wire, double-cord, series multiple, with 
 an ultimate capacity of 6,400. The test employed differs, however, 
 from the usual one, inasmuch as the testing-cord includes a make- 
 and-break, the effect of which is to give the operator a vibrating 
 signal instead of a single click when a line proves to be engaged. 
 The number of connections averages about nine per subscriber per 
 diem, and each operator attends to 100 lines. The arrangements 
 for trunk-line switching comprise a special section to which each 
 operator has a sufficient number of junction lines to meet the 
 requirements of her own set of subscribers, these junction lines 
 being used indiscriminately for up and down traffic. In case of 
 need, an operator can borrow additional junctions from the sections 
 to her left and right. At the trunk section four lines are allotted 
 to each girl, who, in addition to the actual switching, has to make 
 the necessary notes for the subscribers' accounts. The testing, 
 lightning-guard, and cross-connecting boards are of an ordinary 
 pattern, and call for no remark. The present switching arrange- 
 ments are to give way during 1895 to a new switch-board by the 
 Bell Manufacturing Company of Antwerp, comprising parallel 
 jacks, self-restoring drops, and accommodation for 9,000 metallic 
 circuits. The new installation is to cost some TO.OOO/., a fact 
 which does not seem to augur any lack of confidence or of ex- 
 pectation on the part of the Christiania Telephone Company in 
 the sufficiency or possibilities of a 4/. Ss. \\d. rate. 
 
 Called subscribers are rung by the operator, and much of 
 the confusion attendant on the frequent dropping of the ring- off 
 shutters avoided. The service is smartly performed, and the 
 speaking generally very good. 
 
 In the neighbourhood of Christiania there are a few groups of 
 subscribers working by means of automatic commutators (Ceder- 
 gren and Ericsson's patent), placed generally at or near a railway 
 station. These groups, and some others who subscribe amongst 
 themselves for the housing and operating of an ordinary switch- 
 board, communicate with the capital by a single junction wire, 
 and are admitted at very low rates of subscription. 
 
Norway 
 
296 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 
 
 Christiania and the other chief exchanges in Norway, together 
 with many of the smaller ones, are kept open permanently ; in the 
 others the hours of service vary from 6, 7, or 8 A.M. till 8, 9, or 10 
 P.M. on week days, with, sometimes, shorter hours on Sundays. 
 
 ' SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 
 
 These comprise magneto ringers. Usually the transmitter and 
 receiver are attached to the same handle, in * micro-telephone ' 
 form, so that when the receiver is held to the ear the transmitter 
 is before the mouth. The magneto, bells, and switches are 
 mounted on a cast-iron frame and protected by a sheet-iron casing 
 which forms a writing-desk, and is so elaborately enamelled in 
 imitation of ornamental and inlaid woods as to defy detection 
 by the eye. The instruments, which are handsome in appearance 
 and of good workmanship, are made by the Norske Elektrisk 
 Bureau, Christiania. Their general appearance is shown in fig. 
 98. The transmitter is usually the Oyan modification of the 
 Runnings. When transmitters are mounted separately, double- 
 pole receivers of the Bell type are employed. Subscribers in 
 Christiania may, on demand, have Ericsson's Swedish instruments 
 fitted ; but as these are dearer than the Norwegian, an extra payment 
 down of 135. \d. for a wall-, and i/. js. lod. for a table-set has to 
 be made. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 
 
 The wire employed in the towns is usually 1-25 mm. phosphor 
 bronze, carried on small double-shed white porcelain insulators 
 in which the bolts are fixed with tow. Soldered joints are still 
 exceptional in the local wires the danger of softening the bronze 
 by the application of heat, and the undesirability of using fire on 
 housetops, being the reasons assigned. The unsoldered joints are 
 generally made on the Macintyre plan by poking the two ends in 
 opposite directions through about two inches of double soft copper 
 tubing. The free end of each wire is then lapped round its 
 companion, and several turns given by means of pliers to the 
 
Nonvay 
 
 297 
 
 whole joint, the effect being to twist the soft copper tubes into 
 reversed spirals, within which the line wires are so tightly grasped 
 that the parts in contact are permanently protected from the 
 
 DOUBLE COPPER TUBE BEFORE TWISTING 
 
 COPPER TUBE AFTER TWISTING 
 
 FIG. 99 
 
 weather. This joint is shown in fig. 99. When it is considered 
 desirable to solder, the form of joint shown in fig. 100 is used : 
 the heat being applied at the point A, can have no effect on the 
 
 FIG. 100 
 
 running wire.^ When too much vibration is set up in the houses 
 it is damped by placing several inches of wire on each side of the 
 insulator (fig. 101) in a split vulcanised rubber tube, and then 
 
 LEADEN WIRE 
 
 INDIA-RUBBER TUBE 
 
 FIG. ioi 
 
 tightly twisting over all two spiral layers of heavy leaden wire or 
 strip. The central station fixture is a large and substantial structure 
 built up of channel and angle iron, but devoid of decorative preten- 
 
298 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 sions. From this fixture a great many of the subscribers' wires 
 are carried in aerial cables, each containing twenty single wires 
 
 100 C1R 
 
 FIG. 102 
 
 insulated with india-rubber and made up on the so-called anti- 
 induction principle that is to say, the wires are enveloped in 
 
Norivay 
 
 299 
 
 metal foil connected to earth. The cables are slung by galvanised 
 iron hangers from stranded steel suspenders, and at their junctio 
 with the open wires, which takes place as soon as the crowded 
 vicinity of the central station is cleared, are passed through joint 
 boxes fitted with lightning arresters. The standards are well 
 designed, and carefully erected with due regard to safety in the 
 
 FIG. io2A 
 
 face of untoward fires or storms. The single form (figs. 102 and 
 I02A) consists of a wrought-iron tube fitted with English angle-iron 
 cross-arms. The foot-plates and fastenings are all of Swedish iron. 
 The standard is sometimes placed on the slope of a roof (fig. I02B) 
 instead of on the ridge. A triple standard for 300 wires, with its 
 details, is shown in figs. 103 and 103 A. In this case the uprights- 
 
300 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 are each composed of two pieces of Belgian channel-iron bolted 
 together, and the cross-arms are also of channel-iron arranged so 
 as to form a shelter for any insulated wires that may be used for 
 cable or cross connections. The uprights, when extra strength is 
 called for, are strutted on one or both sides with riveted channel- 
 or angle-iron. The uprights are riveted to iron foot-plates adapted 
 to the slope of the rafters to which they are bolted. The ground 
 pole work is also good. The larger poles (fig. 104) are of the best 
 
 FlG. 102E 
 
 fir ; their butts are usually soaked in boiling creosote to above the 
 ground line, and the weather is excluded by roofs of the English 
 pattern. The arms are of angle-iron (wooden arms are quite 
 exceptional in Norway) made into a frame by riveting to four 
 vertical bars, the frame being fastened to the wood at three points 
 by strong straps and wood screws. This plan secures a neat job, 
 since the frame is constructed before attachment to the pole, and 
 it is easy to make the arms truly parallel ; on the English plan it 
 
Norway 
 
 301 
 
 is difficult to secure parallelism when so many long arms have to- 
 be notched for and attached individually, perhaps at different 
 times and by different men. On the other hand, the English 
 method permits of arms being added exactly as they are wanted ; 
 while a frame must contain a certain number of spare arms, 
 representing unremunerative capital, to allow for developments. 
 
 FIG. 103 
 
 But if the Norwegians with microscopic tariffs can afford to invest 
 capital in neat and pleasing workmanship, such poles should not 
 be absolutely beyond our own reach. There is at present no 
 underground work in existence in Norway, but it is proposed to 
 make a beginning with it in connection with the change to metallic 
 circuits shortly to be commenced in Christiania. 
 
3O2 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 \ 
 
 7. 
 
 <> (35x6X60x6)*%, 
 
 
 I 
 
Norway 
 
 303 
 
 T 1 
 
 I ! I I 
 
 i ~ i I! i i i 
 
 1L 
 
 
 I I II I I llliilll I ! I 
 
 
 
 LI 
 
 
 FIG 10 
 
304 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (TRUNK) 
 
 The internal trunk lines are, as a rule, of hard-drawn copper 
 of from 2 to 2 '5 mm. diameter. They are metallic circuits, and 
 are crossed, not twisted : the crossing is properly carried out, 
 and the lines are consequently quite free from overhearing and 
 inductive noises. Translators are, of course, placed between 
 the metallic circuits and the subscribers' single wires. The inter- 
 national trunk to Stockholm, unlike all the others, was erected 
 and is maintained by the Norwegian Government on the Norse 
 side of the frontier. Unlike all the others, too, it is twisted so 
 as to complete a revolution at every eighth pole. On the 
 Norwegian side it is wholly composed of 3*3 mm. hard-drawn 
 copper. The line is understood to be quite silent and the speak- 
 ing very good. 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 
 
 In Christiania the foremen receive 4^. 6^/., the skilled wire- 
 men from 35. to 4-i\, and the labourers from 2s. 6d. to 3^. per 
 working day of nine hours. 
 
 PAYMENT OF OPERATORS 
 
 After two years of training and occasional employment as 
 reserve operators, during which time they are paid by the hour, 
 girls are appointed to the permanent staff at a salary of 2/. 15^. *jd. 
 per month ; after two years' service the pay is advanced to 
 3/. is. \d. per month ; and subsequently, by two-yearly increments 
 of $s. 6d. per month, to 3/. ijs. &/,, which is the maximum for a 
 simple operator. The daily work is six hours. They take turns 
 at night and Sunday duty without extra pay. 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 In Christiania town there are (November 1894) 4,174 instru- 
 ments in connection with the exchange, of which 3,786 are on 
 direct wires. Including the suburbs, the number of instruments 
 is 4,627. 
 
Norway 305 
 
 No statistics for the whole of Norway of later date than 1892 
 are forthcoming. In that year the total number of subscribers 
 was returned as 9,490, making use of 10,437 instruments. The 
 total length of their wires was 11,878 kilometers, of which 
 Christiania possessed 4,210, Bergen 1,322, Drammen 355, and 
 Trondhjem 350 kilometers ; and of the trunk lines, 4,908 kilo- 
 meters. The number of exchanges was 175 ; of public telephone 
 stations, 546. The trunk talks numbered 391,966 ; and the tele- 
 grams telephoned 78,323, of which 43,594 were credited to 
 Christiania. The total amount of receipts was 31, 1367. ; of work- 
 ing expenses and repairs, 19,7627. ; and of capital expended in con- 
 struction, 118,7907. The cost of connecting each subscriber, even 
 adding in the cost of the trunks, which we must do as it is not 
 returned separately, was consequently only a little over i2/., truly 
 a marvellous result when it is borne in mind that most of the 
 material and apparatus used had to be imported and to pay duty 
 at the Norwegian Custom House. The figure of 1 2/. per subscriber, 
 however, tallies well with experience in Great Britain when 
 results have not been vitiated by incompetence and mismanage- 
 ment. 
 
 In order to show how a \l, 8s. n</. inclusive rate can be made 
 to pay in a capital city, the accounts of the Christiania Telephone 
 Company for 1893 are, with the kind permission of Mr. Knud 
 Bryn, annexed. 
 
306 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 CHRISTIANIA TELEPHONE COMPANY'S ACCOUNTS, 1893 
 i krone = is. i\d. i/. = 18*2 kroner 
 
 5>r. 
 
 Management Kronor 
 
 Salaries . . . 18,350*11 
 General office expenses 
 
 and advertising . 5,474*12 
 Messengers' wages and 
 
 uniforms . . . 4,614*46 
 
 Central stations 
 ivorking expenses 
 
 Salaries ; watchmen ; 
 central station mes- 
 sengers . . . 61,934*10 
 
 Contribution to the 
 lady operators' bene- 
 volent fund - 2,342*06 
 
 Subscribers' lists and 
 supplements, includ- 
 ing distribution . 4,3 21 ' 82 
 
 Working expenses 
 outside system 
 
 Engineers' salaries __ . 7,409*74 
 
 Inspection and im- 
 provements . .21,311*60 
 
 Maintenance . . 61,628*58 
 
 Roof repairs and way- 
 leaves . . . 9,!? 1 " 21 
 
 Tools and instruments 1,688*51 
 
 Contribution to the 
 workmen's benevo- 
 lent fund . 
 
 Revenue Account 
 Kroner 
 
 28,438*69 
 
 68,597*98 
 
 Sundry expenses 
 Rent, central station, 
 
 offices and stores 
 Wharfage, lighting, 
 
 firing, and cleaning . 7,046*78 
 Building account 
 Royalties 
 Sundry expenses in the 
 
 suburbs . 
 
 Insurance and taxes . 
 Bad debt reserve fund . 1,500*00 
 Sundry expenses 
 Interest 
 Directors' fees 
 
 1,640-69 
 
 102,850*33 
 
 6,000*00 
 
 ,046*78 
 876*18 
 
 >'3I 
 
 4,066*34 
 5,000*00 
 
 Central station 
 newals 
 
 43,162*58 
 25,000*00 
 
 . 25,000*00 
 Written o 
 Fixtures account, loper 
 
 cent, of value . . 1,005*08 
 Building capital ac- 
 count . . . 10,000*00 
 Telephone system ac- 
 count . . . 5, 39 6 '4 1 
 
 16,401*49 
 
 Dividend at rate of 5% 
 per cent. (2,847/0 . 51,821*00 51,821*00 
 
 Kr. 336 272-07 
 
 Kronor 
 Subscriptions collected 
 
 during the year . 333,781*65 
 Less proportion carried 
 
 forward of unearned 
 
 rentals 
 
 Cr. 
 
 Kronor 
 
 Receipts at public tele- 
 phone stations . . 5,644*05 
 
 Receipts, messenger 
 service . . . 394*49 
 
 Receipts for telephon- 
 ing and delivering 
 local telegrams . 2,912*27 
 
 Receipts, trunk lines . 24,008*68 
 
 Sale of snares . . 530 'oo 
 
 30,999*07 
 
 - 302,782*58 
 
 Kr. 336,272*07 
 
Norway 
 
 
 BALANCE 
 
 SHEET 
 
 Liabilities Kroner 
 
 Kronor ; 
 
 Assets 
 
 Share account . 
 
 942,200*00 i 
 
 Construction account . 
 
 Last year's dividends 
 
 
 Trunk line account 
 
 unclaimed . . 3,165*00 
 
 
 Buildings capital account . 
 
 Dividend for 1893 . 51,821*00 
 
 
 Stock of instrumentsand material 
 
 
 54,986*00 
 
 Sundry" debtors, arrears of sub- 
 
 Set aside for central 
 station renewals 
 Christiania Savings 
 
 25,000*00 
 
 scriptions ..... 
 Cash in hand .... 
 Christiania Bank, cash balance . 
 
 Bank loan 
 
 100,000*00 
 
 
 Mortgage on building 
 
 
 
 No. 12 Slotsgade . 
 Lady operators' bene- 
 
 40,000*00 
 
 
 volent fund 
 
 10,644*39 
 
 > 
 
 Workmen's benevo- 
 
 
 / 
 
 lent fund 
 
 i,594'47 
 
 / 
 
 307 
 
 Kroner 
 
 56,010*00- 
 125,000*00 
 
 33,296*85 
 
 Sundry account 
 
 Sundry creditors . 19,057*49 
 Less for sundry 
 
 debtors . . . 6,507*65 
 
 Proportion of rentals 
 for 1894 paid in ad- 
 vance 
 
 12,549*84 
 
 30,999*07 
 Kr. 1,217,973*77 
 
 Kr. 1,217,973*77 
 
 Signed by the Directors of the Christiania Telephone Company. 
 EVALD RYGH. N. A. EGER. A. M. LUND. E. SUNDE. 
 
 KNUD BRYN, General Manager. 
 February 10, 1894. 
 
 I hereby certify that the above balance sheet is in conformity with the 
 company's books. 
 
 TH. HAMMOND, Auditor. 
 CHRISTIANIA : February 20, 1894. 
 
 Note. Since going to press, the accounts for 1894 have been received. 
 They show subscriptions collected for the year Kr. 337,564, and the amount 
 available for dividend Kr. 56,325 (3,O95/.); the assets having increased to 
 Kr. 1,368,703, and the share capital to Kr. 1,125,000. The usual dividend of 
 5^ per cent, was paid. 
 
308 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 XVIII. PORTUGAL 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 THAN Portugal few European countries possess shorter or 
 more uneventful telephonic histories. In 1882 a concession 
 was granted by the Government to the Edison-Gower-Bell 
 Telephone Company of Europe, in virtue of which exchanges 
 were soon established in Lisbon and Oporto. In 1887 the busi- 
 ness was taken over by an English company formed for the 
 purpose, the Anglo-Portuguese Telephone Company, Limited, of 
 53 New Broad Street, London, E.G. On this occasion the con- 
 cession was renewed to the new company for a period of thirty 
 years. The two exchanges have thrown out branches to the 
 suburban towns in their immediate neighbourhood, but are not 
 yet themselves in connection ; while the remainder of Portugal 
 remains, so far, an unexplored territory. Rumours have been 
 heard of an international trunk line to Madrid, but the scheme 
 has not yet assumed any solidity. All lines in Portugal are still 
 single. Practically the only service rendered to the public is the 
 local exchange connection, since there is no telephoning of tele- 
 grams, no telephonograms, no trunk lines, and no public tele- 
 phone stations. There are call offices for the use of subscribers 
 only on the production of a ticket of identity, but this can 
 scarcely be considered a public convenience. In January 1895 
 the number of subscribers was returned at 763 for Lisbon and 
 720 for Oporto, including the suburban exchanges in each case. 
 Lisbon has three, and Oporto five suburban switch-rooms. 
 
Portugal 309 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED AND TARIFFS 
 
 i. Local exchange intercommunication between the sub- 
 scribers in Lisbon and Oporto and their respective suburbs. 
 
 The tariff depends on the length of line and nature of the 
 connection, as follows : 
 
 Distance 
 
 - 1 
 
 Business places 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Do 
 
 cton 
 
 and 
 
 j First connection 
 
 Subsequent 
 connections 
 
 private houses 
 
 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 
 
 J. 
 
 </. 
 
 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 7 
 
 IO 
 
 O 
 
 5 
 
 12 
 
 6 
 
 S 
 
 12 
 
 6 
 
 9 
 
 O 
 
 O 
 
 5 
 
 12 
 
 6 
 
 s 
 
 12 
 
 6 
 
 10 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 2 
 
 6 
 
 O 
 
 O 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 4 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 2 
 
 12 
 
 15 
 
 O 
 
 | 
 
 7 
 
 17 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 4 
 
 6 
 
 j I kilometer, per annum . 
 
 When private houses are joined as an extension from a 
 business place considerable reductions are made, as follow : 
 
 Extension Instrument s. d. 
 
 In the same building, per annum . . ..259 
 
 500 meters distant ,, . . . .3150 
 
 1 kilometer ,, ,, . . . . 4 10 o 
 1 1 kilometers ,, ,, . . . . 5 12 6 
 
 2 ,, ,, ,, ....600 
 2| .... 6 7 2 
 
 3 .... 7 4 6 
 
 In considering these tariffs it must be borne in mind that in 
 the terms of its concession the company pays three per cent, of 
 its gross revenue to the State, and that they are considerably 
 below the maximum permitted to the company by the terms of 
 its concession. 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 
 
 Considerable difficulty was at first experienced in obtaining 
 attachments, but this has now in great measure been happily 
 overcome. The company possesses no exceptional privileges, 
 and is wholly dependent on the good will of the proprietors. 
 
310 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Ettrope 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS AND SUBSCRIBERS' 
 INSTRUMENTS 
 
 The necessity for multiple boards has not yet been felt 
 [traffic is small in Portugal, the calls averaging only two per line 
 per day at Lisbon, and four at Oporto], and the service is carried 
 on by simple boards manufactured by the Consolidated Tele- 
 phone Construction and Maintenance Company, London. These 
 are of three types : (i) a 5o-line modified cross-bar, peg com- 
 mutator, mounted vertically, with the indicators above ; (2) a 
 
 FIG. 105 
 
 FIG. 106 
 
 FIG. 107 
 
 ioo-line board of the same nature, but mounted horizontally, 
 with the indicators on a vertical board at the back ; (3) a ioo-line 
 spring-jack and plug and cord board, the general arrangement 
 of which resembles that of the Western Electric Standard board, 
 but without ring-off indicators. The first and third are used at 
 Lisbon, the second at Oporto. In all three speaking has to be 
 carried on through two indicators, which both fall when a ring 
 through or ring off is given. Each operator usually attends to 
 seventy-five subscribers, but in Oporto during the busy hours this 
 number is reduced to fifty. Magneto ringers are exclusively used. 
 
Portugal 3 1 1 
 
 Originally the subscribers' sets consisted of Gower-Bell instru- 
 ments, combined with magnetos and battery-boxes on a common 
 back-board (fig. 105) ; later, the Gower-Bell receiver and tubes 
 were replaced by Bell receivers, the transmitter being retained 
 (fig. 1 06) ; later still, the Blake transmitter succeeded the Gower, 
 and the instrument assumed the aspect which was so long 
 familiar in Great Britain (fig. .107). All the instruments have 
 been manufactured by the Consolidated Telephone Construction 
 and Maintenance Company. The most recent form of trans- 
 mitter supplied by this company is a Runnings of the construc- 
 tion shown in fig. 108, in which A is an ebonite mouthpiece, 
 which directs the sound waves to a ferrotype diaphragm F, having 
 
 D 
 
 I) 
 
 FIG. 108 
 
 behind, and in true contact with it, a thin carbon disc G. B is 
 a rigidly fixed carbon block furnished with a conical pocket, which 
 is nearly filled with truly-spherical carbon balls. The electrodes 
 are the carbon disc and carbon block respectively, and form their 
 connections through the screws D, which also serve to clamp the 
 transmitter to the magneto. When used with two or three cells 
 and a good receiver, the loudness of the transmission obtained is 
 very remarkable, while its clearness leaves nothing to be desired. 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 
 
 The Portuguese exchanges enjoy a perpetual day and night 
 service. 
 
312 TelepJione Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK 
 
 The wire generally employed is 1*25 mm. phosphor bronze, 
 although there is also some 1*5 mm. bronze and 2 mm. 
 galvanised iron. With the exception of a few short lengths of 
 aerial cable, used where way-leaves were difficult to obtain, the 
 whole of the system is open wire. No commencement has been 
 made with underground work. The Lisbon roofs are not well 
 adapted for the erection of standards, and the fixtures are mostly 
 of the wall-bracket kind illustrated in the French, Italian, and 
 Austrian sections. These fixtures and their wires are erected and 
 attended to by the aid of telescopic fire-escape ladders. In 
 Oporto single iron standards on the roofs and ground poles are 
 also employed ; these carry from twenty-five to a hundred wires, 
 but their constructive details are not in any wise noteworthy. 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 
 
 Foremen receive 6s. 8^., wiremen 35-. 6^., and labourers 25. 
 per day ; the hours of duty being from 7 A.M. till 6 P.M. 
 
 PAYMENT OF OPERATORS 
 
 Girls commence as probationers, and give their services gratis 
 until competent. Thereafter they receive 30^., rising to 2/., and 
 finally to 2.1. los. per month. Lady superintendents receive 3/. 
 The hours of daily duty are eight. The service between 6 P.M. 
 and 8 A.M. is performed by men. 
 
313 
 
 XIX. ROUMANIA 
 
 THE Government has assumed the exclusive care of telephone 
 exchanges in Roumania, and has most wisely determined to adopt 
 the metallic circuit throughout. Exchanges have been opened in 
 Bucharest, Braila, Galatz, and Crajowa ; but development halts, 
 there being only some 100 members at Bucharest after nearly two 
 years' working. This disappointing result may perhaps be most 
 reasonably ascribed to the tariff in operation, which, everything 
 considered, is probably the most illiberal in Europe. Three trunk 
 lines have been put into use between Braila and Galatz, one 
 being an exclusively telephonic metallic loop, and the other two 
 adaptations of Van Rysselberghe's system to existing telegraph 
 wires. Braila and Galatz also speak to Bucharest on a duplex 
 line. The capital has likewise communication with Ploesti and 
 Sinaia, in which towns there are public telephone stations, but no 
 exchanges. The subscribers' sets of instruments comprise trans- 
 mitter, two receivers, bell, and lightning protector. 
 
 SERVICES AND TARIFFS 
 
 i. Local exchange communication. Payments come under 
 three headings : (a) contribution to the cost of the line and instru- 
 ment ; (b) annual subscription ; (c) charge for conversations 
 originated exceeding 1,000 per annum. These again vary with 
 the location, inside or out of the fortifications, of the subscriber. 
 
 The contribution on joining amounts to 6/., which is payable 
 in four quarterly sums of i/. IDS. 
 
314 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 The annual subscription, which franks only 1,000 communi- 
 cations not exceeding five minutes in duration each, per annum, 
 is : 
 
 Within the fortifications 8/. 
 
 Without the fortifications, but within three kilometers of 
 
 the exchange ........ 2O/. 
 
 When more than 1,000 conversations per annum are originated 
 by any subscriber the excess must be paid for at the rate of 165-. 
 per 100 or fraction thereof if he is located within the fortifications, 
 and of 4os. if without. Contracts are accepted for three years 
 only on first joining, which are subsequently renewable from year 
 to year 
 
 2. Internal trunk line communication. The time unit is three 
 minutes. 
 
 For the first 100 kilometers or less .... 14 '^d. 
 
