Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-05-20
rEIEpHoNE AND TELEcRApH.
Conducted Economically and Efh-
ctently by the Government.

ti-...- StSutsy ny OONCTun1enL. "a
The Swiss Government owns and
operates all he telegraph and tele-
phone lines in the Confederation,
says Consul r.. e. Mansfield, OF Luz.
cerne. The telegraph and telephone
service extends to nearly every town
and village in the country, and every
railway station is supplied with both
systems. The service Is good and the
rates are low. They are operated in
connection with the postal service.
every post Office being provided with
telegraphic facilities, and practically
all of them with public telephones.
Distances In Switzerland being
short, the service prompt and the
rates low, the telegraph and tele-
phone are literally patronized. Long
distance connections are made with
all the local or urban telephone lines.
This enables the patrons to communi-
cate with all cities and towns in the
country. There are also international
connections with all the countries
bordering on Swiss territory. :,
A feature of the Swiss telephone
service Is that, in addition to own
ing and operating all the lines, the
government manufactures all the In
struments used, makes the insula-
tions and controls the business abso-
lutely.
The total length Of telephone lines
in Switzerland is 10,548 miles. The
annual rental charges for offices ,busi-
ness houses and residences Is $12.45
per year. An additional, charge of
one cent'is made for each call in the
town. For inter-urban or long-dis-
tance calls the rate Is from two ~to
fourteen cents for three minutes, ac-
cording to distance, fourteen cents
being the maximum rate for any dis
tance in the country.
The number of telephone subscribe
ers in 1905 was 53,711. During the
year there were 32,071,177 local,
7,251,193 inter-urban and 299,209
International calls over the govern
ment telephones. The revenue from
all classes of calls for 1906 was
$829,732; income from rent on 53,-
Til telephones, $66S,702. Total, ST.
498,434.
The total length of telegraph lines
in Switzerland is 66,683 miles. The
total numebr OF telegrams transmit
ted in 1906 was 4,91s,679, Of which
z,555,956 were international and
from kilograms for the year was ST.
596,664.
There Is government tax Of 80
centimes, equal to a fraction under
six cents American money, on each
telegram sent. In 1ition to this
charge there Is a universal rate Of
one-half cent word throughout the
country, distance not being taken
into consideration. A telegram of 10
words costs only II cents. The inter-
national rate is 80 cents per word to
New York, cents to France, Ger
many, Italy and Austria, cents to
Spain, 6 cents to England, and 8
cents to Russia. In addition to the
foregoing there is government tax
Of 10 cents on each international tel
egram or cable.
The total income from telegram
and telephone service for 1906
was $3,095,098; expense, $2,231,-
217; profit to the government,
$S63,S81. The telegraph and tele-
phone service, like the government
railways and parcels post, are eco
nomically administered, the object
being to give the best service possible
at the lowest possible cost to the peo-
pie. n,