Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1907-08-01
BY WALTER w. BURGESS.

BY WALTER w. BURGESS.
1t is my opinion, based upon IL study
at first hand, that the state owned
telephone systems of Europe compared
with the telephone systems of this
country, both as regards development
and from a financial and service stand
point, arc wocf,llly deficient. So ludi-
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-
ci's 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 hespeoplc in thi., country. The vali-
on; telephone companies appear to
make every effort to foster and develop
ssiil further this habit, both by attrac-
til'c sc,lc 'llls; Of ','tcS. :...s.'c;l 81 that
tii@.' i, y. l.,.siaA ~ In, i.so't M:pt--
c.'itc 'S.'. ;in. Is adopting i!"i':'as'c-
ls:eA.s witch Will .emd to ls:.k, TIE U.s..
of the telephone nlprc f.'sq.c..t. Con-
!ra,tl. this With tic State OF affair;
i'm Eur pc t,Ke l.on,lol foi. rHalnpc
it is Il co.alnp:l ore.ulreiire and Within
my osv.i personal Emewin,,:sa that hilin
III ,..th, has, capped l4etMcal The date
Of tle n.,ei. hong tiveM AID The actual
i.s,alli..s OF the tnle9i.ola liz t,ri'-
missy there are t.,o stated pa.io,:,
,lu..!. the yef!. IN Which telephones
are s,stailel .hGJ.li II person require
IL t.a .ho:.e i,,s:;,lic,l apart from either
oi' these two set periods Il special
cll:llg. l.; made. In addition to this.
an ntrntl,.a; Subscribers must first OBJ
tain written permission from THEN.
landlords.
'il.a rate; for long distance service
i'm this country arc much higher than in
/ l,sl.,pe hut th" service given. which
is the real criterion. is correspondence
| ly nluc. more satisfactory. Although
! the rate, i'm Ililro.,a are low, YOU can
not get service. In continental Europe
especially The toll lines are So 'l:ieil
that practically Throughout The husy'
| hours of th. day up to late in the
AFTERNOON the lines gre con ii.u:lly
| blocked. This E;t., led to the establish
ing of what are terimcl urgent rates.
| For instance, III you require to COM
muMicate with u subscriber promptly
by paying three times the amount OF
tlie ordinary rate your Gull takes prcc-
cdence over the ordinary message. In
Great Britain ~ toll line cum only be
held for ~ siN minute period, when
a ~. IA.
/ ton which only Il government depart
mcnt would dare u enforce and which
would not be tolerated by the business
men OF this country.
The contrast between the operators
is mos: marked. / lave been impress
c,l with The intelligence, vim, snap, call
it What YOU will, of the American OPP
orator. When | consider the humble.
of calls they handle, their speed an(
accuracy seem to me little short OF
4 marvellous was astonshcd mt the
length tile companies so in looking
after their physical welfare. tAftel
looking through an exchange i'm Chica
go was shown over the operators nc
firing rooms. could not help con
trasting the pleasant surrounding.
with those of an exchange l visited il
Paris. There the switchboard was il
Il an extremely dirty condition, and tho
switch room had evidently not beer
cleaned for days. No retiring or luncl
rooms We're provided for the operators
who apparently We're. doing just a:
they pleased Some were reading, ant
some We're indulging I'm animated con
vclsation, the answering of calls ben;
quite Il secondary consideration. IL
Berlin. Stockholm and London the sur
I roundings were certainly much better
but nothing to be compared with wha
saw in Chicago, and the operating
was terribly slow. attribute this diff
ference to the fact that, whereas IL
America the operators position and al
vancclnent depend upon her ability, IL
Europe the operators, being Il part O
the civil service, cannot be discharged
and thus, having obtained position
for life, have 10 further incentive am
rapidly absorb the we'll known lncrtl
; of that department.
As far as my Investigations go, til
telephone systems in this country ar
mana getl along commercial lines. Rate
are fixed with regard to the actual cos
Of giving service, improvements ar
adopted as soon as their efficiency lia
been demonstrated, and Il plant which
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