Austria 37 



preconcerted plan, and dictate them, by the aid of German 

 numerals, letter by letter. The code, which is printed in the 

 subscribers' lists, provides for forty-three different letters, including 

 the accented ones of the French, German, and Hungarian lan- 

 guages. Copies of telegrams telephoned to subscribers are not 

 afterwards delivered by messenger, but, on demand, are posted free 

 to the addressees by the next mail. This plan saves messengers' 

 wages, uniforms, and boot-leather to no inconsiderable amount. 



5. Telephoning of messages (telephonograms) for local de- 

 livery. These are of several classes, viz. : 



(1) Telephoning of written messages addressed to subscribers 

 handed in at any public telephone station. 



(2) Written messages in the form of letters or post-cards for- 

 warded to the central telephone exchange office, by letter post or 

 pneumatic post, in order to be telephoned to subscribers. These 

 must bear postage-stamps to the amount of the tariff charge. 



(3) Messages telephoned by subscribers to the central office to 

 be written down and forwarded to non-subscribers by (a) messen- 

 ger ; (ft) post-cards or letters, by letter post ; or (c) pneumatic post. 



(4) Message calling a non-subscriber in the same or another 

 town to a specified public station in order to hold a conversation 

 with the sender. 



6. Public telephone stations. These are fairly numerous, 

 there being thirty-one in Vienna and ten in the suburbs, generally 

 situated at the post and telegraph offices. The provincial towns 

 are proportionally well served. Users of public stations can 

 avail themselves of any of the privileges open to subscribers, 

 telegrams and telephonograms being accepted and trunk talks 

 allowed. No distinction is made at the public stations between 

 subscribers and non- subscribers. 



TARIFFS 



i. Rates for local exchange communication. Payments 

 come under two headings (a) contribution to the cost of the line 

 and instrument; (ft) annual subscription. The 'contribution,' 

 which in most cases will cover the entire cost of the line, is 

 4/. $s. d. for wires not exceeding 500 meters in length, after 



