Telephone Systems of tJie Continent of Europe 



(this Jias her> specially said of Germany) have an absolute 

 right to fix VuripDrts\a/id wires wherever they please, underground 

 or Qye^iefl,Xv without payment ; that labour is less costly on the 

 ' foreign workmen and operators arc 



not only badly paid, but mercilessly sweated ; that the cheap 

 systems are ill-constructed and worse managed ; that the low rates, 

 if they exist, are only applied in small towns ; that they do not pay ; 

 together with various other assertions intended, and tending, to 

 create doubt, and confuse the advocates of telephonic reform. 



The points at issue were so numerous and involved, and the 

 question so interesting and replete with importance to the British 

 commercial community, particularly in view of a possible Post 

 Office acquisition, partial or complete, of the telephone systems, 

 that the author determined to ascertain the truth for himself, and 

 that by the best of all methods, personal inspection and investiga- 

 tion. Controversy had chiefly centred on the Scandinavian and 

 German countries, Holland, Belgium, and Switzerland. All these, 

 together with France, have been visited by the author, and the 

 most minute inquiries as to the tariffs, rules, laws, technical prac- 

 tice, and other matters of interest conducted on the spot, the 

 points enumerated above as being specially in dispute and in- 

 dicated for examination receiving more than ordinary attention. 

 The results of this inquest are now presented to the public in a 

 form that, it is hoped, will facilitate reference to particular points 

 and enable an accurate idea of the true state of matters to be 

 readily arrived at. 



It will be found that no two nations have solved, or attempted 

 to solve, the problem in exactly the same manner. In some cases 

 the divergencies are wide, but in most great intelligence, combined 

 with solicitude for the public weal, has been brought to bear, often 

 with the most satisfactory results. 



It will be seen that except in two Russian towns, St. Petersburg 

 and Moscow, which are in the hands of a monopolist company 

 and where the rates are 257. per annum, no continental subscrip- 

 tion comes up to the 2o/. rate with which we are familiar in 

 London. On the other hand, subscriptions in some places descend 

 to 2/, IQS. and 2/. gs. ^d. per annum, everything included, and are 

 made to pay. The contention of the high-rate apologists that the 



