Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-12
CHEAP TELEPHONING
SYSTEM BROUGHT TO GREAT EFF.
FICIENCY IN SWEDEN.
Used by Persons Old and Young, Rich
and Poor-Rates of Ser
vice Low.

+ rom the LONDON pa1 Mail GaZette.
In 10 country in Europe is the telephone
brought to such pitch Of perfection as in
Sweden, where the instrument enters into
the daily life of the people in manner
that would cause unbounded establishment
in this country. There are two classes of
telephone in use-the "Riks," or govern
ment variety, and the "Allmanna," or gen.
eral These latter are subdivided inta
three further vacieties-the Star telephone
which costs IS los per annum: the ordinary
telephone at lis. year for five years afte,
Installation, plus e 6s. per annum for use !;
after five years, however, the lis. a yea
ceases. And the third variety of the gen.
eral telephone is the District which
costs only f. year. The cost of the Riks
or government telephone, is e. lbs. d year;
aEd here are the distances and call charges
for these instruments:
Up to sixty miles outside Stockholm. ID
for every three minutes.
Over sixty to 150 miles, I'd for three
minutes
One hundred and fifty to $50 miles, 6a4d
for three minutes
From 36o to $40 miles, led for three
minutes
Over $40 miles, Is. 11ad. for three minutes
Charges in Norway
1t must be understood that these rates
dpply 10 S"eOen only. IN Norway the
rates vary according to distance from CAD
to IS. Sd, and IN Denmark from Is sgd
to IS. 934d. for three minutes conversation
Now, with regard to the Allmanna, or
general telephone. Within a radius OF
sforty miles of Stockholm these Instruments
may be used free. but beyond this distance
Riks must be used; and to connect with the
klks from your own AIlmanna apparatus i
charge of I'D. is made inside the CITY
Ire ,hnre
outside. Accounts for transfers from one
variety of instrument to another are rem
de red every quarter. The Star and ordi-
nary telephones may be used as often as
You please. but the District variety is limit
ed to hundred calls in quarter after
which I'D. is payable for each message
The Star telephone is always found in the
offices of big shops, 50 that the user of the
Ordinary District instrument transact
his business with merchants and trades
people of every kind without in any way
interfering with his own hundred quarterly
conversations. Distracted users of the tele-
phone IN London will be interested to know
that reply Is always forthcoming from
the central station in about ten seconds
In Stockholm ladies hold quite long con-
versations with their friends by telephone
ana the man in the street drop into
practically any shop and telephone to any
part Of the city for 1hd. Even people in
the country use telephones to an extent
almost incredible to US, and practically
WY NfiaSe Has IT'S own leltUDDnS STA
ton.
System Works Well.
The Rev. Edward Shepherd. chaplain to
our legation in Stockholm, writes as fol-
lows:
MY cooks parents live in a small VII
iage about fifteen miles from here (Stock-
holm), and if she wants to speak to them
she simply goes to my telephone and iings
up the village grocer's shop. Then the
people there send for the woman's rela-
tives to come and speak to her on the
wire.
Il suppose Mr.. Shepherd goes on to
say. that our English Church here in
Stockholm is one of the few in the world
which has on its notice board the chap
lains telephone number 1t works quite
well. for if people are absent from church
on Sunday the telephone can be operated
on Monday to inquire if they are H.
Almost everybody in Sweden, and partic-
ularly in the city of Stockholm turns nat
urally to the telephone, and if one is away
from home and Is suddenly recalled enc
naturally telephones home to see whether
the servants are in or out. The apparatus
used is very simple, and the ear and mouth
pieces are so connected and the cord is SO
long, that you can sit comfor tably in your
chair and talk. In the house in which she
British chaplain at Stockholm resides "a
block of ten hats) there are no fewer than
ten Allmanna and four Riks telephones in
stalled. 1t is rumored in Stockholm that an
amalgamatfon of the Alimanna and Riks
telephone is contemplated in the near fu-
ture.
1t may be asked. DO telephones at these
extremely low prices pay?" The best re-
ply to this Is that on the Stockholm bours.
the Allmanna shares Of 100 kroner are row
quoted at 525 kroner. The number of All
mamma telephones in use in Stockholm is
at present over $1,000. and outside the .ity
about 1890; and that the instrument is
found Of increasing value will be seen from
the fact that in 1900 there was an increase
of g 7SJ inst rumeuts