Belgium 67 



panics to double wires, and, furthermore, to place all main routes 

 of wires in towns underground. 



Belgium is at present, for telephonic purposes, divided into 

 seventeen areas, each having one or more towns for a nucleus, 

 and comprising together all the chief centres of commercial 

 .activity. The areas have not been apportioned arbitrarily, but 

 with due regard to the business relations and exigencies of the 

 several districts. The shapes and superficial measurements of the 

 areas differ widely, as the requirements and convenience of the 

 telephoning public have in each case been the paramount con- 

 sideration, and the idea has been to avoid the creation of vexatious 

 barriers between neighbouring towns and villages. A considerable 

 portion of the country is still left unallotted, that is to say, is not 

 included in any of the areas ; but this portion is mostly agri- 

 cultural, or of such small industrial development that no great 

 demand for telephonic communication has as yet arisen within it. 

 The Government, however, is prepared to inaugurate new areas, 

 and provide trunk communication with the old ones, on receiving 

 sufficient evidence of a demand. In the meantime, persons out- 

 side the areas are connected to the nearest exchange on payment 

 of an extra subscription proportionate to the length of the line 

 required. Once connected, they partake of all the privileges of 

 subscribers located within the area, both as regards local and 

 trunk services. 



SERVICES RENDERED TO THE PUBLIC 



i. Intercourse between the subscribers and public telephone 

 stations of the same area. A subscriber paying the prescribed 

 annual rental for connection to his exchange is entitled to free 

 communication with all other subscribers within the area in which 

 that exchange is situated. In estimating the reasonableness of 

 the Belgian rates, some of which superficially appear considerably 

 dearer than those of Switzerland, Sweden, Wiirtemberg, and some 

 other countries, it must be borne in mind that they apply not to 

 a single town, but to a considerable district, which often comprises 

 two or more towns of notable size. Thus the Brussels area 

 measures, roughly, fifteen miles from west to east, and eight miles 



F 2 



