Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19

A Service Managed nv the Government "a
Made Cheap TO the People.

A Service Managed nv the Governments "a
Made Cheap 20 the feopf-.
The Swiss telephone system has beea ,hs
subject of investigation by Consul General BY
ers of 81. Gan. Switzerland. In his report on
tins interesting subject Mr.. Byers savs: Tho
Swiss teloI hone system being about the be.s
and cheapest in EurcTc few words a. 90 Il.
methods nav he If interest First of all u 10
owned and managed by the general government
in the same way iha; the telegraph systcm i,
ard II i under The immediate control of the
department. Of posts and telesraphs This rov-
e.amont ownership Of telephones has proved 10
be to the pubic advantage. inasrnuch as the
ser'ice Is better and cheaper; IN fact. the rAsss
arc lower here than elsewhere IN the world
he hvst telephones an nso IN the country
were AZ Zurich in tho Sumner Of 1850 whea
pr. = kyt Was vrcsiacnt % private company,
commencing under many difficulties With ouiv
Ia telephones. IL cply a day service. ana
the concession granted hv the government was
but Tor i've years, the privilege bciug reserved
.oE the government itself 70 undertake the
whole business ~ tho end II tina. time. zurich
alone has now l.jO0 telcphoncs. aud tho num-
Der All over thccountry il rapidly increasing
ID. Ryf's private company at first used fhs
1 international bell Telephone Company's IN
struneuts. but soon found u cheaper aud bot
ter 60 manufacture instruments for itself and
n branch company Tor the manufacture Of tole-
phones. dyUamus. electric lamns and all elss,-
trical appliances was organized. and nourishe.
today. with agencies and telephone nets of q.
own IN various countries OF Europe The tax
for the Use Of the telephones in this private
company IN 1850 varied from so to $50 YEARLY
The service proved efficient and the pubic
soon commenced subscribing. trial was
made OF placing subscribers in communication
with the city theater by Use Of the microIihone,
u the result WAS not satisfactory.
rNDERTAKES ~ TIE oovERNMFNr.
In January, 1856. the Swiss government IN
deriook the telephone system Of the country.
The instruments. wires. &c. Of the private
company at Zurich were paid for at rates vary
ing from $40 to $50 per station. and the old
company transformed itself INTO what l. now
known as the Society Tor Eectrotechuics Rv
this time the little circle OF telephone SUBJ
scribers at Zurich had increased from ia 10
nearly 1000. or one instrument 20 every forty
citizens of the town. The old company ex-
tended its telephone systems into many towns
an Italy and Belgium with profit. The produce
ton Of instruments for the use % the state uas
carried ON. bat with small profits. n COMPETE
tors. IN order 20 get government contracts Did
the work AZ exceedingly low rates. The fact ID
worth noting. showing as il does. that in swift
zerland. at least. she government - not consid-
cred b. contractors n subject 10 be fesced
The Swiss goS eminent can make purchases and
have work done at lower rates than individuals
can.
The year 1856 already showed that the tel.-
| phone system in the hands Of the state could
/ be made to more than paw expenses. and even
with reduced rates 60 subscribers the net profits
were over 10000 francs. That year showed
| 5000 subscribers and IL circles In iss7 the
| subscribers increased TO 5000 and lonc-dis-
lance telephones were introduced, connecting
| different Swiss cities, as well places in Ger
many. In this year the government expert
mented With the Rysseiberg system Of nsing the
telegraph wires between Basel and Zurich for
telephone purposes. The experiment was nc;
| success.
Telephone nets or circles were established in
many small towns and communes. but only in
cases where the commune itself guaranteed q
certain part of the business and paid part OF
| the expenses. In 1sss the subscribers had in
| creased 10 nearly 1000 in Switzerland. with
some 5000 stations and nearly Il. 600 kilometers
OF wire. There were over 5000. 900 calls.
THE NEARLY COST.
The cost Of operating the telephone system
/ by the government In lsss was $40. 791 Francs
The earnings were EOS. sos francs above ex-
penses. From this date on the accounts OF
| telephoning and telegraphing were combined
| and appeared separately no longer; but in tho
| next year the number of Subscribers increased
| to above 5000. and in 1880 there We're 10. eig
| telephone stations in the country and IL coo
kilometers of line. This had crept ip from the
little beginning Of lii ele.hones in Zurich
| few years before.
On an average there were SAC calls in the
year TO each telephone. The government
allows 800 calls to each subscriber without ex-
ira charge.
The usual charge to subscribers for telephones
Is e24 for the first year. go for the second year
and less than SIC per year from then on. A.
noted already. 500 calls per year are allowed to
subscribers. All calls beyond that number are
| charged for at / cent only each. Telegrains are
received by the telephone Office and delivered
! to the telegraph at cents each. As many of
the telegraph and telephone Offices are COM
! bIned. and as many OF the telegraph operators
are also telephonists, the advantages and the
| economy are very great. The employees are
better trained than in private companies. be-
| cause their positions are secured TO them, and
there Is a consequent natural pride in having
| their service good Government responsibility,
too. assures prompt attention, and, il is uni-
| versally acknowledged in Switzerland, the
management by the state has resulted in econ
| omy and perfect service. Like the post and
| the telegraph systems OF the country. the tele-
| phone system is owned by the people. and tie
state manages 1t with an eye single to the pub
| lie good.