 Each additional 100 kilometers ..... 9 '6d. 
 
 A considerable reduction may be had by paying for fifty talks 
 in advance, thus 
 
 * d. 
 
 100 kilometers or less, 50 three-minute talks . .200 
 Each additional 100 kilometers, extra . . . I 10 o 
 
 3. Public telephone stations. The time unit for local talks 
 is five minutes. 
 
 Non-subscribers ........ y6d. 
 
 Subscribers to local exchanges, or persons who have paid for 
 
 50 trunk talks in advance ...... 4'&/. 
 
 Trunk talks are charged as from subscribers' offices. 
 
 4. Telephoning of telegrams : 
 
 Per telegram forwarded or received by a subscriber . . '<)6d. 
 In addition, for each five words contained in the telegram . '4&/. 
 
 Messages must be in a language understood by the telegraph 
 clerk who receives or dictates them by telephone. Copies of 
 telegrams telephoned to subscribers are subsequently delivered 
 by messenger without charge. 
 
Roumania 315 
 
 5. Messages telephoned for local delivery. For a message 
 containing twenty words telephoned by a subscriber located within 
 the fortifications to the central office for delivery locally to a non- 
 subscriber, the charge is 4'8*f. plus \'^id. for each twenty words in 
 excess. For a subscriber situated beyond the fortifications, or for 
 a non- subscriber telephoning from a public station, these charges 
 are doubled. 
 
3 1 6 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 XX. RUSSIA 
 
 THE first exchanges in Russia those of St. Petersburg and 
 Moscow, opened in 1881 were due to the enterprise of the Inter- 
 national Bell Telephone Company, which subsequently obtained 
 concessions for, and commenced business in, Lodz, Odessa, Riga, 
 and Warsaw. The rates charged by this company in the two 
 first- named towns (in which it is secured by the terms of its con- 
 cession from competition for a long term of years) have the dis- 
 tinction of being the highest in Europe 257. per annum, out of 
 which it has, in common with all other concessionaries, to pay 10 
 per cent, to the Government. In other towns, however, rates are 
 much more reasonable. In RostofT-on-Don (680 subscribers) 
 and Reval (no subscribers), for instance, for which places Mr. 
 C. Siegel of St. Petersburg holds the concessions, the annual 
 subscriptions are i2/. los. and io/. respectively. The radius 
 allowed is, however, liberal, extending to 3 versts (2^ miles) from 
 the exchange, within which area no extra charge is made. For 
 many persons i2/. or io/. applied in this manner may mean a 
 better bargain than a 5/. rate restricted to one mile. The State 
 has also opened a good many exchanges, and contemplates the 
 construction of an extensive system of trunk lines. 
 
 At date of writing (January 1895) tne Odessa-Nicholaieff is the 
 only one of importance reported finished, although Sebastopol is 
 connected with Simferopol by railway wire, and other inter-town 
 lines have been established for military purposes. 
 
 The system of construction adopted is the single wire, run 
 overhead on roof standards and poles. Way-leaves are reported 
 to be readily obtained on reasonable terms, but no information is 
 forthcoming as to the status of the Government in this connection 
 in the towns it itself exploits. 
 
Russia 
 
 317 
 
 A 
 
 FIG 109 
 
3 1 8 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 The International Bell Company employs American apparatus 
 exclusively, and their subscriber's set is identical with that 
 rendered familiar by the National Telephone Company in this 
 country, the transmitter used being generally the Blake. On 
 the other hand, the Government and the other concessionaries fit 
 up almost exclusively the instruments of Messrs. Ericsson & Co., 
 
 of Stockholm (see Swedish section, p. 358), supplied through 
 Mr. Charles Bell of Glasgow, who is Messrs. Ericsson's agent for 
 Russia as well as for the United Kingdom. Mr. Bell has also 
 furnished a large number of Ericsson switch-boards for use in the 
 various switch-rooms, comprising one multiple of 600 lines for 
 Kieff. 
 
Russia 
 
 319 
 
 The International Bell Company have Western Electric 
 multiples at St. Petersburg (1,400 lines), Moscow (1,400 lines), and 
 Warsaw (800 lines), with Gilliland boards at Lodz, Odessa, and 
 Riga. 
 
 The principal Government exchanges are at Charkoff, Gatschina, 
 
 FIG. no 
 
 Kazan, Libau, Nicholaieff, Nijni-Novgorod, Novorosisk, Novo- 
 tcherkask, Pavlovsk, Selo, Taganrog, and Zarsko. 
 
 Through the kindness of Mr. C. Siegel the author is enabled 
 to give some idea of the designs of Russian wire supports. Figs. 
 109 and IOQA represent, in elevation and plan, the central station 
 
Fie; no A 
 
 7 
 
 \ 
 
 FIG in 
 
Russia 
 
 321 
 
 standard at Rostoff-on-Don. Figs, no and IIOA show a strongly 
 constructed double standard, and figs, in and 1 1 2 respectively 
 a single standard and a wall-bracket. 
 
 FIG. 112 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 No returns later than 1892 are available, 
 figures relate to that year. 
 
 State 
 
 Number of exchanges . . . 18 
 
 ,, ,, switch-rooms ... 18 
 
 ,, ,, public stations ... 19 
 
 ,, ,, subscribers' lines . . 2,2 1 6 
 
 Length of wire in use, in kilometers . 5,568 
 Number of conversations between sub- 
 scribers, for year .... 3,033,139 
 
 Number of conversations from public 
 
 stations, for year .... 2,744 
 
 Number of telegrams telephoned, for 
 
 year ...... 19,106 
 
 Receipts, for year . . . . 32,3177. 
 
 The following 
 
 Companies 
 II 
 14 
 
 5,148 
 15,436 
 
 7,631,016 
 
 80,06I 
 
 Not stated 
 Y 
 
322 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 XXI. SERVIA 
 
 THE State has reserved to itself the power to establish and work 
 telephone exchanges, but, so far, none has been opened. Still 
 a law regulating tariffs and general conditions has been prepared, 
 and as soon as it has received the sanction of the legislature a 
 commencement will be made with a central station at Belgrade. 
 But the State, for official purposes, has erected metallic circuits 
 of 3 mm. bronze between Belgrade and Nisch (250 kilometers), 
 which line is in course of extension to Sibervcz, a further distance 
 of 125 kilometers. These lines and a few others, which bring the 
 total existing length up to 322 kilometers, will be available as 
 trunks when the exchange system comes into operation. Most of 
 the work has been carried out for the State by Mr. J. Berliner, of 
 Hanover, through his agent in Vienna, Mr. Hax Hahn ; and the 
 instruments used are the Berliner transmitter with double-pole 
 Bell receivers and magnetos. There are also twenty-four kilo- 
 meters of private lines in Servia. Such lines require a licence from 
 the Minister of Commerce, and have to pay an annual tax of i/. i2s. 
 for every three kilometers, or less, of wire erected, and of 2/. Ss. 
 if the length exceeds three and is not more than eight kilometers. 
 
323 
 
 XXII. SPAIN 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 A ROYAL decree, dated August n, 1884, made telephonic ex- 
 change communication a Government monopoly ; but the experi- 
 ence gained during the next two years was so little to the taste of 
 the officials that in June 1886 another decree entirely reversed 
 the first one and provided that the exploitation of telephones in 
 Spain should henceforth be left to private enterprise. In explana- 
 tion of this change of front the decree said, ' So long as the tele- 
 phonic service is administered by the State it can never develop 
 and attain the proportions demanded by the necessities of modern 
 life. Private enterprise, on the other hand, while adapting itself 
 to public requirements, will find in this novel means of communi- 
 cation a vast field for activity in which apt initiative will be repaid 
 by satisfactory development.' 
 
 While it is undoubtedly rather amusing to find the Spanish 
 Government naively confessing itself so much behind the age as to 
 be impotent to deal with the exigencies of modern life, there was 
 certainly a strain of good sense in its argument. Government de- 
 partments are generally very inelastic affairs, averse to innovation 
 and desirous of running on in the grooves to which they have been 
 accustomed. Such exceptions as may be cited are explainable by 
 the unquestionable fact that good and energetic men wishful to 
 earn laurels for themselves and their country, and of force of 
 character sufficient to overcome the inertia which pertains to 
 Governments must now and then come to the surface, even in a 
 Government department and in defiance of its humdrum traditions 
 and training. But such a good man, after having animated the 
 
 Y 2 
 
324 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 mummy for a series of years, with results creditable to himself and 
 beneficial to the public and all concerned, may be succeeded by 
 one of quite another stamp, desirous only of pursuing as unevent- 
 ful a career as is compatible with the retention of his office ; or, 
 worse still, by one who expends his energy in combating instead 
 of fostering the requirements of the community. It is not con- 
 ceivable that the principles of promotion by seniority, or seniority 
 tempered by patronage, which prevail in so many countries can 
 produce any other result, for they open the doors to dullards, 
 routine-worshippers, red-tape and sealing-wax champions, and 
 others who, good enough men in their own small way, are not de- 
 signed by nature to lead or initiate. On the other hand, commer- 
 cial companies which have to contend with competition, which can 
 only exist by earning dividends, and which have a day of reckoning 
 at least once a year cannot afford to tolerate triflers or idlers. Pro- 
 motion with them should be, and generally is, by seniority tem- 
 pered by proved ability to keep abreast of the times : if inadver- 
 tently a round peg gets into a square hole he cannot catch on, 
 and is soon shunted by the force of the circumstances which 
 he cannot control. The smart official looks after the shareholders' 
 dividends, and the competition looks after the public. The only 
 exception is when a company has a rich monopoly which cannot 
 be spoiled even by bad management. Such a company, by force 
 of its monopoly, may do well for itself ; but it will not, unless 
 directed by an enlightened and superior man, do well for its cus- 
 tomers, whom, as likely as not, it will regard in the light of 
 enemies, to be snubbed and repressed on every occasion : it is, 
 in fact, liable to all the abuses and drawbacks of a Government 
 department. 
 
 When a commencement was made with the new order of 
 things in Spain it became apparent that the Government's idea of 
 how to foster a telephonic development commensurate with the 
 exigencies of modern life was to put the various towns up to 
 auction and knock them down to the company or person willing 
 to part with the greatest proportion of the gross receipts to the 
 State, no offer of less than 10 per cent, being entertained under 
 any circumstances. At the same time, to safeguard the interests 
 of the public (so it was said), a scale of maximum charges was pre- 
 
Spain 325 
 
 pared, and regulations for the conduct of the traffic some of which 
 were distinctly worthy of commendation drawn up, to which the 
 concessionaries had to undertake to conform. 
 
 Under this decree concessions for thirty-five exchange systems 
 were granted, the State proportion of the gross receipts varying 
 from 10 per cent, in Valladolid, Seville, Granada, and Alicante, to 
 20 per cent, in Madrid and Saragossa, 31^ per cent, in Valencia, 
 33i P er cent, in Barcelona, and 34 per cent, in Bilbao ; and 
 averaging 20-66 per cent, all round. 
 
 The principal maximum rates, payable quarterly in advance, as 
 fixed by law were as follow : 
 
 Per annum 
 s. d. 
 
 Subscriber to a local exchange located within the muni- 
 cipal boundary', with the instrument in his private 
 office or house . . . . . . 12 o o 
 
 For a telephone connected to the local exchange, but 
 fixed in a casino, club, hotel, cafe, theatre, railway 
 station, or other place where it could be used by 
 strangers . . . . . . . . 40 o o 
 
 Three-minute local talk from a public telephone station . o o I -44 
 
 This local rate of 1 2/. payable by the subscriber meant that the 
 concessionary companies had to earn dividends 
 
 Per annum 
 
 s. d. 
 
 In Madrid on I2/. 20 per cent. . . . . .9120 
 
 ,, Bilbao on I2/. 34 per cent. . . . . .7185 
 
 ., Barcelona on I2/. 3375 per cent 7 19 o 
 
 ,, Valencia on I2/. 31 -5 per cent. . . . . 845 
 ,, Valladolid, &c., on 1 2/. 10 per cent. . . .10160 
 
 and so, providing subscribers were forthcoming in any decent 
 number, were in clover, even the lowest net rates being ample for 
 the purpose. How Swedish, Swiss, and Dutch telephone managers, 
 accustomed to work on 5/., 4/., and even 2/. gs. id. rates, would 
 revel in such exuberant figures ! Imagine Mynheer Jan Sot (see 
 Dutch section, p. 220) established on the banks of classical 
 Guadalquivir with net rates ranging from 8/. to io/. i6s. ! Spain, 
 to him, would be a telephonic El Dorado indeed. 
 
 But a telephone company without subscribers gets on but in- 
 differently well. The anticipated rush of hotel and casino keepers and 
 
326 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 railway managers anxious to pay 407. a year for a local telephone 
 connection developed but slowly, and even the stream of ordinary 
 twelve-pounders who did not keep casinos bore more resemblance 
 to a Ravensbourne than to a Mississippi. A concession was 
 granted for Felanitx, the inhabitants of which town were assumed 
 to be eager to get level with the necessities of modern life on the 
 1 2/. a year terms. An exchange was built and declared opened 
 in October 1888, at which time the only connection to it was a 
 public telephone station. At December 31, 1891, the date of the 
 last report, the system had neither grown nor decreased but was- 
 still open. At the end of 1890, after more than four years' de- 
 velopment, the exchanges in Madrid and Barcelona having been 
 opened in 1886, the number of subscribers in all Spain was 8,680, 
 connected to thirty-two exchanges, giving an average of 271 sub- 
 scribers per exchange. The total annual subscriptions actually 
 collected in 1890 amounted to 1,726,284 francs, or 198 francs 
 (7/. iSs. 5*/.) per subscriber. These results were, rightly enough, 
 considered unsatisfactory, and a third royal decree made its 
 appearance in November 1890 and came into operation on 
 January 2, 1891. The decree set forth that the State, instead 
 of being, as the royal decree of 1886 had alleged, a perpetual 
 obstacle to the development of telephoning, had, in Spain, proved 
 its greatest supporter. That opinions were now divided as to the 
 better method of control, State or company, so that it was deemed 
 judicious to recall the decree of 1886 in order that the State might 
 again be free to undertake exchange work where expedient. At 
 the same time, it was proposed to give future companies a greater 
 degree of freedom. This it certainly did in various ways. The 
 auction system was abandoned, and the royalty reduced from as 
 much as could be screwed out of the concessionaries to 10 per 
 cent, on the net earnings, with a minimum payment for each town 
 based on the number of inhabitants. Thus a town of 10,000 
 inhabitants or less must pay a minimum royalty of 4o/. per annum ; 
 10,001 to 20,000, 8o/. ; 20,001 to 50,000, 2oo/. ; increasing by steps 
 to 2,ooo/. for a town of 200,001 or more inhabitants. 
 
 The rates were generally reduced, even the unhappy casino- 
 keepers being remembered, and new regulations issued. As 
 these rates and regulations represent the conditions under which 
 
Spain 327 
 
 the telephonic industry in Spain is now pursued, they are given 
 rather fully below. With regard to trunk lines, concessions have 
 been granted for connecting Madrid to Saragossa, Barcelona, Pam- 
 peluna, St. Sebastian, Vittoria, Bilbao, Valencia, Tarrasa, and Saba- 
 dell. Of these, only the Madrid-Barcelona and the Bilbao-Vittoria 
 are at the date of writing (February 1895) reported finished. 
 
 The new policy has, it is understood, been attended by con- 
 siderable development. The last official report only extends to 
 the end of 1892, when the number of exchanges was forty- six, and 
 of subscribers 10,984. Practically the whole of the increase over 
 1890 had been won by the companies, for although the State had, 
 in pursuance of the new policy inaugurated by the decree of 1890, 
 opened no less than ten exchanges, its subscribers, after two years' 
 working, only numbered 135 ! The State management appears to 
 be on less liberal lines than that of the companies, since the 
 statistics show that it possesses no public telephone stations, and 
 that there is neither a telegram nor telephonogram service in con- 
 nection with its exchange. 
 
 The Spanish system, although now modified on decidedly 
 liberal lines so liberal as to include the cheapest rate for tele- 
 grams in the world is defective in one important particular. 
 The concessions are for twenty years only, after which the whole 
 system becomes the property of the State without payment to the 
 concessionaries of any kind, unless the State is willing to take over 
 the switch-boards and subscribers' instruments (a most unlikely 
 contingency, seeing that most of this apparatus will be of old 
 design and well worn), which will then be paid for at a rate to be 
 settled by arbitration failing friendly agreement. This means that 
 the concessionaries have not only to earn adequate interest on 
 their capital, but are to get back the principal too, and that within 
 twenty years. Such an arrangement must be bad for the sub- 
 scribers during the latter half of the concessionary term, for it 
 may be taken for granted that no improvements will be introduced 
 and the service starved in every conceivable way. And eventually 
 the State will come into possession of a system the upkeep of 
 which has been so neglected that a thorough reconstruction will 
 be the first thing it will have to set about. Technically, the future 
 in Spain is not bright ; for although metallic circuits prevail, we 
 
328 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 may be sure that Cheap Jack will rule the roast wherever possible. 
 The concessionary system cannot produce the best, or even 
 passably good, results with the bogle of confiscation growing 
 bigger and more imminent every year. 
 
 SERVICES AND TARIFFS 
 
 i. Rates for local exchange connections : 
 
 CLASS i. Connection to a private residence for the use of the 
 subscriber, his family, and servants only. 
 
 CLASS 2. Connection to a place of business for the use of the 
 subscriber, his partners, and employees only. 
 
 CLASS 3. Connection used by several occupants of the same 
 building. 
 
 CLASS 4. Connection to a casino, club, place of amusement, 
 cafe, theatre, or railway station, where it may be used by customers 
 or visitors. 
 
 p 
 
 er annum, quarterly in advance 
 
 Cla 
 
 ss r Class 2 
 
 Class 3 i Class 4 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 s. s. 
 
 s. 
 
 \ In a town of less than 10,000 inhabitants 4 
 
 16 ; 5 12 
 
 68 8 
 
 10,001 to 20,000 5 
 
 12 ! 6 8 
 
 7 4 12 
 
 20,001 ,, 50,000 6 
 
 8174 
 
 80 16 
 
 50,001 ,, 100,000 7 
 
 4 80 
 
 9 12 20 
 
 100,001 ,,200,000 8 
 
 o 8 16 
 
 114 24 
 
 200,001 and more 10 
 
 12 
 
 14 o 32 
 
 These rates apply to subscribers located within three kilometers 
 of the central exchange or of a branch switch-room. Beyond that 
 distance an excess rate of 2s. $d. per 100 meters must be paid. 
 An extra set of instruments connected to the same line by a 
 switch is supplied for i6s. per annum. The Government and 
 provincial and municipal authorities enjoy a reduction of 40 per 
 cent, on all local rates. A subscriber is entitled to deduct from 
 his next payment in advance the proportion of his subscription 
 proper to the number of days (if any) on which his line has been 
 interrupted during the preceding quarter. On the other hand, he 
 
Spain 329 
 
 may be required to deposit 75 francs (37.) to cover the value of 
 his instrument. 
 
 2. Rates for internal trunk lines. Time unit, three minutes. 
 
 Up to 50 kilometers 
 
 s. 
 
 d 
 5"? 
 
 5i ioo . 
 
 101 ,, 200 ,, . 
 201 ,, 300 ,, . 
 3OI ,, 4OO ,, ... 
 
 . o 
 
 J 
 
 67 
 4-8 
 
 Q-6 
 
 401 ,, 500 . . . 
 
 5OI ,, 6OO ,, . 
 
 For each additional ioo kilometers 
 
 . 2 
 . 2 
 . O 
 
 y v 
 
 2-4 
 7-2 
 4-8 
 
 The State has reserved the right to use each trunk line for 
 public purposes one hour every day free of all charge, and for a 
 second hour at a reduction of 40 per cent, on the above rates. 
 The concessionary has to pay a royalty of 10 per cent, on his net 
 receipts i.e. his profits with a minimum payment of i6s. per kilo- 
 meter of trunk line per annum. He has also to deposit with the 
 Government a sum equal to i/. i2s. per kilometer. 
 
 3. Rates for public telephone stations. For local talks : 
 
 Subscribers ......... free 
 
 Non-subscribers, per three minutes or less . . . I -92^. 
 
 For trunk talks : Subscribers and non-subscribers, as per trunk 
 tariff above. 
 
 4. Telephoning of telegrams. There is no provision in the 
 authorised tariff's for this service, but the statistics (see p. 331) show 
 that it exists. 
 
 5. Rates for the telephoning of messages for local delivery 
 (telephonograms). The exchanges write down and deliver by 
 messenger to non-subscribers located in the same town messages 
 which may be dictated from a subscribers' office or from a public 
 telephone station, or written and handed in at a public telephone 
 station. This really constitutes a local telegram service. The 
 rates are : 
 
 For a message of 20 words or less . . . . . i '92^. 
 
 ,, each additional 5 words ...... 480'. 
 
 When a message is addressed to more than one person : 
 
 each extra copy . ...... '96^. 
 
330 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 The Spaniards may well be congratulated on having established 
 a record in telegraphic rates. Twenty words for rather less than 
 twopence is calculated to stir up feelings of envy in less fortu- 
 nate people, such as those, for instance, who may not send written 
 messages by telephone at all and have to pay 6d. for twelve words, 
 however short the distance covered. 
 
 WOEK 
 
 The author has not had an opportunity of personally inspecting 
 the Spanish exchanges, which are, to a large extent, in the hands 
 of French companies. The character of the work is, as is natural 
 under such circumstances, decidedly French. In fact, the Societe 
 Generale des Telephones, of Paris, supplied practically the whole of 
 the material used up till 1891, when the customs war between the 
 two countries interposed a barrier to the importation of French 
 apparatus, which practically killed the trade. The business is 
 now supplied, but principally on French models, from workshops 
 established in Spain itself, although Belgian instruments are not 
 unknown. The prevailing type of subscribers' apparatus comprises 
 Ader transmitters, Ader receivers, push-buttons, trembling bells, 
 and Leclanche cells. The usual class of switch-board is that 
 designed by M. Berthon and used in Paris during the reign of 
 the Societe Generale des Telephones, and which has been oftert 
 described. An exception is the case of Madrid, which has 
 recently been provided with a multiple board of the Western 
 Electric Company's ordinary type. In regard to outside work, 
 that at Madrid is remarkable as consisting chiefly of aerial cables, 
 a form of construction necessitated by a municipal decree which 
 forbids the employment of any open wire for a greater distance 
 than 500 meters. The cables usually contain twelve wires, of a 
 resistance of forty ohms per kilometer, insulated with rubber 
 and wrapped in waterproofed tape. They are suspended from 
 galvanised steel wires of 3 mm. diameter by steel hooks placed 
 one meter apart. The Spanish system is, however, a model in 
 one of the most important of all respects it is metallic circuit 
 throughout. 
 
Spain 331 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 At December 31, 1892, the date of the last published return, 
 the position of Spanish telephones was as follows : 
 
 State Companies 
 
 Number of exchanges ..... 10 36 
 
 ,, subscribers 135 10,849 
 
 Length of wire in use, in kilometers . . 390 22,432 
 
 Number of public stations .... 28 
 Number of local talks between subscribers, for 
 
 y ear 73,258 1,237,235 
 
 Number of local talks from public stations, for 
 
 year 26,538 
 
 Number of telegram? telephoned, for year . 13,088 
 Number of telephonograms from subscribers, 
 
 for year 12,143 
 Number of telephonograms from public stations, 
 
 for year 2,356 
 
332 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 XXIII. SWEDEN 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 IN Sweden at the present day one may gain a glimpse of what 
 telephony in the future will be everywhere, and an inkling of the 
 kind of problem which awaits the coming telephone engineers. 
 In population Stockholm is about n,ooo souls behind Edinburgh 
 (Edinburgh, 1891, 263,646; Stockholm, 1892, 252,574). Both 
 are capitals. In Stockholm at the end of 1894 there were 11,534 
 exchange instruments in operation ; in Edinburgh about 1,000. 
 In Stockholm each hundred inhabitants, including women, chil- 
 dren, and babies, had 4*57 instruments between them one and a 
 fraction over to every twenty-five souls. In Edinburgh each 
 hundred inhabitants had "37 a little more than a third part of a 
 telephone between them. Taking the population of London as 
 5,600,000, and imagining that London telephonically were on a 
 par with Stockholm, what should we find? Why, that London 
 would then possess 
 
 exchange instruments ! What is the present number ? About 
 8,000, or "14 per hundred inhabitants. 
 
 The credit of the Swedish development is unquestionably due 
 in a large measure to Mr. H. T. Cedergren, the managing director 
 of the Allmanna Telefonaktiebolag (General Telephone Company) 
 of Stockholm. He has truly been the Hotspur of telephonic 
 warfare ever in the front with extensions and improvements ; 
 ever devising new uses and applications for the telephone ; ever 
 appealing to the public for support, and, what is a great deal 
 
Sweden 
 
 333 
 
 more to the purpose, ever deserving it. Mr. Cedergren was 
 amongst the first to perceive the sufficiency of a low rate of sub- 
 scription, and to appreciate its fostering power on the telephonic 
 industry. At first a theory only, the keen competition which 
 ensued in Stockholm when the original monopoly of the Inter- 
 national Bell Telephone Company was attacked, provided the 
 opportunity for its practical demonstration. The result of the 
 low rates and Mr. Cedergren's unceasing energy has been to place 
 Sweden in the foremost telephonic position in the world. ' And 
 what,' the advocates of high rates will ask, ' and what about 
 the poor unfortunate shareholders ? ' Well, as will be seen further 
 on, those commiserated personages have received year after year 
 better dividends than telephone shareholders in the United King- 
 dom ever did, 1 or are ever likely to. 'But,' say the advocates, 
 * Cedergren had everything his own way no opposition free 
 way-leaves low-priced labour a benevolent corporation a free- 
 handed and complaisant Government.' Nothing of the kind 
 a mere collection of red herrings. 
 
