The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-07-09
az wALTRR ". Bur GHss.

Telephone systems OF Europe compared
with the telephone systems of this
country, both as regards developme1t
and from financial and service stand
point, are woefully deficient. So Iudi-
crous is the comparison that it puts me
in mind of the American gentleman
who, when travelling In Asia Minor,
insisted upon the similarity of the rIv-
ers in that country with the rivers IN
Ohio because there were salmon in
both.
have been greatly impressed with
what might term the telephone habit
OF the people in this country. The varI-
Gus telephone companies appear to
make every effort to foster and develop
still further this habit, both by attrac-
tive schedules of rates. graded SO that
they make provision for the most mod
crate user. and by adopting improve
ments which will tend to make the use
OF the telephone more frequent. Con
trasting this with the state OF affairs
in Europe take London, for example
it Is a common occurrence and within
my own personal knowledge that nine
months have elapsed between the date.
of the order being given and the actual
installing of the telephone In Ger
many there are two stated periods
during the year In which telephones
are installed. Should person require
telephone Installed apart from either
Of these two set periods n special
charge Is made. In addition to this.
all intending subscribers must first OBJ
tin written permission from their
landlords.
The rates for long distance service
in this country are much higher than in
Europe, but the service given. which
is the real criterion, Is correspondence
~ much more satisfactory. Although
the rates In Europe are low, you can
not get service. In continental Europe
especially the toll lines are so limited
that practically throughout the busy
hours OF the day up to late IN the
afternoon the lines are continually
blocked. This has led to the establish
ing OF what are termed urgent rates"
For instance, II you require to com
municate with a subscriber promptly
by paying three times the amount Of
the ordinary rate your call takes prec-
edence over the ordinary message. In
Great Britain q toll line can only be
held for a six minute period, When |
the line must be relinquished, a restric-
ton which only government depart
ment would dare to enforce and which
would not be tolerated by the business |
men of this country.
The contrast between the operators
is most marked. have been impress
cd with the Intelligence, vim, snap, call
1t what you will, of the American on
orator. When l consider the number
of calls they handle. their speed and
accuracy seem to me title short OF !.
marvellous. was astonished at the |
length the companies go in looking |
after their physical welfare. After |
looking through an exchange In Chica- |
go was shown over the operators re
firing rooms. | could not help con-
trasting the pleasant surroundings |
with those OF an exchange / visited in
Paris. There the switchboard was in |
an extremely dirty condition, and the |
switch room had evidently not been I
cleaned for days. No retiring or lunch /
rooms were provided for the operators, I
who apparently We're doing just as
they pleased. Some were reading, and |
some were INDUCING In animated con-
versation, the answering OF calls being I
quite secondary consideration. In ,
Berlin, Stockholm and London the sur |
roundings We're certainly much better,
but nothing to be compared with what
saw IN Chicago. and the operating
was terribly slow. attribute this diff
ference to the fact that, whereas In
America the operators position and nd
vnncement depend upon her ability, In
Europe the operators. being part of
the civil service, cannot be discharged
and thus, having obtained a position
for life. have no further incentive and
rapidly absorb the well known inertia
of that department.
AS far as my Investigations go. tile
telephone systems in this country are
managed along commercial lines. Rates
are fixed W. h gc%a"d to the actual cos;
Of giving service, improvements are
adopted as soon as their efficiency has
been demonstrated, and plant which.
owing to improvements in the art, has
become obsolete is Mt once discarded.
This is far from being the case in Eu
rope. There the business is conducted
by methods that are neither practica
nor commercial. Considerations which
are quite foreign to the business cut"r
in. Rates are fixed without regard to
the factors which should govern them.
For instance. IN Switzerland the same
rate is che "Sed in Davos, city of
5000 inhabitants. as IN Zurich, with
10000 Inh lbitants. The tendency is
also very great to oppose any improve
ment or any change which tends TOT
make additional expenditure necessary.
Berlin is now just adopting the com
MON h0tfnYsIy SvSfnIn nffnYs Onnr1fiflnr fOr
years with cumbrous aud old fash
Toned grounded line magnetic system.