74 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 



speak to another located in any other for five minutes for i franc 

 (9'6</.), and for ten minutes for 1-50 francs (i4'2^.). 



Ten minutes is the longest time permitted to a pair of talking 

 subscribers should others be wanting the line. Otherwise, there is 

 no limit, but the charge is based on the assumption that a new 

 communication is commenced every ten minutes. Thus the 

 charge for 15 minutes is 1-50 + i = 2-50 francs ; for 20 minutes, 

 1*50 -f i + '50 3 francs ; for 25 minutes, 3 + 1=4 francs^ 

 c. 



Subscribers using the trunks have to deposit in advance the 

 estimated value of their monthly traffic. On these deposits 

 interest at the rate of 3 per cent, per annum is allowed. This 

 rule applies equally to the telegram service. 



Instead of paying per conversation, it is open to subscribers (or 

 to non-subscribers making use of public telephone stations) to pay 

 monthly in advance for the right to occupy a specified trunk line 

 for any length of time, but not less than ten minutes, every day. 

 The rates are : 



Per month 

 s. d. 



10 minutes or less per day . . . . .180 

 10 ,, to 15 minutes per day . . . .220 

 15 ,, 20 ,, ,, . . . .2160 



20 ,, 25 ,, ,, . . . .380 



25 30 ..'..400 



Each additional 5 minutes ,, . . . .0120 



It is not possible for one man to retain possession of a line to the 

 exclusion of others, since he must split his time into two or more 

 periods of ten minutes if the wire is wanted. The subscriber is 

 not obliged to use up all the daily time for which he has paid at 

 once, nor with the same correspondent, but unutilised time cannot 

 be carried forward to the next day. 



No distinction is made in the trunk line charges between sub- 

 scribers and strangers. The former may use his own instrument 

 or a public station at his option ; a stranger is restricted to the 

 public station. 



In the event of a trunk line being interrupted for more than 

 twenty-four hours, the subscriber is reimbursed one-thirtieth of his. 

 monthly rate for each succeeding twenty-four hours. 