 The pioneer in Sweden was the International Bell Telephone 
 Company, which opened in Stockholm and Gothenburg in 1880 and 
 soon afterwards in a few other towns. But the rates were high and 
 development was slow until opposition appeared in Stockholm in 
 1883 in the guise of a local Mr. Cedergren's company, and in 
 Gothenburg in the form of a co-operative telephone society, the 
 idea of which was that each member should pay for the cost of 
 his line, instrument, and proportion of switch-room apparatus, 
 and contribute 3/. 6s. M. per annum towards the working and 
 upkeep of the system, which contribution would be reduced, after 
 the formation of an adequate reserve fund, whenever circum- 
 stances permitted. The idea was found to work out well in prac- 
 tice, and Sweden was soon dotted with co-operative telephone 
 exchanges, even villages with names undiscoverable in the best 
 gazetteers indulging in what was at first looked upon partly as a 
 scientific curiosity and partly as a luxury, but which soon proved 
 to be a useful adjunct of everyday life. 
 
 The extent of the mine waiting to be worked was soon demon- 
 
 1 With the exception, perhaps, of those of the Dundee and District Telephonic 
 Company, Limited (see page 7), which worked on a s/. los. rate. 
 
334 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 strated by Mr. Cedergren's methods. Instead of a yearly rental 
 of 8/. 17 s. 9</. (the Bell Company's rate) the new competitor asked 
 2/. 155-. yd. down on connection, and thereafter an annual inclusive 
 subscription of 5/. us. \d. The Bell Company was, of course, 
 convinced that Mr. Cedergren had simply discovered a royal road 
 to ruin for himself and friends, and that all that was necessary to 
 bring about his self-immolation was to allow him sufficient room 
 to caper about in. So when at the end of 1883, after seven 
 months' working, his exchange had 785 instruments connected, as 
 many as the Bell had after three years, it was felt that he was 
 advancing towards his inevitable goal with satisfactory rapidity. 
 But when at the end of 1884 he had 2,288 against the Bell's 
 900 or so, and was moreover paying dividends, it was perceived 
 that there was a certain or rather uncertain, for it was not easily 
 understood method in his madness. Then the Bell Company 
 began to wake up, but it was too late ; and it never afterwards 
 played but a secondary part in the telephonic game. Ultimately 
 its Stockholm system, with the exception of the Ostermalms 
 district in the north-east of the town, was bought and incor- 
 porated by the General Company. The Ostermalms exchange 
 has preserved a separate organisation, but practically it forms part 
 of the General system, since free intercommunication between the 
 two prevails. As early as 1884 the General Company began to 
 extend its operations to other towns in the neighbourhood of 
 Stockholm and to erect trunk lines between them. This was 
 found to be a remunerative undertaking, and in the next suc- 
 ceeding years was pushed to such an extent that the Government 
 began to take alarm for its telegraph revenue, more especially 
 after an application by the General Company for a concession to 
 run trunk lines to Gothenburg, Malmo, and other of the prin- 
 cipal towns. The question of the proposed concession became a 
 burning topic in Parliament ; special committees took it in hand ; 
 and deputations headed by Mr. Cedergren carried it even to the 
 foot of the throne. Ultimately, it was decided to give the State 
 post and telegraph department the exclusive right to erect inter- 
 town wires except within a radius of seventy kilometers (43^ miles) 
 around Stockholm, within which area the General Telephone 
 Company was left free to do as it liked. Mr. Cedergren's long- 
 
Sweden 335 
 
 distance ambition was thus baulked ; but the inhabitants of the 
 yo-kilometer radius have no reason to lament the fact, for his 
 energies, being concentrated within that circle, have led to its 
 becoming, without any exception, the best-telephoned bit of 
 country in the world. 
 
 But the jealousy of the telegraph department had now been 
 thoroughly aroused. It was no longer content to erect trunks for 
 the use of local companies and co-operative societies. It was 
 felt that by doing so and nothing more it was taking most of the 
 expense and risk and least of the profit, profit moreover gained 
 {as was then imagined) by competing with, and murdering, its 
 own telegraph revenue. So the State determined to go in for 
 the better paying part the local exchanges also ; and began by 
 purchasing the Gothenburg and other provincial exchanges of the 
 International Bell Telephone Company. In Stockholm there 
 was already existing at the central telegraph office a small tele- 
 phone exchange for the use of the Government departments, and 
 this was made the nucleus of a public system. The Swedish 
 State telegraph department having definitely entered the lists, 
 determined to do its work well. It made metallic circuits an 
 inexorable rule, and underground work an end to be aimed at 
 wherever possible. The experience of the General Company had 
 demonstrated the feasibility and potency in developing custom of 
 low rates, and the State started in Stockholm with a first payment 
 of 2/. 155. yd. on connection, and an annual subscription there- 
 after of 4/. Ss. i id., or i/. 2s. 2d. below that of the General Com- 
 pany, which was to cover free communication not only in Stock- 
 holm, but within a radius of seventy kilometers around ! It was a 
 programme metallic circuits against single wires, underground 
 wires against overhead, direct connection with the long-distance 
 trunks, all combined with an appreciably lower rate and a free 
 7o-kilometer radius that deserved success and was calculated 
 to alarm the General Company. But Cedergren was used to 
 competition. He had at this period over 5,000 subscribers work- 
 ing in Stockholm alone, and his service was as good as is com- 
 patible with single wires. But that was not enough ; and the 
 State had scarcely got its exchange in operation before the 
 General Company began to convert its system to metallic circuit, 
 
336 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 section after section of the multiple switch-board at the central 
 station being altered to meet the new requirements, communica- 
 tion between the two sets being kept up by means of translators, 
 until in 1894 there was not a single wire left in Stockholm. 
 Probably the State had intended to intimidate the company into 
 selling its system, and had there been a nervous man at the helm 
 that result would probably have been brought about ; but Cedergren 
 picked up the proffered gauntlet and set about fighting the State 
 as vigorously as he had done the Bell Company. He did not 
 even reduce his subscription of 5/. 1 1 s. id. to meet the State's 
 4/. 85-. \\d., simply notifying that all subscribers' lines would be 
 changed to metallic circuit without extra charge, and that the 
 subscription would henceforth cover communication with all 
 the company's subscribers within the yo-kilometer radius. The 
 results are curious. The State opposition began to be pushed 
 with energy in 1890, at the end of which year the General Com- 
 pany had 5,186 instruments connected. At the end of 1894, 
 after four years of active rivalry, the General Company had 8,336 
 instruments and the State 2,400 that is to say, a respective in- 
 crease of 3,150 and 2,000 since the end of 1890. Both systems 
 have consequently found a field, just as the starting and rapid 
 increase of the Mutual Telephone Company's exchange in Man- 
 chester took place without arresting the development of the 
 National Telephone Company's system in the same town. The 
 success of the General Company in its opposition is the more 
 surprising since its subscribers are placed at a disadvantage (see 
 Tariffs], as compared with those of the State, both in the use of 
 the trunks and in telephoning telegrams. The result tends to 
 confirm the often-expressed view that Government departments 
 cannot successfully compete with properly directed private enter- 
 prise, a view which has also received practical illustration outside 
 the precincts of Sweden. 
 
 In all the chief provincial towns the State now owns the tele- 
 phone service, either by acquiring it from its original proprietors 
 or in virtue of its own initiative. In some towns, Gothenburg 
 for instance, there is opposition ; but this is growing more and 
 more feeble because the State declines (except in Stockholm) to 
 allow its competitors to use the trunk lines, participate in the 
 
Sweden 
 
 337 
 
 telegram service, or even, in some cases, to intercommunicate on 
 any terms with its own subscribers in the same locality. 
 
 In many of the smaller towns and villages co-operative 
 societies still afford the only means of telephonic communication, 
 but they are gradually disappearing under the encroachments of 
 the State. At the end of 1892, the latest available statistic, there 
 
 * f Of 
 
 STOCKHOLM 
 
 ' Primary Exchange 
 Secondary 
 
 1. The North .. 
 
 2. The Exchange for the 
 Central part of Stockholm 
 -.5. The South Exchange 
 
 FIG. 113 
 
 were 158 co-operative exchanges, of which thirty were in towns 
 and the rest in villages and rural communes. At the same date 
 there were 466 telephone exchanges and 27,658 subscribers in 
 Sweden. When it is recollected that the population is under five 
 millions ; that there are only eight towns of more than 20,000 
 inhabitants, and eleven more of between 10,000 and 20,000, this 
 
338 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 development is little short of^ marvellous. Compare the National 
 Telephone Company's return for 1893 a year later of 540 
 exchanges and 53,784 subscribers for the whole of the United 
 Kingdom with its population of thirty-eight millions ! The consti- 
 tutions of the Swedish co-operative societies are very similar. In 
 the first place a member pays the whole cost of his connection 
 to the exchange, and is annually assessed with his share of the 
 working and maintenance expenses of the system, together with a 
 contribution to the reserve fund. In the towns (as in Gothen- 
 burg) this assessment is sometimes as high as 3/. 6s. 8^/., but in the 
 villages it may be as low as 255-. or 30^. 
 
 In the Ostermalms district of Stockholm, which is still worked 
 by the Bell Company, the Swiss method of charging is in opera- 
 tion, the subscribers paying an annual subscription of i/. iqs. 9^., 
 which entitles them to a hundred free calls every three months 
 each call over that number being charged i "$d. 
 
 The success of the low rates in Stockholm, both State and 
 company's, is rendered more surprising by the fact that the use 
 of numerous submarine cables is rendered absolutely unavoidable 
 by the geographical character of the locality. Not only is Stock- 
 holm itself built on several islands (fig. 113), but between the city 
 and the Baltic, the islets, nearly all of which contain villages or 
 at least summer residences, are several hundreds in number. A 
 large proportion of them is in connection with either one or both 
 telephonic systems, necessitating constant attention to submarine 
 cable work. The General Company, in fact, keeps a small 
 steamer specially for the purpose. 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED IN STOCKHOLM BY THE GENERAL 
 TELEPHONE COMPANY AND THE STATE TELEGRAPH 
 DEPARTMENT 
 
 1. Local intercommunication between its own subscribers 
 and public stations and those of the rival system. 
 
 2. Communication within a 70-kilometer radius around 
 Stockholm. 
 
 3. Internal trunk service. Every Swedish town of note and 
 many villages are in trunk connection. 
 
Sweden 339 
 
 4. International trunk service. This exists to Norway and 
 Denmark only. A line to Finland or Russia is not yet spoken of. 
 
 5. Telephoning of telegrams. The State's own subscribers 
 are switched through to the central telegraph office for the trans- 
 mission of their telegrams, but this . facility .is denied to the 
 General Company's supporters. But Mr. Cedergren has esta- 
 blished an office adjacent to the central telegraph station where 
 his subscribers' telegrams are written down by company's clerks 
 and immediately handed in over the counter for transmission. 
 Conversely, telegrams for his subscribers are delivered at the 
 special office and telephoned to the addressees. This rnay, 
 perhaps, be a little less rapid than direct connection with the 
 telegraph department, but the difference is not great, and the 
 subscribers are reconciled to it by enjoying the service free, while 
 the State's subscribers have to pay '66d. per message. 
 
 6. Local message (telephonogram) service. 
 
 7. Messenger service. 
 
 8. Public telephone stations. In Stockholm a public tele- 
 phone station belonging to the State or to the General Company 
 is met with about every hundred yards in the principal streets, 
 as nearly every hotel, restaurant, and tobacco-shop keeps one. 
 These keepers pay the full tariff for their instruments and are 
 allowed to retain all local receipts in the case of the company, and 
 25 per cent, of the receipts in the case of the State. Public 
 stations are also numerous in the provincial towns. The company 
 has tried and abandoned many forms of automatic slot machines ; 
 the State is now about to experiment with them. The General 
 Telephone Company's services Nos. 3 and 4 have to be conducted 
 through the intermediary of the rival exchange and paid for. 
 
 The State renders similar services in the other towns in which 
 it is established, except that the international wires are not yet 
 available from all points. The yo-kilometer radius is, of course, 
 an arrangement peculiar to Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo, &c., 
 having lacked local Cedergrens at the critical moment. The 
 General Telephone Company is conducted on similar lines in 
 Upsala and the other towns within the yo-kilometer radius in 
 which it does business. 
 
 z 2 
 
34O Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 TARIFFS 
 
 i. General Company's exchange. Rates for local exchange 
 communication. Subscribers are divided into four classes. 
 
 Admission Annual 
 
 fee subscription 
 
 s. d. s. d. 
 CLASS I. For a direct metallic circuit to any 
 
 of the three principal switch-rooms 215 7 511 i 
 II. Two subscribers on one metallic 
 circuit or on separate metallic cir- 
 cuits joined to one jack and indi- 
 cator at the exchange, each .2157 4811 
 ,, III. Three subscribers on one metallic 
 circuit or joined to one jack and 
 
 indicator, each . . . .2157 368 
 ,, IV For a direct metallic circuit to one 
 of the branch switch-rooms with 
 restriction to 100 free calls every 
 three months, every extra call 
 being paid for on the Swiss system 
 at i'3</. per call . . . o n \\ i 19 9 
 
 In addition there is a ship tariff : 
 
 For one vessel on a direct metallic circuit .2157 4811 
 For each additional vessel using the same 
 
 metallic circuit . . . . .2157 2157 
 
 There is no extra charge if a line exceeds a kilometer in 
 length. Contracts are generally for five years. The admission 
 fee may, at the subscriber's option, be paid down on the con- 
 nection being completed or spread over the five years of the 
 contract. Classes I., II., and III. are allowed unlimited communi- 
 cation with all the General Company's subscribers in Stockholm 
 and within the yo-kilometer radius, and with all subscribers to the 
 Bell Telephone Company as well. 
 
 Communication with the State exchange subscribers in Stock- 
 holm or seventy kilometers around, i "$d. per talk, no time limit, 
 within the town ; 1*3^. per five minutes beyond. This charge is 
 paid over to the State. 
 
 2. General Company's exchange. >jo-kilometer radius. The 
 local rates, Classes L, II., and III., cover free and unrestricted com- 
 
Sweden 341 
 
 munication with any part of the yo-kilometer radius, in which, at 
 the end of 1894, the company possessed 2,012 subscribers, besides 
 the 8,334 within Stockholm city. Two subscribers located on 
 opposite sides of the radius may consequently converse at will 
 without extra charge over a distance of 140 kilometers (87 miles). 
 
 3. General Company's exchange. Internal trunk rates. 
 Same as those of the State, plus i -3^. per connection, which also 
 goes to the State. Accounts are collected every three months. 
 The record of connections on which money is payable by the 
 company to the State is kept by the State operator, and, as a rule, 
 this record must be accepted as correct. The State pays the 
 General Company 1-3^. for each conversation originated by a 
 State with a company's subscriber. 
 
 4. General Company ' s exchange. International trunk rates. 
 The company's subscribers do not participate in this service. 
 
 5. General Company's exchange. Rates for the telephoning 
 of telegrams. This service is free, but subscribers using it must 
 keep a deposit balance of not less than 55-. 6d. with the company. 
 
 6. General Company's exchange. Local message service rates. 
 Same as the State's, which see. 
 
 7. General Company's exchange. Messenger service rates. 
 Same as the State's, which see. 
 
 8. General Company's exchange. Public telephone station 
 rates. For communication with any company's subscriber in 
 Stockholm or seventy kilometers around, \"$d. Time may be 
 limited to five minutes if necessary. Connections to State sub- 
 scribers, 2'6d. Trunk rates those of the State, plus 1-3^. per 
 connection. Subscribers have no advantage over strangers in 
 using the public stations. 
 
 i. State exchange. Rates for local exchange communication. 
 
 Admission Annual 
 
 fee subscription 
 
 s. d. s. d. 
 
 For a business connection not over two kilo- 
 meters from the nearest switch-room .215 7 4811 
 For a private house connection, the State 
 reserving the right to put two houses 
 
 on the same line .... 368 
 
 Members of Parliament (four months in the 
 
 year only) ...... 1132 
 
34 2 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Ship-owners who have their vessels fitted with telephones, so that 
 they can connect with the exchange on coming alongside the 
 quay at their usual berth, are charged 2/. 155-. ^d. per annum in 
 addition to the cost of the ship and shore connections. Con- 
 tracts are for five years. 
 
 Communication with the General Company's subscribers, 
 i'3*/. per talk, no time limit, within the town; i'3^. per five 
 minutes beyond. 
 
 2. State exchange. ^Q-kilometer radius. The local charges 
 named above cover communication with any State subscriber 
 within seventy kilometers of Stockholm. 
 
 3. State exchange. Internal trunk rates. 
 
 Per 3 minutes or 
 fraction thereof 
 
 Up to 100 kilometers ...... 2d. 
 
 100 ,, 250 ,, ...... ^d. 
 
 250 ,, 600 ,, 6-6cL 
 
 600 ,, 900 ,, ...... 9'9</. 
 
 Over 900 . . . . . . . . 13-25^. 
 
 Talks may be extended indefinitely so long as the line is not 
 wanted by others. There are no ' express ' or ' urgent ' connec- 
 tions, and the tariff is not reduced at night. Unless a caller's 
 request can be met and satisfied, he is not charged anything, 
 notwithstanding that the operators and wires are sometimes 
 engaged a considerable time in vainly trying to arrange the con- 
 nection ; but a subscriber who engages a trunk for a certain time 
 and fails from any reason to use it, is debited with the cost of a 
 conversation. 
 
 4. State exchange. International trunk rates. 
 
 Per 3 minutes 
 
 .s-. d. 
 Stockholm to Christiania . . . . . . .18 
 
 ,, ,, Drammen, Drobak, Lillestrommen, &c. . i 10 
 
 ,, ,, Copenhagen 2 2\ 
 
 Malmo ,, ,, . . . . . . .18 
 
 5. State exchange. Rates for telephoning of telegrams. The 
 charge for a telephoned telegram is '66d., irrespective of the number 
 of words. Subscribers are not required to make a preliminary 
 deposit, but the State charges 2 per cent, on the amount of 
 accounts to cover the cost of keeping them. 
 
Sweden 343 
 
 6. State exchange. Local message set vice rates. A sub- 
 scriber may telephone a message of not more than forty words 
 to a telegraph office, where it is written down and delivered by 
 messenger ; or any person may hand in a written message of 
 similar length at a telegraph or public telephone station and have 
 it telephoned to a subscriber for 3*3^. 
 
 7. State exchange. Messenger service rates. A non-sub- 
 scriber may be called by messenger to a public station for 3-3^. 
 
 8. State exchange. Public telephone stations rates. 
 
 Within Stockholm ........ i -^d. 
 
 Beyond Stockholm, but within 7O-kilometer radius . . I 'f)^i. 
 
 Time unit, three minutes. Subscribers have to pay equally with 
 non-subscribers. The trunk rates are the same as from the sub- 
 scribers' offices. When a General Company's subscriber is called 
 from a State public station the charge is doubled. 
 
 BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY 
 
 This company has but one rate, which is identical with the 
 General Telephone Company's Class IV. It covers free com- 
 munication with the latter company's subscribers. 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 
 
 The Government enjoys no special advantages except in 
 respect to the State railways and the State lands, which, however, 
 are very extensive. With private owners and with municipalities 
 agreements have to be negotiated. In 1892 the Stockholm Town 
 Council, owing to a difference of opinion about the laying of the 
 State underground mains, withdrew a previously granted permission 
 to open the streets, and the Government had to submit pending 
 adjustment of the dispute. The Town Council has recently 
 granted a corresponding way-leave for underground conduits to 
 the General Company. The companies may not even cross the 
 State railways and lands with their wires without permission ; in 
 other respects they enjoy equal facilities. When the number of 
 wires fixed is small, a nominal acknowledgment only is paid ; 
 when large standards carrying one hundred wires or over are 
 
344 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 wanted, it is usual to give a free exchange connection .in return 
 for the accommodation. 
 
 The obtaining of way-leaves in Stockholm is much facilitated 
 by the mode of roofing buildings. Slates or tiles are rarely em- 
 ployed, the buildings being covered with sheet iron, painted, 
 which is not readily damaged by workmen. Complaints, so 
 common in England, of leakage are consequently rare. Most 
 buildings have also a common stairway from the street level to 
 the roof, so that access can be had without passing through the 
 interiors. Way-leaves are consequently not so difficult to obtain 
 and retain as with us ; moreover, the mode of joining the squares 
 of sheet iron results in a series of ridges which afford a hold to 
 the linemen, and render the roof safer to work on. 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 
 
 General Telephone Company's system. Originally working 
 with one central station, and after its fusion with the International 
 Bell Company with two, the General Company has within the last 
 two years entirely changed its plan, and simultaneously with its 
 change to metallic circuits remodelled its switching arrangements. 
 Fig. 113, which is a map of Stockholm city divided into eight 
 switching districts, gives a clear idea of the existing arrangement, 
 which, it will be seen, bears a strong resemblance to the plan 
 originally suggested by General Webber advocated in the author's 
 British Association paper of August 24, 1891, and which, had it not 
 been for the death of the late Duke of Marlborough, would have 
 come into operation in London on January i, 1893. The adoption 
 of some such plan is inevitable in the future, both on the score of 
 expense, of accommodation for wires and of switching space. A 
 central station may conceivably be arranged to take 30,000 or even 
 36,000 subscribers, if the wires could be got to it, but beyond that 
 number the complications involved would be too costly to be faced. 
 And even 36,000 is not enough, as it has already been shown that 
 London, on the example of Stockholm, may reasonably be expected 
 to require accommodation for 250,000 subscribers in the not dis- 
 tant future. The existing arrangements are ludicrously deficient as 
 it is, and no extension of them could possibly meet the tenth part 
 
Sweden 345 
 
 of such a demand ; so the ultimate adoption of the British Associa- 
 tion, or divisional, plan is inevitable. That such an authority as 
 Mr. Cedergrenhas recognised the fact and adapted it to the needs 
 of the most telephonically advanced city in the world, affords 
 gratifying confirmation of the author's convictiqns. 
 
 The backbone of the Stockholm system is the line of what 
 are called primary switch-rooms, known as Brunkeberg, Stortorget, 
 and Maria. Subscribers of Classes I., II. and III. are only con- 
 nected to these, so that they obtain amongst themselves a service 
 which never brings into requisition any of the branch switch-rooms. 
 Of these branch rooms there are four belonging to the General 
 Company and one to the Bell Company ; but as the working 
 agreement between the two concerns is of the most intimate 
 character, the Bell room practically forms part of the General 
 Company's system. The only difference is that, whereas the 
 General Company uses Ericsson's instruments for all its sub- 
 scribers, the Bell Company supplies magnetos of the American 
 type, Bell receivers, and Ericsson transmitters. To these five 
 branch rooms only members of Class IV. are joined, it having 
 been found by experience that it is only the smaller people who 
 do not make frequent use of their instruments who choose this 
 mode of subscribing ; but this class is also joined to the three 
 primary rooms when they happen to be the nearest. The three 
 primary switch-rooms are connected together by a large number 
 of junctions 1 , and each branch or secondary room possesses 
 junctions to every other room, both primary and secondary. 
 
 On December 31, 1894, the instruments connected to this 
 extensive system numbered 9,136, divided as follows : 
 
 General Company, Class I. ..... 3>359 
 
 II 1*847 
 
 HI 1,482 
 
 IV. ... .684 
 
 Extension lines .... 964 
 
 Bell Company (all like Class IV. ) . . . . .800 
 
 9,136 
 
 By adding the 2,400 instruments of the State exchange, with 
 which all are also in connection, the telephonic circle of Stock- 
 holm city is found to possess a total membership of 11,536. 
 
346 TelepJione Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 The largest switch-room is at the General Company's old 
 central in the Brunkeberg division, where there are 5,547 sub- 
 scribers actually connected. The board was originally a Western 
 Electric single-wire, double-cord, series multiple of twenty tables 
 and an ultimate capacity of 7,000. It was altered section by section 
 
 in the General Company's 
 workshop during the conver- 
 sion to metallic circuit, and 
 made to conform in pattern 
 to eleven new tables, which, 
 when added, raised the ulti- 
 mate capacity to 12,000 lines. 
 This great capacity is achieved 
 by reducing the size of the 
 jacks and by sloping some of 
 them over the operators' heads 
 in the manner shown at j in 
 fig. 114, which is an end sec- 
 tion of the board. The ex- 
 periment is interesting, but a 
 stretch above the floor of two 
 meters (6 ft. 6| in.) will be 
 required when the table is full. 
 The length of each table, which 
 takes 300 subscribers' lines and 
 three operators, is 1*62 meters. 
 The dimensions of the jacks 
 are : each jack 1 1 x 1 1 mm., and 
 each set of 100 jacks (five rows 
 of twenty), with necessary space 
 for screws, is 55 -x 249 mm. 
 The capacity of 1 2,000 is made 
 FlG - "4 up of 6 x 20 sets of 100 jacks. 
 
