io Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 



including an attempt to prevent the company's wires being run, 

 had been triumphantly overcome ; the most flattering opinions of 

 its service had been given in writing by its subscribers, many of 

 whom were also members of the National Manchester exchange, 

 and so peculiarly qualified as judges. Moreover, the Lancashire 

 County Council had granted permission to the company to erect 

 poles and wires on every road in the county of Lancaster, so leaving 

 the way clear for the connection of every town by trunk lines sooner 

 or later. In fact, the company's success had been phenomenal, 

 and its prospects at the date of sale were of the brightest. 



But the directors became persuaded that the company's object 

 of winning cheap telephony for the nation would be furthered by- 

 transferring the business to a powerful fighting organisation such 

 as the New Telephone Company was supposed to be, and it would 

 certainly be unfair to blame them for not foreseeing the extra- 

 ordinary turn which that company's affairs subsequently took. In 

 a few months it had fallen completely under the control of the 

 National. The rates in Manchester were shortly afterwards raised 

 and alterations effected which rendered a realisation of the Mutual 

 Company's programme impossible. But the superiority of its 

 service and the sufficiency of its rate had been nevertheless 

 conclusively demonstrated. 



The Mutual campaign of course confirmed the author's pre- 

 vious experience at Dundee ; and the two cases together will pro- 

 bably be accepted as conclusive evidence of the exorbitant cha- 

 racter of the existing rates. That being so, it will surely not be 

 contended that the commercial community has not a right to 

 demand that its business intercourse shall not be burdened with 

 avoidable expense, or in any way, or through any cause, be ren- 

 dered more costly than that of its trade competitors abroad. 



In Belgium, one of England's keenest competitors, a merchant 

 at any town receiving an inquiry by mail or telegraph from, say, 

 South America can put himself in almost instantaneous communi- 

 cation with the chief manufacturers at Liege, Verviers, or elsewhere, 

 and with the shippers of Antwerp, each communication costing 

 i franc (93^.), and in the course of half an hour is in a position 

 to forward a quotation for the desired shipment. Similarly, a 

 German merchant can telephone all over the country for is. per 



