720 



TELEGRAPHS ON THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT. 



for dispatches sent by railroad telegraphs from 

 one railroad station to another. 



3. In the duchy of Brunswick, all telegrams, 

 of twenty words or less, cost eight groschen. 



4. In Prussia and Saxony, dispatches of 

 twenty words or less cost five silbergroschen, 

 if addressed to points lying within eleven to 

 eighteen geographical miles ; ten silbergro- 

 schen, if addressed to points lying within 44 

 to 55|- geographical miles ; and fifteen silber- 

 groschen, if addressed to points at a distance 

 of upward of 55 geographical miles. One- 

 half these rates is charged in addition for 

 every additional ten words. 



5. In the kingdon of "Wurtemburg, dis- 

 patches sent to any point of the state, and con- 

 taining twenty words or less, cost twenty 

 kreutzers ; ten kreutzers are charged for every 

 additional ten words. 



The cost of dispatches sent from Germany 

 and Austria to the other countries on the Eu- 

 ropean Continent is as follows : 



1. Dispatches sent to Belgium, if containing 

 twenty words or less, cost on an average one 

 franc, if the distance does not exceed fifty kilo- 

 metres (6 geographical miles). Dispatches of 

 the same length between the other Prussian 

 telegraph stations situated west of the Weser 

 and Werra, on one hand, and all Belgian sta- 

 tions, on the other, cost two francs; and dis- 

 patches of the same length between the Prus- 

 sian stations east of the "Weser and Werra, on 

 one hand, and the Belgian stations, on the 

 other, cost three francs ; one-half of these rates 

 in addition for every additional ten words. 



2. Dispatches sent from Prussia to Denmark, 

 if the distance does not exceed ten geographical 

 miles, cost one franc ; dispatches between Den- 

 mark, on one hand, and Schleswig-Holstein, 

 Lubeck, Hamburg, and all Prussian stations on 

 the Baltic, on the other, cost two francs ; dis- 

 patches between Denmark and the rest of the 

 Prussian as well as Saxon stations cost three 

 francs. 



3. Dispatches sent from the states belonging 

 to the German- Austrian Telegraph Union, with 

 the exception of "Wurtemberg and the Nether- 

 lands, to any point of France, cost three francs, 

 provided the stations from which the dis- 

 patches are sent do not lie east of the Main- 

 Neckar Eailroad, and east of the Weser and 

 Werra ; in that case, dispatches to any point 

 of France cost four francs. Dispatches from 

 Wurtemberg and the Netherlands to France 

 cost only two francs. 



4. Dispatches from Germany to Greece, one 

 franc. 



5. To Italy, three francs. 



6. To Norway, two francs. - 



7. To Portugal, one franc. 



8. To (European) Kussia, five francs. 



9. To Sweden, three francs. 



10. To Switzerland, one franc. Dispatches 

 sent from any point in Switzerland to another 

 in the same country cost one franc. 



11. To Spain, all dispatches sent from states 



belonging to the German- Austrian Telegraph 

 Union, with the exception of Prussia, cost three 

 francs ; dispatches sent from Prussia to Spain 

 cost two and a half francs. 



12. To (European) Turkey, four francs. 



The so-called transit telegraph rates have 

 been fixed as follows : 



1. Through Belgium, one franc; all dis- 

 patches sent from the Netherlands through Bel- 

 gium and France to Italy and Switzerland cost 

 only two and a half francs. 



2. Through Denmark, one and a half francs. 



3. Through France, three francs. All dis- 

 patches from the Netherlands through Belgium 

 and France to all other states beyond the fron- 

 tiers of Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, only 

 two francs. 



4. Through Italy : all dispatches exchanged 

 between the boundaries of Austria, France, and 

 Switzerland, one franc; for dispatches ex- 

 changed between the same boundaries and Tur- 

 key, three francs. 



5. Through Russia, five francs. 



6. Through Sweden, three francs. 



7. Through Switzerland, one franc. 



8. Through Spain, for all dispatches from 

 the states belonging to the German-Austrian 

 Telegraph Union, with the exception of Prus- 

 sia, three francs ; for dispatches from Prussia, 

 two and a half francs. 



In Switzerland the reduction of the telegraph 

 rates from one franc to fifty Kp., which took 

 effect from the first of January, 1868, gave rise 

 to the apprehension that, although this step 

 forward would be greatly beneficial to the in- 

 terests of the public, the telegraph administra- 

 tion would sustain heavy losses in consequence 

 thereof, and that a considerable deficit would 

 be inevitable. The Federal Council, upon fix- 

 ing the budget for 1868, it is true, made no 

 provision for this prospective deficit, but it as- 

 sumed that the revenues and expenditures of 

 the telegraph administration would balance 

 each other. The economical results of the re- 

 duction of the telegraph rates in Switzerland 

 during the year 1868, however, prove that the 

 above-mentioned apprehensions were ill- 

 grounded. Besides 44,805 so-called " service " 

 dispatches, there were telegraphed in Switzer- 

 land in the year 1868 : 



The number of international dispatches, 

 therefore, which were alone affected by the re- 

 duction of the telegraph rates was more than 

 doubled in the course of a single year. But, to 

 correctly appreciate the achievements of the 

 Swiss telegraphs in the year 1868, we must 

 add, furthermore, that, besides the aforesaid 

 44,805 "service" dispatches, they repeated 