 During conversion to metallic circuits, a portion of this board 
 was altered to single-cord, but, after some experience, changed 
 again to double. 
 
 In the Southern, or Maria, exchange a switch-board, of six 
 tables of 3oo-line capacity, possessing several novel features has 
 
Sweden 
 
 347 
 
 recently been fitted. It is a metallic circuit, double-cord, parallel- 
 jack multiple, with self-restoring drops of a new design. With 
 the exception of these drops, which are manufactured by Ericsson 
 & Co., the whole table was made in the workshops of the 
 General Telephone Company. The self- restoring drop is shown 
 in fig. 115. The signalling magnet M I is placed in front of the 
 restoring one M 2 (see also fig. 117). The armature is a bent lever 
 L 1 pivoted at /, which, when unattracted, engages with and 
 holds up the shutter s working on the pivot pi. On dropping the 
 shutter, its base B strikes against a pin which runs in a guide the 
 whole length of the magnets and terminates at the back in a 
 shoulder Y and a pointed head z ; forces the pin back, and closes 
 the contacts c 1 c 2 of the night-bell and 'attention' indicator circuit. 
 On operating the restoring magnet M 2 , the armature L 2 is attracted, 
 and its point, striking against the shoulder Y, forces back the pin, 
 
 which in its turn lifts the shutter s to its position of rest. At the 
 back of the drop will be seen another pair of contacts c 3 c 4 and 
 an ivory pin I attached to the armature L 2 . While L 2 remains 
 attracted under the influence of the restoring, which is also the 
 test, battery (three Tudor accumulators of 175 amp hours), the 
 pin i presses the contacts c 3 c 4 apart and breaks the circuit of the 
 M 1 coils, thus cutting out the signalling indicators during con- 
 nection, and leaving only the ring-off drop in derivation across 
 the loop. The ring-off drops are also automatically restored, but 
 mechanically. Fig. 116 shows the arrangement. L is a lever 
 pivoted at /, which, when unrestrained by the weight of the plug 
 p or pressure on the finger stud A, allows the plunger D to fall. 
 The plunger presses against a spring c placed under the electro- 
 magnet M. The shutter s is provided with a curved base piece B, 
 which, on the shutter falling, depresses the spring and closes the 
 circuit of the night-bell and ' attention ' indicator. The restora- 
 
348 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 tion is effected by replacing the plugs or depressing the finger 
 stud. The general arrangement of the jacks, test and restoring 
 circuits is shown in fig. 117, which explains itself. The attention 
 signal, included in the night-bell circuit, is intended to assist the 
 lady superintendent. Each operating section has two one with 
 a white flag in connection with all the signalling indicators of that 
 section, the other with a red flag in connection with all the 
 ring-off drops of that section. Small white and red glow lamps 
 
 FIG. 116 
 
 have been tried instead of indicators with coloured shutters ; they 
 answer perfectly, and as self-restorers cannot be surpassed. By 
 their position the superintendent can see whether any signalling 
 drop has fallen and remains unanswered, or any ring-off has been 
 given and left unnoticed. To enable operators to detect a dis- 
 connection on a subscriber's line, a polarised electro-magnet 
 working a visual signal is included in the ringing circuit, the 
 armature of which oscillates during ringing if the line is right. 
 
Sweden 
 
 349 
 
 Fig. 118 shows the operating connections, with details of the 
 keys. It will be seen that the operator replies to a call by pressing 
 the key and speaking on the right-hand cord, and that the desired 
 subscriber is called by merely pressing the same key lower down 
 while the operator is still speaking to the caller. None of the 
 metallic parts of the keys can be touched. A connection counter, 
 or at least a counter of the number of times the connection key 
 is operated, is included in the arrangements. There are already 
 over 1,000 subscribers working on this board, the ultimate 
 capacity of which is 6 x 18 sets of 100 jacks = 10,800, and the 
 designers are perfectly satisfied with the results obtained. The 
 general outline of the board resembles that shown in fig. 114, 
 
 REPEAT JACKS 
 
 ta 
 ANSWERING JACK 
 
 ACCUMULATORS^ 
 
 SELF RESTORED 
 DROP 
 
 FIG. 117 
 
 without the overhanging projection. The measurements of tables 
 and jacks are the same. 
 
 The Stortorget switch-board, by Ericsson & Co., consists of 
 six tables of 300 lines, and is designed for an ultimate capacity of 
 7,800. It is on the single-cord principle, with jacks measuring 
 ii x 13 mm., the set of 100 occupying 70 x 249 mm. 
 
 The Bell Company's board, also by Ericsson & Co., has 
 only two tables, each for 300 subscribers and three operators. 
 The subscribers' lines are arranged for double-cord switching, but 
 the inward junction lines terminate in separate cords. The jacks 
 are of the same dimensions as those at Brunkeberg, and the board 
 may be expanded to take 3,600 lines ultimately. 
 
MK 
 
 BK 
 
 FIG. it8 MK, magneto key RO, ring-off drop ; BK, battery key ; T, test ; TS, answering 
 switch ; TR, transmitter ; CK, connecting and calling key ; R, receiver ; RC, right-hand 
 cord ; TB, transmitter battery ; LC, left-hand cord ; cc, connection counter ; u, magneto 
 
Sweden 
 
 351 
 
 The traffic between the two Stockholm systems is large, both 
 for local and trunk work, and the junction wires are consequently 
 
 GENERAL EXCHANGE STOCKHOLM. 
 
 MULTIPLE DOUBLE -CORD SWITCHBOARD. 
 CAPACITY, 12.000 SUBSCRIBERS 
 
 
 JACKS 
 
 Do. 
 
 DO. 
 
 DO. 
 
 DO. 
 
 o= 
 
 0= 
 
 g- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ANNUNCIATORS 
 
 Do 
 
 DO. 
 
 DO. 
 
 DO. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 GOVERNMENT EXCHANGE STOCKHOM 
 
 MULTIPLE SINGLE -CORD SWITCHBOARD 
 CAPACITY. 10 ooo SUBSCRIBERS <5o TABLES EVENTUALLY.) 
 
 
 JACKS Do. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Do 
 
 Do. 
 
 ANNUNCIATORS! Do. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Do. 
 
 
 Do. 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 "o COT 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 FIG. 119 
 
 very numerous. A general idea of the trunk arrangements 
 between the two exchanges is given in fig. 119. The trunk 
 connections are managed from a special section of the board on 
 
352 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 which all the local subscribers are represented by multiple jacks. 
 From this special section proceed calling wires, operated by plugs 
 and indicators, to each of the operators in the trunk switching- 
 room of the State exchange, as well as a sufficient number of 
 metallic circuits reserved for switching through subscribers. The 
 trunk tables at the State exchange, marked i to 6 in the figure, 
 are situated in a separate room and accommodate only four trunks 
 each. A General Company's subscriber wanting a State sub- 
 scriber in another town is plugged through by his own local 
 operator to the special trunk section, where his demand is dealt 
 with by one of several trunk operators. If an immediate con- 
 nection is wanted, it is obtained, if possible, from the State 
 operator at once ; if the subscriber wishes to engage one of the 
 trunks for a certain specified time later in the day, the company's 
 operator negotiates the matter with the State operator and 
 subsequently notifies the caller as to the result. 
 
 The junction wires to the branch switch-rooms, and to the 
 State exchange for Stockholm communications, do not pass 
 through the special trunk section of the board, but each operator 
 at the main board has several direct lines to each of the other 
 switch-rooms through which she obtains the connections asked 
 for by her own set of subscribers. Fig. 120 shows the general 
 arrangements at both the State and the company's exchanges. 
 Effectively, the main difference between the General Company's 
 (double-cord) system and the State's (single-cord) is that no local 
 jack or drop is needed in the latter, the Qoo-ohm indicator serving 
 for both calling and terminating. On the other hand and this 
 complicates and renders the construction much more expensive 
 the key A, with a plug and cord, is needed for every subscriber. 
 The mass of mechanism required for a io,ooo-line board may 
 therefore be imagined. The key A, on being lifted from its 
 normal position of rest, makes a contact which puts on the 
 engaged test. The General Company's connections are much 
 more numerous than those of the State, averaging at least ten per 
 day. Each operator takes one hundred subscribers. As in the 
 State system, the subscribers ring each other and drop the ring-off 
 indicators at least once every connection. The time saved in 
 shunting the ringing from the switch- room to the subscriber's 
 
Sweden 
 
 353 
 
 FIG. 120 
 
 A A 
 
354 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 office is thus lost in manipulating shutters. At one time the 
 company employed a number of automatic commutators (Ceder- 
 gren and Ericsson's well-known patent) for groups of from three 
 to twenty-five subscribers ; but as the number of daily connections 
 grew these ceased to give satisfaction, while their operation 
 necessitated special arrangements at the exchange. During the 
 conversion to metallic circuit they were all consequently swept 
 away within Stockholm and vicinity, and only a few left working 
 in the remoter villages. Subscribers of Class IV. were originally 
 provided with connection counters, with the idea of facilitating 
 the charging of communications in excess of those covered by the 
 annual subscription ; but, although satisfactory as counters, they 
 sensibly increased the expense of installing and maintaining the 
 subscribers' instruments, and, after all, did not obviate the neces- 
 sity of keeping registers at the exchange, since they did not 
 discriminate between the different classes of connections. They 
 have now been taken out, and accounts are rendered from notes 
 taken by the operators. 
 
 State system. The State Stockholm system is worked with 
 only one central station, in which a metallic circuit, single-cord, 
 series jack board with an ultimate capacity of 10,000 has been 
 fitted. The board has a separate test wire and is practically on 
 the Western Electric Company's plan, but it was made by 
 Ericsson & Co., Stockholm. The workmanship leaves nothing 
 to be desired, while the care and neatness with which it has been 
 fitted up are worthy of all praise. The jacks are arranged so that 
 they can be unfastened and partially withdrawn from the front for 
 inspection or repair. While admiring the workmanship and the 
 skill displayed in the fitting, the author sees no reason to depart 
 from the opinion he has always held that the single-cord system, 
 at least as applied by the Western Electric Company, is 
 emphatically a fish that is not worth frying. The additional cost 
 and intricacy of construction are out of all proportion to the 
 advantage gained, which, indeed, is mostly imaginary. This 
 Stockholm board is stated by the engineers in charge to have 
 cost about 50 per cent, more than an ordinary double-cord 
 Western Electric would have done, against which they set an 
 estimated gain of ten minutes in the hour in rapidity of working. 
 
Sweden 355 
 
 But on analysis it is difficult to understand where this gain comes 
 in, the movements required from the operator for the double-cord 
 being nine and for the single-cord eight, or a saving of one 
 movement per connection. If it is true that the saving of one 
 movement per connection equals ten minutes in the hour, what 
 would be the saving accruing from the use of a board requiring 
 only two movements per connection (and there are such) ? The 
 arrangements for trunk switching are of a familiar type. The 
 trunk lines are brought to separate tables (which in Stockholm 
 are in another room and out of sight of the local board), each 
 table dealing with four trunks, and being under the charge of 
 two operators, which means that each operator takes only two 
 trunks (fig. 119). Actually, one girl operates four trunks, while 
 the second keeps the very voluminous registers which are necessi- 
 tated by the system of negotiating connections in advance. All 
 the trunks are represented by jacks on each table. In addition 
 to six separate trunk tables there is a special section of the local 
 board through which all trunk connections must pass and on 
 which all the subscribers are represented by multiple jacks, this 
 special section also possessing ample communication with each 
 of the trunk tables. A subscriber wishing trunk communication 
 is turned on by his local operator to one or other of the trunk 
 operators, who ascertains his wants and negotiates the necessary 
 connections. A communication from a trunk to a local sub- 
 scriber is obtained by the trunk operator concerned through 
 the special section. The wires used by the operators for their 
 communications are independent ones, special loops being 
 reserved for the subscribers. Communications between operators 
 are all conducted by dropping of shutters and plugging-in, no 
 attempt being made to expedite matters by continuous listening, 
 as to the practicability of which the Swedish engineers entertain 
 serious doubts. The incessant dropping and replacing of shutters 
 and movements of pegs must render this plan slower than a viva 
 voce system of communication between operators. The fact that 
 it necessitates an operator to every two trunks, besides those at 
 the special section, must make it very costly. 
 
 There is no doubt that the practice of booking trunk talks 
 in advance which prevails largely in Sweden adds greatly to the 
 
 A A 2 
 
356 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 difficulties inherent in trunk and junction operating. A subscriber] 
 say in Stockholm, at 10 A.M. will call the exchange and book a 
 talk to Gothenburg at 11.30 A.M. and another at 5.20 P.M., and: 
 perhaps other talks to Malmo and elsewhere at other stated times. 
 The operator consults the list of booked talks already existing, and 
 if the lines mentioned are not already engaged enters the orders. 
 Then it is the business of the chief operators to have the lines, 
 ready for the caller at the times arranged. When the exchange 
 wanted is intermediate with several others on one trunk line the 
 difficulties multiply, and frequently the telegraph has to be used 
 to transmit switching orders to stations that cannot be got at by 
 telephone without interrupting talks in progress, and this in spite 
 of the fact that when several stations exist on the same line each 
 has fixed minutes in every hour for communicating with each of 
 the others. The booking system has, however, become the rule, 
 and the difficulties involved have to be fought and overcome. A 
 noticeable feature of the State exchange is the arrangement of 
 the lightning-protectors, and of the cross-connecting board, which,, 
 like the switch-board, is designed for 10,000 double lines. The 
 protectors are made of carbon plates, kept from touching by 
 thin strips of insulating material. The Swedish engineers were 
 convinced that the carbons spark more freely than does any form 
 of metal protector adapted for telephonic work, a conclusion the 
 author has since confirmed by experiment. The cross-connecting 
 board consists of two iron-tube frames arranged in concentric 
 circles, the whole forming a neat and accessible arrangement. 
 
 The average number of daily connections dealt with is 5-5. 
 Three operators are allotted to each 200 subscribers. The 
 subscribers ring each other after being put through, a system 
 which, owing to the absence of a discriminative ring- off indicator, 
 increases the operators' work (restoring the shutters dropped by 
 the ring through) and conduces to tapping. 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 
 
 Both the State and the General Company give a continuous 
 service, night and day, in their principal towns. In the smaller 
 places hours vary from 7 or 8 A.M. till 8, 9, or 10 P.M. 
 
Sweden 
 
 357 
 
 FIG. 121 
 
358 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 
 
 Both the State and the General Telephone Company now use 
 the instruments of Ericsson & Co. exclusively, although they have 
 a good number of American and Belgian manufacture in the older 
 centres. The Stockholm Bell Company uses Belgian magnetos 
 and receivers and Ericsson carbon transmitters. Fig. 121 shows 
 the more usual types employed. Their construction is too 
 familiar to need description here. Recent improvements in detail 
 have been the mounting of the battery terminals, in the second 
 wall instrument, on long insulating pillars so as to bring them to 
 the front of the battery space, where they are much more acces- 
 sible than when placed on the back-board ; and the addition of 
 a fourth magnet to the generators of instruments used habitually 
 for long distances, which enables them to give a loud ring through 
 20,000 ohms. The duplicate crank on the first desk instrument 
 is a convenience when the instrument is used indifferently from 
 both sides of a table. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 
 
 General Telephone Company's system. The most prominent 
 feature of this is undoubtedly the Bessemer steel tower (see 
 frontispiece) at the Brunkeberg primary exchange, which is the 
 largest telephone fixture in the world. It rests on special pillars 
 built up from the ground, and rises 75 feet above the exchange 
 roof. Its cost, 3,2587., might well appal the telephonic financiers 
 of Little Lilliput, but Mr. Cedergren is of opinion that no expen- 
 diture incurred by his company has ever yielded such a good 
 return. Its building attracted attention to the telephone from one 
 end of Sweden to the other ; and when, in its finished state, it 
 proved to be one of the landmarks of Stockholm and one of the 
 best points from which to view the city, the identification of the 
 General Company with the telephone became complete in the 
 public mind, and is so yet, in spite of the State's opposition and 
 lower rates. Figs. 122, 123, and 124, which show specimens of 
 the company's smaller exchange fixtures, indicate a creditable 
 fertility of design on the part of its engineers. Fig. 125 shows a 
 
Sweden 
 
 359 
 
360 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
Sweden 
 
 standard, with eight uprights, designed to carry 1,000 wires. The 
 numerous other fixtures the presence of which a close examination 
 of the picture reveals, and the manner in which the neighbouring 
 buildings are dotted with insulators, afford some notion of the 
 extent to which the upper air of Stockholm is netted with telephone 
 wires. The system of roofing with iron plates which prevails in 
 Stockholm is also clearly shown. Fig. 126 shows a type of 
 standard employed at the junction of several routes, and fig. 127 
 
 FIG. 124. Telephone turret at So Jermalm. 
 
 one of the aerial cable rests that have become somewhat numerous 
 since the reconstruction consequent on the change to metallic cir- 
 cuits and the re-grouping of the exchanges compelled a rather 
 extensive resort to that mode of construction. The company's 
 ground poles are not so noteworthy as its standards : indeed, there 
 is nothing to pit against those of Belgium, Holland, or Switzerland, 
 although solidity and strength are not wanting. Cross-arms on 
 ground poles are often of angle-iron and not unfrequently of the 
 
362 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
Sweaen 
 
 363 
 
 FIG. 126 
 
364 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
Sweden 365 
 
 German double flat-bar type. In Stockholm the wire used is 
 i mm. phosphor bronze of 30 per cent, conductivity and a break- 
 ing strain of 90 kilogrammes per square millimeter. Outside 
 Stockholm, in Upsala and the other towns within the yo-kilometer 
 radius, No. n B.W.G. galvanised iron wire is employed for the 
 subscribers' lines. The insulators are small double-shed, fastened 
 to their bolts with tow plugging. Joints in local wires are rarely 
 soldered, the Macintyre dry joint (fig. 99) being found satisfactory 
 enough for all purposes. Vibration in the houses is prevented or 
 reduced by slipping a length of rubber tube on each wire and bind- 
 ing it tightly with leaden strip or wire (fig. 101). The aerial cables 
 lately introduced to the extent of some twenty-five kilometers have 
 been supplied by the Fowler-Waring Cables Company, Limited ; 
 W. T. Henley & Co., Limited ; the Western Electric Company ; 
 Felten & Guilleaume, and Franz Clouth. The general specification 
 of all these cables is 102 metallic circuits insulated with paper and 
 enclosed in a leaden tube 2-25 mm. thick and 39 mm. exterior 
 diameter. The conductors are copper of -8 mm. diameter and 
 95 per cent, conductivity. The capacity of each single wire, all 
 others being earthed, is "05 mf. per kilometer. The company's 
 underground system is intended to be of an extensive nature. 
 The conduits are of the type invented by Mr. Axel Hultmann, 
 formerly chief engineer of the State telephone system (see p. 369) ; 
 the cables contain a hundred metallic circuits, with copper conduc- 
 tors of -8 mm. enclosed in a leaden pipe 3 mm. thick and 50 mm. 
 exterior diameter. They all have paper insulation and a capacity 
 of '05 mf. per kilometer. M. Aboilard, of Paris, has supplied 
 some of the cable which has been so successful in the Parisian 
 sewers for this underground work. On leaving the exchange, 
 each route will consist of Hultmann concrete conduits containing 
 eighty-six ducts of 75 mm. diameter, each duct capable of easily 
 taking a loo-pair cable. The capacity of each route will be, con- 
 sequently, 8,600 metallic circuits, which does not look as though 
 Mr. Cedergren nourished any intention of hauling down his flag 
 to the State, or had any misgiving of Stockholm's capacity and 
 willingness to continue supplying him with subscribers ad lib. 
 As they recede from the centres the conduits gradually decrease 
 in carrying power, the successive sections having seventy-six, sixty- 
 
366 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 two, thirty-eight, and finally twelve ducts. Manholes occur about 
 every 100 meters ; they are cast in concrete of an elliptical shape 
 and fitted with suitable cast-iron covers. This underground scheme, 
 like all Mr. Cedergren's notions, is conceived on a grand scale, and 
 will assuredly succeed. The submarine work necessary in and 
 near Stockholm is usually done with armoured cable containing 
 from four to fourteen pairs insulated with vulcanised rubber. 
 
 State system. The State local work is very similar to the 
 General Company's, except that the phosphor bronze is of i -25 mm. 
 diameter. The insulators are the same, and joints are not soldered. 
 The standards, too, bear a family likeness, and fig. 128 will serve 
 to illustrate those of both systems. The uprights are of double, 
 the arms of single, channel steel. The fastening is done by sole- 
 plates adapted to the slope of the roof and bolted through to the 
 rafters. Sometimes, heavily laden standards are strutted in the 
 Belgian fashion (figs. 22 and 23, Belgian section) ; if not so 
 strutted they are carefully stayed. The Swedish and Norwegian 
 mode of construction with channel iron or steel is unquestionably 
 stronger, if heavier, than the tubular methods employed in Great 
 Britain, Germany, and Holland. Tubes collapse when subjected 
 to a sudden and heavy strain, such as is likely to result from the 
 failure of a span of wires or of an adjacent standard, and crumple 
 up beyond repair ; the channel steel, being solid, may bend, but 
 cannot collapse, and is consequently better adapted to withstand 
 accidents, and, if injured, may be readily straightened again. On 
 the other hand, it is more costly to make and transport, heavier to 
 handle during erection, and permanently severer on the roofs. 
 Fig. 129 shows a typical Swedish double ground pole, fitted with 
 angle-iron arms, of solid and good construction. It is not the 
 practice in Sweden to earth-wire either standards or ground poles. 
 The State, like the General Company, has recently taken to 
 aerial cables. Those erected are by Felten & Guilleaume, and con- 
 tain thirty-eight pairs covered with jute and then with lead. The 
 submarine type of cable is insulated with vulcanised rubber and 
 armoured in the usual way. 
 
 A considerable proportion of the State local work is under- 
 ground. The conduits are those originally designed for the pur- 
 pose by Mr. Axel Hultmann, late engineer to the State telephone 
 
Siveden 
 
 367 
 
 \\ 
 
 =1 -I 
 
368 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
Sweden 369 
 
 department. They consist of cement blocks, pierced with a varying 
 number of circular ducts, 75 millimeters in diameter. The blocks, 
 which are from one to one and a half meters in length, are laid 
 in the ground with the joints resting on cement base pieces of 
 trough form, which keep them truly end- to end.. The blocks are 
 made with three longitudinal depressions or furrows, into which, 
 after the blocks are laid, strong iron bars are fitted. Thin plates 
 of bitumen, having circular holes corresponding to the ducts, are 
 placed between the blocks, several of which are forcibly clamped 
 together, end to end, so as to compress the bitumen plates. The 
 furrows containing the iron bars are then filled with cement, which, 
 when set, binds the blocks rigidly together. Section after section 
 is thus treated until a very solid conduit is produced, which, with 
 the earth removed from beneath, is said to bear a direct weight 
 of two tons without collapsing. The joints are made finally tight 
 either with bitumen or cement. The ducts are made to correspond 
 prior to clamping by inserting round rods made to fill them accu- 
 rately through the blocks under treatment, the rods being with- 
 drawn when the cement has set. No difficulty is stated to be ex- 
 perienced in obtaining correspondence between the ducts or in 
 subsequently drawing in cable of a diameter of 52 millimeters to 
 a length of 200 meters. The joints are said to be perfectly water- 
 and gas-tight. The details of this system are made clear in 
 fig. 130, in which M 1 M 2 M 3 are respectively cross, longitudinal, 
 and horizontal sections of a concrete manhole with conduits and 
 cables in position. The conduits are shown in cross-section at 
 c l c 2 , while B B B represent three blocks jointed together, as de- 
 scribed, at j j, T T being the cement base pieces and R R the iron 
 clamping rods. D D 2 D 3 are corresponding views of a draw-box 
 adapted for a five-duct conduit. The General Company's conduit, 
 while being essentially of the same construction, differs somewhat 
 in form, the cross-section being as shown in fig. 131, with the iron 
 rods passed through channels R R R R made in the interior instead 
 of on the exterior of the blocks. Mr. Hultmann has unquestionably 
 produced a strong and efficient conduit which has already stood 
 the test of several years' service most successfully. The separate 
 duct plan is almost essential to underground cable work, as it 
 enables repairs and alterations to be carried out easily, which 
 
 6 
 

 37O Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 would be simply impossible when many heavy cables are super- 
 imposed in one large pipe. The General Company's 86-duct 
 conduit measures 100 x no centimeters, or a little over three feet 
 square, and contains accommodation for 86 x 100 = 8,600 metal- 
 lic circuits ; that is to- 
 say, all the telephone 
 subscribers now existing 
 QOOOOO in London, and more,, 
 
 OO CO 
 
 R 
 
 \\ 
 
 oooooooooo 
 
 could be provided with 
 metallic circuits and 
 concentrated within one 
 such conduit. At the 
 same time, the conduit 
 is not so easily diverted 
 for the purpose of avoid- 
 ing obstacles as iron 
 pipes are, and this would 
 militate against its em- 
 ployment in London, at 
 all events very near the 
 surface. The cables used by the State were originally of the 
 Pattison type ; now all are insulated with paper. Fig. 132 shows 
 a junction between an underground and an overhouse route, the 
 test-box containing both terminals for testing and cross-connection 
 and lightning-guards. The box illustrated is one of the General 
 Company's, but the State's practice is essentially identical. 
 
