Omaha daily bee., 1898-09-06
THE FIELD OF ELECTRICITY
Slow Progress Of the Telephone in the
Business Life Of London.
SERVICE NO GREATER THAN IN OMAHA
Nnrconi and His wireless TcIcErnphy
-Chnrnctcristics of m Electrical
storm-DingnoSing Diseases
by Rocntgcn Rays.

The average American. quick to grasp and
develop new ideas would scout the unsup-
ported statement that the great city Of Lon
don with its four millions OF people does
not patronize the telephone as much as the
people Of Omaha. Such is the fact. how
ever and the affidavit supporting it is in
the form OF a parliamentary report. The
actual number OF telephone subscribers In
London is 1.911 A correspondent of the
New York Sun says the British public do
not take kindly to the phone. Most per-
sons assume that the reason must
be some defect or mismanagement
in the system by which telephone
service is supplied. One important reason
for backwardness in this respect is simple
British conservatism. The lack Of enter
prise which keeps the telephone out Of the
principal banks and newspaper Offices Of
London is not to be explained on the score
OF the expense involved. Telephone rates
in the metropolis are not high compared
with those of large American exchanges.
Twenty pounds per year for the unlimited
use Of the telephone in greater London is
not extortionate.
One OF the principal banking houses Of
London installed telephone in its chief
office few months ago. It proved great
nuisance. They were constantly called UP
about business matters which were usually
dealt with by messenger The clerk whose
duty it was to answer the calls complained
to the directors that his other work was
much interefered with by the telephone bell.
So the directors considerably ordered the
removal Of the offending instrument. Less
than a week later the bank was mulcted
I'm Gl2OO by a clever swindler with a
fraudulent check. Another banker had
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tIlNaH1e III us Equipment
\ Close Corporation.
The Parliamentary committee points out
that the telephone is inaccessible to those
who onIv reoulre To use IT occasionally. It's
frI1 advanfages are only available for those
who car, afford IN nav a heavy subscription
in return for a privilege which. though ex-
elusive is very limited in extent 1t is
practically in the hands of a monopolist
comDaBv which has power to charge what
r,tas II chooses and not onIv has no motive
fDr Increasing and ChpaDpDIDg the facilities
II affords bn+ has IAN obvious reason for
limiting the number even of its Subscribers. -
# does not nav to increase the number OF
subscribers within an area served by COM
mon exchange. The company mas power 10
refuse service, and thus TO PICK and cnoose
its subscribers, and thereby to limit their
number, and in doing this it is materially
assisted by the grant OF extensive areas
tIhf a Npr U
remunerative subscribers, anu d; the same
time go far to protect 1t against compeu-
ton" 1t is easy to see how such system
works in a vicious circle to restrict the
number Of subscribers. 1t is probable that
before long all new subscrlbers VIII De re-
fused. Mr.. Forbes, the chairman OF the
company specifies the year l9O4 as the
probable date at which the WhoIe system
Will become close ana inaccessible
monopoly. But the committee significantly
remarks; II Is possible lhaL even dI
carrier date might nave Oeeh haLheu'
The committee recommends suohsly tha'
competition with the National Ieiephone
company be encouraged IN Two "aES-Ina'
municipal authorities, the postoulce' OF OoIn
be licensed to establish and operate local eN-
changes IN opposition 10 the preseh'
monopoly. 1t Is dlscouragihg SITUATION
however NuISu u1N'9 AS9O'I ~ L-'S az"
red tape methods OF the Ensllsh Fostonnls
department. seem an Improvement over tht
existing system.
Magnetic Signalling.
An interesting aDplication of the principle
os tho rotating magnetic field TO signalling
o,nar,tus is described in 4 recent issue OF
The EInctrici,n This signal system due &c
nr / Vsber is Intended to renIace rbe
n-bv-stan devices now used for man,
r,,,,.roses b,,+ osnacialIv for the nrrDose NJ
signoIIiDg betveen bridpa mr. piIot bous,
and the engine room on ships Similar
dlals are used at the enas OF the line II
these deVlces' Ihe slshal oelLs given ol
moving an indeN lever over d ulal at lu'
sending station, ana causing corresponding
movement or an index mana over Ihe re
volvtng dial. In Dr. weber device IN
sending instrument consists OF an endless
resistance helix arranged IN clrcula
form on the dial, and wound on a resistance
frame in the manner or Gramme winding
This resistance is tapped at three equldis
tant points by three conductors, which ar
led to the receiving dial Here they ar
connected in the three-phase star fashion
with three radally disposed magnets con
trolling a small wo-pole armature OF sof
iron attached to an indicating hand. Th
current energizing this receiving instru
ment is furnished and suitably distribute