70 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 



a feeder to the telegraph, and as such to be encouraged, not 

 despised), which is very largely taken advantage of. Its value 

 as a feeder may be estimated from the fact that the number of 

 special clerks engaged at the telegraph offices receiving and 

 transmitting telegrams through the telephone exchanges during, 

 the day is nine at Antwerp, eight at Brussels, five at Ghent, three 

 at Liege, two each at Namurand Charleroy, and one each at Mons 

 and Tournay. The growth of the traffic has been continuous and 

 rapid. During the month of August 1894, 45,646 telegrams were 

 received from and 39,637 forwarded to subscribers throughout 

 Belgium. Of this total of 85,283, Antwerp had 24,556 ; Brussels 

 14,081 ; Ghent 7,273 ; Liege 6,790 ; and Charleroy 5,710. The 

 telephone is thus made to bring the telegraph to the merchant's 

 desk and to the family fireside, rendering the employment of 

 messengers to take despatches to perhaps distant telegraph offices, 

 and others to bring them from the telegraph offices to the addressees,, 

 unnecessary. Under such circumstances it is natural to expect 

 that telegrams will be more freely sent, and experience shows that 

 it is so. The State also saves considerably in cost of delivery. 

 For instance, in August 1894 no less than 39,637 journeys were 

 saved to the telegraph messengers, or at the rate of 475,644, nearly 

 half a million, per annum. This means that the staff of boys,, 

 wear and tear of boots and uniforms, c., may be greatly 

 economised, while the deliveries themselves are markedly 

 accelerated. The clerks employed at the telegraph offices are 

 competent to receive and telephone messages in French, Flemish, 

 English, German, and Dutch. To avoid mistakes between words 

 and letters of similar sound, each subscriber is furnished with 

 a printed table showing the letters of the alphabet numbered 

 from i to 26. A doubtful word is spelt, and a doubtful letter 

 referred to by its number in the table. The French numerals 

 * six ' and ' dix ' are liable to be confounded by some speakers. 

 When this is the case, ' six ' is dubbed F and ' dix ' J. In Flemish 

 a similar uncertainty is apt to arise between one and two, which are 

 then referred to as A and B. With these precautions (which are 

 likewise adopted with modifications suitable to the language in> 

 most continental countries) mistakes occur but rarely, and the 

 service grows continually in popularity. 