 K 
 
 FIG. 131 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (TRUNK) 
 
 General Company's system. The company's trunks are of 
 course restricted to the yo-kilometer radius, but are still very 
 numerous. They are constructed of 2 mm. phosphor-bronze wire 
 of 60 per cent, conductivity and a breaking strain of 80 kilo- 
 grammes per square millimeter. The wires are crossed at intervals 
 to neutralise induction, with results that are completely satis- 
 factory. 
 
 State system. Much of the State trunk work was formerly run 
 with the so-called bimetallic wire, steel coated with copper, of 
 
Sweden 
 
 371 
 
 i -9 mm. gauge ; but this has lately given way generally to high-con- 
 ductivity bronze, although the Copenhagen trunk has been run in 
 
 FIG. 
 
 Sweden with 3 mm. hard copper. The shorter trunks are crossed 
 and the longer revolved or twisted on the Moseley-Bottomley plan. 
 Special fixtures are used to facilitate the twisting. They consist 
 
 B B 2 
 
3/2 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 of iron frames, as in fig. 133, A and B, which, being made all exactly 
 alike, secure the maintenance of perfect distance between the 
 wires. When two loops run on the same poles the frames are 
 modified as at c and D. The twisting system is reported to have 
 given much trouble after breakdowns due to snow, the workmen, 
 finding it impossible to restore the twist promptly, having had to 
 
 D 
 
 FK;. 133 
 
 run the wires straight through in order to re-establish communica- 
 tion, and to subsequently retwist them at leisure. 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 
 
 General Company. Foremen, 4.5-. $d. ; skilled wiremen, 3^. ^d. ; 
 labourers, from 2s. 2\d. to 2s. S^d. per day. Country allowance, 
 2s. 2\d. per day. 
 
 State. Foremen, 35. 6d. skilled wiremen, 2s. yd. labourers, 
 is. nd. to 2s. 2\d. per day. 
 
Sweden 
 
 373 
 
 Hours worked : in summer, 7A.M. till 7 P.M., with one and a half 
 hours for meals ; in winter, sunrise to sunset, with one hour for meals. 
 
 PAYMENT OF OPERATORS 
 
 General Company. 2/. 4*. id. to 2/. 155-. *]d. per month, ac- 
 cording to experience. Extra pay is given for night duty, which is 
 performed by the girls in rotation. The hours worked are nor- 
 mally seven per day, divided into two watches with an interval of at 
 least three hours between. Exceptionally the duty may be ex- 
 tended to eight hours, but never more. The girls, who are taken 
 on at eighteen years of age, get fourteen days' holiday on full pay 
 annually, and incase of sickness receive full pay for the first fortnight 
 and half pay for a second. The lady superintendents receive 
 from 3/. i -js. Sd. to 8/. 6s. Sd. per month, according to length of 
 service and the importance of their charge. 
 
 State. i/. 135-. 2d. to 2/. 4-$-. id. per month for ordinary, and 
 2/. 155-. 7</. for trunk operators. Extra pay is given for night 
 duty. Girls are taken on at eighteen ; no examination is imposed. 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 An enumeration of the exchanges in Sweden would be practi- 
 cally a list of the names of all the towns and chief villages in 
 the country. At the end of 1894 the General Company, in addi- 
 tion to its Stockholm switch-rooms, possessed 113 exchanges 
 within the 7 o-kilometer radius, having between them 2,012 sub- 
 scribers. Of these, Upsala (population 21,000), with 363 sub- 
 scribers, was the most important ; and Sodertelge, with 145, the 
 second. At both these towns the State is also established. The 
 Upsala rate is 2/. i$s. yd. per annum, without any admission fee. 
 At Sodertelge and the majority of the other places, the rate is the 
 same, but with an admission fee, also of 2!. i$s. -]d. In a few 
 instances this subscription covers only one hundred free connec- 
 tions per quarter, all over that number being charged i'$d. each. 
 In other cases, principally where submarine cable work is ne- 
 cessary, the admission fee is 2/. 155. -]d. and the annual subscrip- 
 tion 4/. 8s. i id. A few of the smaller places are worked at an 
 
374 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 admission fee of iu. o^., an annual subscription of us. o\d, 
 and a charge of i -3^. for every connection had. 
 
 Within the yo-kilometer radius the State also possesses 
 seventy-five exchanges in addition to its Stockholm system, making 
 a total for the radius of 188 exchanges, exclusive of the metropolitan, 
 and entitling the area to the distinction of being by far the best 
 telephoned piece of country in the world. The area represented 
 by seventy kilometers round London is, on the other hand, pro- 
 bably the worst in the neighbourhood of an important city. The 
 State's provincial tariff is the same as in the town. 
 
 For the rest of Sweden there are no statistics later than the end 
 of 1892. At that time the State owned 288 exchanges and co- 
 operative societies 158, but a number of these last have since been 
 absorbed by the State. At the same date the State owned 15,416 
 kilometers of trunk lines. At the end of 1893 the General Com- 
 pany had 9,031 instruments working in connection with 95 switch- 
 rooms, 15,259 kilometers of lines (not wires). The number of 
 connections in Stockholm alone for the year was 25,060,715, or 
 9-05 per subscriber per day, dealt with by a total staff of 200 lady 
 telephonists. The value of the company's Stockholm system at 
 December3i, 1893, was 2, 006,693 kronor, an d of its country system 
 i, 01 8, 5 10 kroner, making a total of 3, 019,203 kronor, or 165,8907. 
 Adding the value of premises, workshop plant, stores, and raw 
 materials in hand, the assets were brought up to 3,742,801 kronor, 
 or 205,6487. All this had been brought into existence with a 
 share capital of only 32,9667., and the surplus of profits remaining 
 after paying 8 per cent, per annum to the shareholders and 
 creating a reserve fund, a renewal or deterioration fund, a fire in- 
 surance fund, an accident fund, an employees' benevolent fund, and 
 a general purposes fund. At December 31, 1893, these several 
 items stood as follows : 
 
 
 
 Reserve fund ....... 9,890 
 
 Renewal fund ....... 70,747 
 
 Fire insurance fund . . . . . . 1,257 
 
 Accident fund ....... 1,362 
 
 Employees' fund ...... 21,978 
 
 General purposes fund ..... 3,177 
 
 ,108,411 
 
Sweden 375 
 
 The net profits each year since 1883 have been : 
 
 Kroner Kroner 
 
 1883 6,528-68 1888 62,418-96 
 
 1884 36,059 ; 22 1889 64,780-04 
 
 1885 49,559-82 I89Q ... . ... 79,579-26 
 
 1886 56,005-94 1891 81,819-57 
 
 1887 58,843-86 1892 ... ... IOO,285-28 
 
 1893 113,198-79 kroner (6,2I9/.) 
 
 These profits have sufficed to pay a steady dividend of 8 
 per cent per annum (the maximum allowed) on the share capital, 
 to extend the business to an extent unprecedented elsewhere, to 
 convert the system from single to double wire, and to lay by money 
 against deterioration and almost every possible contingency. 
 And all on a maximum rate of 5/. us. id. operative over 140 kilo- 
 meters ! 
 
376 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 XXIV. SWITZERLAND 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 THE Swiss Government at an early date determined to control 
 the telephones within its jurisdiction, and in 1885 took over the 
 only exchange, that at Zurich, which it had permitted a company 
 the International Bell Telephone to establish. For about 
 nine years the administration has consequently been in the hands 
 of the State, and the development attained is certainly most im- 
 posing, there being at the close of 1894, with a population of 
 about three millions, nearly 20,000 subscribers. 
 
 The Swiss telephone system is remarkable in many ways. 
 From the beginning of its management the Government has 
 endeavoured to bring the telephone within the reach of all and 
 to render the service as complete and satisfactory as possible. 
 Originally, the annual subscription for an ordinary line and instru- 
 ment within a radius of two kilometers was 150 francs (6/.), 
 without restriction as to the number of communications ; but Dr. 
 T. Rothen, then director of the Swiss telegraphs, as early as 1883 
 pointed out in the * Journal Telegraphique ' that it was not more 
 logical to accept an annual payment from a merchant to cover all 
 his telephonic communications than to cover all his telegrams. 
 The system, notwithstanding its convenience and almost universal 
 application, is, in fact, inequitable for a busy merchant, to whom 
 telephonic communication is a necessity, obtains much greater 
 value for his annual subscription than does a person whose 
 business relations are neither so extensive nor so important. Dr. 
 Rothen proposed, as the only just solution, to charge subscribers 
 a fixed sum for every connection asked for and had, just as tele- 
 
Switzerland 377 
 
 grams are charged for separately according to the tariff. The 
 practicability of this plan was disputed on several grounds, and 
 not without plausibility. Its probable effect on the revenue was 
 feared, and the discontent of those busy subscribers whose pay- 
 ments would no longer be covered by 61. per annum dreaded. 
 However, by the 'Loi Federate' of June 27, 1889, the principle 
 was definitely adopted in Switzerland with the modification that 
 a foundation or first payment to cover 800 connections per annum 
 was prescribed, all subsequent communications having to be paid for 
 on Dr. Rothen's plan. The annual charge was fixed at 4/. i6s., 
 4/., and 3/. 4^., for the first, second, and third and subsequent years 
 respectively, while the connections had in excess of the 800 were 
 rated at 4^. per hundred, or five centimes (-48^.) each. This law 
 came into operation on January i, 1890, and has led to an 
 immense increase in the number of telephonic subscriptions. 
 
 Subscribers' wires are generally single with earth return, but 
 all trunks and many of the junction lines to parochial stations are 
 metallic circuits, translators being employed for the connections 
 between the two. It is pleasant to know, however, that the Swiss 
 are alive to the inadequacy of the single-wire system as a perma- 
 nent institution, and have decided to gradually supersede it every- 
 where by metallic circuits. A very earnest and creditable begin- 
 ning has already been made at Zurich, and similar changes are to 
 follow immediately at Berne, Geneva, and Lausanne. 
 
 The cost of keeping the voluminous and complex accounts 
 rendered necessary by recording the subscribers' calls and charging 
 each individual every month for his local calls above a certain 
 number : for his trunk calls ; for his telegrams forwarded and 
 delivered ; and for his telephonograms, is unquestionably very con- 
 siderable ; and the question whether an automatic counter in each 
 subscriber's office would not be a useful addition is being debated. 
 Many such counters have been devised and tried, but a really 
 trustworthy one has not yet been forthcoming, while the first cost 
 of installing 20,000 such instruments would not be a negligible 
 quantity. But the chief difficulty lies in the diversity of traffic 
 which is liable to emanate from the same office. A counter that 
 could not differentiate between telephonograms, telegrams for- 
 warded and received, local calls, and trunk connections, would at 
 
378 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 best serve as a rough check, and the operators' records would still 
 have to be relied on and the present laborious system of accounts 
 preserved. On the other hand, the mind rather shrinks from the 
 idea of fitting four or more counters in each office, and especially 
 from the expectation that the subscribers would use them properly 
 if fitted. 
 
 In Switzerland the adaptation of the telephone and telegraph 
 to popular requirements has undoubtedly received its widest appli- 
 cation. The consequence is that the country is covered with 
 trunk wires altogether out of proportion it must be remembered 
 that there is not an ounce of native coal in Switzerland to its 
 industrial importance. One pauses in wonder at the idea of what 
 might be done in the United Kingdom to facilitate intercourse 
 under similar intelligent (not benevolent, because it pays) manage- 
 ment. 
 
 But the Swiss public was not yet satisfied. It was held 
 a grievance that a subscriber should be compelled to pay for 800 
 communications per annum whether he had them or not, and 
 many found that they could manage with less. As a result of repre- 
 sentations of this nature, a committee of the Federal Council was 
 appointed, and after hearing evidence, reported in favour of a 
 reduction of the first or foundation annual charge to 4/. for the 
 first, 2/. i6.f. for the second, and i/. \2S. for the third year, the 
 abolition of the free margin, and the rating of all connections at 4*. 
 per hundred, or -48^. each. According to this plan, a subscriber 
 making two calls per day exclusive of Sundays, or 616 per annum, 
 would pay after the expiration of his second year of membership 
 only i/. \2S. + 616 x '48^. = 2/. i6.r. *]d. per annum (a sum which 
 has been proved remunerative in Holland) in lieu of the present 
 minimum of 3/. 45. If he can manage with one call per day his 
 annual telephonic disbursement would be only i/. 1 2s. + 308 x "48^. 
 = 2/. 4J-. 4^. The committee's recommendations were adopted by 
 the Federal Council and embodied in a law on June 13, 1894, which 
 received the sanction of the Council of States on December 7, 1894. 
 It is still liable to challenge until March 26, 1895, by a demand 
 for a national vote on the subject, but no steps have been taken 
 in this direction ; and as the measure is a popular one it is con- 
 sidered certain to pass the critical date successfully, and to be 
 
Switzerland 379 
 
 added definitely to the statute book. In this case it will come 
 into operation on January i, 1896, at the latest. Switzerland 
 will then enjoy the cheapest and, at the same time, the most 
 rational telephonic tariff in the world ; for after subscribing i/. 125-. 
 annually, a charge sufficient to maintain -his line and instrument 
 in good order, every man will pay exactly in accordance with the 
 use he makes of his connection. By the same law the existing 
 charges in connection with parochial telephone stations (see p. 386) 
 are abolished, and the parish councils put on exactly the same 
 terms those just cited as ordinary subscribers. The new 
 charges, like the present, are to cover lines not exceeding two 
 kilometers in length ; excess rates for longer distances, both single 
 wire and metallic circuit, are to remain unaltered. The present 
 charges for telephoning telegrams, telephonograms, and public 
 stations stand. It must be clearly understood that the new tariff, 
 like the existing, covers erection, maintenance, and all expenses. 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED BY THE STATE TELEPHONE 
 ADMINISTRATION 
 
 1. Intercommunication locally between the subscribers and 
 public telephone stations of a town or district. 
 
 2. Internal trunk line communication. There is scarcely a 
 town or village of any size that does not participate in this service. 
 The system is at present somewhat wanting in direct trunks between 
 the more distant towns, intermediate switching i.e. the joining of 
 two or more short trunks to make up a temporary long-distance 
 line being requisite ; but this defect is being gradually removed 
 as traffic develops. The longest distances at present talked over 
 are (as the wires go, the mountains, and lakes, which are too deep 
 and uneven for cables, preventing direct routes in many cases) 
 1 66 miles, Geneva to Schaffhausen ; 178 miles, Geneva to St. 
 Gallen ; and 239 miles, Geneva to St. Moritz. One of the regu- 
 lations relating to trunks forbids the engagement of a line in 
 advance for a conversation at a specified time, which is directly 
 opposed to the Swedish practice of booking talks a long time 
 beforehand. 
 
380 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Etirope 
 
 3. International trunk communication. The Swiss wires 
 have already broken bounds in several directions by connecting 
 with France, Baden, Wiirtemberg, Bavaria, and Austria. These 
 international lines are not, however, with perhaps the exception of 
 the French, of much importance as yet, communication on the 
 German side being restricted to the Swiss towns St. Gallen, 
 Romanshorn, and one or two others nearest the frontier. Conse- 
 quently, when subscribers at Berne, Zurich, and of other exchanges 
 west of St. Gallen wish to communicate beyond the frontier they 
 must find somebody in one of the border towns to act as inter- 
 mediary. These restrictions are understood to be due to objections 
 raised by the Imperial Political Bureau at Berlin. Communication 
 was also established via Basle with Alsace-Lorraine, but after a time 
 had to be discontinued by orders from Berlin. The junction with 
 the French lines is at Besanc.on ; with the Baden, at Constance ; 
 with the Austrian, at Bregenz ; and there is communication via 
 Bregenz with Lindau in Bavaria, and Friedrichshafen in Wiirtem- 
 berg. 
 
 4. Telephoning of telegrams. Subscribers are afforded every 
 facility for forwarding and receiving their telegrams by telephone, 
 as the State regards the telephone system as the natural feeder of 
 the telegraphs, in the same manner as light railways are collectors 
 for the heavier main lines, and accordingly cultivates an intimate 
 connection between the two. All the exchanges have a connection 
 with the nearest telegraph office, which is given to a subscriber 
 who wishes to forward a telegram, and used by the telegraph 
 office for obtaining communication with a subscriber for whom a 
 telegram has arrived. The Swiss, however, are not so liberal in 
 this particular matter as the Belgians and Bavarians, since the 
 subscriber has to pay '96^. for each telegram, in or out, trans- 
 mitted by telephone. Copies of the telegrams telephoned to 
 subscribers are afterwards delivered by messenger. This is not 
 such a shrewd arrangement as that existing in Belgium, where 
 copies are posted instead of delivered (unless the subscriber 
 specially wishes otherwise). The Swiss plan saves nothing in 
 messengers, and wins very little popularity, since in the vast 
 majority of cases the receivers are quite content with the version 
 telephoned. Telegrams for telephoning must be in the German 
 
Switzerland 381 
 
 or French languages except in the Italian-speaking cantons, where 
 Italian is also admitted. 
 
 5. Telephonogram service. This facility, unknown to the 
 National Telephone Company's subscribers in Great Britain, but 
 largely patronised in many continental countries, is in Switzerland 
 called officially the ' phonogram ' service. It enables any sub- 
 scriber using his own telephone, or any non-subscriber from a 
 public one, to dictate a message to the operator addressed to any 
 non-subscriber resident in the same town or district, which is 
 written down like a telegram and delivered to the addressee by 
 messenger. Telephonograms are subject to the same regulations 
 respecting language as telegrams. 
 
 6. Parochial telephone stations. An important feature of the 
 Swiss telephone system is the parochial or communal office. It is 
 no longer peculiar to Switzerland, having been adopted, with 
 modifications, by France ; but it originated there in the anxiety 
 of the Government to make the people, as far as economically 
 possible, participators in the public institutions, and in pursuance 
 of the idea of utilising the telephone as a feeder of the telegraph. 
 It enables a parish or commune without a telegraph or telephone 
 station to provide itself with these conveniences in the following 
 manner: The parish council undertakes to pay the State 120 
 francs (4/. i6s.) per annum for a wire to the nearest telegraph 
 station or telephone exchange, the charge being increased by 
 25-. 5*/. for each 100 meters in excess of two kilometers. The 
 council provides a suitable room or office for its station, and pays 
 the wages of the necessary operators and messengers, both office 
 and servants being subject to approval by the State. The public 
 may use the station as an ordinary telegraph or telephone office, 
 paying 1*44^. on each telegram sent or conversation had, in addi- 
 tion to the ordinary tariff, which 1-44^. is the property of the 
 parish council and goes towards covering its expenses. No charge 
 is made on delivered telegrams within the ordinary free delivery 
 radius. The facility is largely taken advantage of, there being nine 
 parochial stations in the vicinity of Berne alone. When the traffic 
 has grown sufficiently to justify such a course, the State takes over 
 the station, and relieves the parish council of further responsibility. 
 
382 Telephone Systems of tJie Continent of Europe 
 
 7. Connection of private groups of subscribers to an existing 
 trunk or junction wire. This is another service which owes its 
 initiation to the anxiety of the Government to bring the telephone 
 to, or rather within, the doors of all. It provides for the wants 
 of a community which has not yet attained to the dignity of a 
 parish council. One or more persons resident on, or near to, a 
 route of poles carrying trunk or junction telephone wires, except- 
 ing trunks intended for the direct service of important towns, 
 may, if not numerous enough to justify the establishment for their 
 benefit of a regular exchange, claim a connection with the system, 
 either by means of an automatic commutator looped into, or 
 tapped off, a wire going to the nearest ordinary exchange, or by 
 means of a small switch-board placed in the house of one of them, 
 or in that of a competent person, and attended to at the expense 
 of the subscribers participating in the benefits secured. The 
 State erects the wires, switch-board, instruments, &c., in return 
 for the usual subscriptions, while the subscribers find house room, 
 and do, or pay for, their own switching. They may talk amongst 
 themselves without stint, but conversations over the connecting 
 wire to the nearest regular exchange are subject to the 800 com- 
 munications per annum rule. This service is widely patronised. 
 It is not by any means a desirable one from the point of view of 
 the telephone engineer, as it introduces complications and deriva- 
 tions inimical to the best talking and promptest switching ; but 
 when the convenience of the people living in out-of-the-way 
 localities is considered, it is worthy of the highest commendation. 
 The automatic commutators are not so numerous (there are only 
 some fifteen in use) as ordinary switch-boards operated by hand, 
 but they are the best of their kind (Cedergren and Ericsson's). 
 
 8. Public telephone stations. These are very numerous, and 
 may be divided into two classes : (i) those provided specially by 
 the State at telegraph and railway stations, and the premises of 
 non-subscribers ; and (2) those at the orifices of subscribers who, 
 after having their premises approved as suitable, have contracted 
 with the State to place their instruments at the disposal of all 
 applicants in consideration of a commission on each sum collected. 
 The public stations are available not only for speaking to sub- 
 scribers in the same or other towns, but for the forwarding of 
 
Switzerland 383 
 
 telegrams and telephonograms to all and sundry. What a boon 
 it would be in Great Britain if it were possible to pop into a shop 
 or office bearing the sign ' Public Telephone Station ' and 
 several such should be found in every long street and not only 
 call up a telephone subscriber, but forward telegrams and tele- 
 phonograms to anybody ! And how the Post Office telegraphs 
 would benefit, too, could the officials but see it. 
 
 TARIFFS 
 
 i. Rates for local exchange communication. These are 
 uniform throughout the country, and include every expense. 
 Within two kilometers of an exchange a subscriber pays : 
 
 s. d. 
 First year . . . . . . . 4 16 o 1 
 
 Second year . . . . . . .400' 
 
 Third and subsequent years . . . .340' 
 
 If the local connections he asks for do not exceed 800 * in 
 number per year, there is nothing more to pay. All in excess of 
 800 are charged 4^. per hundred, or '48^. each. Trunk line talks, 
 telegrams, and telephonograms are not reckoned in the 800 talks 
 allowed. The chief Government office in each canton, and the 
 chief office in each commune, is entitled to a simple connection 
 to the nearest exchange as soon as it counts thirty paying mem- 
 bers, for which nothing is paid unless the communications asked 
 for exceed 800 per annum, in which case the usual fees are col- 
 lected for talks in excess of that number. Institutions of public 
 utility, not working for profit, pay 3/. 45. per annum from the 
 beginning, without restriction as to number of talks. Fire brigade 
 stations pay i/. i2s. per annum, and -48^. per talk. Subscriptions 
 are payable half-yearly in advance on January i and July i. 
 When a subscriber's distance from the exchange exceeds two 
 kilometers he pays 2s. 5^. for each 100 meters in excess. When 
 it is considered desirable, to prevent annoyances from overhearing, 
 that a subscriber should have a metallic circuit, no extra charge 
 is made up to t\vo kilometers, but beyond that distance the sub- 
 
 1 These charges are altered by the new law soon to come into force (see p. 378). 
 
384 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 scriber has to pay $s. ^d. instead of 2s. $d. for each additional 
 100 meters. 
 
 A subscriber wishing to have a second instrument in connec- 
 tion with his exchange line pays i6s. per annum, with 2s. $d. for 
 each 100 meters of extra wire required. In such a case, the 
 annual talks from the two instruments together must not exceed 
 800 without the extra charge being incurred. A drop indicator 
 in connection with the subscriber's instrument, to show whether 
 he has been called in his absence, costs is. *]d. per annum ; a 
 two-indicator switch 8s., and a trembling bell 3^. 2\d. per annum. 
 
 The areas that may be spoken over without incurring trunk 
 line charges are much more restricted than in Belgium. As a 
 rule, communications outside the limits of a town and its suburbs, 
 if obtained through a second exchange, are regarded as trunk 
 messages. Should an interruption of a subscriber's wire continue 
 for a longer period than five days, he is entitled to have his sub- 
 scription refunded for every subsequent day that he is without com- 
 munication. Government and police calls take precedence of all 
 others. Subscribers may allow outsiders to use their instruments, 
 but as all conversations go to extinguish the 800 free talks per- 
 mitted, it obviously does not pay to admit much latitude in this 
 respect. An outsider may arrange to use a subscriber's instrument 
 and to have his name printed in the list on payment of Ss. annually 
 to the State. He is left free to make his own arrangements, 
 monetary or otherwise, with the subscriber, the latter being held 
 responsible for all payments except the Ss. 
 
 There is no limit set to the duration of local talks. The 
 shifting of subscribers' instruments is charged for. For a shift 
 within the same building the actual expense incurred falls to be 
 paid ; a removal to another house, whether within the same 
 exchange area or another, is subject to a fixed charge of 165., with 
 excess mileage if the new line exceeds two kilometers in length. 
 Each subscriber is furnished free with a list of members within 
 his own district, but must pay 2 '88^. for each copy of other district 
 lists. Non-subscribers must buy all lists at 4*8^. per copy. When 
 a subscriber wishes to figure in his list under more than one letter 
 or denomination he can do so on payment of is. id. per additional 
 entry. 
 
Switzerland 385 
 
 2. Rates for internal trunk lines. The time unit in Switzer- 
 land is three minutes. No person may retain a line longer than 
 six minutes if it is otherwise wanted. 
 
