The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-07-25

In America Than Abroad, but En-
poyees Are Better Paid and Better
Treated Here.
By WALTER w. BURGESS.
1t is my opinion. based upon a 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, are woefully 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-
ers in that country with the rivers in
Ohio-because there were salmon in
both.
l have been greatly impressed with
what l might term the telephone habit
of the people in this country. The vari
GUS telephone companies appear
make every effort to foster and develo
still further this habit, both by attrao
tive schedules of rates graded so tha
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 EurCpe-take London. for example
it Is 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 Il person require
a telephone installed apart from either
Of these two set periods special
charge is made. In addition to this.
al intending subscribers must first OBJ
tain 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 corresponding
ly 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 if 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 a toll line can only be
held for a six minute period, wien
| the line must be relinquished. a restric-
ton which only a 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
ed with the intelll gence, vim. snap, call
it what you will, of the American op-
orator. When | consider the number
of calls they handle, their speed and
accuracy seem to me little 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
cleaned for days. No retiring or lunch
rooms were provided for the operators,
who apparently We're doing just as
they pleased. Some We're reading, and
some were indulging in animated cor
versation, the answering of calls being
quite a 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. l attribute this diff
ference to the fact that, whereas in
America the operators position and ad-
vancement depend upon her ability, ip
Europe the operators, being part Of
the civil service, cannot be discharged
and thus, having obtained position
for life, have no further incentive and
rapidly absorb the well known inertia
OF that department.
AS far as my investigations go, the
telephone systems in this country are
managed along commercial lines. Rates
are fixed with regard to the actual cost
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 at once discarded.
This is far from being the case in Eu-
rope There the business Is conducted
by methods that are neither practical
nor commercial. Considerations which
are quite foreign to the business enter
in. Rates are fixed without regard to
the factors which should govern them.
For instance, in Switzerland the same
rate is charged In Davos, a city
5000 Inhabitants, as in Zurich, witt
10000 inhabitants The tendency is
also very great to oppose any improve
ment or any change which tends to
make additional expenditure necessary.
Berlin is now Just adopting the com
mon battery system after operating for
nj oil