Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1889-10-11
TELEPHONES in FRANCE.
Tho Government Takes Possession Of the
Entire Svatem.

49, IE1EFuONco IN VnfNS1s
Tho Government Takes Possession Of the
Entire system.
; On Sunday last the government took
forcible possession Of the telephone sys.
tenn throughout France The "Societe
Generate des Telephones" protested
against the seizure Of its property, but
as the delegates appointed to take over
the lines, material and offices on behalf
of the government were accompanied by
commissaries of police, who were author
lied to proceed militari manu- in case OF
resistance, the officials of the company
were obliged to yield. The action Of the
government in the matter originated in
the theory that the telephone system is
too vast monopoly to remain IN the
hands Of a private company of limited
liability. and that, like the postal and
telegraph system throughout Europe, it
should be run by the national govern.
ment for the benefit Of the community
at large.
The charter which the "Societe Gen.
erale DIES Telephones" obtained from the
minister of industry and commerce. in
1884, contains clause whereby the gov
eminent is authorized to acquire. at any
time it deems fit, the rights. privileges
and property of the company. in return
for the payment Of an indemnity. the
amount of which is to be fixed either by
mutual agreement, or. in case of dispute,
by experts
In June last the chamber Of deputies,
in compliance with request on the part
of the prime minister, NJ. Tirard. voted
a sum of $2.O00,0 900 for the purpose OF
enabling the government to acquire the
telephone system, and few days later
the premier addressed a letter to the
president Of the company, wherein he
notified him that the charter would be
withdrawn on Sept. /. At the same time
NJ. 1irard requested the "Societe Cen
crale DIES Telephones" to declare the
amount at which it estimated the value
of its lines and material, stating that, in
case of any difference Of opinion on the
subject between the company and the
government, experts would at once be
appointed to arbitrate on the points at
issue.
To this communication the manage
ment of the "Societe Generate des Tele-
phones" replied, refusing to give any in
formation as to the value of its material,
and contrasting the right of the govern.
ment to annul it's charter. Nothing fur
Their was done in the matter until Aug.
IS. when NJ. Jousselin, an electrical ex-
pert, was appointed by the project of the
Seine to obtain an inventory of the ma
terial Of the company and to estimate
its value. The management, however,
refused either to furnish NJ. Jousselin
with an inventory, or to give him any
facilities for compiling one.
On Aug. 81 the prime minister ad.
dressed a further letter to the president
of the company, repeating the request
contained in his former communication,
and on receipt of a negative, and even
discourteous, reply, dispatched final
appeal to the management on Aug. "a,
which was allowed to remain without
acknowledgment whatsoever. Under the
circumstances, therefore, the govern
ment felt that it had done all that lay in
its power to come to a friendly under
standing, and accordingly issued orders
to the department of posts and telegraphs
to seize the property Of the telephone
company throughout France on the morn.
ing of Sept. /, at the same time sending
instructions to the projects and sub-pre
fects of the various departments to pro
vide for armed force, in case of any re-
sistance on the part Of the company Off
Gals.
The proceedings in connection with
the seizure passed off without any dis
turbancc. the only arrest made being
that of the artist of comic paper, wht
was detected in tho act of caricaturine
the very stout commissary of police ap
pointed to superintend the taking pos
session of the telephone offices on thu
Place de lOpera, in this city. OF course
the Societe Generate des Telephones j:
loud and violent in its denunciations o.
the action Of the government, which il
describes as being nothing less than {
shameless robbery, and it has already
commenced legal proceedings in tn.
matter, with the object OF securing no
only the cost value of the materia
which it owned, but also heavy inden
nifty for the loss of so lucrative a mo
nopoly. There is little chance, however
that its wishes in the matter will receive
any satisfaction. Meanwhile the tele
phone service continues without single
break or interruption.
TO what extent the community d
large will be benefited by the change
will be realized when l add that NJ
Coulon, the energetic head of the posta
and telegraph departments, has already
made arrangements for reducing tn
amount Of the annual subscription from
1925 to $75, while the cost of five min
utes'' talk over the telephone wires. herr
at Paris is to DO reduced from ten cents
its present price, to five cents.-Pari
Cor. New York Tribune.