 The trunk rates are : 
 
 Up to 50 kilometers . . . .- 2-88</. 
 
 50 100 4-8</. 
 
 Over loo ,, . . . . . . 7 ' -2.il. 
 
 As previously mentioned, 239 miles may already be spoken 
 over. Trunk charges, and all others involving the trusting of sub- 
 scribers, must be covered by deposit on which no interest is 
 allowed. Accounts are rendered monthly. Non-subscribers pay 
 the same trunk rates as subscribers, but must of course make 
 use of a public telephone station. 
 
 3. Rates for international trunk lines. The rates between 
 Switzerland and France were determined by the convention of 
 July 31, 1892, and are regulated by the distance talked over. 
 Within a radius of ten kilometers of the frontier the charge is 
 4*8^. per three minutes ; within a radius of 100 kilometers, g'6d. ; 
 within a radius of 200 kilometers, i6'8dT. ; for each 100 kilometers 
 of additional radius, 9-6^. extra. There is no restriction imposed 
 as to the distances talked over, so that, electrical conditions 
 permitting, all Swiss may converse with all French subscribers. 
 
 On the German side there is communication at $"j6d. per three 
 minutes between Kreuzlingen and Constance (Baden). 
 
 On the Austrian side, St. Gallen, Romanshorn, and a few other 
 Swiss towns near the frontier may speak with Bregenz, Dornbirn, 
 and Feldkirch (Austria) at 15-. per three minutes. 
 
 The same towns may likewise speak, via Bregenz, to Lindau 
 (Bavaria) and Friedrichshafen, Ravensburg and Langenargen 
 (Wiirtemberg), at 14' <\d. per three minutes. 
 
 Before the communication was discontinued by order of the 
 Imperial German Government the rate between Basle and St. 
 Ludwig and Mulhouse (Alsace) was is. per three minutes. 
 
 4. Rates for telephoning of telegrams. Each telegram 
 dictated to a telegraph office through a telephone exchange by a 
 subscriber from his own office, or handed in by a non-subscriber 
 
 c c 
 
386 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 at a public or parochial office, is charged '96^. in addition to the 
 tariff cost of the telegram. 
 
 Each telegram dictated by a telegraph office to a subscriber is 
 charged '96^., and a copy is forwarded to his address by messenger. 
 
 5. Bates for telephonograms. Each telephonogram is charged 
 1-92^. plus -096^. (! centime) per word, odd centimes being 
 counted as five. 
 
 If the addressee is located within one kilometer of the nearest 
 telegraph office or other available point of distribution, no charge 
 is made for delivery ; if beyond, the usual excess rate is collectable. 
 
 6. Rates affecting parochial telephone stations. The parish 
 council pays the State for installing the line and instrument 
 4/. i6^. 1 for the first, 4/. 1 for the second, and 3/. 4-r. 1 for the 
 third and subsequent years, increased by 2$. $d. for each 100 
 meters over two kilometers. The parish council provides and 
 furnishes a suitable house or room rent free, and pays the wages 
 of the necessary operators and messengers. 
 
 As a set-off against these expenses the parish council is 
 authorised to collect for its own behoof from persons using its 
 station, in addition to the tariff charges : 
 
 96^. on each three-minute local talk had at its station up to 800 
 in number ; if the talks in one year exceed 800, the balance 
 must be charged only -48^. each. 
 96^. for each three-minute trunk talk. 
 96^. for each telephonogram forwarded. 
 2-^d. for each telegram despatched forward. 
 g6d. ,, ,, received (collectable from the addressee). 
 
 If the delivery is effected beyond a distance of one kilometer, 
 excess charges are made as follow : 
 
 Up to i^ kilometers . . . . . . 2-4^. 
 
 2 .... 4'8</. 
 
 For each additional kilometer .... 2-88c/. 
 
 7. Rates for private groups of subscribers looped into or 
 tapped off an existing trunk or junction wire. Each subscriber 
 pays the State the ordinary subscription of 4/. i6s., 4/., and 3/. 45-., 
 for the^first, second, and third years respectively, for which he 
 
 1 These charges are altered by the new law soon to come into force (see p. 378). 
 
Siuitzerland 387 
 
 may talk to any extent amongst his own group, but is restricted 
 in the usual way to 800 free conversations per annum through 
 the ordinary exchange to which the group is connected. If the 
 line by which the connection is effected exceeds two kilometers 
 in length, each member pays an equal share of the extra annual 
 charge of 2^. $d. per 100 meters. 
 
 The State erects and maintains all wires and instruments ; the 
 subscribers find a free location for the switch-board, and pay for 
 all operating. 
 
 If the group is not composed of more than five subscribers 
 the switch-board and operator may be replaced by an automatic 
 commutator, which occupies little room and can be fixed in the 
 house of one of them. When the automatic commutator can be 
 placed centrally in respect to the group, so that none of the lines 
 exceed two kilometers in length, the usual subscription is reduced 
 by i6s., and becomes 4/., 3/. 45-., and 2/. 8.T., for the first, second, 
 third and subsequent years respectively. If one or more of the 
 subscribers happen to be over two kilometers off, the extra distance 
 is paid for on the usual scale, which also comes into operation if 
 the commutator cannot be placed centrally. An extra annual 
 charge, which is shared equally by the subscribers, of 3/. 4?. for a 
 five-line and i/. 125-. for a two-line commutator is made. 
 
 It is rather curious that the State makes a reduction in favour 
 of automatic commutators, which are more liable to get out of 
 order and require more attention than ordinary switch-boards. 
 If the cost of operating these last fell on the State instead of on 
 the subscribers, such a course might be justifiable ; but as it 
 does not, the wisdom of the procedure is not very apparent. The 
 first cost of the automatic instruments is much greater than that 
 of ordinary switches, and they are not so quick or so effective in 
 action, yet the State encourages their use by accepting lower 
 subscriptions. 
 
 8. Rates affecting public telephone stations : 
 
 Local talks (per three minutes) '96</. 
 
 Internal trunks . . "i 
 
 , , , -Qocf. in addition to the usual rates 
 
 Telegrams forwarded . V 7 
 . for these services. 
 
 Telephonograms . J 
 
 C C 2 
 
388 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Subscribers who permit their instruments to be used as public 
 stations are remunerated by being allowed to retain of these 
 charges the whole of the amount for local talks up to 800, and 
 half thereafter, together with the whole of the surcharges accruing 
 on internal trunk talks, telegrams, and telephonograms. When the 
 State arranges for a public station on the premises of a non-sub- 
 scriber, that person keeps half the receipts for local talks and the 
 surcharges on the others. Keepers of public stations may, if they 
 make satisfactory arrangements for the purpose, also receive, write 
 down, and deliver telegrams and telephonograms addressed to per- 
 sons in their neighbourhood, in which case they get '96^. for each 
 message delivered. Public stations are never established in inns 
 or restaurants. Automatic boxes for checking payments are not 
 used. Subscribers enjoy no preferential treatment. Telegrams 
 and telephonograms have to be handed in written out, and are tele- 
 phoned forward by the attendant, not by the sender personally. 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 
 
 The position of the State in the matter of way-leaves is defined 
 by the law of June 26, 1889, which provides : 
 
 1. That the State has the right to use all public lands and 
 
 places for the placing of telephone wires on paying for 
 damage done, but must not do anything inconsistent with 
 the purpose to which such public place is devoted. 
 
 2. That the State may pass wires without attachments over 
 
 private property, provided the presence of such wires does 
 not prejudicially affect the property. 
 
 3. No work must be done on public or private property with 
 
 out arriving at an understanding with the authorities or 
 proprietors concerned. In the event of dispute the Federal 
 Council will decide, if necessary on the advice of indepen- 
 dent experts. 
 
 4. Proprietors of trees must cut any branches which interfere 
 
 with State telephone lines. Notice that cutting is neces- 
 sary to be given to proprietors through the local authority. 
 If no notice is taken within eight days, the State may itself 
 cut the branches. 
 
Switzerland 389 
 
 5. Authorities or proprietors under Articles i and 2 may 
 
 require removal of any wires calculated to interfere with 
 projected building or other lawful operations. If the State 
 removes wires to make room for such proposed operations, 
 the proprietor will be debited with the cost if he does not 
 begin to build within a year of such removal. 
 
 6. The State may build telephone lines along railways belong- 
 
 ing to companies, provided such lines do not prejudice the 
 railway in any way, nor interfere with the security of exist- 
 ing works. The company to be compensated for any 
 damage done, but to be entitled to no payment in name 
 of way-leave. 
 
 7. The State must carry out at its own expense such changes 
 
 as may from time to time become necessary owing to 
 alterations in the railways. 
 
 8 to 15 Deal with installations of electric light and trans- 
 mission of power as affecting telegraphs and telephones, 
 and the procedure to be followed in event of disputes. 
 The application of this law appears to have given rise to mis- 
 understandings, for it was supplemented on December 7, 1889, by 
 a rider which declares that Article i of the law is not to apply to 
 buildings or to property not accessible to the public ; on such 
 buildings no supports may be placed without the consent of the 
 authorities or proprietors ; and that the right to pass -over refers 
 only to wires suspended in the air, and does not include the 
 placing of supports. Proprietors of trees cut by the State to have 
 a right to compensation, which must not exceed five francs per 
 tree without the express approval of the Telegraph Administra- 
 tion. 
 
 It will be seen that the Swiss Government possesses no auto- 
 cratic powers in respect to way-leaves. In effect, it can do nothing 
 without the consent of the proprietors affected, and has to pay its 
 way just like a telephone company in the United Kingdom. The 
 way-leaves paid average one franc per wire per annum, and some 
 standards cost as much as 400 francs (i6/.) per annum. In one 
 disputed case the Telephone Administration took advantage of 
 the arbitration clause in the law, but was disgusted to find that 
 the award was five francs per wire per annum in addition to the 
 
3QO Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 cost of the reference. Trouble was caused by the railway com- 
 panies objecting to Article 6 of the law, and it was found advisable 
 to pay them to watch the telephone lines and report faults. The 
 State also pays full carriage and fares for all material and work- 
 men, so that the railways do not suffer appreciably after all. The 
 right to go along the railways is a most important one in connec- 
 tion with the extension of the trunk line system. 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 
 
 The most recent switch-board in Switzerland is that lately 
 installed at Zurich. It is an American-made (Western Electric 
 Company) metallic- circuit, parallel-jack, multiple board w r ith an 
 ultimate capacity of 5,400 lines, but fitted at present for 3,400 
 
 only. Including the cross-connecting and lightning-guard boards 
 it has cost 9,6oo/., or 2/. i6s. 6d. per subscriber. The parallel 
 connection of the jacks presents several advantages, such as the 
 avoidance of multiple contacts, which are apt to become dirty, in 
 the speaking circuit ; the reduction in number of soldered joints ; 
 and the saving in length of the connecting wires. The scheme 
 of the Zurich jacks is shown in fig. 134. A ; s a brass ring, in con- 
 
Switzerland 
 
 391 
 
 nection with the test wire T, which is touched in testing by the 
 point of the plug. Behind this ring, and insulated from it, is a 
 socket B, smaller than the ring in diameter, and in connection 
 with one of the wires of the subscriber's loop. Behind the socket 
 again are two springs c and D, c being in connection with A and 
 with the test wire T, while D is permanently connected to one pole 
 of the test battery v. Further back still is a third spring E, joined 
 to the second wire of the subscriber's loop. The plug is divided 
 into three conducting parts separated by insulating material viz., 
 
 M : 
 
 FIG. 135 
 
 F and H, which are in connection with the conductors of the cord ; 
 and G, which is a simple metallic ring. When inserted, the con- 
 nections are effected as indicated in the figure, H and F making 
 contact with the line through B and E, while G establishes connec- 
 tion between D and c, joining the battery v to the test wire T. 
 The indicators are of the self-restoring kind, and are constructed 
 as shown in fig. 135. There are two electro-magnets, i and j, 
 mounted one behind the other : i, which is linked into the sub- 
 scriber's loop, being wound to 600, and J, which is in circuit with 
 
392 Telephone Systems of the Continent o/ Europe 
 
 the test wire T (fig. 134), to forty ohms. When a ringing current 
 arrives from line and traverses the coil i, the armature K is attracted 
 and the lever L attached to it lifted, releasing in the ordinary way 
 the heavy iron shutter o turning on the pivot M. The shutter 
 falls, however, only a short distance, about five millimeters, just 
 far enough to strike against a small projection on the aluminium 
 
 FIG. 13 
 
 plate P, which is cocked up to a horizontal position by the shock 
 and discloses the number on the shutter o which it had pre- 
 viously covered. In the back of the shutter o is a hole into 
 which the projecting and sloping end of the core of the electro- 
 magnet j fits when o is upright. It does not fall far enough to 
 remove it from the attractive influence of j, so that when a plug is 
 
Switzerland 
 
 393 
 
 inserted and the test line and battery joined (fig. 134), J is excited 
 and draws o back to its upright position, the aluminium plate P 
 then falling and covering the number. This plan relieves the 
 operator of the work of restoring shutters after use ; it also enables 
 the shutters to be removed out of reach, thus affording more 
 space for the jacks. Once adjusted, the drops act well, probably 
 better than ordinary ones, which are subjected to careless and 
 sometimes rough handling by 
 the operators. Figs. 136 and 
 I36A represent front and end 
 plans of the table. The indi- 
 cators are mounted above in 
 sections of 120 lines, having 
 below them a strip of fifteen 
 ring- off indicators for each 
 operator. Then come the 
 repeat jacks in sets of 100, 
 each operator having 1,800 
 before her ; and below, the local 
 jacks. Fig. 137 gives a good 
 idea of the general appearance 
 of the table. Owing to the 
 length of cord necessary to 
 reach over so many jacks, the 
 shelf supporting the keys and 
 plugs is one meter above the 
 floor, and the operators' seats 
 have consequently to be very 
 high 80 centimeters. Fig. 138 
 shows the connections of an 
 operator's apparatus. The left 
 and right keys are for ringing in either direction, the middle one 
 for cutting in the operator's phone. The ring-off indicators, like 
 the calling ones, are in parallel between the cord conductors, so 
 that when a connection is on there are three indicators in deriva- 
 tion across the circuit. But when a ring-off comes, only the 
 proper drop falls, as the two others are held up by the test current 
 circulating through their restoring coils. The ring-off drops are 
 
 FIG. 136 A 
 
394 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 restored by depressing the operator's speaking key, which, by 
 means of a special contact, sends a momentary current through 
 
 FIG. 137 
 
 the restoring coils. The ringing and cutting-in keys are of ordi- 
 nary make ; they are mounted on hinged flaps which are ordinarily 
 
Switzerland 
 
 395 
 
 locked down, but can be turned up for the purpose of inspection 
 or repair. The telephone and its induction coil are each wound 
 in two equal parts, the middle point being earthed, When the 
 telephone is cut in, the connections are as indicated in the figure. 
 The condenser stops the test current from going to the plug used 
 for answering calls. For answering, the left plug must always be 
 used, while the right is employed for testing and completing the 
 connection. 
 
 The wiring is effected with flat cables, 3 mm. thick and 60 
 
 FIG. 138 
 
 deep, each containing sixty wires. As the ranges of spring-jacks 
 have a height of 13 mm., three superimposed cables are not so 
 thick as a row of jacks. As each series of jacks occupies six 
 vertical divisions, two beds, placed one behind the other, each of 
 three flat cables, suffice. This arrangement allows of rows of 
 jacks being withdrawn from behind for cleaning or repair. With 
 this view, the rows of jacks are kept in place by circular nuts 
 having a rectangular notch cut in each. By turning the nuts 
 until the notches coincide with the square end of the strip, it is 
 
396 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 freed and may be withdrawn. Fig. 139 shows this arrangement. 
 When it is desired to withdraw one of the lower strips it is 
 necessary to lift the superincumbent layers of cables on a steel 
 stirrup or frame. 
 
 All modern boards are provided with means for distributing 
 the work with some approach to equality amongst the operators, 
 for when this cannot be done it frequently happens that several 
 very busy subscribers are grouped together on the board and 
 provide more work for the operator of that section than she can 
 properly attend to, while her neighbour may be almost idle owing 
 to the presence on her section of many quiet subscribers. At 
 Zurich the indicators and the corresponding local jacks are 
 numbered i to 119 in each working section throughout the board, 
 
 FIG 139 
 
 while the repeat jacks are numbered o to 5,399, being the list 
 numbers of the subscribers. When a drop falls, the operator plugs 
 into the corresponding local jack, and having ascertained the 
 number wanted, completes the connection through the repeat 
 jack which bears it. She has no occasion to know the list number 
 of the calling subscriber unless the connection demanded cannot 
 be given at once, when it must be asked for in order that he may 
 be rung up later. In a busy exchange this may, however, become 
 an important point, and it would be an improvement to add a 
 second number (which might be movable) to the indicator show- 
 ing the true list number of the caller. The equalisation of work 
 is effected by an intermediate field in the following manner. The 
 repeat jacks of each group of subscribers are connected in parallel 
 
Switzerland 397 
 
 in the ordinary way ; then, from one or the other end of the 
 table is brought what is called a return cable to the section occu- 
 pied by the indicators and local jacks of the group. Behind the 
 table, below the level of the jacks, are groups of terminals, 
 Q and s (fig. i36A), divided by a horizontal box or channel R. The 
 wires in the return cable are soldered to the terminals of Q, while 
 those of s are in connection with the indicators and local jacks. 
 If no distribution is necessary to equalise the work, the two 
 groups of terminals Q and s are simply joined across with short 
 pieces of wire ; if otherwise, any desired adjustment can be 
 effected by long wires laid in the box R. There are cross-con- 
 necting and lightning-guard boards of familiar types. Notwith- 
 standing the self-restoring drops, the number of movements 
 required to make and undo a connection is only one less than 
 that necessary on the old Western Electric double-cord board. 
 They are as follow : 
 
 1. On receiving call, operator plugs into caller's local jack. 
 
 2. Turns down key and speaks. 
 
 3. Tests line called for. 
 
 4. Plugs into called subscriber's jack. 
 
 5. Rings called subscriber. 
 
 6. Turns up key (connection completed). 
 
 7. Removes both plugs. 
 
 8. Depresses speaking key to restore ring-off drop. 
 
 It will be seen that, good as this type of board is in several re- 
 spects, the chief advantage generally claimed for it that it reduces 
 the number of movements necessary on the part of the operator- 
 is chimerical. Another grave drawback is that subscribers cannot 
 ring through to each other without dropping the ring-off indicator 
 and running the risk of getting disconnected. The switch-board 
 that finally comes to stay will have to meet this difficulty, for there 
 is no privilege more appreciated by subscribers than the power to 
 hold one another within call until their conversation is finished. 
 
 The switch-room is lighted with incandescent lamps, the 
 current for which, together with that required for the operators' 
 transmitters, ringing keys, test, and replacement of indicator drops, 
 is furnished by two batteries of accumulators, one of sixty-one 
 cells for the lighting and ringing, and one of two cells for the trans- 
 
398 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 mitters, test, and drops. The accumulators, which have a capacity 
 of 127 ampere-hours, are charged by a i2-h.p. gas-engine driving 
 a i4o-volt dynamo. The smaller battery is used in parallel for 
 the transmitters, and in series for its other work. The necessary 
 alternating current for ringing the subscribers' bells is provided 
 by means of an electro-motor driven by the accumulators. Two 
 opposing segments of the commutator are connected to two 
 insulated metal rings on the other end of the motor spindle, on 
 which rings collectors in connection with the ringing keys are 
 always pressing. As the opposing segments come alternately 
 under the + and brushes, the current in their rings is 
 reversed and the necessary alternations produced. This arrange- 
 ment is shown in fig. 140. The voltage required for ringing 
 
 T 
 
 FIG. 140 
 
 being only 60, resistance has to be interposed between the motor 
 and the keys. 
 
 Zurich is the most important telephonic centre in Switzerland, 
 although it is run closely by Geneva and Basle. At the end of 
 October 1894 there were 2,769 subscribers, together with thirty-five 
 trunk lines, operated by the switch -board. The population being 
 about 130,000, there are thus 2-13 telephones for each hundred 
 inhabitants. The operators are thirty-two in number, or one to 
 every eighty-six lines, besides which there are three girls occupied 
 in registering calls of various kinds that are subject to special 
 charges. The number of local connections from January i to 
 June 30, 1894, was only 809,807, while the trunk communications 
 mounted up to 233,213 more than a fourth. The number of 
 telegrams telephoned to the telegraph office was 8,842. It thus 
 seems that the effect of the Swiss local tariff is to reduce the 
 traffic, since during the period named the local talks amounted to 
 
Switzerland 
 
 399 
 
 only 630 per subscriber per annum, just over two per subscriber per 
 working day. Many of them were, of course, far busier than that ; 
 but the majority were evidently trying not to exceed their 800 
 free talks per annum. On the other hand, the trunk connection 
 average was very good. 
 
 The switch-board is placed in a large and well-ventilated 
 room, and everything is arranged in readiness for the ultimate and 
 inevitable advent of metallic circuits. 
 
 / ' V '-i V V \ V V v V * V V / '' V* V v V w V V V V V- : 
 tAAAAAAAAAAAAA \AAAAMAAAA; 
 
 I i ; v \ , V ' i .' v V / . / V v^ v v V rf v 1 '': i/ V i 
 
 T' 1 . \\^\M M ^ ; A /. , '^A A ;;>,;.; U\'.y 
 r '-j V v' V v V / c / V V V -; *' j 7 V V V V V v'VV V j/V 
 
 , \ ;. i r i ;. A < A ;. A f i i A A r U A A xi .* 
 
 i vVVVv VVvVv v VVv VvVtYVVV.-vVvl 
 
 FIG. 141 
 
 The arrangements for the trunk line service have severa 
 features of interest. Translators are interposed between the 
 trunks and subscribers' lines, even when these last are metallic 
 circuits. A peculiar arrangement (figs. 141 and 142) of translator 
 is adopted with the view of excluding from the circuit all other 
 coils and electro-magnets. The translator itself is of the 
 Landrath pattern, and consists of two bobbins, B B, with iron 
 wire cores, placed side by side, the cores being joined by a yoke 
 
4OO Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 at one end, and at the other furnished with pole pieces P. The 
 primary and secondary circuits are of the same resistance, 170 
 ohms, and are equally divided between the two bobbins. An 
 armature, F, hangs from the support s, and is adjusted to make 
 contact normally with one of two stops, c c 1 , which closes the 
 circuit of the local battery and the relay R, the armature of which 
 is kept attracted against the dead stop D until a magneto current 
 traversing the coils of the translator sets the armature F oscillating 
 
 between its stops. The relay 
 armature being momentarily 
 liberated between the oscilla- 
 tions, touches its second stop 
 D 1 , and closes another local 
 circuit through a battery and 
 an indicator of ordinary type, 
 which consequently falls. The 
 terminals A 1 to A 4 are for the 
 trunk and subscribers' lines, R ' 
 for the relay, and K for the in- 
 dicator local circuits (see also 
 fig. 142). This plan is essen- 
 tially the same as that indicated 
 in the author's original trans- 
 lator patent of 1881. Fig. 142 
 shows the connection of the 
 translators with the trunk sec- 
 tion of the multiple board. 
 One translator circuit is joined 
 to the wires of the trunk ; the 
 other, on the single-cord plan, 
 to a double-conductor cord and plug. On inserting this latter 
 in the spring-jack of the local wire, translation between the 
 two lines is effected. The double-conductor cord is provided 
 with two switches, A and B, for ringing and speaking respec- 
 tively. The ring-off drop c is worked by the translator as 
 described, but as it is only wanted after a connection has been 
 put through, two springs, F, are provided which keep apart so 
 long as the plug is in its idle position, but which touch and loop 
 
 FIG. 142 
 
Switzerland 
 
 401 
 
 FIG 143 
 
 D D 
 
4O2 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 in the drop as soon as the plug is removed for insertion. On the 
 intermediate section of the board there are no indicators excepting 
 fifteen ring-offs for each operator, below which are repeat jacks for 
 all the subscribers' wires, and a set of special jacks the use of 
 which will appear later on. Each operator has fifteen cords and 
 plugs, with the usual speaking and ringing keys. The arrange- 
 ments, so far, have reference only to the connection of subscribers 
 with the trunks. For joining different trunks together when re- 
 quired ; for booking the duration of talks ; and for generally manag- 
 ing the trunk service, special tables (fig. 143) placed in a separate 
 room are provided. There are five of these, multipled one with 
 the other, and each intended for ten trunks. Each table has twenty 
 indicators ten for its trunks (these are in 
 the local circuit worked by the translator, and 
 serve both for calls and for rings off ; they are 
 in parallel with the ring-off drops [c, fig. 142] 
 on the trunk section of the big multiple) ; five 
 for ring-offs when two trunks are directly 
 connected : these are iron-clad, wound to 
 1,000 ohms ; and five for junction wires from 
 the main table. Above the indicators are 
 ten sand-glasses (s, fig. 143), adjusted to run 
 out in three minutes and used for measuring 
 the duration of talks. 
 
