The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-16

| hundreds OF orders, in letters, on CefoS
and on the firms own order forms. But
the telephone orders reach barely thirty
a day, and these are mainly due TO some
! emergency which no ordinary mind could
foresee, for the telephone service 10 so
slow, 30 Entertain. 80 intermittent. so
generally unsatisfactory that this firms
customers-and az has been seen they may
be taken as fairly representative OF the
whole population Of the city-refuse TO
use IL.
And this really means more than is
indicated on the surface TO an American,
for the Parisians are by no means in SO
much OF a hurry to do a little thing like
ordering provisions as are people in America.
Neither do they begrudge a few minutes
waiting at the phone.
When a Partisan refuses to use the phone
because OF slowness OF the service 1t means
such a delay as might not unfairly be repre-
scented as equalling the difference between
the time consumed by an American, at a
quick lunch counter and that occupied by a
Frenchman at his leisurely dejenner. Few
people here. for instance, think OF taking
down the receiver when they attempt TO
make a call.
Usually the Partisan rings the bell and
goes on with whatever else he has in hand.
waiting or perhaps ringing and waiting
and ringing and waiting again, until the
central operator sounds his bell in an
swer. Then he takes down the receiver
and gives the number desired.
II he is experienced he ordinarily hangs
up the receiver again then. and once more
waits until his bell is sounded TO indicate
that hia nnnnnptinn 10 aaCttTad II ia mt
only the ervous. impatient American,
it is the man and the woman who are &C.
customed to such a method as this az a
regular thing who refuse TO use the tele-
phone as provided and operated for them
by a benefcent Government in Paris.
What is the annual cost to subscribers.
either in rental for unrestricted service
or the call system?"
Payment is made at a fiat rate for an
unlimited service. The answer to the
preceding question may suggest a possible
reason why the administration has not
been under the necessity either Of limiting
the service or augmenting the cost by
establishing a call payment system.
The annual rent is 400 francs, or $50,
but the subscriber Is required TO purchase
his own apparatus, which may be Of any
one OF many makes. but must be approved
by a Government inspector before the
administration will make a move to in
stall the service. 1t is held by some per-
sons that the variety Of instruments thus
brought into play in a single service is
one OF the reasons for the variable working
OF the Paris telephone system. though this
Ia by no means established, and Ameri-
cans know that at home they sometimes
get a good connection and sometimes a
bad one.
What is the efficiency Of the service
the average time for getting through
on a local call. 6c2 Detail the exact proc
ess OF a call. What is the public attitude
toward the service9'
Efficiency? No true friend OF France
would ask that question. The French
are a polite and gentle people, docile even
under the telephone system.
The Association OF Telephone Sub
scribers, organized to secure improvement
OF the service. puts the average time re-
ouired TO get through on a call at from
one to thirty minutes. Native ~politeness
and patriotism may explain the "one';
the, figure required to bring the Average
up to thirty is apparent.
lD6 pTOCCbb Vi a Sdl pCtu lollt
as has also in a general way been re-
fected the general attitude OF the public.
The wspaper are filed with complaints
and bitterness. The subscribers ~associa-
ton was a necessity. and it has already
effected some reforms and improvement
in the service.
"Give data Of expense OF operation under
State control. Is the manag cement eco
nomical, is II a source OF revenue to the
Government or the reverse?N
The administration derives about Is ,OOO.-
900 francs profit a year from the general
telephone system OF the country.
Something about long distance service,
it's facilities, efficiency, tolls according to
distance, &c
THE integurban service is worse yet
than that OF Paris" Thus speaks the
Association Of Subscribers.
Generally speaking there is pretty good
connection, once it is obtained, with cities
OF ~neighboring countries. But the long
/ distance service within the country is a
fearful and a wonderful arrangement.
1t lie not fair to generalize from one in
| stance. or ever from two. but an illustra-
ton at least may be drawn from the eIperi-
tence OF three Americans n a Frenchman
who wished to communicate with Paris
from a town forty miles away.
The Frenchman had already demanded
connection with Paris when the others
arrived at the post office. CThe administra-
ton is Of posts, telegraphs and telephones,
combined) The Americans made their
request. They were one hour and a half
getting connection, and the cost Of this
was eight cents-in money. What it was in
morality or in time may be figured each
| for himself. ! When the Americans left the
post Office the Frenchman was still waiting,
patiently.
In a spirit OF sympathy one American
spoke to him about the exasperating tedi-
business Of the delay. Shoulders raised.
with a cheerful smile OF Resignation,
s'Tis usual he said.
Tolls. Paris TO Alpes-Maritines. $50 francs;
Finisterre, Its; Garonne, ?; Gironde, It's;
Haute Loire. $50; Mouse. rs; Nord. rs;
Disc, 40; Pas de Calais. rs; Pyrenees. 2.25
to ESQ; Vendee. I.25. To Berlin, three
minutes, 9 francs; London, 10; Brussels. 8;
Milan, $50; Rome. 4; Berne, 4.