

78 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 



under private property without the previous consent of the pro- 

 prietor, and tenant if there is one. With respect to poles, 

 standards, and other attachments, the absolute right to refuse 

 exists and is often exercised. Actually, the State pays frequently 

 as much as "48^. to '^6d. and i '44^. per wire per annum for their 

 standards. Sometimes a free connection is asked and given in 

 consideration of a standard. Iri 1893 the way-leaves paid for 

 standards alone throughout Belgium was 40,000 francs (i,6oo/.). 

 On one occasion a proprietor in Brussels consented to the erection 

 of a standard conditionally on its colour and that of the insulators 

 attached to it harmonising with his building. To meet his ideas 

 of harmony the State had to go to the expense of having the 

 necessary number of porcelain insulators of a peculiar tint specially 

 manufactured. The Government has the right to erect poles and 

 wires along railways which, like the Grand Central Beige, are still 

 in the hands of companies, but only on payment of a way-leave 

 to be agreed upon. 



SWITCHING ARRANGEMENTS 



These are not noteworthy for any speciality in design or 

 arrangement. In the larger centres Brussels, Antwerp, Ver- 

 viers, &c. one or other of the older forms of Western Electric 

 single-wire, double-cord, series, multiple switch-board is employed ; 

 in the smaller, Gilliland and Western Electric ' standard ' non- 

 multiples. The leading idea everywhere has been to concentrate 

 as much as possible in one switch-room in each town. Thus in 

 Brussels and Antwerp, the two largest cities, there is practically 

 but one switch-room, the outlying ones (Vilvorde, Hal and 

 Nivelles in Brussels, and Boom in Antwerp) being of quite insig- 

 nificant size and several kilometers away. As a rule, each 

 operator manages 100 local subscribers' lines. Trunk line switch- 

 ing is effected at a separate table upon which the local lines are not 

 multipled. At Brussels thirty-eight trunks are shared by four girls 

 during the busiest time, and the three Paris circuits are looked 

 after by one operator, Fig. 1 7 is a plan of the trunk board at 

 Brussels, which, with a few modifications of detail, is also used in 

 the other towns excepting Mons and Namur. The Van Ryssel- 