 Each table has also seventy spring-jacks, 
 viz. fifty repeats, ten for answering calls, and ten for connec- 
 tions to and from the local table. The distribution of the 
 trunks to the different tables is effected similarly to that of 
 the subscribers on the big table as already described. The 
 trunk jacks are of the construction shown in fig. 144, their 
 frames and orifices being in connection with the test wire. The 
 trunk jacks are of course multipled in parallel, and their con- 
 tacts are so arranged that the translators are cut out by the 
 insertion of a plug. This renders it necessary to provide a 
 special jack for tapping purposes, as an operator plugging into a 
 parallel jack would interrupt any existing communication ; this 
 special jack is therefore looped into one of the metallic circuit 
 wires. The procedure in trunk switching is as follows : A local 
 
 FIG. 144 
 
Switzerland 403 
 
 subscriber, A, wanting a trunk, rings and says ' long distance,' 
 whereupon he is joined through to an operator in the trunk room, 
 who makes a note of the name or number and town of the person 
 wanted and sends it to the operator controlling the trunk affected. 
 When A's turn arrives, this operator rings the intermediate section 
 of the multiple and asks for him. While A is being rung, the 
 person he wants is demanded of the operator at the distant town. 
 As soon as the two subscribers reply, the lines are joined, a 
 sand-glass reversed, and the operators turn up their keys. When 
 a request for a local subscriber comes from a trunk line, the 
 trunk operator rings the trunk section of the local multiple, asks 
 for the person wanted, and joins the trunk to the junction wire. 
 As all the local subscribers have jacks on this section, the operator 
 there has only to ring, and when a reply comes to go off the line, 
 the duration of the talk in this case being noted at the distant end. 
 The system appears to work well and smoothly, but the communi- 
 cation between the operators at the local multiple and those in the 
 long-distance room, and consequently the service, would certainly 
 be accelerated if it were conducted on the listening plan instead 
 of by the constant dropping of indicators. Much work would be 
 saved, too, if the subscribers, or, at all events, those among them 
 who habitually use the trunks, had repeat jacks on the trunk tables. 
 At present, when a connection is ready the caller has to be notified 
 through the intermediate operator, which means a certain loss of 
 time repeated hundreds of times a day. When three trunks exist 
 between two towns, A and B, it is found advantageous to use one 
 for the calls from A to B, a second for those from B to A, and 
 the third for communications between other towns whose traffic 
 passes by that route. When the third line is otherwise free, it is 
 used as a service wire between the operators at A and B, who 
 are, by its aid, able to get through more connections on the 
 other two than would be otherwise possible. 
 
 The installation at Zurich, both as regards the switch-room 
 and the outside work to be described later on, undoubtedly reflects 
 the greatest credit on Dr. Wietlisbach, director and chief 
 technician to the Swiss Telephone Administration, and Mr. 
 Homburger, the local manager and engineer. 
 
 In obtaining connections, the subscribers ring the exchange 
 
 D D 2 
 
404 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 and put the telephone to the ear without waiting for a ring back, 
 On hearing the operator's voice, the number and name, or (in the 
 small centres) the name only of the person wanted is given. He 
 is rung by the operator, and, taking down his telephone, replies 
 without ringing, so that the caller, who is still listening, hears his 
 voice. As soon as she finds them in touch, the operator retires 
 from the line. When finished, the caller rings off in the ordinary 
 way. This is no doubt the best form of procedure when ringing 
 through is liable to give rise to mistakes. In trunk switching the 
 caller is put through to the town wanted and asks the operator 
 there for his client. Sometimes a caller must speak to three ex- 
 changes, as in getting through from Zurich to Lausanne : Ziirich 
 gives him the Berne operator, who gives him the Lausanne 
 operator, who gives him the Lausanne subscriber. 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 
 
 All exchanges possessing two hundred or more subscribers 
 are open all night and on Sundays. The smaller ones close at 
 9 or 10 P.M., but where a caretaker resides on the premises he is 
 not prohibited from answering calls and giving connections after 
 hours. Such calls are charged extra at the rate of 2*4^. each 
 if made within one hour of closing time, and 4-8^. each after- 
 wards. These surcharges apply to all the different kinds of con- 
 nections. 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 
 
 These consist, in all the larger centres, of magneto, base-board 
 and battery-box of Swiss manufacture ; a granular transmitter, 
 usually of Western Electric Company's type ; and a double-pole 
 receiver. In a few of the smaller towns, battery calls are still 
 employed. The instruments are solidly constructed and well 
 fixed. Sand-glasses are attached to some of the subscribers^ 
 instruments for the purpose of measuring the duration of trunk 
 talks. Lightning-guards are also supplied to the subscribers'" 
 offices. The leading- in wire is of 1-3 mm. copper, insulated with 
 vulcanised india-rubber and protected by a braided covering 
 steeped in preservative compound. From the lightning-guard to 
 
Sivitzerland 405 
 
 the instrument the wire has a skin of india-rubber covered with 
 braided paraffined cotton. The earth-wire is covered with 
 paraffined cotton only. In connection with the lightning- guard 
 there is a fusible wire calculated to go at one ampere ; this is 
 to protect against the consequences of possible .contact with an 
 -electric light or power system. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 
 
 In Zurich there is much to remark, for the double problem of 
 metallic circuits and underground wires has been boldy and ably 
 tackled. The desire to keep to one central station led to a great 
 convergence of overhead wires at one spot, and it became more 
 and more difficult to find room on the houses for the rapidly 
 augmenting number. Besides this, electric lighting on the high- 
 tension alternating system is rife in Zurich, and with an overhead 
 electric tramway, a duplicate of that at Leeds, tended to make 
 things more lively than agreeable for the single-wire earth-return 
 subscribers. The disturbance from the tramway was greatly 
 reduced by laying a 7 mm. copper wire between the rails to help 
 the return, and by removing (at the cost of the tramway company) 
 all wires running parallel to the tramway route. But extensions 
 of the latter are promised, and parallelism cannot be avoided 
 indefinitely ; so it was determined to place all telephone wires in 
 the centre of the town underground in cables containing twisted 
 pairs, and to distribute overhead to the subscribers from suitably 
 placed towers or columns made as sightly as possible. A con- 
 siderable portion of this work has already been completed with 
 most satisfactory results. The town council objecting to cement 
 conduits, cast-iron pipes of thirty, forty, fifty, and sixty centimeters 
 diameter are used to contain the cables, the joints being made 
 tight with lead caulking. The pipes are laid at depths varying 
 from -8 to 1-5 meters, sometimes under the street and some- 
 times under the footpaths ; they are kept straight and horizontal, 
 manholes being provided at each change of direction or of 
 level. On the straight, manholes are placed every 100 meters. 
 These manholes are of concrete, are generally one and a 
 half meters square and two meters deep, arched at the 
 
406 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 top, and closed by a disc of cast iron roughened at the top. 
 Figs. 145 and 145 A show the construction of the holes for the 
 road and footpath respectively. The cables are drawn in by a 
 capstan and iron wire having a breaking strain of 3,500 kilo- 
 grammes, rollers being temporarily fixed in the intermediate 
 manholes to lessen friction. The length drawn in at one time is 
 600 meters as a maximum. The cables used for the main routes. 
 
 FIG. 145 
 
 contain twenty-seven and fifty-two twisted pairs, the wires being 
 8 mm. gauge, loosely insulated with paper, so as to leave plenty 
 of air space. The protection consists of cotton yarn dried at a 
 high temperature ; then a leaden tube about 2 mm. thick ; 
 then a serving of jute tape impregnated with preservative com- 
 pound; and finally an armour of flattened steel wire laid on 
 spirally. Each flat wire has an external width of 47 and an 
 
Switzerland 
 
 407 
 
 internal width of 4*3 mm., and is 1*7 mm. thick. The outside 
 diameters of the finished cables are 40 and 50 mm. respectively. 
 The copper resistance is 34-4 ohms, the insulation 5,000 megohms, 
 and the capacity '055 microfarad per kilometer, and the cable 
 stands a pull of eight tons with an elongation of only i per cent. 
 The maximum strain sustained in drawing in has been ascer- 
 tained not to exceed two tons, and the elongation to be only 
 3 per cent. Such a cable as this, if perfect to start with, once 
 
 FIG. i45A 
 
 properly laid, should remain serviceable for a long term of years. 
 Fig. 146 is an end section of a cable of this construction. The 
 underground work at Zurich already comprises ten kilometers of 
 conduits, containing eighty-two cables and 1,107 metallic circuits, 
 made up of 4,000 kilometers of single wire. The overhead wires 
 in Zurich still measure 5,200 kilometers. When certain sub- 
 scribers are connected, as much as six kilometers of underground 
 line is spoken through, the transmission being indistinguishable 
 
408 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 from that over a corresponding length of overhead metallic 
 circuit. The only criticism that need be offered in respect to this 
 underground work is that, when a mass of cables has been laid in 
 an iron pipe, the weight of the upper ones will render it impos- 
 sible to safely withdraw any of the lower ones that need replace- 
 ment. The engineers expect that as many as 3,000 metallic 
 circuits, say fifty-seven 52-pair cables, can be placed in the 
 6o-centimeter pipes. Perhaps so ; but once there they are fixtures. 
 The cables used at Zurich were supplied by Messrs. Felten & 
 Guilleaume. These underground routes are carried to convenient 
 spots, where are erected handsome and substantial iron-lattice 
 columns set in concrete (fig. 147), from thirty to seventy-five feet 
 in height. They carry from 256 to 400 insulators on iron arms 
 arranged in the form of a cage, one face 
 to each point of the compass, of similar 
 construction to that shown in fig. 150. 
 The base of the lattice column is enclosed 
 in a hollow plinth of cast iron, which 
 forms a commodious house for the junc- 
 tions of the underground with the aerial 
 wires. These houses contain test-terminals 
 and lightning-guards for each pair of wires, 
 FlG 6 together with a set of speaking instru- 
 
 ments in connection with the exchange. 
 The underground wires terminate at the test-board, and are 
 carried up the column by lighter cables disposed in the corners, 
 where they are out of sight. These lighter cables end at the level 
 of the different arms, where soldered connections are made with 
 the overhead wires. At present, as the exchange continues to be 
 worked on the single-wire plan, the second wire of each under- 
 ground metallic circuit is earthed at the distributing columns, 
 the subscriber's current going to the exchange by one wire and 
 returning to earth at the column by the other, the indicator being 
 looped in between the two wires, and cut off from earth at the 
 exchange. The officials at Zurich appear to think that this plan 
 of doubling back to earth helps to reduce disturbance materially. 
 It no doubt assists in reducing disagreeable inductive effects, 
 but, except to subscribers doubling back to the same column and 
 
Switzerland 
 
 409 
 
 FIG. 147 
 
 FIG. 148 
 
4 1 o Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 earth-plate, it can scarcely afford relief from the results of polari- 
 sation of earth-plates, which is likely to be as marked at two 
 different columns, some of which are close to the electric tramway, 
 as at two different subscribers' stations. With an ordinary single- 
 wire switch-board it would be altogether useless, since when two 
 subscribers are connected their doubling back wires would be 
 cut off at the exchange, and when they are not connected the 
 amount of disturbance present is immaterial. In such a case 
 it would answer equally well to earth the second wire of each 
 metallic loop at the columns, preserving the usual working earth 
 at the exchange. The columns need no staying, however 
 unequally they may be loaded. Fig. 147 shows the column 
 erected at Stadelhofen Platz, Zurich ; it is seventy-five feet in 
 height, and weighs seven tons. Such columns are certainly more 
 expensive to erect than creosoted poles, but once up, a yearly 
 coat of colour will preserve them indefinitely. The Zurich 
 columns are nicely painted, and, so far from being eyesores, are 
 considered to be ornamental by the public and residents in their 
 neighbourhood, and with reason. Fig. 148 gives an idea of three 
 other distributing fixtures in Zurich, located respectively on a 
 railway shed, a church, and a warm-spring house. The same 
 system of underground work and distribution has already been 
 commenced in Berne and Lucerne ; and Lausanne, Geneva, and 
 Basle are being arranged for. The overhead work in the Swiss 
 towns consists no aerial cables are used of 1-25 mm. bronze 
 wire, supported on small double-shed insulators. All joints are 
 soldered. The standards are built up of U, L, and T iron. A 
 single standard for thirty wires is shown in fig. 149. The upright 
 is of two U irons bolted together, while the T iron arms are 
 stiffened by two vertical pieces of smaller U section, which are 
 likewise connected to the main upright by L iron brackets. 
 Fig. 150 shows one face and plan of a four-faced junction 
 standard employed at the meeting of several routes. There are 
 also double and triple standards, amplifications in all essential 
 details of Fig. 149. The Swiss standards are always taken through, 
 and rigidly fastened to, the roofs ; they are of strong construction, 
 well stayed, and of neat appearance. They are usually connected 
 to earth as a precaution against lightning. None of the exchange 
 
Switzerland 
 
 411 
 
 SCALE OF 50 CENT/METERS. 
 
 FIG 149 
 
4L2 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 O 
 
 . 
 
 SCALE OF 50 
 
 CENTIMETERS 
 
 fixtures are of exceptional size 
 or special design, except per- 
 haps a neat little skeleton 
 turret at Lucerne. The cen- 
 tral telegraph station at Berne 
 is being rebuilt and raised 
 with the view of a complete 
 reorganisation of the system 
 on the Zurich plan ; this 
 building when ready will be 
 fitted with a large standard 
 designed by Dr. Wietlisbach. 
 New telephone administrative 
 offices, together with stores and 
 workshops on an extensive 
 scale, have recently been com- 
 pleted at Berne at a cost of 
 4o,ooo/. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (TRUNK) 
 
 The wire used for trunk 
 work is 2 mm. copper for dis- 
 tances up to fifty kilometers, 
 and 3 mm. beyond. The insula- 
 tors are double-shed, of a larger 
 pattern than those employed 
 for the local lines. All trunks 
 are metallic circuit, the wires 
 being crossed at intervals, the 
 twist plan having, after trial, 
 been abandoned as unneces- 
 sarily complicated. The poles 
 are generally wood, injected 
 with sulphate of copper, with 
 iron cross-arms. Fig. 151 shows 
 a common form. It will be 
 noticed that, contrary to the 
 
 FIG. 150 
 
Switzerland 
 
 413 
 
 SCALE OF SO CEA/r/MTE/?S 
 
 FIG. 151 
 
414 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 usual continental practice, the English pole-roof is used. The arms 
 are of T iron made into a frame and bolted to the pole together. 
 In districts subject to thunderstorms, every fifth of a line of ground 
 poles is usually provided with an earth wire. 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 
 
 Foremen get $s. 7^. per day in Berne, and from 41. 6d. to 
 $s. zd. in the other principal towns ; experienced workmen from 
 35. yd. to 45., and labourers 25. y\d. Sleeping allowance when 
 away from home, is. jd. per night. Hours of work, exclusive of 
 meals, nine per day. 
 
 PAYMENT OF OPERATORS 
 
 Lady superintendents, 6/. per month ; operators, when fully com- 
 petent, 3/. 45. Girls are taken on from sixteen to twenty-one years of 
 age. They have to pass examinations in composition and dictation 
 in their maternal language, geography and arithmetic. Those who 
 receive and transmit telegrams or telephonograms by telephone 
 must have a knowledge of German, French, and Italian. Hours of 
 duty, eight per day. At those exchanges which are open all night 
 the girls take their turn at night duty, but as the switch-rooms in 
 such cases are always located in the telegraph stations where male 
 clerks are on duty the two rooms being connected by a message 
 tube or shoot the nervousness attendant on isolation in a large 
 building is not experienced. 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 At December 31, 1893, the date of the last complete official 
 report, there were 155 telephone exchanges in Switzerland, with 
 14,675 subscribers, 16,929 instruments, and 33,266 kilometers of 
 wire. Since then there has been a very considerable increase, 
 the number of subscribers at October 31, 1894, being 19,300, an 
 increase of 2,371 in ten months on a population of just over three 
 millions. At the same date the nine principal exchanges were : 
 
Switzerland 
 
 415 
 
 
 Town 
 
 Number of 
 subscribers 
 
 Population 
 
 Number of 
 telephones per 
 100 inhabitants 
 
 I 
 
 Zurich . 
 
 2,769 
 
 I3O,OOO 
 
 2-13 
 
 2 
 
 Geneva . 
 
 2,648 
 
 78,777 
 
 336 
 
 3 
 
 Basle . 
 
 2,075 
 
 - 73,958. 
 
 2-8 
 
 4 
 
 Berne 
 
 1,190 
 
 47,270 
 
 2'5 
 
 5 
 
 Lausanne 
 
 1,070 
 
 33,340 
 
 3-2 
 
 6 
 
 St. Gall 
 
 825 
 
 28,000 
 
 2-9 
 
 7 
 
 Lucerne 
 
 649 
 
 22,000 
 
 2-9 
 
 8 
 
 Chaux-de-Fonds 
 
 60 1 
 
 26,OOO 
 
 2-3 
 
 Q 
 
 Neuchatel 
 
 439 
 
 I7,OOO 
 
 2-58 
 
 In 1889, the last year of the 61. inclusive tariff, the total receipts 
 of the telephone system amounted to 1,275,906 francs (51,0367.) 
 Under the new tariff, which involved a very serious reduction, 
 they had risen in 1891 to 65,3407., having recovered lost ground 
 and gained 14,3047. into the bargain. For the last two years the 
 receipts have been 
 
 1892 
 
 74,0917. 
 
 1893 
 
 m,74O/. 
 
 * Very good,' a Post Office protectionist will doubtless cry ; ' but 
 how about the poor telegraphs ? They were built with the Swiss 
 people's money, and the Swiss people have a right to be guaranteed 
 against the ruin of their property.' Well, here are the telegraph 
 receipts : 
 
 1891 ... 110,1717. j 1892 ... 111,0347. j 1893 116,6237. 
 
 Notwithstanding the enormous increase of telephone ac- 
 commodation, the telegraphs have continued to gain ground. In 
 1893 the telephone receipts had increased 37,6497. over the 
 previous year, and for the first time equalled and surpassed the 
 telegraph, yet the telegraph receipts increased also ! The reason 
 was that everywhere the telephone fed the telegraph, and the 
 telegraphs of the world were brought to the firesides of nearly 
 20,000 Switzers. 
 
 The following statistics from the last available official returns 
 are of interest as showing the comparative extent of the different 
 classes of traffic and the rate of growth : 
 
4 1 6 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Traffic 
 
 Local talks: 
 
 Free (i.e. included within 
 the 800 covered by the 
 annual subscription) . 
 
 Charged at -$>d. each . 
 
 Trunk talks : 
 
 Up to 50 kilometers 
 
 Si ii I0 ,, 
 Beyond 100 ,, 
 
 International talks (those 
 originating in Switzer- 
 
 1892 
 
 1893 
 
 Increase Decrease 
 
 5,588,556 
 1,535,188 
 
 6,480,488 
 1,902,277 
 
 891,932 
 367,089 
 
 7,123,744 8,382,765 
 
 1,259,021 
 
 | 
 
 655,647 954,628 
 156,878 231,718 
 21,149 38,307 
 
 298,981 
 74,840 
 17,158 
 
 833,674 1,224,653 j 390,979 ! 
 
 land only) . 
 Telephonograms 
 Telephoned telegrams 
 
 Total of communications 1 
 of all classes . . J 
 
 2,594 
 7,377 
 170,771 
 
 2,801 
 6,526 
 181,758 
 
 207 
 10,987 
 
 851 
 
 8,138,160 
 
 9,798,503 
 
 1,660,343 
 
 
 The increase under all headings for 1894 is understood to be far 
 in excess of that in 1 893, but the exact figures cannot be learned 
 until the middle of 1895. 
 
417 
 
 XXV. TURKEY 
 
 No telephone exchange work has yet been undertaken in Turkey, 
 nor is likely to be, as a prejudice against it for political reasons 
 is said to exist in high quarters. Many efforts have been made 
 by French and other continental financiers to obtain a concession 
 for Constantinople, but, so far, absolutely without success, the 
 terms proposed by the Government being, most probably in- 
 tentionally, altogether prohibitive. 
 
 E E 
 
41 8 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 XXVI. WURTEMBERG 
 
 HISTORY AND PRESENT POSITION 
 
 THE ubiquitous International Bell Telephone Company tried 
 hard to win a concession for the telephone system of Wiirtemberg, 
 but the policy of all the German States was to preserve the new 
 means of communication to the Governments, and the company's 
 efforts made no more impression here than in Berlin or Munich. 
 But the Government, notwithstanding, had no idea of burking the 
 telephone, and soon set about the business themselves, with results 
 that cannot in any sense be deemed unsatisfactory. The rates 
 have been reasonable and the service fair, while the linking up of 
 the various towns to the capital, with one another, and with neigh- 
 bouring States, was commenced early and carried out systematically. 
 The consequence has been a very extensive exchange in Stuttgart 
 and a satisfactory development throughout the country. It may 
 be regretted that the single wire has heretofore been considered 
 good enough for the subscribers' lines, but the necessity of a 
 change is now recognised, and in future every development will 
 be effected with the inevitable triumph of the metallic circuit in 
 view. The extension of the trunks and the growing necessity, in 
 Stuttgart at all events, for underground work, leaves no alternative 
 possible to thinking men. 
 
 SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC 
 
 i. Local exchange communication. The local rate is 5/. per 
 annum, including all charges, for any distance not exceeding three 
 kilometers from the central station. In the case of Stuttgart, 
 
WiirUmberg 419 
 
 seeing the extent of the exchange, this is remarkably liberal. In 
 many countries the attempt to confine the use of subscribers' 
 iustruments to those who pay for them has been abandoned either 
 openly or tacitly as impracticable, but in Wiirtemberg the 
 strictest regulations still exist on the subject. Subscribers are 
 not allowed to use their instruments except for their own affairs, 
 nor to permit strangers to use them on pain of disconnection 
 without return of money paid in advance unless in the case of 
 sudden illness in a lonely locality, or of accident. Even then the 
 circumstances have to be explained to the operator, who may give 
 or withhold permission. If the talk is allowed to take place, the 
 subscriber whose instrument is used has to pay the amount that 
 would have been collectable at a public telephone station. A 
 subscriber becomes entitled to the refund of a proportionate part 
 of his subscription when his line has been interrupted longer than 
 four weeks from the date of notice. Subscriptions will also be 
 refunded should the State at any time exercise its right to per- 
 manently or temporarily close the whole or any part of the tele- 
 phone system. When subscribers change offices or houses, their 
 new premises are connected 1 to the exchange without charge if 
 situated within the three-kilometer radius. 
 
 2. Intercommunication between the town and its suburbs. 
 In the case of Stuttgart this means Cannstatt, Feuerbach, Unter- 
 tiirkheim, Zuffenhausen, Waiblingen, Degerloch, Backnang, 
 Vaihingen, and Boblingen. The town subscribers may ring up 
 any suburban subscriber without additional charge, but, con- 
 versely, the suburban man has to pay i/. 5^. per annum extra for 
 the privilege of initiating conversations with the town. The 
 excess charge is small, but it seems rather unjust to saddle the 
 suburban subscriber with it. He necessarily cannot use his 
 connection locally to the same extent (the largest suburban ex- 
 change is Cannstatt, with 190 subscribers ; the others are much 
 smaller) as can a subscriber in Stuttgart ; consequently it is of 
 less monetary value to him, and it would be more equitable to 
 put him on the same footing exactly, especially in view of the 
 desirability of encouraging the connection of suburban residences. 
 The same arrangements apply between Heilbronn and Sontheim, 
 Reutlingen and Pfullingen, and Ravensburg and Weingarten. 
 
 E E 2 
 
420 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 3. Intercommunication between town and suburbs and more 
 distant exchanges within the district or vicinity. No hard and 
 fast radius is imposed in determining the limits of such a district, 
 as trade and other local requirements are taken into consideration. 
 The group round Stuttgart comprises Esslingen, Ludswigsburg, 
 Sindelfmgen, Hohenheim, and Castle Solitude. Other ' vicinity r 
 groups are Reutlingen with Pfullingen and Tubingen ; Ulna 
 and Waiblingen ; Friedrichshafen and Langenargen. The con- 
 necting lines are all metallic circuits, and are really extra-suburban 
 or short-distance trunks. The charge for utilising them is 
 generally 3^. per five minutes, but for some there are also annual 
 subscriptions. (See Tariffs.} 
 
 4. Long-distance trunk communication within the limits of 
 the kingdom. Every town and many villages are in telephonic 
 communication. The time unit is five minutes, and the charge is 
 uniformly $d. As the distances talked over are considerable (as 
 Trossingen to Langenargen, 166 miles ; Heilbronn to Friedrichs- 
 hafen, 129 miles), this is one of the most liberal trunk rates in 
 Europe. Talks are limited to five minutes if the line is wanted 
 by another. There is a system of express talks by which a sub- 
 scriber can take precedence of all others by paying triple the ordinary 
 rate. A subscriber in one town may likewise demand simultaneous 
 connection with two or more in another town in order that he may 
 give them the same message or that all may consult together. 
 Twopence per five minutes per extra subscriber connected in com- 
 pliance with such a demand is the not extravagant charge levied. 
 The records of the telephone operator must be taken as decisive 
 as to the duration of talks, but complaints are inquired into, and 
 any reasonable grievance that may be proved, rectified. Within 
 Wiirtemberg itself, talks which are not, for any reason, actually 
 held are not usually charged for, even if the wires are in order 
 and the telephone officials have done everything that it was 
 necessary to do to effect the connection. In the interest of good 
 discipline amongst the subscribers this rule is more liberal than 
 politic, since it permits a man who has asked for a trunk con- 
 nection and caused the line to be occupied with the necessary 
 communications between the operators, to change his mind or to 
 leave his instrument and neglect the connection signal. In con- 
 
Wiirtemberg 42 1 
 
 nection with the Wiirtemberg trunk service some subscribers have 
 sand-glasses timed to run out in five minutes attached to their 
 instruments. This assists them to regulate their talk and to 
 check the accounts rendered. 
 
