Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-10-10
TELEPHONES IN FRANCE.
The Governments TaIkes Possession Of the
Entire System.

4ho oONcTuuACuu Ao1C9 AooapaeAeAA " h--N
Entire System.
On Sunday last the government took
fercible 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 a monopoly to remain in the
hands of private company of limited
liability, and that, like the postal and
telegraph system throughout Europe, ii
should be run by the national govern
ment for the benefit of the community
at large.
The charter which the "Societe Cen
erale des Telephones" obtained from the
minister of industry and commerce, in
1884, contains a clause whereby the gov
ernment 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 q request on the part
of the prime minister, NJ. Tirard. voted
a sum of 100000 for the purpose of
enabling the government to acquire the
telephone system, and few days later
the premier addressed letter to the
president of the company, wherein he
notified him that the charter would be
withdrawn on Sept. 1. At the same time
NJ. Tirard requested the "Societe Cen
erale des 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 contesting the right of the govern
ment to annul its charter. Nothing fur
ther was done in the matter until Aug
13, when NJ. Jousselin, an electrical ex
pert, was appointed by the prefect Of tho
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. Jousselir
with an inventory, or to give him any
facilities for compiling one.
On Aug. 81 the prime minister ad
dressed further letter to the presiden
of the company, repeating the reques
and on receipt Of a negative, and evel
discourteous, reply, dispatched a fina
appeal to the management on Aug. "a
which was allowed to remain withou
acknowledgment whatsoever. Under tn
circumstances, therefore, the govern
ment felt that it had done all that lay i
its power to come to a friendly under
standing, and accordingly issued order
to the department of posts and telegraph
to seize the property of the telephon
company throughout France on the morr
ing of Sept. 1, at the same time sendin
instructions to the projects and sub-pr'
fects of the various departments to prC
vide for armed force, in case of any II
sistance on the part of the company off
cials.
The proceedings in connection wit
the seizure passed off without any dl
turbance, the only arrest made bein
that of the artist of comic paper, wi
was detected in the act of caricaturin
the very stout commissary of police a
pointed to superintend the taking pc
session of the telephone offices on Il
Place de rOpera, in this city. Of cour
the Societe Generate des Telephones
loud and violent in its denunciations
the action of the government, which
describes as being nothing less than
shameless robbery, and it has alreat
commenced legal proceedings in t
matter, with the object Of securing n
only the cost value of the materi
which it owned, but also a heavy indel
nifty for the loss of SO lucrative m
nopoly. There is little chance, howevt
that its wishes in the matter will recei
any satisfaction. Meanwhile the te
phone service continues without sing
break or interruption.
To what extent the community
large will be benefited by the chan
will be realized when add that
Coulon, the energetic head of the pos
and telegraph departments, has alrea
made arrangements for reducing t
amount of the annual subscription fre
$125 to SIS, while the cost of five m
utes' talk over the telephone wires he
at Paris is to be reduced from ten cen
its present price, to five cents.--Pa
Cor. New York Tribune.