Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-07-26

uiUAIuN AAA . taAis~tAA AAtANffA '+-' E'N
81 the order being given aud til actual
iustlillu. OF THE tele, .h1ac. In Ger
many there are two stated periods
during the year in which telephone
are Installed should person re'Iuir"
a ic.-.h0uc installed apart from either
OF tie-c two set periods special
charge Is made. Ia addition u THIS.
81 Intending subscribers must first oh-
tiln written permission from their
lauu pris.
Tie rates for long distance service
in IT, country are much higher than In
Eur Pc. but the service given. which
Is the real criterion. Is corresponding
| IL LAUGH more satisfactory. Although
the rates in Europe are low, you cam
not ,-et service. la continental Europe
especially the toll lines are 81 Limited
/ that practically throughout the busy
| hours at the day up 10 late In tie
afternoon the lines are continually
| block ID This has led to the establish
| ing u' what are termed urgent rates.
| For instance If you require 10 com
| muui ate with Il subscriber promptly
| 10y paving three times the amount of
| the ordinary rate your call takes prcc-
rl,lrp over the ordinary message. In
| Grca. Britain toll line can only he
.elG for six minute period, when
the ace must be relinquiShed. restric-
ton which only 20, ernment depart
ment would dare II ENFORCE and which
would not be tolerated by the business
men of this country.
The contrast between the operators
is mos; marked. have been Impress
cd with the intelligence vim, snap, call
II what you WILL of the American op-
orator When consider the number
OF calls they hanCle, their speed and
accuracy seem II ne little short OF
mary eluus. | WAS astonishcC ut the
length the companies 20 in lookin!
after their physical welfare. After
looking through an exchange in Chlca'
20 was shown over the operators re-
trim" rooms. could not help con
traSt,ng the pleasant surroundings
with those of AN exchange | visited III
Paris. There the switchboard was IL
an extremely dirty condition, ana the
switch room had evidently not been
cleaned for days. No retiring or lunch
rooms were provided Tor the operators
who apparently were doing just as
they pleased. Some were reading, anG
some were INDUCING in animated con
verSatiOn, the answering of calls being
quite IA secondary consideration. In
Berlin, Stockholm ana London the sur
roundings We're certainly much better
but nothing To be compared with villa
| saw In Chicago. and the operating
was terribly slow. ! attribute this df
ference to the fact that, whereas II
America the operators position and al
vanccment depend upon her ability, II
. EqrOpc the operators, being part oI
the civil service, cannot he discharge
, and thus. having obtained a position
, for life, have no further Incentive an,
RAPIDLY absorb the we'll known inertii
of that department.
/ As far as my investigations 60, th'
telephone systems in this country ar
MANAGED along comInerciil lines. Rate
| are fXel with regard to the actual cos
, Of giving service. improvements are
adopted as soon rs their efficiency lIa'
, been demonstrated, and plant winch
owing to improvements In the art. ha
become obsolete Is at once discarded
This is far from being the case i'll En-
rope. There the business is conducted
: by methods that are neither practica
nor commercial. Considerations whicl
are quite foreign to the business entc
in. Rates are fixed without regard t
the factors which should govera~then
For instance. in Switzerland the sam
l. rate is charged III DavoS. Il city o
5000 inhabitants. as in Zurich. wit
10000 inhabitants. The tendency /
: also very great to oppose any improve
ment or any change which tends t
Alake additional expenditure necessary
Berlin Is now just adopting the CON
, mon battery system after operating 70
= wears with a cumbrouS and old fash
toned grounded line magnetic system
1t has been periodically announced tina
the telephone system of Paris is to b
y reconstructed on modern lines, but eac
year there is a new excuse. and Pari
is still struggling along with mos
= miserable and hopelessly antiquate
system.