 5. International trunk communication. This already exists 
 with Baden, Bavaria, Austria, and Switzerland, but the intercourse 
 is not unrestricted, and is subject to seemingly strange limitations 
 and variations, especially with Austria and Switzerland. All 
 subscribers in Wiirtemberg may be connected with those in 
 Pforzheim and Mannheim (Baden), and in Augsburg, Munich, and 
 Lindau (Bavaria). The subscribers in Heilbronn may also talk 
 to Heidelberg. Stuttgart and Ulm may alone speak with Stamberg, 
 Tutzing, and Feldafing (suburbs of Munich). Again, only the 
 subscribers in Ravensburg, Friedrichshafen, and Langenargen 
 may converse over the Swiss frontier to St. Gallen, Romanshorn, 
 &c. These restrictions are understood to be due to the Imperial 
 Political Bureau at Berlin, and no doubt are justified by excellent, 
 if inscrutable, reasons. The time unit with Baden and Bavaria 
 is five minutes, except with Heidelberg and Mannheim, where it 
 is only three. Three minutes is also the unit with Austria and 
 Switzerland. The rates are uniform, being is. per unit to Baden, 
 Bavaria, and Austria, and is. zd. to Switzerland. With Baden all 
 talks that are asked for are charged, whether had or not, unless 
 the line or apparatus is at fault. Thus a subscriber at Stuttgart 
 asking for one at Pforzheim who does not answer when called has 
 to pay the fee all the same. He is also mulcted if, after asking, 
 he leaves his instrument and the connection is made in his absence. 
 The first rule is calculated to discourage the use of the trunks, 
 since it fines the caller, who is not to blame ; it would be better 
 for the State to take the risk of the occasional absence of a called 
 subscriber. But the second is quite justifiable, and its enforce- 
 ment tends to foster that spirit of attention and intelligence 
 amongst the subscribers which is so helpful towards a satisfactory 
 service. A stupid or careless person who either cannot or will not 
 (and there are plenty such) learn the rules for using his telephone 
 is an abomination, and more to be dreaded than half a dozen 
 busier men who know exactly what they are about. The author 
 has known several directors of telephone companies who did not 
 
422 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 know, after years of experience, how to use their instruments, and 
 who, with all seriousness, persisted in blaming the operators for 
 the consequences of their own shortcomings. Being directors, 
 they perhaps considered it superfluous to read the rules. 
 
 6. Public telephone stations. These are not so numerous as in 
 some other countries, and are invariably located at the State post, 
 telegraph, and railway offices, no subscribers being licensed to 
 keep stations. There are five in Stuttgart, two in Ulm, Heilbronn, 
 and Ludwigsburg respectively, and one in each of the smaller 
 places. These stations are sometimes, for the convenience of 
 residents in the locality, converted into branch switch-rooms, a 
 small switch-board being fitted up and operated by the attendant. 
 This plan enables persons located not more than one kilometer 
 from an outlying public telephone station to escape the excess 
 mileage rate to the central ; on the other hand, they have to pay 
 the public telephone station fees for all talks they originate in 
 addition to the usual annual rental, the public station line to the 
 central being utilised as a junction wire. No automatic check- 
 payment boxes are used, an attendant being always provided. 
 
 7. Telephoning of telegrams. Subscribers may telephone 
 telegrams to the telegraph office for despatch to all parts, and 
 receive by telephone telegrams arriving for them. 
 
 8. Telephoning of mail matter. Subscribers may telephone 
 messages to the central station, which are written down and posted 
 as post-cards or letters, as may be directed. 
 
 9. Telephoning of messages for local deli very .Such written 
 messages, instead of being posted, may be sent out at once by 
 special messenger if the subscriber so instructs. A local tele- 
 gram or telephonogram service is thus created. 
 
 10. Fire service. The exchanges in Wiirtemberg being closed 
 at night, special means have to be adopted to bring the fire- 
 brigade within call when wanted after hours. Rather unwisely, it 
 may be thought, this important service, so fraught with weal or 
 woe to the community at large, is confined to those subscribers 
 who pay an extra annual fee of ten shillings. The telephone 
 system still being on the single-wire and earth-return system, it 
 would not do to simply plug all the subscribers entitled to the 
 service through to the fire-station at night, since the number of 
 
Wilrtemberg 423 
 
 derived circuits so created would render the action of the fire 
 indicator uncertain ; so each subscriber is provided with an 
 earthing peg, with which he grounds his instrument by day, keep- 
 ing it in a non-contact hole at night. So, normally, the fire-station 
 is connected to a number of lines insulated at their further ends. 
 When an alarm has to be given, the subscriber shifts his peg from 
 its dummy hole to the earthing contact, and is enabled to ring 
 the fire-station without loss of current through other subscribers' 
 lines and instruments. In the morning all pegs have to be shifted 
 to the earth contacts before communication with the exchange can 
 be had ; in the evening, at closing time, all pegs must be shifted to 
 the dummy holes. Before joining to the fire- station the operator 
 tests each line, and any found still to earth are left unconnected 
 unless the subscriber can be got to answer his bell and remedy 
 his mistake, or unless the subscriber has instructed the central 
 office beforehand to advise him by special messenger at his 
 expense of the occurrence of such an omission. There is little 
 to be said in favour of such a system as this. It is too compli- 
 cated, requiring apt attention at many hands and at stated 
 hours. A clerk's forgetfulness overnight may deprive his em- 
 ployers of the prompt assistance of the fire-brigade, and in the 
 morning (through leaving the line insulated) of important messages. 
 A far more satisfactory plan, and one to which Wiirtemberg will 
 no doubt come before long, is to arrange for an all-night service 
 at the exchanges. It costs little, and enhances the usefulness and 
 popularity of the telephone immensely. It is not surprising to 
 find that the State disclaims all responsibility for the failure of the 
 system to act. 
 
 TARIFFS 
 
 i. Rates for local exchange communication. If within three 
 kilometers (1-7 miles about) the rate is 5/., payable annually in ad- 
 vance, although the State may, if thought fit, demand payment 
 every six months. For this the State finds, instate, and maintains 
 the line and instrument. Beyond the limit an excess rate of 
 i/. 5-r. per kilometer or fraction thereof is levied. 
 
424 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 Extra instruments on the same line : 
 
 Per annum 
 s. d. 
 
 If in one building or in the same locality . . .100 
 ,, different buildings widely separated . . . 2 10 o 
 When a building let off in flats is in connection with the 
 exchange, extra instruments may be placed in each flat 
 at an annual charge of I/. 5.5-., but with a minimum 
 
 of 2/. ICtf. 
 
 The owner of such a building may have instruments fixed in 
 all the flats, offices, workshops, &c., and put in communication 
 with the exchange through a switch-board suitably placed and 
 operated at his expense. On paying to the State the whole of the 
 tariff charges, he is permitted to let such instruments out to his 
 tenants. Table instruments are charged i/., and extra bells 55. per 
 annum. 
 
 The State specially reserves the right to debit the subscribers 
 with any special way-leave charge that may be incurred in 
 reaching their premises. It is understood, however, that this is 
 rarely, if ever, done. 
 
 New subscribers have to sign for two years if within the three- 
 kilometer radius, and for four years if without ; subsequently the 
 contracts run year by year, subject to three months' notice. 
 
 2. Kates for suburban exchange connections. Within a 
 radius of three kilometers : 
 
 Per annum 
 s. d. 
 
 To cover communication in suburb only . . . .500 
 ,, ,, with town and other suburbs .650 
 
 3. Rates for district or ' vicinity ' exchange connections : 
 
 Between town or suburban subscribers and district subscribers, 
 
 per five minutes ........ 3^. 
 
 Between Stuttgart, with suburbs, and Esslingen, free intercourse 
 can be had for an annual payment of 2/. los. This payment en- 
 titles a Stuttgart or Esslingen subscriber to ring up and be rung up 
 by any person in the opposite town. Similar arrangements are in 
 force between Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg, and Stuttgart and Sin- 
 delfingen. 
 
Wiirtemberg 425 
 
 4. Rates for internal trunk communication. Between any 
 two exchanges in Wiirtemberg outside the suburban and district 
 limits, a uniform charge of $d. per indivisible unit of five minutes 
 is levied. Longer talks are allowed if no one else wants the line. 
 When several are waiting their turns, a subscriber may gain pre- 
 cedence of them all by demanding an ' express ' or ' urgent' talk, for 
 which he is charged triple the usual rate. A subscriber may be 
 connected simultaneously to two or more in another town on pay- 
 ing 2d. per five minutes extra for each additional connection. 
 Trunk charges, and all others involving the giving of credit by the 
 State, must be covered by deposit. Accounts are rendered monthly, 
 but may be required to be settled sooner if the amount reaches 
 
 2.1. I OS. 
 
 5. Rates for international trunk communication. The time 
 unit with Baden (except Heidelberg and Mannheim) and Bavaria 
 is five minutes ; with Austria, Switzerland, Heidelberg, and Mann- 
 heim, three minutes. 
 
 The rates between such places as are permitted to talk (see 
 p. 421) are is. to Baden, Bavaria, and Austria, and is. 2d. to Swit- 
 zerland. 
 
 Express talks are not allowed with Austria and Switzerland. 
 When an intermediate country is traversed, as is Bavaria when 
 Wiirtemberg talks to Austria, and as are Bavaria and Austria when 
 Wiirtemberg talks to Switzerland, a proportion of the through rate 
 is paid to those countries for the use of their lines, apparatus, 
 and operators. 
 
 6. Public telephone station rates. Payments may be by talk, 
 or by monthly or annual subscription. 
 
 Five-minute local talk, subscriber . . . . id. 
 
 ,, ,, non-subscriber . . . . 2d. 
 
 Subscription entitling to use of all public telephone stations in 
 Stuttgart and its suburbs : 
 
 s. d. 
 Per month . . . . . . . .040 
 
 ,, annum . . . . . . . .200 
 
 Five minutes' district talk, no distinction between 
 
 subscribers and non-subscribers . . . .003 
 
426 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 Trunk line talks per unit time (see p. 425), no reduction to sub- 
 scribers : 
 
 *. d. 
 Within Wurtemberg . . . . . . .05 
 
 Out of Wurtemberg, excepting Switzerland . . .10 
 To Switzerland . . . . . . . .12 
 
 When an outlying public station is fitted with a switch-board 
 for the use of one or more subscribers in the locality who want 
 telephones in their own premises, the station line to the central is 
 used as a junction wire, and the above fees are payable by such 
 persons in addition to 5/. per annum for the use of an instrument 
 and one kilometer of wire, longer distances being charged i/. 5*. 
 per kilometer or fraction thereof extra. 
 
 7. Rates affecting the telephoning of telegrams. Each tele- 
 gram dictated to a telegraph office by a subscriber is charged one 
 pfennig per word, with a minimum charge of ten pfennige (\d.\ 
 in addition to the tariff cost of the telegram. Odd pfennige are 
 counted as five. 
 
 Arriving telegrams dictated to subscribers through their tele- 
 phones are taxed \d. each, irrespective of the number of words. 
 
 8 and 9. Bates affecting the dictating of mail matter, and 
 of messages to be delivered by special messenger. Messages 
 dictated to the central to be written down and posted as post- 
 cards or letters, or delivered by special messenger, are also charged 
 one pfennig per word, with a minimum of ten pfennige, the total 
 number of pfennige being divisible by five in all cases. The 
 postage or charge for messenger is of course added. 
 
 10. Rates in connection wit lithe fire service : 
 
 s. d. 
 For connection with the fire-station after the telephone 
 
 exchange is closed, per annum . . . .100 
 Advising a subscriber by special messenger when his 
 
 earth peg has been left in . . . .03 
 
 WAY-LEAVES 
 
 Contrary to what has often been alleged and believed, the 
 Government of Wiirtemberg possesses no compulsory powers to 
 place poles, standards, and wires on private property. It simply 
 
Wurtemberg 427 
 
 does what the National Telephone Company practises in this 
 country that is to say, inserts a clause in its agreements by which 
 the subscriber binds himself to allow the erection of fixtures and 
 wires, not only for his own accommodation, but for the general use 
 of the exchange. If a would-be subscriber refuses to sign the 
 agreement he does not get his telephone. The difference between 
 Wurtemberg and England, if there is any, consists in the fact that 
 the Wurtemberg Government adheres rigidly to the rule ' no way- 
 leave, no telephone,' while the company only enforces it when it 
 thinks itself strong enough to do so. In respect to lands and 
 buildings beyond the control of its subscribers, the Government 
 has to ask, and frequently to pay, for permission in the usual way. 
 
 SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 
 
 The only multiple switch-board is an ordinary Western Electric 
 series double-cord at Stuttgart. It has been quite full for some 
 time, and is temporarily supplemented by some ordinary boards. 
 A new switch-room for 7,200 subscribers is in contemplation, but 
 the plans have not yet been got out. Everything will be arranged 
 for metallic circuits, however. There is only one switch-room in 
 each town (excepting a few subscribers connected here and there 
 to outlying public telephone stations), and it is intended to adhere 
 to that plan as far as possible. The trunk-line switching is effected 
 at a separate table, but the arrangements are in no wise remark- 
 able. Two types of translators are used, those of Siemens & 
 Halske and Zippernowsky, the latter being wound with two equal 
 circuits of sixty ohms resistance. During thunderstorms the ope- 
 rators leave the tables and the service ceases, although every wire 
 is provided with a lightning-guard. Subscribers are also recom- 
 mended to leave their instruments alone until the storm has 
 passed. The distribution and lightning-guard boards are of 
 ordinary type. The connections asked for at Stuttgart average 
 20,000 per day, or eight per subscriber. 
 
 Subscribers are asked for by number and name, and are called 
 by the operator, the caller meanwhile standing with his telephone 
 to his ear. The called man replies to the ring by taking his tele- 
 phone off its hook and speaking. This plan minimises the ringing. 
 
428 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 the tapping, and the risk of a premature disconnection that is such 
 a grave defect when the subscribers ring through to each other in 
 the absence of a proper ring-off system. Subscribers who have to 
 leave their instruments for a few minutes to consult books, &c., 
 are warned against touching their bells when ready to recom- 
 mence ; and after having rung -off are counselled not to ring for a 
 new connection before the lapse of half a minute. To help the 
 operators tapping to ascertain the stage which a conversation has 
 reached, subscribers are requested to terminate every question or 
 sentence that is not the final one with the words ' Please answer,' 
 and at the end of the talk to say ' Finished ! ' In asking for suburban 
 and short-trunk talks the caller first mentions the switch-room to 
 which his client is connected, and keeps his telephone to his ear 
 until he finds himself in communication with that switch-room ; 
 he then gives the number and name of the person wanted, and again 
 waits with his telephone to his ear until he hears his friend's voice. 
 In long-trunk talks the subscriber mentions the town, number and 
 name of the person he wants, and hangs up his telephone till 
 his bell sounds. The plan of waiting with telephone to ear 
 is no doubt tiring and trying to the patience, but it is probably 
 the quicker, and more satisfactory in the long run than such a 
 perpetual sounding of bells, mostly without any ascertainable 
 significance, as prevails, for example, in London. At all events it 
 saves the generators and bells from needless wear and tear. But 
 there will be no approach to perfection in telephone switching 
 in Wiirtemberg or anywhere else without a disconnection 
 signal that cannot be confounded with a call or a ring- 
 through. 
 
 HOURS OF SERVICE 
 
 In this particular Wiirtemberg lags behind many other 
 countries conspicuously. Stuttgart exchange is open from 7 A.M. 
 till 10 P.M. all the year round ; the other exchanges, from 7 A.M. in 
 summer, or 8 A.M. in winter, till 6 P.M. This limitation of the ser- 
 vice is regrettable, seeing the many uses to which the telephone 
 is put at night. 
 
Wurtemberg 429 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' INSTRUMENTS 
 
 These comprise magnetos, Berliner transmitters, and spoon- 
 shaped double-pole receivers. Some are fitted with sand-glasses 
 to enable subscribers to time their trunk conversations. The 
 magnetos are made in the State telegraph workshops at Stutt- 
 gart which are extensive and well appointed and are strong, 
 well-made, and handsome instruments. The generator coils are 
 cut into circuit when required for use, not automatically as in most 
 other countries, but by means of a button contact in the front 
 of the instrument which the subscriber has to press while he 
 rings. Subscribers are responsible for any damage that may 
 happen to their instruments, but are not called upon to insure 
 them against fire. 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (LOCAL) 
 
 The wire used for local work is galvanised steel, 2-2 mm. in 
 diameter. The reason assigned for adhering, or rather for re- 
 verting, to steel is the bad behaviour of bronze during a 
 severe snowstorm in Stuttgart some winters back, on which 
 occasion it was found that the steel spans stood much better 
 than the bronze. This was not, of course, a unique experi- 
 ence, although the difference in behaviour between the two 
 metals under such circumstances is not generally held suffi- 
 cient to disqualify bronze from an employment for which its 
 other good qualities specially recommend it. But in the clear 
 atmosphere of Stuttgart steel lasts for many years ; so one of the 
 strongest original reasons for introducing bronze the rapid de- 
 cay of iron and steel in the atmosphere of our manufacturing 
 towns does not apply there. The local insulators are small 
 double-shed. There are some twenty aerial cables in Stuttgart, each 
 containing twenty-seven wires. One of these, erected in 1884, 
 manufactured by Felten & Guilleaume, has still every wire working ; 
 another of the same date, by Siemens &: Halske, is still serviceable, 
 although several of its wires are useless. The great feature of the 
 overhead work in Stuttgart is the handsome dome of iron ribs 
 erected at the central post office (fig. 152). It is capable of 
 
43 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 carrying 14,000 wires and is of graceful design, harmonising 
 well with the building on which it is erected. Its designer, Herr 
 Ockert, the State architect, may well be congratulated on having 
 produced a telephone-wire support which is not only strong and 
 suitable, but ornamental into the bargain. There is, however, no 
 intention to attach 14,000 wires to the dome, since, of the 2,500 
 subscribers which Stuttgart boasts, no less than 1,000 are already 
 wired underground by means of cables containing twenty-five 
 or twenty-eight twisted pairs each, placed in cement conduits. 
 
 FIG. 152 
 
 These conduits are of rather special design. To avoid the evils 
 attendant on pipes or conduits of large diameter containing a pile 
 of cables the lowermost of which are rendered immovable by the 
 weight of those above them, it was determined to construct the con- 
 duits in stories or divisions one above the other, each capable of 
 containing five cables laid side by side. The removal and replace- 
 ment of any particular cable becomes therefore a matter of easy 
 accomplishment. The details of the conduits, which have proved 
 satisfactory in every way, are shown in figs. 153 to 155. They are 
 built up of inverted cement troughs 270 mm. wide, 75 mm. deep, 
 
Wiirtemberg 
 
 431 
 
 and i meter long, piled one above the other. These dimensions 
 are varied somewhat on different routes. Fig. 153 shows the end 
 section of such a trough, with the method of joining two lengths. 
 Fig. 154 shows a complete conduit for thirty cables, composed of 
 six such troughs superimposed. A trench is dug, and lined at 
 the bottom with concrete which is slightly raised along the 
 middle so as to afford a hold to the sides of the first inverted 
 trough. Subsequent troughs are added till the desired capacity 
 is attained. When laid under the footpath, the trench is then filled 
 
 - :s.\rv ~ 
 
 FIG. 153 
 
 in with soil, and a layer of concrete added immediately below the 
 flags. This construction is shown in the left-hand half of fig. 154. 
 When laid under the roadway, as in the right-hand half of the 
 figure, injury from the weight of the traffic has to be provided 
 against, and the trench itself is filled up with concrete, between 
 which and the paving stones a layer of sand or gravel intervenes. 
 When a conduit of very large capacity is required, two tiers of 
 troughs are laid side by side. Fig. 155 shows the manholes and 
 draw-boxes, in plan and section, as arranged for a conduit of two 
 
432 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 tiers. When passing a manhole the cables are diverted round the 
 oval walls, on which they are supported by brackets. About the 
 
 .K- 25 - 
 
 - -25 Hj 
 
 FIG. 154 
 
 superiority of such a system as this, when room can be found for 
 it, over pipes or simple channels, there can be no doubt, as the 
 facilities afforded for handling the cables are perfect. The work 
 
Wilrtemberg 
 
 433 
 
 at Stuttgart is very well done, and reflects great credit on its de- 
 signers and constructors. The cables laid in these conduits are 
 some of twenty- five, others of twenty-eight pairs. Each trough can 
 contain therefore 28 x 5 = 140 pairs, and a six-trough conduit 840 
 pairs. The cables themselves are of various types. 
 
 Lightning-guards, contained in weather-tight iron boxes and 
 provided both with fine fusible wires and toothed dischargers, are 
 always placed at the junction of overhead with cable lines. Fig. 1 56 
 is a cross- section of such a box, showing the connections of one 
 
 
 MAN -HOLE 
 
 DRAW-BOX 
 
 FIG. 155 
 
 wire. The cable end is sealed with insulating material, the wires 
 spreading out, each to its lightning-guard, the other side of which 
 (the box being fixed to the standard) is joined by a rubber- 
 covered wire to the open wire beyond the insulator. All joints are 
 soldered. Instead of making the junction between the copper 
 and steel in the running wire as shown, where voltaic action to 
 the detriment of the galvanised steel is bound to take place, it 
 would be better to leave a long tag of steel wire after making 
 off the turn round the insulator, thread it through a vulcanised 
 
 F F 
 
434 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 india-rubber tube, and take it straight to the binding screw in the 
 box, where no weather could reach it. The standards and cross- 
 arms are strongly constructed of angle-iron. Ground poles are 
 generally of wood and present no unusual features. Subscribers' 
 wires are usually led down the front of the houses by means of 
 open wires and insulators. As is commonly practised in Ger- 
 many, the joint between the bare and covered wire is made inside 
 
 RIAL WIRE 
 
 FIG. 156 
 
 an ebonite cup, which protects it from the weather and prevents 
 surface leakage over the exterior of the insulated wire. The cup 
 is light and hangs on a tag of the line wire. The covered wire 
 is usually led into the building by means of an ebonite or 
 china tube let into a hole made through the wall. The drop wires 
 and insulators, which are specially shaped to receive them, are very 
 neatly arranged and are by no means unsightly. 
 
 . 
 
I Viirtemberg 43 5 
 
 OUTSIDE WORK (TRUNK) 
 
 As the Wiirtemberg railways belong to the State, the telephone 
 trunk lines naturally follow them for the most part, and, except for 
 the crossings, are indistinguishable from'the telegraph wires. The 
 wire used is 2*5 mm. high-conductivity bronze for the short, and 
 3 mm. for the long distances, strung on large double-shed insu- 
 lators. All trunks are metallic circuits crossed at intervals ; the 
 twist has never been employed. There are three circuits between 
 Stuttgart and Ulm, and one between Stuttgart and Munich. The 
 trunk traffic is considerable and continues to increase, but without 
 prejudicially affecting the telegraph revenue, which likewise con- 
 tinues to grow, although not so rapidly as it did before the advent 
 of the telephone. This satisfactory result is no doubt owing to the 
 fact that the telephone is utilised, as in most other continental 
 countries, as a feeder to the telegraph, and not treated as a perni- 
 cious rival to be discouraged and, wherever possible, excluded or 
 suppressed. The telegraph tariff in Wiirtemberg is 50 pfennige 
 ($d.) for ten words, each additional word being charged 5 pfennige 
 (%d.), the minimum being $d. This is the same charge as for a 
 five minutes' long-distance telephonic conversation ; but in the 
 latter case the payer obtains a great number of words and also a 
 reply for his money, and probably, in the majority of instances, 
 greater speed. The speaking over the trunks is good, and undis- 
 turbed by external noises. The steel local wires do not appear to 
 influence the service deleteriously, but, of course, the distances, 
 even to Bavaria and Munich, are not great. The trunks are ex- 
 clusively telephonic, no attempt being made to utilise them simul- 
 taneously for telegraphy. 
 
 PAYMENT OF WORKMEN 
 
 Foremen are paid 4*. per day ; the men from 2s. 6d. to 3^ 6*/., 
 according to length of experience. Sleeping allowance u., and 
 day allowance when working away from home, 6d. Hours of 
 work, 6 A.M. till noon, with half an hour's interval for breakfast, 
 and noon till 6 P.M. This gives a long working day of eleven and 
 a half hours. 
 
f : 
 
 436 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 
 
 PAYMENT OF OPERATOES 
 
 Girls are taken on at seventeen years of age. If they have 
 passed the usual school course no examination is enforced. They 
 work eight hours per day, and are paid from 2S. 6d. to $s. accord- 
 ing to length of service. The lady superintendents get from 
 3-f. 6d. to 35. lod. per day. 
 
 STATISTICS 
 
 The Wiirtemberg exchanges and their subscribers, at the end 
 of 1894, were : 
 
 Stuttgart (population 140,000) 
 
 Backnang 
 
 Boblingen . ! 
 
 Cannstatt 
 
 Degerloch 
 
 Feuerbach 
 
 Untertiirkheim 
 
 Vaihingen - 
 
 Waiblingen 
 
 ZufTenhausen 
 
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